Violets are Blue

Chapters

Chapter 1: Return
Chapter 2: Another Lovely Day
Chapter 3: The Question of All Questions
Chapter 4: Advice from an Old Friend
Chapter 5: Plan of Action
Chapter 6: The Love in Their Eyes
Chapter 7: My Perspective
Chapter 8: The Right Matriarch for the Job
Chapter 9: Spiral
Chapter 10: Disappearance
Chapter 11: Discrepancies
Chapter 12: Vindicta
Chapter 13: A Place by My Side

Chapter 1: Return

Violets are Blue: Return

“You all know the drill,” a large griffon said to a handful of zebra and pony soldiers in front of him. “Our target lies beneath the castle and our mission is to extract him. Stay clear of as many of the guards as you can and use any means necessary to avoid detection.”

“Yes sir!” the other soldiers said with a salute.

The griffon stared hard at each one of the soldiers before issuing the command, “Move out.”

The troupe swiftly climbed over the short walls surrounding Canterlot Castle and landed gracefully among the fruit orchards. The moon slowly rose above the mountains that the city of Canterlot had been built against, casting its dim light over the buildings and illuminating its reflection in the many ponds and lakes of the parks. The lights from the city itself shone like a beacon for miles in every direction, and the fireworks even more so, exploding in multitudes of color and sound to mark the second year that Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence repelled the changeling threat. It was clear that the party still raged in the streets from the music and the cheering that persisted, drowning out the noise of any ponies who might be trotting through the grass.

A clear night allowed for the soldiers to find their way more easily than they otherwise would have, even if the coming winter air cut through their cloaks and fur. Moonlight shone through the branches of the fruit trees to light a distinct pathway for the soldiers to follow, twisting its way this way and that to avoid obvious guard trails and clearings from which they could be spotted. The head of the column, a dark grey pegasus, carefully marked out tracks of hoofsteps that were unmistakably left by patrols and expertly led everypony in a different direction. As they neared the castle, the griffon leader brought all of the soldiers to a halt. Ahead of them were a pair of pegasus guards keeping watch over an entrance to the castle.

“Swifthoof,” the griffon said, putting his hoof on the shoulder of the earth pony in question, “remove those two guards from their posts. Fletcher will cover you if something goes wrong. Go.”

The earth pony nodded and drew his serrated dagger, then broke off from the main group and stayed low against one of the walls that led up to the castle doors. He disappeared from view once the low wall snaked around the corner, and the rest of the party was left to stare at the two guards at the entrance. The pegasus who led the head of the column, Fletcher, drew his crossbow and trained it on one of the guards, waiting for his signal. Everypony held their breath.

A minute went by. And then another minute. Fletcher shifted his weight, but he left his crossbow trained on the guard, patiently waiting for the signal. Everypony else remained as still and as quiet as they could possibly be, hidden underneath a large peach tree with all of their hoods drawn over their heads.

Then there was some commotion, and a dark hoof wrapped around one of the guard’s necks, shortly followed by a flash and some red fluid shooting into the air from the guard’s neck. Fletcher saw his chance and fired his crossbow, releasing his breath when he saw his bolt cleanly pierce through the other guard’s neck. Both of the guards collapsed into heaps where they were standing, then they were quickly removed from their posts by Swifthoof. Once the guards were clear, Swifthoof waved at the group, signaling for the party to follow him.

The griffon leader nodded, confirming for the group to leave their spot underneath the tree and enter the castle. Swifthoof was already inside, remaining hidden behind a wall as he made sure that the coast remained clear for the other soldiers. Once everypony was through, he looked back and nodded his head.

