Kiss of the Dark Pt.2

Chapter 5

Sheriff Silver Star was having a downright shitty day.

First, some danged fool up in Canterlot, whose name he suspected ended in “-elestia”, had apparently decided to assign two squads of Gryphon soldiers in defense of his town without telling him beforehand. Then, after he got all the catbird’s living arrangements figured out, he walked back outside to find everypony had downright disappeared. And that was when one’a them damned bug-ponies clubbed him round the head and dragged him to the saloon.

The dagnabbed Changelings had taken all of Appleloosa by surprise, and the Gryphons there, and had stuck them all in some goop ‘fore leaving them lying around the saloon. And of course, nopony could reach even a single bottle of booze. He’d tried, shit had he tried, and the fuckin’ teases had even left him hanging upside down over the bar, but he just couldn’t stretch far enough.

Around him, all of the good citizens of Appleloosa, all fifty-six of them, were stuck willy-nilly to the floor, to the walls, and to the ceiling. Closest to him was Braeburn, stuck against the front of the bar.

“Braeburn!” He hissed, catching his attention while avoiding the guards’. “Can ya’ll get free?” The stallion in question gave a wiggle, and shook his head. Sheriff Silver Star looked back up at his own coating of green crap, and began muttering to himself. “Tarnation. Wish I had that fancy six-shooter my pa gave me. I don’t like being able to kill that easy, it ain’t right, but I reckon that’s jes’ ‘bout what we need right now…”

A sound outside the saloon caught his attention. Heavy hoofsteps on the planks outside. There was a final creak as the saloon doors opened, and in strode the biggest damn changeling he’d seen in his life. And also the fifth changeling he’d ever seen in his life.

“Ah, ponies of Appleloosa. A pleasure to meet all of you. I’m ever so sorry it had to be like this, but I don’t think we could’ve just walked into town to resupply, could we?” She paused, as if waiting for an answer. When the building remained silent, she made a grumbling sound and began pacing.

“Fine. Be like that. Anyway, it doesn’t particularly matter. Who among you is the leader?” Sheriff Silver Star looked at her.

“I’m the Sheriff of this here town. Why are ya’ll askin’?”

“Why, to negotiate your surrender, of course. I do hope things are not so far gone that we cannot work out a deal?”

“Deal? Ya’ll waltz into our fair town, goo us all up, and expect us to cut a deal with ya’ll? If’n ya’ll want food, take it. Jes’ leave us alone, we ain’t done nuthin to ya.”

“Well, there is a problem with that. We feed off of love, which you may have noticed, would have been next to impossible to acquire here no matter how we went about it. So, here’s our deal. We take, say, half the males of this town. For breeding and farming. In return, we leave the rest of you unharmed.”

“No deal.”

She sighed. “No, I didn’t think so. A pity. I would have even let you choose which ones. No, Sheriff, I didn’t want to do this, but-“ She paused, smacking her lips. “Odd. Somepony in this room is already giving me love. Who…?” She looked down at Braeburn, who was desperately trying to avert his eyes.

She crouched down, making herself level with the yellow stallion. “Interesting. What is your name?”

“Uh, Braeburn, ma’am. Sorry to distract ya.”

“Oh, think nothing of it, Braeburn. I am Queen Chrysalis. Most ponies in your position are terrified, not amorous. You are not?”

“No ma’am. Pardon my say-so, but… ya’ll are right pretty.”

“Well, thank you. I’m glad somepony in this town is willing to be civil. And I shall be too. Hold still.” She began rubbing her forehooves together, another coat of goo emitting from the holes, and then started painting Braeburn’s cocoon with it. It bubbled, and then started melting away, while he looked at her, surprised.

“Thank ya kindly, ma’am. And, uh… Welcome to Aaaappleloosa?” Chrysalis chuckled, and helped him to his hooves.

“And it is a wonderful town, first impressions notwithstanding. Tell me, Braeburn, would you be willing to resume negotiations in lieu of the Sheriff?”

“Ah reckon ah can do that. Ah figure we can talk this out like civilized creatures, don’t ya’ll?”

“ I believe we can.” Above him, Sheriff Silver Star spat a single word.

“Traitor.” Both Braeburn and Chrysalis looked up at him in surprise.

“Hey, no need for that, Silver.”

“And why’s that? After what this thing’s done, ya’ll wanna talk nice with it? Didn’t ya’ll hear ‘bout Canterlot? How she invaded and lied and replaced one of the Princesses?” Chrysalis glared at him.

“I only did what I had to do for my brood’s survival. And it still failed. We’ve been slowly starving ever since, dropping one by one. Even our hive, out in the Badlands, has been overtaken by Quarry Eels. We’ve been living in the nooks and crannies ever since, until my scout reported Equestria was in trouble.”

“Better ya’ll starve out there. ‘Cause here in Equestria, we don’t take kindly to your kind replacing our loved ones.” Braeburn frowned at him.

“Sheriff Silver Star, that’s enough. No creature deserves that, no matter what they done. And they’re willing to be peaceable about it, long as we give ‘em the chance.” He turned to Chrysalis. “Ah’m getting feelin’s o’ hostility in here. Mebbe we should talk somewhere else?”

