Ace of Hearts

by blowngasket

Dolcissimo

Chapter 21: Dolcissimo

"...Is he ok?" Fluttershy asked, looking over at Catacomb. He was for the most part a grinning fool, staring at the couple. She and the recovered Perry took a seat on the sofa, Catacomb still behind it, though uncomfortably close to both of them.

"Can't say, really." Perry said, looking over at Catacomb. He simply turned his head, his grin growing wider, forcing Perry to back away from the sheer weirdness. "Umm...could you go be creepy somewhere else?"

"Yes." Catacomb responded, though making no effort to move. Perry placed his hand over Catacomb's face, proceeding to push him away.

"Twi, what did you do to him?" Perry said as Catacomb struggled to regain his spot.

"It wasn't me. He was acting normal...well...ish before you came." Twilight said as she retrieved her writing materials.

"Oh don't mind me, I am just happy." Catacomb said as he pushed Perry's hand away.

"You see, Cata. This is why you don't starve yourself. You're acting more oddly than usual." Perry said, turning towards Catacomb. He shrugged and back away to give them some space.

"I can go weeks before it gets to me, so don't go and be all brotherly on me." Catacomb said, walking back towards the center of the room. "Now, how about we get this over with so you can go back and finish what you started." Catacomb said, looking directly at Perry with an oddly creepy grin.

This was one of those many moments in his life where Perry was thankful for the mask on his face. Without it, everyone would clearly be able to see the inquisitive look, followed by the look of realization, the color leaving his face, the color returning redder than ever, and finally the look of total embarrassment.

"Fine. What do you need us to do?" Perry said calmly, not making a single move. Twilight watched the two, an eyebrow raised.

"You're really slow, aren't ya buddy." Catacomb said, shaking his head. "You don't need to do anything. Just sit there and be all content and stuff." Catacomb shifted looks, his usual look replaced with a scholarly one, wearing a goofy looking sweater vest, brown undershirt, and khakis, and thick bifocals over his eyes. His hair shortened, and a slightly bushy mustache sprouted from his face. Though completely unnecessarily, his new image actually fitted that of a teacher of something. He smiled happily, producing a long extendable pointer from his pocket. "Today, professor Combs will instruct you on the fascinating world of changelings." He looked over at everyone, evaluating the situation. Both Perry and Twilight did not look amused, though Fluttershy had an oddly excited look on her face. "Any questions so far?"

"You didn't tell us anything yet..." Perry said casually, folding his arms across his chest. This didn't stop Fluttershy from raising her hand into the air, Twilight softly smacking herself in the face.

Catacomb pointed the pointer at Fluttershy. "The young lady with the pink hair."

"Umm...what kind of pets do changelings live with?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"Good questions. Changelings as a group really don't care too much for pets. Though some have been known to collect insects. Me personally, I like beetles. Their shiny exoskeleton, those adorable pinchers..." Catacomb started to swoon, his enthusiasm only shared by Fluttershy. Twilight was dully writing down the information while Perry began questioning his reasons for being here. He figured this would be an in and out ordeal, not a huge lecture. "Any other questions?" Catacomb asked, looking around. Fluttershy went to raise her hand, but Perry stopped her before she made it halfway, gently shaking his head. Slowly, Fluttershy put it down and sat patiently.

"Well, some thousands of years ago, changelings started out as an unorganized race, scrambling around to try and find their place in the world. Our ability to change shapes evolved from the desire to feed without being caught. Kind of like how some animals are fast, some are strong, we are sneaky. Eventually we became more intelligent and organized, leading up to the creation of a caste system." Everyone listened intently, surprised that he was actually telling them something useful for once. "Any questions?" Catacomb asked. Fluttershy raised her hand, this time not stopped by Perry. "Go ahead." Catacomb said, smiling.

"What is a caste system?" Fluttershy asked.

"A caste system is where an individual is born into the role they will play for society, depending on their lineage." Twilight answered for Catacomb. She then turned towards Catacomb. "If I may ask, what was your role in your society?"

"I don't like talking about it..." Catacomb said, his pose and demeanor changing. "...but it wasn't something I wanted. Thankfully, I live here now, where I can make my own choice." Catacomb said, clearing out his throat and returning to his fake teaching persona. "Continuing onwards, changeling magic. While we don't have the capacity for strong spells like others, we are skilled at using a variety of different spells instead, to be able to adapt to the person we are copying."

"How come you can't use any magic?" Perry asked, interrupting Catacomb. He took a quick swat at Perry's knees, causing him to flinch slightly.