“Phase one of the plan is complete,” the griffon confirmed. “Initiate phase two. Everyone follow me.”

~~~

Zumas sat on the cold cobblestone floor of his cell beneath Canterlot Castle, his long, unkempt tail wrapped around his hooves. He kept his eyes trained forward, staring out of the cell with a blank look etched into his face that made his thoughts entirely unreadable to any of the guards that may pass him. Focus and thought had long since escaped his mind, all of his time left to simple commentary and deductive reasoning.

I wonder, how many times a day does this guard walk past my cell and shoot me that angry glare? Zumas thought as a unicorn guard walked past his cell, glancing at him with a hint of irritation in his eyes. He looks at me like I stole something that he held dear to him, like a family heirloom or a cheating wife. It’s almost as if I still pose some sort of threat to him while I am locked away in this cage and have this ring stuck around my horn. So much for holy matrimony.

The guard stopped, pausing to start a quiet conversation with another pegasus guard who happened to also be in front of Zumas’ cell. The unicorn guard occasionally looked over at his cell, still throwing looks of contempt towards Zumas.

These ponies are curious actually, Zumas continued, staring back at the guard. For all of their princesses’ pride for being loving and accepting, trying to live up to the good name of the Elements of Harmony, the concept behind tolerating others seems to be at a loss for them. Opinions and traditions mark differences between each other, requiring for us to play the diversity game. It’s terrifying to some, unacceptable for others, leaving us at an impasse between what we think to be good and what we think to be right.

The two guards finished talking, and the unicorn guard noticed Zumas’ eyes trained on him. He scrunched up his nose and approached the cage. Zumas remained entirely unfazed, continuing to stare at the guard even as he sauntered up to the iron bars.

And so the game begins, Zumas thought, a small smile creeping up along his lips. Oh how I have been longing for this moment, a little witty battle between you and I. What could you know about me that I don’t already know, I wonder? What can you hope to see in me?

The guard slammed his hooves against the cage, sending a loud ringing sound to echo throughout the entire prison. Zumas didn’t so much as even flinch, keeping his eyes fixed on the guard.

“Hey, what do you think you’re staring at?” the guard asked in a cold tone. He slammed the bars again when Zumas didn’t answer. “I asked you a question, scum. You had best answer it.”

Zumas tilted his head. “The witty, comedic thing to say would be ‘nothing much,’ but I’m sure you wouldn’t take such an answer too well, would you?”

The guard scowled. “Took you long enough to think of such an answer. Out of practice now that you don’t have to weasel your way out of justifying your pony trafficking hobbies, or are you just not as smart as so many of your associates claim?”

“Could be either,” Zumas said with a shrug, “or perhaps the company I keep nowadays isn’t quite up to the intellectual par that it used to be. It’s quite interesting what my employees said for their defense. You ‘good guys’ are far more predictable with your white knight tendencies.”

“How can you be so nonchalant about enslaving other ponies?” the guard asked, glaring at Zumas. “These are ponies who have lives, families, lovers, rights. Why is it up to you to take those things away so that you can satisfy your disgusting love for money? Don’t these ponies have a say in the matter? Or are their voices irrelevant?”

“It’s interesting that you ask me that,” Zumas said, finally lifting himself up to his hooves and walking towards the guard. “You see, I’m a bit of a business pony. I run a business, make a living, contribute to this capitalistic society just like any other business pony. However, I guess you could say that my business… assets might be a little bit controversial, if I may say. They aren’t something that a pony would usually buy or sell: other ponies. I mean, it just sounds horrible, doesn’t it?”

The guard grunted, but he remained silent, allowing for Zumas to continue.

Interesting. “How about you look at it from a different perspective?” Zumas asked, stopping at the iron bars. “Think of these ponies more of social assets to those that buy them. Instead of being enslaved to these ponies, they are merely employees who are serving their bosses for some sort of pay. In return for their services, they are able to have a roof over their heads and being fed exceptionally well. What more could they ask for?”

“But these ponies are not choosing this life for themselves,” the guard replied, narrowing his eyes. “Even if they get these so called payments of yours, they are still subjected to the whims and lifestyles of others. They have no say in matters that can concern them. How can you call that employment when it sounds an awful lot like slavery?”

“What makes you think they don’t have a choice?” Zumas asked. “Everypony has a choice, what would life be without having choices? I’m sure you know about the ponies who chose to no longer wish to be employed under my jurisdiction, and I’m also sure you have heard of the consequences that they had to suffer because of it. Everypony has a choice, my dear guard, they just need to remember that there are consequences that come along with it.”

The guard scrunched his nose in disgust. “You’re a sick pony, you know that? Your kind deserves to be locked up for the suffering and pain that inflict upon other ponies. For the crimes you have committed, I don’t see you getting out any time soon.”

A shout rang out through the prison, followed by several loud crashes and bangs. Two guards ran past the jail cell, their spears drawn. The unicorn watched them pass by, then turned back to glare at Zumas.

“Don’t be too sure of that, my friend,” Zumas said, sitting down in front of the cell with a smile on his face. “You see, a business pony always has a backup plan when their business goes under. I’m no exception.”

The guard growled at Zumas one last time, then ran off behind the other two guards, pulling his spear off of his back. Several more shouts rang through the prison, followed by another loud bang, then another. Zumas sat in utter silence, staring out of the jail cell with that same blank expression he wore before he had started talking to the guard. The loud bangs and the shouts continued to echo through the prison for several more moments before they all fell silent.

It wasn’t long before a large griffon stood in front of Zumas’ cell, a ring of keys twirling around his talon. Behind him was a pegasus with a crossbow slung over his back, a toothy grin stretched across his face. Zumas couldn’t help but smile.

“So these are the ones who decided to take it upon themselves to rescue Zumas from the clutches of the Equestrian Law,” Zumas said in a sing-song voice. “I’ll admit, I’m impressed you risked so much getting so far. Perhaps the company I keep will no longer be so predictably dull anymore.”

“You don’t recognize Nero? Your quoted ‘best customer’?” the griffon asked, putting one of the keys into the keyhole. A dark blue unicorn walked up behind him.

“If you didn’t know already,” Zumas replied dryly, “I don’t keep tabs on who my customers are, let alone meet them face to face. Keeps my business safe that way.”

Nero unlocked the jail cell door and slid it open, allowing for the dark blue unicorn to enter. The unicorn charged his horn and encased the ring around Zumas’ horn in his magic, dispelling the enchantment and allowing for Zumas to push the ring off. He then stepped out of the cage and stretched his legs.

“It’s good to finally be out of that cell,” Zumas added in between his strentches. “I hope you have a plan of escape, elsewise I’m afraid I might have been getting my hopes up with the intelligence factor of your supposed rescue.”

“The way out of the castle is secure,” Nero said. “Unless the guards at the post in front of the fruit orchards have been discovered, our entrance into the castle has gone unnoticed.”

“By the amount of noise made coming down here, I would have thought otherwise,” Zumas said.

“Moonlit Skies here enchanted the door with a sound dampening spell,” Nero replied, nodding his head towards the dark blue unicorn. “The noise remained confined to these prison rooms. There is no need to worry about the rest of the guard being alerted to our presence.”

Zumas nodded his head and fell in behind Fletcher and a zebra as they made their way towards the exit of the prisons. His heart was pounding in his chest, giddy in the knowledge that he was once again free from the confines of the Canterlot Castle prisons. The odds of this happening were in his favor, of course, but the anticipation behind the escape was enough to put butterflies in his stomach. Imagine what the newspapers will say.

“Even so, let us be cautious,” Zumas said as they made their way up the stairs.

Fletcher opened the door to the prisons carefully, and when he noticed that nopony was in sight, he looked back at the rest of the party and nodded his head. Everypony crept out of the stairway into the castle hallway and picked up their pace straight towards the entrance to the fruit orchards. They passed by beautiful stained glass windows illuminated by the moonlight, causing the images to have an eerie glow about them, but still radiate off enough light for them to pick their way along the hall. The light only partially helped, however, as the hallway they slunk through was easy enough to traverse due to its sheer size alone.

In no time the group reached the entrance to the orchards, and after Fletcher checked the path ahead of them to make sure it was clear, they passed right through. Zumas caught sight of the two guards who had been slain by Nero’s lackeys, and he didn’t so much as give a second glance at them before they dropped down the stairs and slipped into the fruit orchard. So far so good, no detection just as Nero had said. Zumas was impressed.

However, upon approaching the short wall at the edge of the castle grounds, a bell rang through the night air. The group all looked back towards the castle.

“Looks like the guards have stumbled upon our hoofwork,” Nero said. “Pick up the pace and head straight for the sewers.”

Everypony easily leapt over the castle wall and dropped down on the other side, then broke into a full gallop into the rich district of the city. All festivities from the party raging through the streets stopped once the bells from the castle were heard over the roar of the fireworks, and everypony stopped their dancing and laughing to perk their ears towards the sound. However, even with everypony paused to listen to the bells, Zumas, Nero, and the rest of the group tore through the city streets, pushing ponies aside who blocked their way and eliciting angry shouts and suggestive hoof gestures.

Guards in the city streets quickly mobilized and made their way towards the castle, but those who lay in the path between the group and the sewers caught on to the alarm and gave chase to the group. Fletcher was quick to react, looking behind him and firing his crossbow at the nearest pegasus guard, the bolt piercing through his wing and sending the guard careening into a group of pony bystanders. The other unicorn guard in pursuit was too slow to keep up the chase with the party, allowing for them to escape into the sewers located down a wide alleyway.

Everypony ran a bit further down the sewers, then all took cover behind a corner. Fletcher poked his head out from behind the corner and remained still, watching the entrance to the sewer intently for any guards or ponies who may make their way in. Upon seeing nopony after several minutes, he looked back.

“We’re in the clear, sir,” Fletcher confirmed.

“Now that you’re free and back in Canterlot,” Nero started as the group breathed a sigh of relief and made their trek into the sewers, “what do you plan on doing first?”

Zumas’ lips twisted into an evil grin, and a short chuckle escaped his throat. “Why, business as usual, of course. And I know just the two ponies to start with.”

Author's Note

Please don't get writer's block, please don't get writer's block...

Chapter 2: Another Lovely Day

Violets are Blue Chapter 2

Lilo stared hard at the sea of bottles before her. Each bottle was lined up in an orderly fashion on top of a table in the center of a tent, making a perfect square of twenty bottles long and twenty bottles wide. They were so tightly packed together, and the mishmash of colors hurt her eyes, hues ranging from bright yellows and obnoxious oranges and greens to darker reds, browns, and purples. It didn’t help that she was so focused on the colors regardless, measuring each bottle intently, judging each of their distances and trying to look for the perfect bottle that she could use to her advantage.

Transformed into her Rosebud disguise, Lilo felt perspiration soaking through her coat from the hot autumn sun. She looked like a creme colored pegasus with her mane and tail twisted into a light pink and white mixture, and on her flank was a picture of a pink rose. Her tail swished back and forth in idle concentration, and her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she licked her lips.

“I don’t mean to sound pushy, Lilo,” Carbon said behind her, sitting and watching some clouds float overhead, “but you’ve been staring at those bottles for over a minute now. Are you going to toss the ring?”

Lilo snapped out of her daze and looked back at him. Carbon was a light grey pegasus with a bushy blue tail and mane, and on his flank was a picture of a test tube crossing over an erlenmeyer flask. He caught her looking back at him, and he wiggled his eyebrows at her, causing Lilo to giggle.

“Gets you every time,” Carbon said with a smirk.

“Oh shush,” Lilo replied, then looked back towards the bottles. “If the colors weren’t so bright, I might be able to pick out which bottle I want to throw at.”

“Those bottles aren’t that bright, are they?” Carbon asked. He rose to all four of his hooves and walked over, then frowned. “Okay, so maybe those bottles are a bit bright. Want me to try first?”

Lilo nodded her head and stepped away, allowing for Carbon to take her place at the long table that separated the contests from the table of bottles. Three rings lay in front of him, each different colors but all the same sizes. He picked up one of the rings in his mouth and gazed over the bottles for a few seconds. Once he spotted a bottle, he tossed the ring into the air and watched as it hit its mark perfectly, landing around the neck of a bottle towards the center. He sat back and smiled.

“That was a good shot!” Lilo exclaimed, giving Carbon a kiss on his cheek.

“Lucky, I say,” he said as he blushed. “But, I guess I do have a few years of bow practice from when I was younger that might have helped in this case.” He kissed her back on the cheek. “You want to have a try?”

“Mhm!” Lilo nodded her head and took Carbon’s place, picking up a ring in her mouth. She scanned rapidly over the bottles and picked out a bottle towards the center where Carbon landed his ring. She took a deep breath, turned her head a bit, and then tossed the ring. She flinched when the ring soared over the bottle table and nearly hit another pony in the head.

“Sorry!” she yelled to the pony on the other side of the tent. The pony sighed and chuckled before tossing a ring at one of the bottles.

“You still have one more ring,” Carbon said. “You can do it, Lilo. Just… toss a little softer this time.”

Lilo nodded and picked up the last ring in her mouth. She carefully scanned over the bottles this time, passing her gaze over bottle after bottle as she looked for one that she felt would be the one to successfully toss the ring on to. The colors of the bottles still hurt her eyes, but she ignored the pounding feeling just below her brow in favor of honing her concentration for the final toss.

She spotted the target she was looking for, a bright orange bottle towards the right outer side of the table. She narrowed her eyes and took aim, then pulled her head back just a tad. She took a deep breath, counted to three, and then tossed the ring into the air towards the bottle. Time seemed to slow for her as she watched the ring descend onto the intended target, and a small smile very slowly crept onto her lips. The ring was going to hit its mark, she was sure of it. The flight path is so precise, so direct.

The ring bounced off of the top of the bottle and fell onto the floor. Lilo’s ears folded back and her smile immediately turned into a frown, and she sat down on her flanks in a huff.

“Oh, come on Lilo, you were so close!” Carbon said, putting his hoof around her shoulders. He pointed towards the unicorn carnie who had a little stuffed kitten in his magic. “And look, we even won a little toy.”

Lilo rolled her eyes. “You mean you won it.”

“We won it,” Carbon said right before he took the stuffed kitten in his mouth. He walked back to Lilo and offered it to her.

After a moment, Lilo took the kitten and put it between her wings on her back. She smiled up at Carbon, wiggling one of her ears.

“Right, now that that is taken care of, how about we go get something to eat?” Carbon asked. Lilo nodded her head and squeed, and both of them trotted out into the mass of ponies walking along the grass beside the tent.

~~~

“I thought ponies didn’t eat… meat?” Lilo said, staring at the hamburger in front of her. She lifted up the bun and condiments to take a look at the patty underneath. It was a light brown color, and obviously had grill lines painted on.

Carbon stopped from taking his first bite of his own burger and looked over at her. “It’s not actually meat,” he said as he lifted his own bun and condiments. “It’s a substitute that takes on the consistency of meat, but is made of ingredients to make it vegetarian, typically portobello mushrooms and bread crumbs. It’s safe to eat, Lilo.”

Lilo stared at her hamburger awhile longer, grimacing. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Carbon had begun to eat his own burger and he was making the smile he always had whenever he thought something tasted delicious. She sighed and picked up the burger in her hooves and took a bite.

“This is… This is…” Lilo stared at the burger, patty, lettuce, and tomatoes threatening to fall out of her mouth. “I love it!”

She dove into the burger, stuffing as much food as she could possibly manage into her mouth. Bread, meat, and condiments flew everywhere, and Carbon scooted himself a safe distance away from the projectiles flying into his space. He nodded towards a stallion and his son walking passed, who threw both he and Lilo strange looked before continuing on their way. Carbon poked Lilo in the side.

“We’re in public, you know,” he whispered. “Ponies are staring.”