“I couldn’t agree more. We’ve established a temporary hive just outside of town in some old mines. They’re much more stable now. Please, follow me… Handsome.” She turned, swishing her tail underneath his chin and flashing him a glimpse underneath, before trotting out the door.

Braeburn couldn’t follow her fast enough.

The second she was off the first shift, Gilda was in the air, making a beeline for Dash’s cloud house. She landed on the porch, shaking her wings, and walked to her door. She gave the filled mailbox a glance, and considered her options.

Damn. Looks like she’s been out for a few days. Or she just got too lazy to check her mail. Still, if she’s not in, I’m gonna have to start asking around. Well… Worth a shot, all the same.

Her mind made up, she have the door a quick series of thumps, three, four, then two more. Their old code, back at flight camp. There was a squeak from inside, a gut-wrenchingly familiar one. She put her beak up to the door, and took a deep breath.

“Fluttershy?” There was silence, tense silence, for a few seconds, before Gilda’s well-trained ears caught the sound of somepony shuffling towards the door, quiet as a mouse. Even then, she almost didn’t catch the reply.

“Gilda?”

“Hey.”

“…What are you doing here?”

“I was kinda looking for Dash, but… well… I gotta speak to you too, Flutters.”

“Okay.” Gilda nodded, not caring that Fluttershy couldn’t see her through the door, and sat down, leaning against it. She started toying idly with the flintlock pistol on her hip as she talked.

“Flutters… I fucked up.” There was an eep sound from inside, and Gilda wished she could have picked a different word. “Sorry. Not just for saying that, but for the whole thing here a couple years ago. I… I’d just come back on leave since I got drafted, and I wanted to see my old friend Rainbow. And she… She had kinda been my only friend, ever. We Gryphons, we’re not good at all this friendship crap. I’m, like, really sucky at it, myself. I couldn’t even make any friends in my platoon. And when I came to visit pretty much the only friend I’d ever had, just to find out she’d basically replaced me… I didn’t take that shit well.”

There was another eep sound. “And, uh, sorry I keep cursing. I’ve been in the military for a while now, and you get used to it after a while. Anyway. Sorry for what I did to you. It wasn’t nice, shit, it wasn’t anywhere close to nice. I didn’t remember you, cause I only met you, like, twice, so to me you were just some pony who got in my way. And I was an asshole.”

“And I’m sorry it took this goddamn long to say all this. After that party, I just went straight back home, threw myself into my work. Got up to Corporal. But… I always regretted what I did, and I was always looking for a chance to come back here. That’s why I’m here now, actually. Pulled some strings, probably pissed off a couple of Gryphons, but I did it all so I would get assigned here. Just to say sorry.”

The wind blew past her, a gentle breeze, as the house wasn’t too high up. Maybe a hundred paws, at the most. Still, it was enough for the wind chime at the end of the porch. It made a gentle, ringing series of notes as the stone in the center tapped the scrap-metal pipes.

Abstractly, Gilda recognized it as one they’d built back in Junior Speedsters, as an arts-and-crafts project. The string had been replaced, as had the wooden base, but the rainbow-coloured pipes were still there. Dash had spent the whole class digging through the piles, looking for the perfect ones, only to run out of time as she pulled out the last.

Gilda had found them again, “borrowed” them from the class (They were gonna take their wind chimes home anyway, so no biggy) and built a second wind chime for Dash, using them. She’d been amazed when Gilda found her the next day, and gave it to her. That was really how they’d become such good friends.

Fluttershy’s voice sounded sorta like the wind chime, too. “Gilda? You really mean it? This isn’t a prank?”

“Fuck no. You don’t joke around about shit like this, even I know that. It’s not funny, it’s just mean.”

“…Okay… I’m… I’m going to open the door.” Gilda got back up, popping her back while she waited. She’d started slouching again. Well, basic didn’t break all of her habits.

The door creaked open, and a tiny yellow snout poked out, protected from the world by a long, pink mane, like a bunny making sure it was safe outside. Gilda suddenly realized she must’ve looked a sight, with her sweat-stained barding and her weapons still on her. Still, she had more important things on her mind at the moment.

“’Shy? Is everything alright? Where is Dash, anyway?”

“Um… Please don’t do anything drastic, but… I came by to make sure Tank was alright, because she can’t take care of her while she’s in jail-“

“What- She’s where?!”

“Dagnabbit, Dash, we’re worried sick ‘bout you, all of us girls.”

“And I’m worried sick about Twilight. Am I allowed to do anything about it, Applejack?”

“No, because-“

“Because apparently being an Element of Harmony isn’t enough for Celestia. Because apparently being her friend isn’t enough for Celestia. Because Celestia wants her dead now.”

“Rainbow! Ya’ll take that back!”

“See, I’ve been watching out this window for the whole day. Started as a distraction, but I just started paying attention to the whole town. And I’ve noticed a heck of a lot more Gryphons runnin’ around, with armor and guns.”

“Celestia asked for assistance from the Gryphons, yeah, but-“

“But nothing. That’s a move against public enemy number one, not a friend who’s gone missing.”