"You raise your hand to ask a question." Catacomb said sternly, shaking his head. "How come Pinkie and Applejack can't use magic? The answer is because that is who they are. I wasn't gifted in magic, with the exception of my transformation skill, which borderlined the Queen's. Most changelings use up too much energy holding a transformation. But for some like me, we can pretty much live in whatever we transform into. Then there is the few who can't do either, so they end up working in the tunnels sadly, expanding the colony until the day they die. It really is quiet bleak, though most don't know any better anyways. Almost all of us live our lives to please the Queen, never caring about our own happiness."

"So why are you different?" Fluttershy asked, the start of tears forming in her eyes. Catacomb shrugged.

"I really can't say. Maybe I'm just abnormal." Catacomb said, sounding more proud of it than he should.

"No argument here." Perry said sarcastically, earning him another smack from the pointer. Perry chuckled through the pain, not really caring.

"Well, last set of questions, then I shall get to that silly demonstration." Catacomb said, the pointer disappearing as he closed his hands on it.

"Do you ever regret leaving?" Twilight asked, catching Catacomb by surprise. He pinned her for the more practical questions.

"Well, I never really cared to think about it. If I had to pick, you all would win. It isn't that I despise my own kind. Actually, I feel bad for them, and wish they could have a chance to live their own lives." Catacomb's image switched back to his usual outfit. He stood there, arms crossed and in thought. "Now Perry, Fluttershy, you know what I am going to do. I am only going to take a tiny amount, so I promise you nothing will change. Afterwards, you can go and do whatever." Catacomb couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "I ask that you hold all questions until I am finished."

"Just get on with it." Perry said, his patience drawing near and end. Catacomb couldn't help but smile innocently.

"Ok. I have. Why are you still here?" Catacomb said taking a seat on the couch next to Perry.

"Wait...that was it?" Perry said, obvious surprise in his voice.

"Please. I did it the moment you guys walked in. How do you think I knew?" Catacomb said slyly. Perry stared at him, not sure if he should kill him now, or wait until Catacomb was alone in a dark alley. Twilight's hand shot up, the look on her face say she wanted to ask a million different questions.

"Fluttershy, let us be on our way. Care for something to eat on the way back." Perry asked, straight out ignoring Catacomb now.

"No thank you, Perry. Thank you for having us over, Twilight." Fluttershy said, getting up. She walked over, giving Twilight a hug, then met Perry at the door.

"Have a great night." Twilight said, waving them out and smiling. Catacomb walked up to her and wrapped an arm over her shoulder, causing her to jump slightly.

"Don't worry. I am fairly sure they will, if the taste and scent is any indication." Catacomb said, watching the door close as Perry and Fluttershy made their exit.

"So...question time!" Twilight said, nearly throwing Catacomb off her and sitting back down in her chair. Catacomb fumbled a bit before regaining his balance.

"Easy there, Twi. I guess now is a good a time as any. Ask away." Catacomb said, his tone slightly nervous.

"Okay." Twilight focused on her notes, getting her quill ready to continue writing. "How do you feed?"

"Well, we just do." Catacomb said, turning away slightly. Twilight gave him a look, and he knew he wasn't getting out of it that easy. "When a person is in love, they release a special chemical into the air..."

"Like a pheromone?" Twilight asked, interrupting Catacomb.

"Kinda, though it isn't the same. It isn't what attracts a mate, more than the feeling you get when you look at a couple and can tell they are happy. It is undetectable, odorless, and tasteless to normal people, but to us it is a life energy." Catacomb said, taking a deep breath. "Whenever anyone is in love, or is looking for love, we can tell by the presence or absence of this. With time, we can tell who they love and what they are looking for, as there are many different kinds of love, each has their own scent and flavor."

"Wait...sorry to stop you again." Twilight said.

"We have a special internal organ that converts the said chemical into life energy." Catacomb simply ignored her, continuing onwards.

"Catacomb..." Twilight spoke, her voice getting shaky and nervous.

"Me personally, I enjoy the tastes of one night stands and forbidden passions. I guess that makes me a horrible guy, but I am who I am." Catacomb said, knowing exactly where Twilight was going. "I am not the kind of person who is suitable for relationships. Most changelings aren't. Our society doesn't push any interest into romance of our own kind, even more so with others." Catacomb spoke quietly, taking a deep breath and looking away entirely from Twilight.

"You...you knew the entire time...even before me..." Twilight said, obviously trying to remain calm at the realization that one of her biggest secrets was never really secret to begin with.

"It wasn't fair of me to hide it from ya, but yeah, I knew." Catacomb spoke with a sullen tone in his voice. "You are a wonderful person, Twilight, and a really great friend. I am not what you want in your life, even if you think so." Catacomb said, staring towards the ground. He did not want to look her in the eyes, afraid of what he might see. Twilight was stunned. She had been around him for so long, and yet he hid it from her, acting like he didn't know.