Lilo stopped eating and looked up. A few more ponies had stopped to look at them both, each one wearing a different look of confusion and disgust. She let out a terrified squeak and hid beneath the table, her tail sticking out over the top.

“I’m sorry!” Lilo yelped from underneath the table, although it was muffled to anypony else who could hear.

A few of the ponies chuckled, while the rest merely shook their heads and walked away. Carbon smiled uneasily and yanked on Lilo’s tail, eliciting a squeak from underneath the table.

“I have a ride that you might be interested in,” he said. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

He bit onto Lilo’s tail and pulled her from out under the table. She looked around for a moment and spotted the remaining ponies looking at her, and she covered her face with her hooves. Carbon saw the slight tinge of red flaring out from the corners of Lilo cheeks and he rolled his eyes.

“I’m not going to drag you all of the way there,” he added. “It’s not far, I promise.”

Lilo peeked from behind her hooves up at Carbon, and when he offered his hoof to her, she took it and allowed herself to be helped up. Carbon smiled at her, and she smiled sheepishly back, and they both walked towards a vast sea of tents and rollercoasters. He edged closer and linked their tails just before they vanished into the crowd.

~~~

“Just two please.”

The carnival worker looked between Carbon and Lilo and winked, then opened the gate to allow them through to a small boat. They both hopped into the boat, which sat in a narrow, pony-made river, and after the worker gave the boat a tap from behind, he sent it on down the current. Lilo giggled and leaned in close to Carbon, and looked up overhead at a sign that hung just above a the entrance to a tunnel.

“The ‘Love Tunnel,’ “ she said, giggling again. “They sure know how to pick names for these kinds of rides.”

“We’re just lucky that this ride isn’t named ‘Jungle Fever,’ “ Carbon quipped, nuzzling his muzzle against the side of her head.

They passed into the tunnel and immediately the entirety of the ride fell dark. Carbon was hardly able to see his hoof out in front of him, although out of the corner of his eye he made out the dull glow coming from Lilo’s own eyes. He wrapped one of his wings behind her back and she snuggled up into him, tucking her head underneath his chin and looking around at the walls of the tunnel.

They came upon a corner and turned, and they immediately were met with dim lighting and an entire forest of tropical trees. Palm trees and sandy beaches extended on either side of them, and primitive huts made from leaves of the trees rose on the edges of the forest. Lilo’s eyes widened and she lifted herself from Carbon a bit so she could get a better look. Carbon saw the glimmer in her eye and smiled.

“I guess ‘Jungle Fever’ wouldn’t have been too far off,” he chuckled.

“Wow, Carbon, this is beautiful,” Lilo said, trying to peer into one of the huts. “Are there really places like this that exist in the world?”

“Oh yes, the beaches of Zebrica for example,” he replied. “And some areas in the southern part of Equestria. They are major tourist spots for ponies.”

“Have you ever been there?”

“No, no I haven’t,” Carbon said, scratching the back of his head with a hoof. “I’ve never found the time.”

“Well, we should go one day. I’d love to see the real beaches and play in the water.”

“I know precisely where I’m taking you next,” Carbon said as he waved a hoof in the air. “Staying at a resort, going snorkeling to view the shallow sea life, ordering tropical drinks from an authentic beach side bar. We’ll live like island royalty!”

Lilo giggled and kissed Carbon under his chin. “That sounds like something I can get behind. Please, Carbon? Can we go?”

“Yes, of course we’re going to go.”

Carbon smiled and squeezed her with his wing as they passed underneath another dark tunnel. When they emerged again, they were met with an entirely new scenery composed of evergreens and beaches covered in snow. The air here was colder, and Lilo tucked herself tighter underneath Carbon’s wing to protect herself from feeling the chill seep through her pony fur. She still had a look of wonder in her eyes, though, and from behind Carbon’s feathers she took in as much of the sight as she could still manage.

Snow fell from overhead, tickling each of their muzzles as the soft flakes soaked through their fur. Lilo stuck out her tongue and caught one of the snowflakes on her tongue, and she made a sound of approval before going back to catch some more.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Carbon asked, looking at a snowpony as their boat floated past.

“It is,” Lilo replied. “I thought Canterlot was beautiful during the winter when it snows, but this is an entirely different level. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“It’s part of a temperate rainforest,” Carbon said. “You can find places like this further north where the soil is more acidic. I’ve always wanted to visit a place like this.”

“There’s so much snow,” Lilo said. “In Canterlot they plow the streets to allow ponies to walk, but out in the wilderness the snow would be untouched.” She reached out over the side of the boat and touched some of the snow. “We could build walls, snowponies, tunnels, and have a snowball fight!”

“All the more reason to go, right?” Carbon smiled and watched Lilo as she drug her hoof through the snow. “Maybe another private get away?”

Lilo nodded her head vigorously. “Do they have resorts in places like this, too?”

Carbon thought for a moment, then said, “They do, in fact, although it is more for the ponies who ski. You know, I think it would be a fun experience, both of us learning to ski.”

“O-oh, but what if we crash or… or fall off?” Lilo asked, ears flopping back.

“Oh, don’t worry. We’ll be starting on the easy hills, of course,” Carbon said. “Come on, Lilo, it would be fun.”

Lilo nodded, albeit hesitantly, but she looked to have relaxed. They passed underneath another tunnel again and emerged into the final landscape, a gorgeous cityscape with colorful brick buildings rising up on either side of them. Bamboo lanterns hung from wires stretching out across the narrow river, their lights shining down upon Carbon and Lilo as they passed underneath. Sweet smells circumvented through the air, and the warmth sufficiently sucked away the chill that had crept into both of their bones. Even gentle music played, soothing both ponies until they were practically melting into each other.

Lilo looked up at Carbon, her shining eyes meeting his deep turquoise ones. They held each other’s gazes for mere moments before they kissed, bringing each other into a close embrace.

“Carbon,” Lilo said, nuzzling underneath his chin, “I love you. I want to hold onto you forever.”

“I love you, too, Lilo,” Carbon said, kissing her forehead. “I’ll never let go of you.”

Author's Note

Okay, so, I don't have writer's block. Rome 2: Total War came out this week, and I've also been streaming Outlast so I apologize for my procrastination, but I promise it won't last!

Chapter 3: The Question of All Questions

Violets are Blue Chapter 3

Just as the sun began its descent behind the canopy of the Everfree Forest, Lilo and Carbon came stumbling into their apartment laughing and giggling. With them they carried several bags of sweet kettle corn, the stuffed kitten Carbon had won for Lilo, and removable tattoos covering their entire body, which all was deposited on the floor in front of the doorway in favor of a quick kiss. Carbon shut the door behind them, shutting out the dull sounds from the carnival that still rang through the entire city.

The carnival ran long into the night, staying open so that ponies attended the late night shows comprised of a luau, dancing, and even some not safe for foals entertainment. The day may have been one kind of adventure, but the nightlife of the carnival held an entirely new atmosphere that brought out some of the most exciting aspects of life. Ponies from all corners of the nation came to the carnival for the festivities that took place during the night, and most tugged along entire families with them. Canterlot had been absolutely jam-packed for the event.

When they broke away from their kiss, Carbon led Lilo through their living room and to the kitchen, depositing the kettle corn and the stuffed kitten on the counter. She hopped up onto his back and nibbled his ear, her tail swishing back and forth. Carbon gasped and his free ear flopped back.

“We’re going back to the carnival, right, Carbon?” Lilo asked, who had long since changed back into her changeling form.

“Of… course we are,” Carbon replied, distracted by Lilo’s ear nibbling. “I just thought that we should… Okay, that feels nice.”

Lilo giggled and stopped nibbling his ear to nuzzle her muzzle into his mane. “We should what?”

“Oh, uh.” Carbon paused, blinking a few times. “Oh, so that we could bring all of our stuff back here. It would be nice to walk through the evening part of the carnival without having to worry about carrying a bunch of kettle corn, right?”

Lilo buzzed her wings happily. “Yeah, that would be nice. Oh oh, we’re going to be going to the lu… luau? That big party? The one with the fire shows and exotic earth pony dancers?”

Carbon chuckled and nodded his head. “The Equestria Carnival wouldn’t be a carnival if we missed out on the luau. The music, the food, the dancing, and then the fireworks afterward. You’re in for quite a treat.”

“Thank you so much for doing this for me, Carbon,” Lilo said as she threw her forelegs around Carbon’s neck, giving him a big kiss on the back of the head.

“Hey, anything for you, Lilo,” Carbon said, fluffing up his wings. “You’re my little changeling bunny.”

Lilo squeed and hugged him harder, little chitters rumbling in her throat. “Carbon, what do you think about marriage?”

Time slowed down for Carbon and the air around him felt as if it had dropped several degrees in temperature. He slowly turned back to look at Lilo, a small, nervous smile spread across his face, but he was unable to look Lilo directly in the eye. His mind raced frantically, conjuring up a multitude of ideas to use.

“Marriage?” he asked, his voice unsteady. “That, uh… that thing that ponies do when they want to indefinitely commit to a relationship? With the party and rings?”

Lilo cocked her head and the smile she initially had slowly wiped from her face. “Well, yes. I mean, it’s just a question. I want to know what you think about it.”

“Ponies are sworn to live their lives in holy matrimony,” Carbon continued, clearly having missed what she said. “They first start on a honeymoon, but then it spirals out from there to vacations, working to support each other, coming home each night to find the other waiting. Constantly you are in the other’s presence, living and working.”

“Carbon.”

“Families are started!” Carbon paced back and forth in the kitchen with Lilo on his back, staring at the floor. “Think of that! Foals, grandfoals, we’d eventually be grandparents since we would be so old from the commitment. Years and years and years away. We would have stories to tell, foals to babysit, ponies that would eventually need to take care of both of us.”

“Carbon…”

“And then there is all of the legal paperwork you have to go through. Documents and documents of wills, assets, child papers. We would be more involved and intertwined with Equestrian government.”

“Carbon!” Lilo finally shouted, buzzing her wings irately.

Carbon stopped pacing and looked back at her once again, snapped out of his rambling. Lilo gave him a hard stare, then took a deep breath.

“Carbon, is there something wrong?” Lilo asked. “I just asked you what you thought on marriage, not what marriage is.”

“Oh, no, sorry,” Carbon said as Lilo hopped off of his back and stood in front of him. “Marriage is something I haven’t given much thought, to be honest. I’ve been so wrapped up in integrating you into pony society and dedicating myself to making you as safe and as comfortable as you could be that I haven’t even thought that maybe that prospect was, well, open. It sounds like a fun idea, but…”

Lilo stepped closer and looked up at him, her ears flopping back against her head. “But what?”

“Nopony has legally married a changeling in these two years since changelings were admitted into pony society,” Carbon said. “Changelings are hardly seen within Equestrian cities aside from the ones towards the south. I don’t even know if laws are in place that would allow such a union to take place.”

Lilo nuzzled him up under his chin and said, “That’s all I wanted to know. You’ve done so much for me these past few years, from whisking me off of the streets all the way to finding me a job and taking me to carnivals and plays. You’ve done more for me than I thought was possible in a pony, I… I don’t know what to say. You’re so absolutely wonderful, Carbon. If you had never found me, I don’t know where I would be right now. I love you.”

“Thank you, Lilo,” Carbon said as he kissed her at the base of her horn. “Thank you so much.”

They both stand in each other’s nuzzling embrace for several moments, content with the silence that descended upon the apartment. The noises from the carnival slipped back into both of their ears, loud music and ponies cheering thundering through the streets. The serenity behind the whole city was intoxicating, leaving the two snuggling ponies in a state of bliss.

“Carbon?” Lilo finally asked.

“Yeah, Lilo?”

“What would it be like to get old?”

Carbon smiled. “To get old with you? I surmise that it wouldn’t be just a life we were living, but an artist’s endeavor. Our lives and work being the lines, my witty comments and your laugh being the brush strokes, and the love that we show together being the colors. What we have, Lilo, is a masterpiece, and it can only truly be seen between ourselves. Getting old with you would just mean that the masterpiece would come nearer and nearer completion.”

“That is so corny, Carbon,” Lilo giggled, kissing him on the neck, “but it’s beautiful, as well. I never want to let go of what we have.”

“Neither do I,” Carbon replied, giving her one last hug before adding, “What do you say we head back to the carnival? We don’t want to miss too much of the luau now.”

Lilo nodded her head vigorously and broke into a brisk trot for the door before Carbon could say anything more, changing back into her Rosebud disguise. Carbon followed after her, chuckling to himself, and the gears within his head turning. He made sure to lock the door behind them.

‘Marriage, huh?’

Author's Note

Okay, this time was writer's block. Sowwy.

Give thanks to Redracer for editing.

Also, due to some criticism on my tags usage, I took into consideration and then replaced the Tragedy tag with the Sad tag. It was my mistake to include this fic in the tragedy genre, as a few of you will notice later on in the fic.

Chapter 4: Advice from an Old Friend

Violets are Blue Chapter 4

The first rays of sunlight shone through the tiny slits in the blinds, casting their glare across the bed and laying right on top of Carbon’s eyelids. He snorted and opened one eye, then groaned and clutched Lilo tighter in their warm, cuddly embrace. However, the sunlight refused to go away, and it even seemed as if the light intensified as he refused to move and get out of bed. Carbon fought a losing battle with the relentless sun, eventually forcing himself to roll onto his back and stare at the ceiling.

“It is way too early to go to work,” he whispered to himself, careful not to wake Lilo. “Perhaps watching that fireworks show isn’t all it’s cracked up to be if you have a call for eight the next day.”

Carbon rolled himself out of bed and took the time to stretch his wings. The joints cracked after a night’s rest, sending shivers down his spine that left a smile across his lips. Stretching his legs and neck afterwards, he made his way out of the room and down the small hall towards the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and took a towel down from one of the racks, tossing it over and letting it hang from the top of the shower door.

Squinting at the water controls, Carbon turned the shower on and watched as steam filled the inside of the tub. He smiled and stepped in, closing the door behind him, shutting himself out from the cool air in favor of the sauna building up inside of his own bathroom. He let water soak his fur down to his skin, the warmth filling his entire body and relaxing the muscles that were left tense from the day before. He let the water take over comforting him and went straight to preening his wings, sticking he muzzle between his feathers and pulling out any of the loose feathers that may be hiding.

Feeling content with the status of his wings, Carbon reached over for a shampoo bottle. He found that the bottle felt full, but he shrugged and squeezed some of the shampoo into his hoof. He turned and closed his eyes, his back to the water and massaging the shampoo into his mane first, then working down his legs, stomach, back, and eventually ending with his tail. With his entire body drenched in a soapy mess, he turned back around and went to wash his hooves, but when he looked down he let out a scream.

Carbon’s entire body was soaked in what appeared to be blood. He frantically tried wiping his coat off by scrubbing himself under the water, but it appeared that the blood had stuck to his body.

“Oh no, this can’t be good,” Carbon said to himself. He scrubbed even harder. “Don’t tell me that this product wasn’t tested! Those… I knew those environmentalists and animal activists were going to be the death of me someday.”

As Carbon found that the blood continued to stick to his coat no matter how hard a scrubbed, he reached back over for the shampoo bottle and frantically scanned it over. The instructions of how to apply the shampoo confused him, stating that users should wait twenty four hours before applying, coat and protect the hairline, perform a hair strand test, and lastly apply the dye to their hair. Carbon’s ears flopped back, and he turned the bottle back around and tore off the label. The label underneath read “Ponetene removable red hair dye.” He looked down at himself and saw that his coat had turned a light shade of pink.

“Lilo!” Carbon shouted out of the bathroom.

Lilo’s eyes flicked open and she smiled.