“Dash, you, ah… ugh! Listen to buckin’ reason!” Behind her, the door opened, and a Gryphon wearing heavy armor stepped through.

“Visiting hours are finished in five minutes.”

“What? The Sheriff’s office don’t have visitin’ hours.”

“It does now. I’m assuming control of the local police force. And you have five minutes to get out of my building.” Behind Applejack, Dash sighed.

“AJ, don’t worry about me. Worry about Twilight, she needs it more I do. I’m just stuck in here. The food’s shit, but I’m good.” Quietly, the Gryphon closed the door. Applejack turned around to face Dash again. She had one more trick up her metaphorical sleeve.

“Fine, Dash. Fine. But what about the weather team?”

“What about the weather team? You know they don’t need me, it’s just rogue clouds from the Everfree. Not even a rain shower in the next week.”

“Everfree’s gettin’ rowdy. From what ah heard, they had ta call in some of the reserves ‘cause of a twister that durn near wiped out Carrot Top’s crops.”

“What? Why?”

“Dunno. That’s yer job, Dash, and you’re shirkin’ it in here.”

“…No. I… I can’t. I’d be letting Twilight down.”

“Dash, she don’t even know ya’ll are in here! She might have forgotten us completely under that danged Sombra’s-“ Dash spun around, slamming her hooves on the bars of her cell.

“NO! It doesn’t matter how crazy Twi is, she’d never forget about us! And I’m not gonna forget about her! I’m not getting out of here unless you let me see my friend!”

“Gee, Dash, I didn’t know you missed me that much.” And suddenly, Gilda was leaning against the doorframe. She must’ve snuck in when Dash and Applejack weren’t looking. Leaning around her to look inside, was Fluttershy, looking terrified. Dash suddenly realized she was terrified because of her.

“G?”

“You know it. What’d you do this time, Rainbutt?” She stood up, walking to the cell bars, and Applejack moved out of her way.

“I’m being stubborn, but what- What are you doing back in Ponyville, G? I thought me and all my friends were lame?”

“Yeah, I did say that, didn’t I? Well… I’m sorry. But the pink one was fuckin’ with me, I’m seri-“

“Gilda.” Fluttershy’s voice cut the Gryphon off better than a gunshot would’ve.

“Sorry. In fact… Yeah. That, a couple dozen more times. I’m sorry I fucked up so bad here. Been regrettin’ it for a while. Where is the pink weirdo, anyway? I especially wanna say sorry to her.”

“Can ya’ll stop calling her ‘the pink weirdo’ first?” Gilda turned to the Earth pony beside her.

“Eh, maybe. Weird ain’t exactly bad, and If you think about it, I’m right. Wait… Shit, you’re that Apple pony, aren’t you?”

“Applejack. Ah remember ya’ll now. You got one heck of a nerve comin’ back here.”

“Hey, wait one second. I said I’m sorry. You wanna know what I had to do to come here and say that?”

“Ah’m a big believer in actions speakin’ louder than words. Go on.”

“You know that Gryphon out there riding your asses about visiting hours? That’s Corporal Hookbeak. Nasty sonofabitch. Him and his whole division. I only caught a ride out here with him cause he was coming here, and I knew this might be my last chance for a while to do the same. And to personally protect my friends.” She turned to Dash. “Come on. Lemme do that, at least. Gamma division is made up almost entirely of assholes.”

Dash looked surprised. “They assigned a whole division out here? Just to Ponyville?”

“Damn straight. Prime target for your Egghead friend.”

“Twilight wouldn’t attack Ponyville. Not in a hundred years.”

“Brass thinks different. Orders, sorry. But If I see her, I’ll make sure to play nice, unless she tries to pull something. I don’t have much authority In this division though, so we gotta hope I run into her first.”

“Yeah. We gotta find her.”

“Hold up, Dash, ya’ll can’t be thinkin’ a draggin’ Gilda into this too-“

“I’m thinkin’ about it, yeah. Also thinkin’ of bustin’ outta here.”

Gilda rose a feathery eyebrow. “Hang on just one second, Nyan Dash. I can probably get you released under my care.”

“Well, shoot. Now I gotta come along to keep an eye on ya’ll.” Dash nodded, and turned to Fluttershy.

“How about you, Flutters? You don’t have to come along if you don’t wanna.”

“No… She’s my friend too. And I think with all that’s going on… She may need a little kindness.”

For the first time in a week, Dash smirked her trademark smirk, and motioned for everypony… No, everyone, to come closer. “Alright. So here’s what we’re gonna do…”

Author's Note

So, apparently "in a couple days" translated into "Later today" in my mind. Which is a good thing, because it means you guys get story! Now, for another question; How do you guys feel about story-related clop? I'd be a separate fic that would link back to this one, and it wouldn't be required by any means, it would just provide a little character exposition and of course, clopping material. I'm not trying to pander, honestly, I just wanted to see if I could pull something like this off. (And for some reason, my brain is convinced that all romance stories should have a sex scene at one point.) Anyhow, first one would be ChrysalisxBraeburn, obviously, but I may be able to swing a SombraxTwilight scene later on if they get time.
Comments and opinions below!