"...Leave me alone." Twilight said, her voice quivering, sounding on the verge of tears. She didn't know what upset her more. Catacomb knowing the whole time, or knowing he didn't share the same feelings for her. It wasn't fair that Fluttershy got such a touching storybook romance, and Twilight was left in the cold by the very person she couldn't help but fall in love with. Catacomb didn't look back. He walked towards the door, reaching for the handle. "Wait!" Twilight yelled out, getting up from her desk. She walked over to Catacomb, though he kept his back turned from her. He did not want to make this any harder. Maybe by tomorrow she could let this go, and they could both move on.

"Twilight, please understand that..."

"No. Shut up and listen!" Twilight said in a commanding tone. Catacomb looked over, caught by surprise by the sudden presence of anger in her voice. "Who the heck do you think you are going about and telling me what I want with my life, and what I should do? I know exactly what I want to do with my life, probably more so than anyone!" Her forcefulness caused Catacomb to back up slightly, Twilight keeping close to him to prevent him from escaping, eventually cornering him against the door. "I am one day going to be the greatest magic user the world has ever seen. I am going to be able to help anyone with any problem, because Princess Celestia taught me everything I need to know. What I wasn't taught from her, I was taught by some of the greatest friends any girl could ask for!" Twilight's outrage continued, keeping Catacomb at bay. He didn't expect this kind of reaction to his comments.

"I could see exactly the future I wanted. It was in perfect view, taking my place along the greatest minds the world has ever seen. Then Perry decides to stroll into town, and turn things upside down. Never has such chaos revolved around an individual that wasn't a god of chaos. He completely stirred up the pot I called my visions of the future, by not only showing me that there is still much I don't know, but by falling in love with one of my best friends..."

"I have to admit I didn't see that coming either..." Catacomb squeaked out.

"Hush! I am not done with you yet!" Twilight said forcefully, eliciting a gulp and a quick nod from Catacomb. "She finds a happiness that one could only dream about, and it got me thinking about what I want. Now you decide to show up. You are an idiot, a schemer, and probably the biggest flirter I have ever met, and I have had the unfortunate luck of spending time with Prince Blueblood. To top it off, you are a jerk!" Twilight yelled out that last bit, earning a confused look from Catacomb. "You said I don't know what I want, yet you can clearly tell. Well I am telling you now that you can pretend to be mister bad boy no good for anyone, but even so I know I want you!" Twilight surprised Catacomb with a kiss. It wasn't anything like he was used to. It was angry, powerful, and passionate. It didn't last long as Twilight finally came to her own realization of what she did. She pulled away quickly, her face red through a combination of embarrassment and aggravation.

"...Catacomb..." Twilight said, her anger forming into sadness, tears welling up into her eyes.

"Well...that was...unexpected..." Catacomb said, trying to recover from both the verbal and physical tongue lashing.

"I love you, you stupid jerk..." Twilight said softly, the last of her anger leaving her voice.

"I...uh..." Catacomb spewed out, a loss of words keeping him from saying much else. Twilight quickly turned away and ran up the stairs and into her room, partially slamming the door. Catacomb remained silent, deep in thought. He needed a minute to collects himself after all of that, unsure of how to deal with her.

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Twilight laid in her bed, silent tears flowing down onto the pillow. She tried to let her thoughts go elsewhere. She tried to imagine what Spike was doing with Rarity and Discord, but it only caused her thoughts to drift again to Catacomb, who helped Spike gain the confidence to take Rarity on a date. She slammed her head into the pillow, sobbing softly to keep him from hearing her like this. She wanted the dreamy love that Fluttershy has. Always so happy with her knight, who is happier as well. She didn't want to admit it, but she was jealous, envious of them. She only wanted to be happy as well.

"Twilight..." She flinched at the voice at her door. She didn't want to hear it, simply because it made her happy, even when she knew it would depress her even more. "I am coming in..." His voice was raspier, like it was sore. She said nothing as the door opened, preferring to keep her face buried where it was. She heard him walking in, and felt a pressure on the edge of her bed, not caring to check.

"I am an ass..." he said to her. Twilight wanted to yell out at him, confirming his statement, but she chose to let him continue. "I just don't do relationships, especially since I have a ton of excess baggage. I don't think I would be any good in one. For starters, I sleep around...something not many women would like." Catacomb said, a light chuckle escaping from him. Twilight laid still, though nodded gently to confirm his answer. “You’re special, and can easily do better than me, so why?" She shrugged her shoulders, not bothering to leave the safety of her pillow. Catacomb gently laid a hand on her head, causing her to jump. It wasn't just the touch, but the lack of softness from his touch that surprised her the most. "I will most likely be a horrible boyfriend. I will be messy, constantly late, and probably continue to stare at other women." His raspy voice distracted her as she tried to take in his words. She took a deep breath, and turned to look at him.