~~~

Carbon glared at his reflection in the mirror next to the front door of the apartment. Although he wore his white lab coat, donned his brown saddlebags, and had his safety goggles strapped to his forehead, no matter how hard he had scrubbed himself down in the shower he did not wash away all of the red dye out of his fur. Carbon was left staring at a very light pink version of himself, comically clashing horribly with his dark blue mane.

Lilo came trotting out of the kitchen with a brown sack secured in her mouth, smiling and humming to herself along the way. She skidded to a stop next to Carbon and opened up one of his saddlebags to plop the sack in, then secured the bag back up. She stole a glance at him and made a small pouting face.

“Oh, come on, Carbon,” Lilo said. “Being pink can’t be all bad. Maybe some of those silly professors down in the liberal arts ring won’t even notice you.”

“Or I might just get noticed by my boss and never live this down for the rest of the time I work at the university,” Carbon replied with a little hint of panic. “I mean, it’s not like everyday an employee of yours comes back after the weekend with his entire coat pink.”

Lilo giggled and gave Carbon a shove. “Hey, count this as payback for that time you mixed sulfur dioxide in my own shampoo bottle, replaced the hoofsoap with super glue, told me it was safe to eat peanut butter, and got me enrolled in a changeling fetish fashion competition.”

“I have to say, you look pretty good in a ball gag,” Carbon quipped.

“Oh, you had to go there,” Lilo growled as she lunged at him.

Carbon hopped out of the way and chuckled. “Did I ever tell you how much I loved your humming? I think the dissonance makes it spectacular!”

Lilo sighed and rolled her eyes, settling for leaning into Carbon and kicking him in the leg. “I can taste the damage control from here. Lucky for you, I like you too much to drain all of the love out of you and leave you as an emotionless husk.”

“That’s comforting,” Carbon replied, wincing. “However, I guess walking around for a few days while I struggle to get this pink dye out can’t be too bad, right?”

“I’m glad you’re starting to see it my way,” Lilo giggled, nestling her muzzle into Carbon’s neck.

“Well, I must be off to work, but I’ll see you sometime later tonight,” Carbon said, giving Lilo a quick peck on the cheek.

“Bye, Carbon,” Lilo said, “I love you.”

