Shells
Sweet Pepper was safe.
Sweet Pepper wasn't alone.
She had been earlier. Her friend Derpy had gotten separated from her. She knew she should've listened to Derpy's advice not to stay in line for so long, but an autograph from Daring Do was too good to pass up! But, there she had been, stumbling along the floors of the convention, lost and hopeless. All of a sudden, though, her saving grace arrived!
She had company, in the form of a strange pony with grey fur. For a second, she thought it was Derpy, but when she looked at them, a weird set of eyes (compared to Derpy's already strange set) had greeted her. She was nervous when they came up to her, but they got to talking quickly and it turned out they had a lot of common interests. Plus, they were incredibly encaptivating. Strangely, they didn't seem to know much about Daring Do, a small caveat, but Sweet Pepper didn't mind. She'd take an uneducated friend over no friend at all.
Sweet Pepper had a friend.
They had wings, like her. Their wings were different though, almost scarily so. Unlike her soft, feathery wings, the wings at this pony's sides were leathery and hard. They protruded unnaturally from her sides with their skeletal knobs. They were fascinating and enthralling. She couldn't take her eyes off them. The fright of them only enticed Sweet Pepper more. It was like the novel she had read about the unicorn falling in love with a vampire. They were alluring not in spite of their frightening appearance, but because of it. They grabbed, no, demanded her attention. She had never seen a pony with wings like these, so vicious, yet inviting. She wanted to know more.
She wanted to get closer.
They spoke of the ocean; how the waves crashed up and down; how the rocks jutted out from the water's surface; how the kelp floated atop it like a spider web. They were particularly fascinated with the creatures that lurked in its waters. The schools of krill, the defensive pufferfish, the intelligent octopi. Their favourite were sharks, how they hunted down their prey with not only stealth, but with dedication as well. Sweet Pepper didn't really understand it, but she supposed there were plenty of ponies that didn't understand her interests. Plenty of ponies that didn't understand her.
They did though. They understood everything.
Her new friend had led her back to their room. She couldn't remember why. It didn't matter. She assumed they wanted to show off their collection. She knew she would.
Turns out, they did. It was a shell collection. There were lots of differences between them—color, shape, size—but the one thing that united them was that they all had cracks. Her new friend had told her they reminded them of her, and Sweet Pepper was thrilled. She didn't exactly know what that meant, but she thought the shells looked beautiful, and no cracks could change that. It sounded like a compliment. She'd never gotten a compliment from a friend before. Never gotten a compliment.
Never had a friend.
She faintly recalled several images that felt familiar in her mind's eye. A vision of a blond mane that made her feel at ease. Orange fur that was encouraging her to be more open. Several hooves and eyes and colors that made her heart beat steadier. Were they her friends? Why would she need any of them? Her new friend did all of that for her. She was always safe, always calm, always talking to them.
Or was it the other way around? She didn't care.
She'd been around her new friend for so long now, but for some reason, she couldn't describe her past the strange wings. The thought of trying made her head hurt. All she could remember was staring into their eyes, and feeling that soothing presence in the back of her mind. Everything would be okay. No more anxiety. No more worrying.
No more ponies. Just her, and her friend.
She could feel small touches on her fur. It felt like static, a small shock before she regained control. She was getting used to it now. The shock barely affected her anymore. Although her neck did feel sore, she felt great everywhere else. It was a cool sensation, almost like a waterfall on her body. It was warm to the touch, but it made her freeze for a reason she couldn't fathom. It must've been a good thing, because it felt more comfortable the longer she felt it.
How delectable, her friend had called her. Delightful. They had called her delightful. Delectable? Was she?
Who was her friend? She couldn't remember their name, or even if they had told her. She knew they liked… bells? Was that it? Bells, yes, that was right. Maybe she should get going. It was late and she needed to get back to her hotel. Hotel. Hotel… what… where… who…
What was she thinking? Sweet Pepper loved her friend. What else was there to feel? Who else was there to see? It didn't matter, Sweet Pepper was content. She finally got a break from the breakdowns, the shivering, the holding back. She could finally let her emotions run wild in a controlled environment.
Control? What was 'control'? It seemed unimportant. Probably something her friend had talked about. Her friend had talked a lot. Talked about so many wonderful things. Her friend talked and talked and they sounded so interested. Her friend must love control if they talked about it as passionately as she would talk about Daring… Daring… whatever it was. Sweet Pepper couldn't remember, she felt too drowsy to remember.
Her neck felt sharp. No, something sharp was on her neck. What could it be? Did it matter? She didn't know. She felt tired, like she could sleep forever. She just wanted to rest. Rest with her friend. Her friend. Friend. Friend? Friend… friend… fri…
Sweet Pepper was safe.
And she will be, no matter what.