"I just want..." She froze. She was going to attempt the classic approach from many of the romance novels she had read. She would tell Catacomb that she just wanted a chance with him, even if he was wrong for her. She expected him to try and be more defiant, but could tell he was cracking under the pressure and that he secretly wanted her as well. It was well thought out, if not cliché, but the plan went out the window as she took immediate notice of his clouded blue eyes. She gasped, letting that breath of confidence she took mere seconds ago escape from her.

"Not exactly pretty, eh?" Catacomb said, sitting there in his true form. His hard black outer shell absorbed all light hitting it. The body had a defined look to it, showing what would resemble a fit figure, muscles showing through. He was slightly taller now that his exoskeleton wasn't being used for all of his clothing. He had wings, though they were nothing like that of a normal person's. Their pale blue design looked like that of an insect, the holes in them forcing the question of how he could fly with them. His arms and legs had several holes in them, almost looking painful had Twilight not known better. She looked back up to his face, humanlike in appearance, though his eyes and fangs appeared otherwise. His hair was a similar color as his wings, short and messy looking. He had on a pair of black shorts, though Twilight assumed it was to assure his decency and prevent any more unnecessary embarrassment.

"Why show me now?" Twilight asked, running her hand over his arm, feeling the smoothness of his body's natural armor.

"You were completely honest with me, so I figured it was only fair if I was honest with you." Catacomb said, scratching his head nervously. His wings quickly fluttered, making a slight buzzing noise, which Catacomb quickly silenced by pressing his hand over them. "Sorry...nervous habit." he said, a light chuckle in his voice.

"Thanks...I do appreciate it. If that is it though, do you mind leaving?" Twilight asked, even though every cell in her being screamed not to. She struggled to fight back her emotions, not wanting Catacomb to catch wind of them.

"Nah, I think I am good here." Catacomb said, his gaze shifting away ever so slightly.

"So you're just going to sit here and make it harder for me?" Twilight said, starting to get angry again, if only slightly.

"Come on, Twilight. You said it yourself. I am a stupid jerk, which I can't really disagree to. You also told me you loved me. I didn't exactly respond well to the situation, but to be fair, ya kinda attacked me." Twilight turned her gaze, frowning, though blushing gently.

"I am sorry if it bothered you." Twilight mumbled out.

"Damn right it bothered me." Twilight turned her gaze back at Catacomb, surprised. "Here you are, thinking 'the weird bug doesn't like me', and here I am thinking 'why the heck does she like the weird bug'? You smart people are so confusing, never wanting things to be simple. Here I am, trying to make our lives a bit easier since a relationship between us would be crazier than a changeling dating the student of Celestia, and you have to go and remind me of all those little reasons why I think you're awesome." Catacomb sighed, though a smile still remained. Twilight wasn't sure what to think at this point. Was this going where she thought it would? None of her books had anything like this in it. Even with his current form, the way he acted and talked told her it was still the same man from before. "Oh don't think I don't notice ya." Catacomb said, as if he was reading her mind as well. "You are so clueless sometimes it hurts. You are a catch to any fellow. Smart, beautiful, and feisty as all hell. How you are still single to begin with is beyond me."

"I just wanted to wait for the right man..." Twilight said softly, tears beginning to form in her eyes again. She just wished Catacomb would get to the end of this, because the suspense caused by his words and actions have been a whirlwind of emotions for her.

"Well, ya got me instead, so I hope you don't mind the tradeoff..." Catacomb said sweetly, lowering his own face towards her and gently planting a kiss on her forehead. She blushed heavily, the tears making their way out yet again. "Are you really going to get all sappy on me like this? You women are all weird. You cry when you're sad, you cry when you're happy. How the heck am I supposed to know how to act?" Catacomb said softly, his face still close to hers.

"Would you just shut up and kiss me..." Twilight said, moving her face closer to his. He grinned and gladly complied, letting his cold lips meet her warm ones. It wasn't the fairy tale style romance Twilight expected, but Catacomb was right, and she was more than happy at this point in making it work with what she had.

Comments

[Black TearsWolf]

Awesome, just awesome.

[blowngasket]

2978188 thanks for the compliment. I am glad you enjoyed it.

[Luna Secret Stallion]

About time it happened but oh god how are the others gonna react? Is the shit gonna hit the fan?

[blowngasket]

2978604 You will have to wait and see, though I promise that the ambulance will be on standby just in case.

Thanks for the comment, and I hope you continue to enjoy.