Carbon gave Lilo one last nuzzle before he departed out the door of their apartment.

~~~

Turning the last corner onto Canterlot’s largest street, Carbon met the full frontal force of the smells and sounds of the marketplace. The very center of life from all corners of Equestria condensed into one square kilometer of market stalls, shouting vendors, equally noisy customers, and street entertainers trying their best to make a few bits day to day. No other place in the whole nation lived up to the diversity or grandeur of Canterlot’s market.

Carbon’s ears flopped back against his head and he took a deep breath, trotting down the street the rest of the way. Although the market was nowhere near his usual path towards the university, there was a certain errand he wished to do first before faced the probable ridicule of his co-workers.

Winding his way through the shops and throng of ponies standing in front of various market stalls, Carbon finally stopped in front of a rather colorful shop decorated in various masks and trinkets. Several other ponies were crowding in front of him and a zebra stood before them, two balls of colored water swirling around above a hoof. The name of the stall was “Naroke’s Secret Shop.”

Naroke herself dressed in various golden and silver jewelry, with rings wrapped around her neck and hooves and various piercings on both her nose and ears. She wore a blue cloak with a large hood, although she kept the hood pull from her face so that her audience members were able to get a good look at her blue eyes.

“Gather ‘round, ponies of all age and size,” Naroke began, letting the two colorful water balls rise into the air.” Prepare yourselves for something that may come as a surprise. You’ve all seen the magic of a wily unicorn, but what of a pony who does not have access to a horn?”

The ponies around the stall stared in awe as the colorful balls swirling around Naroke’s hoof changed direction, now righting themselves into a vertical ring in front of the zebras face. For a moment the balls continued to spin around in a ring, but increased in speed gradually as Naroke continued.

“Ponies have seen each other in a single perspective for so long, imagine if they had been seeing everypony from another view all along? Ponies of different colors and shapes and size, all warped into something unreal right before your eyes. Cast your gaze into my transforming mirror, maybe then what I say will become a bit clearer.”

The two orbiting balls expanded towards the center of the rotation, making a large circle in front of the shop that divided into two halves based upon the colors of each of the balls. In one of the halves of the circle, a mirror image reflection of the group in front of the stall stood before everypony for them to see. However, the other half of the mirror took everypony’s colors and mane styles and transformed them into their inverted colors, making the cluster of ponies like sickly and dull.

“We are so fortunate to live in such a world that is colorful and vibrant,” Naroke added over the “oohs” and “aahs” of the audience, “but now imagine if we lived in such a way as we can’t.”

The other side of the mirror changed rapidly, replacing the dull and inverted ponies with gender swapped, replicates of themselves. Everypony let out a gasp as they spotted themselves in the mirror, including Carbon who stared wide-eyed at his own female reflection. Smaller and more petite, Carbon’s eyes increased in size while the size of his wings decreased. His mane and tail also grew out, now more messy than ever before.

“Not quite the image that any of you were expecting?” Naroke asked, poking her head through the mirror and distorting the images. “A powerful device, my mirror of reflecting. Confined we are to these uniform and earthly ways. Don’t we all feel like we need to break away from our days? Come and look at the wares of my humble shop, perhaps you’ll find something of interest to buy or swap.”

Most of the ponies in the crowd took a few glances over Naroke’s wares before they departed, leaving Carbon alone with Naroke and one other earth pony mare who had taken a particular interest in a magical convection lamp. Both Carbon and Naroke ignored the mare as she touched her hoof to the lamp and immediately recoiled, yelping from the heat that burned her hoof. She sucked on her hoof and gave the lamp an angry glare.

“Carbon, my most loyal customer and dependable friend,” Naroke said, smiling at Carbon, “it’s not like you to pass through these shops full of sales and trend. On the way to work, you usually are, fully avoiding Canterlot’s massive bazaar.”

Carbon paused for a moment to allow Naroke to take a few bits from the earth pony mare. He watched as the zebra carefully bagged the convection lamp, then offered a smile and a wave as the other mare departed.

“Yeah, well, something a bit interesting was brought up between Lilo and I yesterday,” Carbon said, stepping closer to the shop. “I’m really not sure how to proceed, to be honest. I was, uh, hoping you could help me.”

“Something interesting between you and Lilo, you say?” Naroke asked, leaning over the front desk of the stall. “Not to be brash, but this is not something that I hear everyday.”

“Just because you know that I’m a former member of that crazy university fraternity does not mean…” Carbon trailed off when he saw Naroke’s lips curl into a thin smile. “I like living a quiet life, okay? And it appears that Lilo does, too. I mean, it’s not exactly popular to announce an interspecies relationship.”

“You living the quiet life put Canterlot’s most notorious pony trafficking criminal behind bars,” Naroke commented. “I’m surprised you two aren’t practically stars.”

“Well, with a little request to the princesses, Lilo and I were opted out of any direct involvement with the whole thing,” Carbon grumbled. He looked behind him, checking to see if any ponies happened to be listening in on the conversation. “This is not what I came to talk to you about, though.”

Naroke rested her chin on her forehooves and blinked at Carbon, allowing for him to continue. He took a deep breath and glanced around the stall once again to make sure nopony was listening in.

“I’m thinking about asking Lilo to marry me,” Carbon said. When Naroke merely cocked her eyebrow, he added, “I’m not really sure what to do in this case. Should I get a ring? How do I ask her? Should I take her somewhere to ask her?”

“Only you can answers those questions yourself, Carbon,” Naroke said, turning around and opening up a large trunk in the back of her shop, “but I can offer you some advice that might help you continue on. You two are quiet and reserved ponies, there is no need to feel like you need to do this during activities. Just be yourself and do what you think will be most comfortable for you both, there is no need to take unnecessary measures of this special oath.”

“That’s it?” Carbon asked, looking down at his hooves and squinting at the ground. “Are you sure? This isn’t just me asking her on another date, or… asking if she wants to come to work with me or something. This is, like, a change from us acknowledging what we have to commit. It’s not more complicated than just a ‘be yourself’?”

Naroke turned back around and placed a silver horn-ring down on the desk. “Don’t blow this out of proportions, you scientific nimrod. You and Lilo hold something too precious for you to turn it into some flawed. Relax and breathe deep, all of your wits you need to keep.”

Carbon closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and when he opened them back up he stared at the ring that Naroke had placed on the table. Lilies were engraved around the sides of the ring, and sunlight glinted off of the sides. Carbon picked the ring up in a hoof and was surprised to find the trinket warm to the touch.

“Now run off and get to work before you are late,” Naroke added with a wink. “From what I understand, research assistants are frowned upon when they are late.”

Carbon plopped the ring into one of his saddlebags and nodded at Naroke, then disappeared into the market crowds as he headed straight for the university. A huge grin stretched across his face and he had a slight spring in his step, propelling himself faster and faster through the crowd. He didn’t care if a few ponies gave him a few curious looks for his bright pink coat, he had a silver ring in his pocket all ready for tonight.

Author's Note

Sorry sorry sorry about the amount of time it took me to come out with this. School has absolutely swamped me with work, so it's been difficult for me to find some time to write this. I'll only have time on the weekends and maybe Thursdays, which means chapters are going to take longer to come out. I apologize in advance.

Thanks Redracer for editing.

Chapter 5: Plan of Action

Violets are Blue Chapter 5

“Rosebud! We ‘ave ponies waiting at table five!”

“On it, Chester!” Lilo shouted back at the nut brown earth pony stallion.

She gathered up her small notepad and pen under one of her disguised pegasi wings and trotted out of the backroom of the restaurant. Glancing across the main room, she found that two earth ponies occupied table five, one of them light grey and looking down at a newspaper while the other dull orange one idly held their conversation. Both looked as though they had recently gotten off of an early shift construction job as they were both covered in dirt and cement.

The establishment itself resembled that of an older style diner from several decades ago. The walls were painted white with a string of black and red diamonds running along the top, while the floor was like an enormous chess board with black and white tiles sized a bit larger than an average pony’s hoof. Red booths traced along the outer perimeter of the restaurant while the center held plenty of white tables with red chairs. Towards the back of the restaurant held a milkshake bar for ponies to sit on top of red stools in front of a very long and wide counter.

Lilo put on a smile and hummed to herself as she cantered over, the little paper hat as part of her work uniform bobbing up and down. Nopony else sat inside the restaurant aside from the two stallions, allowing her to easily make her way over to them through the sea of tables and chairs.

“Good afternoon, gentlecolts!” Lilo exclaimed, sitting down next to the table and whipping out her notepad. “Today’s special is a berry stuffed tomato on a bed of lettuce, half price for only two bits. Can I get something for you two to drink?”

The pony reading the newspaper looked up first and said, “I’d like an iced tea, thank you.”

“Water is just fine, thanks.” The other pony said, nodding his head at Lilo.

“Alright, a water and an iced tea coming right up.” Lilo said, tucking away the notepad.

“Now, as I was saying,” the orange pony said just as Lilo turned around. “the princesses still haven’t made a statement on Zumas breaking out of prison.” Lilo froze mid-step, her ears perking. “What do you think of that? I mean, you’d think that Celestia would at least use some sort of damage control so that the media doesn’t tear her apart, but both her and Luna have remained holed up in the castle with that changeling advisor of theirs while a few extra guards go searching through the city.”

Lilo continued on to the soda fountain and milkshake maker behind the bar, getting to work on the two ponies’ drinks while she listened in on to their conversation. The pony reading the newspaper looked up again, giving the other a dull expression.

“Perhaps the princesses figured that he’s not much of a threat anymore?” the grey pony suggested. “I mean, you’d figure that if this Zumas character was broken out of a high security prison he would have the entirety of the royal guard scanning for his ass through the city, but I haven’t seen a single glimpse of either of the princesses since the whole ordeal. Perhaps after these… what? Two years? Perhaps after these two years he’s made a significant change?”

“Zumas? Change? That’s a good one,” the orange pony retorted. “Ponies like him don’t change, they just become more clever. Setbacks like his are just ways for them to learn from their so-called mistakes rather than repent their dastardly ways.” He rolled his eyes and sat back in the chair. “No, Zumas is going to go right back to business as usual, which now that he has several hundred counts of multiple crimes involving black market trading and pony trafficking, it’s clear that he is a very dangerous pony to the state.”

“And I’ve heard that merely two years in the castle prisons can leave ponies changed,” the grey pony replied, folding the newspaper up. “What if this escape wasn’t some fluke error made by the castle itself? What if it was set up to let this pony back into society? What if he really has changed? I don’t recall a successful break out of the castle happening in close to twenty years.”

Lilo came trotting back with the water and iced tea balanced on a tray atop her wing. She strode up next to the table and set it down, then pushed the water and iced tea to their respective owners. Once both ponies had taken a sip of their drinks, she sat down and leaned the tray up against her chest.

“Oh, don’t start with your conspiracies now,” the orange pony groaned. “Every time we bring up something about the castle, you have some outlandish explanation for it.”

“I didn’t mean to overhear your conversation,” Lilo interjected, her ears flattening against her head, “but did you say that… that Zumas has escaped from prison?”

“Yeah, the bigwig Canterlot illegal cartel leader known for his exploits on both the animate and inanimate,” the orange pony said with a wave of his hoof. “He escaped a few days ago, sometime when the festivals began. Apparently he was seen fleeing with several other ponies and a griffon.”

“Nopony has seen him ever since?” Lilo asked nervously.

“Nah,” the grey pony replied. “Last anypony saw of him was that gang of his disappearing around some corner and never being seen from again. For all we know he escaped into the dangerous underground.”

“Oh.” Lilo said as she looked down at her hooves. A cold shiver ran up her spine and tingled at her neck. Zumas, the unicorn who thrust her into servitude at his brothel and nearly killed both her and Carbon, free once again in the city.

“I don’t think there is much we need to worry about,” the grey pony continued. “He has been locked up in that castle for two years now. For all we know the ponies and griffons that were with him were undercover guards.”

The orange pony scoffed as Lilo took out her notepad and pen.

“It’s still troubling news,” Lilo said, “but how about we take a moment to forget all of that and focus on some delicious food. Have you two decided what you want?”

“Oh, yes,” the orange pony said. “I’d like the special.”

“I’ll second that,” the grey pony added.

“Alright, two specials. Is that everything?” Lilo asked, shakily writing down their orders. When nopony opened their mouth, Lilo smiled at the two and said, “Coming right up!”

Tucking the notepad under her wing and spinning around on one hoof, Lilo trotted back to the kitchens of the restaurant and pinned the piece paper that had the two earth ponies’ orders on it. Several earth ponies in the back sat around a table piled high with different colors of chips and cards.

“Two specials!” Lilo shouted at them, causing the earth ponies in the back to stir and quickly get to work. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Chester walking towards the back rooms of the restaurant, and she galloped over to him before he was able to much further down the hall towards his office. She tapped him on the side and he stopped to look at her.

“Hey, Rosebud, there somethin’ wrong?” Chester asked.

“I don’t mean to bother or ask on such short notice, sir, but d-do you think I could take the rest of the day off, today?” Lilo asked, kicking a hoof out in front of her.

“Feelin’ under the weather today?” Chester asked, looking her over. “Well, I don’ see why not. You ‘ave a full week’s worth of sick leave. I’ll ‘ave Rosemary cover for you tonight. You go ‘ome and get some rest.”

“Thank you, Chester,” Lilo said, letting out a sigh. She watched him continue down the hall for a moment, then turned and walked out of the back rooms of the restaurant and into the streets. The blood coursing through her veins ran cold, and only when she was out of sight of the restaurant did she finally break into a run.

Rounding a corner into the marketplace, Lilo stumbled onto a horde of ponies congregating around a unicorn who stood on top of a pile of boxes. Ponies raised their hooves angrily as he spoke, a few even shouting back at him. A stack of newspapers lay next to the outer rim of the throng, and Lilo walked over to them to pick up one, which brought her into closer proximity to the herald.

“...infest our streets and pose as ponies who we once knew and loved!” the unicorn shouted. “Changelings will stop at nothing to get what they want, what they desire. Their original motivations are still present, their blasphemous ideals are still corrupting what used to be our glorious throne, twisting and turning the two princesses into some kind of sloth foals. They sit back on their massive chairs and look down at us with the same kind of hungry contempt that the matriarch bug once held!”

Several ponies shouted their agreement, their voices sending waves of anxiety and pain through Lilo’s body as she picked up a newspaper in her mouth.

“Will we let this social neglect plague our streets for much longer?” the unicorn asked, slamming his hoof down on top of the boxes. “Or will we take action against those who we thought were our proud and benevolent leaders? Have the princesses see our ways, our truth, and let them know that their ponies are displeased, nay, angry with their speciesist policies! We will not let…”

The unicorn’s voice died beneath the roar of cheers from the ponies standing around him. Lilo slipped away and disappeared further into the marketplace, galloping as fast as she could back to her and Carbon’s apartment.

~~~

Carbon turned one last corner in the apartment complex and walked down the length of the hall to his apartment, whistling to himself. The air had not warmed up since this morning, but that didn’t deter him as he stopped in front of his door. He fetched his keys out of the saddlebags on his back and put the key into the lock, but he found that the door was already unlocked. He put the key away and pushed open the door, peeking his head inside.

“Lilo?” Carbon called into the apartment. He saw that Lilo paced back and forth along the length of their living room, muttering to herself and buzzing her wings frantically. “Lilo? Are you okay?” He stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind him. “You’re usually not home for another few hours.”

Lilo stopped her pacing and picked up the newspaper before galloping over to him. She dropped the paper face up on the floor so the front headlines were visible to both of them.

“Carbon, look,” Lilo said as she pointed at the paper, “Zumas escaped Canterlot Castle. He’s free, here, in Canterlot.”

“Zumas?” Carbon slid his saddlebags off and sat down, picking up the paper and reading the captions below the mug shot of Zumas. “How is this possible? How did he escape?”

“He had help from a team of ponies and a griffon. They freed him a few days ago and rumors speculate that he disappeared into the sewers.” Lilo held a hoof up to her temples and looked at the floor. “Carbon, what are we going to do? Zumas surely would not have forgotten what we did to him those two years ago. We’re the reason he was in prison in the first place. He’s… he’s going to come looking for us. I know he is.”

Carbon scooped Lilo up into a hug and stroked the back of her neck with one of his hooves. “Shh, it’s going to be okay, Lilo. We’ll think of something. Remember how you said you wanted to see Ponyville?” Lilo nodded her head and clutched Carbon, allowing for him to continue. “We can move out there until we know what to do. I heard the residents there are very friendly, and I’m sure the two of us could pick up some jobs to keep us on our hooves until we find a new place.”

“But what about the princesses? Or Queen Chrysalis? Can’t we ask them for help?” Lilo asked. “And what about your job here?”

“I’m sure the princesses are doing everything in their power to find him,” Carbon said. “But we can’t rely on their protection alone to help us. Remember… Remember what happened last time?”

Lilo shivered. “I-I remember.”

“So, what do you say? How about we pack up and take a little vacation to Ponyville?” Carbon asked. “We’ll stay there until we can decide on a new place, then see where our life takes us?”

Lilo hugged Carbon and thought for a moment. “It’s been so nice finally settling down and having a permanent place to live, Carbon. Everyday I didn’t have to wake up and worry whether or not we need to move or if there was going to be enough food, or…. or something. You’ve taken such good care of me, found me a job, have kept me fed. And it’s not just me, plenty of changelings are in the same situation as I am now.”

“I know, Lilo, I know,” Carbon said with a sigh. “I want to stay here, too, but with Zumas free and us in his sights we don’t have much of a choice. I don’t want to risk losing you a second time to him.”

They both sat in silence for a while, wrapped up in each other’s hooves as the thought of Zumas walking around free in the city sank into their minds. Finally Lilo stirred and looked up at Carbon, giving him a kiss underneath his chin.

“I guess Ponyville is our only option,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind living there for a while, anyways.”

“That’s settled then,” Carbon said with a smile. He then jerked a little and gasped. “Oh, Lilo, I have something I want to show you.”

Lilo tilted her head and asked. “What is it?”

“We have to go there, first,” Carbon replied. “And it’s a secret! No spoilers. You’re going to have to wait and see for yourself.”

“Carbon, you know I’m not too big on surprises.”

“You? Not big on surprises? Oh, come on, you can’t tell me you didn’t like that surprise cheese cake I made you for your last birthday.”

Lilo pouted at Carbon for a moment, then sighed and rolled her eyes. “Alright, fine. Where are we going?”

“To the park,” Carbon said, getting up and walking to the door. “Your surprise is in the park.”

Chapter 6: The Love in Their Eyes

Violets are Blue Chapter 6

Night had long since engulfed Canterlot by the time Lilo and Carbon reached the park, snuffing out the last rays of sunlight as the sun disappeared far beyond the treetops of the Everfree Forest. The moon rose in its stead, taking on the role of adding a dim light to the unnatural light that flooded the streets of the city from its many buildings and street lamps. Most of the city still remained awake, happily relaxing in their homes or closing up their businesses after another long and productive day, their lights easily filling their houses, apartments, and stores, while whatever was left over spilled into the streets to aid the street lamps in helping ponies find their way.

Carbon pushed open the gate into the park, holding it open for Lilo, who had changed into her Rosebud disguise before leaving the apartment. Carbon felt a little twang of pain as he watched her walk past, knowing that she chose to don the disguise for her own safety rather than personal preference or convenience. With ponies still feeling adamant over the changeling invasion two years ago, even after the princesses consistent reassurance that their integration has proven to be a strong success, it wasn’t being too careful for Lilo to remain hidden in public. She and thousands of other changelings had taken to using disguises wherever they go.

Closing the gate behind them, Carbon sighed and trotted after Lilo, quickly catching up to her and guiding her along a path that ran alongside the hilltop next to a small pond. Frogs croaked their throaty songs while bugs swooped down onto the water’s surface and took off again, leaving tiny ripples rolling up to the edges. The flowers all around them had closed their petals up for the night, hiding their beauty while waiting for the next day when the sun should return.

Lilo stopped at the edge of the pond and dipped the tip of her hoof in, then immediately recoiled when she felt the cold water send shivers up along her leg. Carbon stood behind her, staring at the ripples that her hoof left behind in the water.

“The water is pretty cold tonight,” Lilo observed, taking a step back. “Winters up here in the mountains get so much colder than down there on the plains. The snow is still plentiful and you can see your breath clearly, but not as much during the year compared to up here.”

“Not quite as much heat is retained up here,” Carbon said. “The air isn’t as pressurized as the air down there, meaning that the molecules aren’t so compacted.”

“You’ve gotten pretty good at explaining things like a pony rather than a scientist,” Lilo giggled, bumping her side up against his. “Just a year ago I would have been lost in the majority of your explanations when it came to general physical phenomena.”

“But hey, look at you,” Carbon replied, chuckling himself. “You’ve taken to adopting and using a lot of scientific terms and analogies yourself.”

“Only because you’ve hammered it into my mind on so many occasions,” Lilo said dramatically. “ ‘Say this, Lilo! Don’t say that, Lilo! That’s not true, Lilo. This is true, Lilo.’ “

“Alright, I get it,” Carbon huffed. “I’m a bit of a stickler when it comes to classifying and using words and phrases.”

Lilo wrapped her tail up in his and nuzzled her cheek against his neck. “But you’re my stickler and I enjoy you teaching me all of the knowledge that you’ve picked up from your studies at the university.” She purred when Carbon lay his cheek on top of her head. “So, Carbon? What did you want to show me here?”

Carbon remained quiet for a while, content with staring at the moon’s reflection in the pond. With the bugs continuously bouncing off of the water, the moon looked as though its surface rolled along with the surface of the water, its dull moonlight glimmering back into his eyes.

“Let’s go for a walk, Lilo,” Carbon said, gesturing with his wing over to a path that wound its way into a tunnel beneath a canopy of trees.

Together, Carbon and Lilo made their way over to the tunnel, their hooves muffled by the soft dirt path underneath them. The trees all around them varied in species, ranging from maples with their red and yellow leaves falling onto the ground to magnificent oaks, their leaves, too, changing colors with winter approaching. The colors were much harder to see in the dark, especially now that the canopy above them shrouded them from the moonlight’s glare. Carbon crept closer to Lilo, putting a wing around her.

“Uh, Lilo?” Carbon asked, looking around him. “Do you think you could lead me through here?”

Lilo looked up at him, her green eyes shining in the dim light. She giggled and scooted herself closer to him, taking the initiative to drag Carbon along the path.

“Thanks,” Carbon said. He paused for a moment, letting them walk along in silence until he finally added, “You know, it’s been nearly two years since we first met each other.”

“Has it been two years already?” Lilo asked.

“It doesn’t feel like it, does it? It seems as if only a few months ago we were kissing each other back in that restaurant. Now we’re living together, planning our futures together, making each other happy.” Carbon felt himself pulled in another direction as Lilo helped him along the path. “Remember the day we first met? In the market place.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Lilo said wistfully.

“I… I remember walking into the marketplace and seeing you sitting between those two stalls totally out of place.” Carbon said. “Not a single bit to your name, or even a place to stay while the rain fell among us. The days after the attack were hard on a lot of ponies, and I figured what harm could it be if I helped a pretty mare like you get back onto your hooves? I bet you could only imagine my surprise when I found out you were a changeling.”

Lilo smiled, although Carbon could not see in the darkness. He paused for a moment, then took a deep breath.

“Well, I guess you did kind of get the picture being that you were strapped down in my bed,” he chuckled. “But after that day I came to a realization. I don’t know what it was, or even if it was just your feeding playing tricks on my mind, but after hearing your story about your trek across the Broken Leylands and being a broodmother, I couldn’t imagine a changeling being anything else other than a pony. You’re no different from our neighbors, our co-workers, or even the princesses. You can feel pain, you can feel sadness, you know what it’s like to be happy, and most of all you can feel love. All you have is a slightly different anatomy.”

“Carbon, I… I don’t know what to say,” Lilo said quietly.

“Other ponies don’t understand, do they?” Carbon said, and he caught the faint outline of Lilo shaking her head. “Maybe I’m not one to comment, but after that day the changelings showed us that our princesses weren’t invincible and that the bearers of the Elements weren’t always as useful or powerful as they seemed. Chrysalis took all of the royalty prisoner and nearly took all of Canterlot as her own. Instead of using the brute force and tactics like the villains before, Chrysalis used cunning and infiltration to her advantage.” He sighed and now shook his own head. “And ponies believe that changelings are still up to their plan or that they are still following Chrysalis’s orders from two years ago.”

“I wish they would just listen or… or give us a chance,” Lilo said. “We’re not the unintelligent or violent drones that everypony puts us out to be. Our feeding and lifestyles may be parasitic in nature, but it’s the only way that we can stay alive. We don’t have a choice.”

“I know, Lilo,” Carbon said as he put his wing around her back. “There is nothing different between you and I, and I want you to know that whatever those ponies say out there that they’re wrong. You’re as much a pony as they are, or as I am, or as the princesses are. That’s why I wanted to bring you here and show you something.”

They exited the tree tunnel and came to a path that led up the hill. A massive weeping willow tree sat at the top, its branches hanging low and creating a large dome beneath it to shelter a bench. Carbon broke from Lilo’s side and trotted up the hill, urging her to pick up her speed behind him. Lilo grunted as the path quickly steepened as they neared, but once they cleared it she froze with her mouth hung slightly open.

Beyond the hill sat a beautiful view of Canterlot. For the hill being small, it was possible to see out over the roof tops of the poor and middle district houses, giving way to the terraced streets of the rich district. Lights sprung up from the cracks between the houses, putting on a magnificent display similar to that of Hearths Warming Eve when the streets are ladened with tons upon tons of colorful lights. However, two buildings in particular caught Lilo’s eye.

Canterlot University shone brightly atop of its massive hill in the rich district. Its floating buildings attached to enormous chains bobbed agonizingly slow in the air, and the lights from classes being still in session shone like beacons in all directions. However, more impressively stood the castle, standing much higher than even the highest floating building of the university. Canterlot Castle pierced into the sky, its many towers lit up from the inside like a lighthouse and the colors from its walls still visible even during the night.

“Lilo,” Carbon began, standing next to her, “the beauty that you have shown me, the determination and tenderness, rivals that of the one thing that stands out as a beacon to all of Equestria.” He weakly lifted his hoof towards the castle. “The differences between you and I don’t matter when it comes to the thing that we share between us. Love isn’t a food or a range of emotions, it’s a way of life between ponies, an unbreakable and eternal bond. You have something that ponies will go their entire lives without seeing. I’ve felt it and seen it every day that I’m with you.”

Carbon turned and opened one of his wings, reaching in and pulling out the silver horn ring Naroke had given to him. He held it up in one of his hooves for Lilo to see, who squeaked and covered her mouth, her eyes watering.

“You’re special to me,” Carbon continued, “more special than anypony else in the world. I want to hold you close, I want to see your smiling face every morning, I want to see the day when you no longer have to wear that disguise with me. I want to grow old with you and watch as the world grows around us.” He smiled and held the ring up higher. “Lilo, will you marry me?”

Lilo looked Carbon right in the eyes, her senses going wild as she felt the love radiating out of him like nopony she had felt before. Her whole body tingled and shook, and she felt warmth creeping through her like soup crawling down somepony’s throat on a cold night. Her heart filled with Carbon’s love, almost to the point where she thought it would explode.

Sitting in front of her was the ultimate token or symbol of commitment and love. Lilo would be set for life with a permanent source of food, she would have a pony who would do anything in his power to protect her, but most importantly she would have a pony who would love her with every ounce of his heart he could muster. Compared to the food or the protection, Carbon’s unconditional love remained unparalleled, and Lilo rushed up to hug him in the tightest hug she could muster.

“Yes, Carbon!” Lilo shouted, her disguise dropping. “I will marry you.”

Author's Note

Thanks to Redracer for editing.

Chapter 7: My Perspective

Violets are Blue Chapter 7

“Day after day the princesses sit within their castle while their subjects want and plead for some sort of sign that their cries have been heard!” A herald shouted from atop a pile of crates. Close to one hundred ponies surrounded the boxes, several whispering amongst each other while many others raised their hooves and shouted. “What do they take us for, some sort of waste to be trampled into the dust by those that walk our streets hidden? The eerie black creatures who haunt and stalk our roads and alleyways, shifting their beady eyes among those who are the least expecting, the least wary, and the least watchful of our species. What are they to us? To them? To those ponies that we call our princesses? Why have Princess Celestia and Princess Luna failed to hear our shouts?”

A roar of cheers erupted around the crates, ponies stomping their hooves down on the cobblestone streets or waving their hooves high into the air. Unicorns flared their horns, pegasi flapped their wings, earth ponies bucked their hind hooves, all in a synchronized uproar of angry shouts, disdain curses, and menacing growls. The herald looked on at the crowd with a vicious smile pursed on his lips, and at a single stomp of his hoof the entire throng fell silent.

“I tell you, my loyal Equestrian citizens, we are nearly to the point when our cries and pleas will no longer suffice,” the herald continued, his smile disappearing to be replaced by a snarl. “We ask all day for the protection of our loved ones before they can be taken when the moon is high by those who would crave for the very defining feature of everypony. Who would prefer to see their husband, their wife, their foal, taken in the night to be claimed as nothing more than satisfaction for a disgusting appetite? Our friends, our family, our livelihood, all on the brink, in the grasps of those who we should supposedly so eagerly embrace into our cozy little societies?” He paused, listening as whispers sprang through the crowd. Some angry agreements rose from several ponies in the back, and he added, “The very thought makes me sick.”

More deafening cheers and violent stomps erupted from the crowd, forcing the herald to hold his silence for the time being. Behind the crowd, watching from a nearby alleyway, stood Zumas wearing a dark grey cloak with the hood pulled over his head. He stared right at the herald, his entire face blank aside from his eyes, which bore into to herald’s own with an icy glare.

An earth pony strode up behind Zumas, wearing a cloak with the hood pulled over his head as well. He grunted when he was several steps behind the unicorn and stood at attention. Zumas took one look behind him before focusing back on the herald.

“Sir, Nero and the rest of the company are waiting to take you to the new safe house,” the earth pony said in a low voice. “There are no guards in sight for several blocks. We should be able to move without anypony stopping us in the streets.”

“Stay a moment, Swifthoof,” Zumas said, nodding his head towards the herald. “Listen with me.”

Swifthoof hesitated for a moment, looking down at his hooves, then he crept forward and stood next to Zumas. The crowd’s cheers slowly died down and the herald cleared his throat.

“I propose that we take a new course of action, Equestrians!” the herald shouted, raising his hoof into the air. “If the princesses refuse to hear their subject’s pleas for help and instead decide to consort with that bug that lives in the castle, then it is going to be up to us to take things into our own hooves. We live in a nation where our voices are free and our actions more so. For us to sit idly by and wait for the changelings to make their move on our families is folly, madness, imbecilic!”

Several cheers rose out, but the herald held up his hooves to silence them. “These changelings must go. We have waited for too long to be rid of their parasitic filth, why should we wait longer when our precious leaders knowingly ignore our requests? It is time for the worker, the family pony, the citizen to rise up and face those which threaten our homes!”

A second deafening roar shook the throng of ponies. Zumas and Swifthoof stared at the spectacle, watching as ponies waved their hooves in the air, trampled the ground, all because of the words of one pony. Swifthoof shook his head and cast a side glance towards Zumas.

“Nothing more that some ponies angry with the politics of a large nation,” he said. “Why bother with the crowds when money and market await us in the future?”

“Because, Swifthoof,” Zumas started, turning and walking down the alley away from the crowd, “the commodities that fluctuate within a crowd of riled citizenry provide the most opportune and pricey sales. You may look at the world as any other pony may see it: a place to survive and make it on your own, and look back and revel in what you may or may not have accomplished, but me? I see something far different.”

Zumas and Swifthoof came to the exit of the alley, turning onto a wide street and pushing their way into a shuffling crowd of ponies. The sun hung high overhead, although it did little to warm the chill that cut through everypony’s coats as a gentle wind picked up.

“Money and sales are just a positive set compared to the overall goal of a successful business,” Zumas added. “What I really look for are the profits, the consumers, and the merchandise itself. Money doesn’t matter if you can’t use it the way you see fit, and the sales are worthless if the consumers don’t see any value in any of your merchandise. You need a median between the two to get what you are looking for.”

Several ponies dressed up in clown outfits for the festival shot fireworks into the air, exploding in a screen of colors and hues that molded themselves into Princess Cadance’s cutiemark. Zumas took a moment to stare up at the spectacle before he scowled and moved on with Swifthoof. The street became more and more densely packed with ponies, allowing for the mercenary and the convict to move freely without the worry of attracting attention.

“And that is what I strive for now that I am back in business,” Zumas continued. “Everypony hits some setbacks here and there on their road to notoriety and eminence, all part of the learning curve that separates the weak from the strong, the intelligent from the ignorant, and the clever from the idiotic. All you can hope for is to be able to get back onto your hooves again when you are knocked down, but first you must know that you are able to try again.

“So, that’s where I stand now.” They passed by a crowd surrounding two mimes who were doing some sort of intricate rope trick. Zumas purposefully avoided their performance, continuing, “I am back in Canterlot, walking the streets with a new head of ideas and a new plan of action. I made some mistakes in the past, but those are behind me now and I intend for them to stay that way. This city needs a return to sender, and I’m back to return everything back to the median that I have always been looking for.”

Zumas and Swifthoof came to a large, rundown apartment building standing three stories tall. The noise of the crowds retained, but the ponies within them had long since disappeared, remaining congregated towards the marketplace and street performers. Zumas’ coat billowed as another gust of wind picked up, and although the wind cut and sent shivers up and down Swifthoof’s spine, the unicorn remained unfazed.

“For two years I’ve waited for the day when Canterlot will become the cesspit mosh of high class and struggling beggars it once was,” Zumas said. “Now that I have seen the changes made to the city, the unrest and contempt, it’s clear that there isn’t any time more wonderful than now to smash the pillars of reformation and restoration that the princesses and Chrysalis put in place. The heroes have had their time to shine, but now it’s our turn.” He paused, looking up at the sky and the dark, fall season clouds looming overhead. “And this time we do it without any mistakes or impediments. Those that foiled our plan last time must be removed. We must find the changeling and her precious colt.”

Author's Note

Sorry that this short chapter is all I got for you guys. Been getting slammed by my classes with homework and tests and it's difficult for me to keep up, let alone get any writing in. No promises for any new chapters until America's Thanksgiving rolls around.

Chapter 8: The Right Matriarch for the Job

Violets are Blue Chapter 8

“We’ve been waiting in line for two hours, Carbon,” Lilo groaned as she slumped against the wall in the hall to Canterlot Castle’s scholarly wing. “You’d think that since we actually know the Head of State and Social Affairs that we’d at least get some priority.”

Carbon rolled his eyes and looked out of the window and up at the sky. The sun hung overhead, signaling that it was already long past midday, warming up the ground and the city buildings slightly before night came once again. The chill still didn’t go away, though, and with the vast halls and emptiness of the castle, heat failed to effectively warm anything unless somepony stood next to a lit wall sconce. Unsurprisingly enough, that’s precisely what most ponies did, with the line grouping up together as small pockets huddled around the fires for warmth.

Both Lilo and Carbon came prepared for the wait that day compared to many of the other ponies in line. Wearing scarves, socks, hats, and boots, as well as a little cuddling, they managed to keep most of the cold away from cutting through their fur. However, whenever they came upon a well lit wall sconce, they never complained.

“We’re only two ponies back from admittance,” Carbon noted, peering around the ponies in front of them. “I’d imagine that work would back up this time of year being that winter is approaching. It’s surprising to hear about all of the ponies requesting extra food stamps for their starving foals, yet organic foods also increase in demand due to northern farms being unable to contribute crops to their southern farm partners. A crazy coincidence, right?”

Lilo slid down against the wall and onto her back, splaying her feathery “Rosebud” wings out as she said, “Either your cynicism is rubbing off on me or I’ve seen too many ponies try to pay with food stamps at work.” She flicked her tail in the air. “But that’s besides the point. It’s starting to get really cold out here.”

Carbon rolled his eyes and opened his wings up. “Come on, then. Want another hug?”

Lilo nodded and scrambled back onto all four of her hooves before scooting herself up against Carbon. She nuzzled into his neck, her muzzle tapping underneath his chin as he closed his wing around her. Quietly several satisfied clicks emanated from her throat, and Carbon smiled to himself as he watched as the next two ponies were summoned in together.

“Oh, looks like we’re next up, then,” Carbon said, inching both Lilo and himself to the guard who stood watch at the doors. “What do you think she’ll say when we ask her?”

Lilo looked up and tilted her head. “I’m not too entirely sure. It wasn’t customary for changelings to marry each other; more of like having a temporary union until the foals were born before separating.” She looked back down and sighed. “Has there been any other changelings that have married?”

“I don’t believe so,” Carbon replied. “I haven’t heard of such a thing being done as of yet, although who knows about the changelings who have to gone into a… permanent hiding.” He felt Lilo tense up and he tightened his wing around her. “Who knows, perhaps we’ll be the first changeling and pony marriage, yeah?”

“You don’t think something like that will draw lots of attention, will it?” Lilo asked in a small voice.

Carbon paused for a moment, looking down at his hooves. “Well, it could, but-”

The doors to the castle study opened and the two ponies that were standing in front of Carbon and Lilo earlier walked out. They appeared to be both smiling at each other as one carried a note in their mouth.

“You may enter now,” the guard standing at the door said. He held the door open with his magic, allowing for Lilo and Carbon to shuffle their way through without so much as a nod.

The castle study immediately opened up into a massive glass half-dome with beams curving up to a single point at the top. Shelves upon shelves of books and scrolls packed the entire room, compiling information from scattered parts of the world, opting for more of a documentation of worldly affairs and current magic endeavors rather than volumes of history, fiction, and philosophy. The shelves themselves curved in neat semi circles, forming exactly nine rows all of the way up to the edge of the glass dome. Massive chandeliers hung from hooks lodged into the beams of the dome, illuminating the darkest corners of the study where the sun was unable to cast its light.

Carbon and Lilo looked around in awe at the scale of the architecture encasing them, noting that, like, the rest of the palace, even the little details had not been glossed over. Tiny engravings of different plants lined the columns supporting the structure, adding an even more scholarly feel to the study when combined with beautiful paintings and murals covering the walls. Even under their hooves a dark blue carpet guided them down the center aisle towards a massive desk.

Chrysalis looked up from several papers she was hunched over and gave both Carbon and Lilo a soft smile as they approached. Lilo’s disguise dropped when she and Chrysalis’ eyes met, and it took more than a little willpower for her to not break into a gallop and hug her former queen.

“It’s good to see you two,” Chrysalis said, her dissonant voice holding a motherly air to it. “It’s been nearly a year since we last spoke to each other. I would try to arrange something with you two, but I traded one nation’s management for another it seems.”

Both Carbon and Lilo chuckled uneasily as they reached Chrysalis’ desk. A whole slew of papers lay out in front of the former changeling queen consisting of legal documents for citizenship, property ownership, and property survey records. Carbon looked down at them for a moment before the papers were scooped up in Chrysalis’ magic and shuffled together into a neat pile.

“Is there anything I can do for you, two?” Chrysalis asked, standing up and walking around the desk. She towered over both Lilo and Carbon, with either pony and changeling only managing to have the tips of their ears reach Chrysalis’ shoulders.

Lilo cleared her throat and stepped forward, although she tensed when Chrysalis met her gaze evenly. “Carbon and I recently came to the conclusion yesterday that we… we would like to take our relationship to the next step. I know it’s not something that the changelings have done for hundreds of years, but now that we’re free ponies among Equestria and its own ponies, we feel as though it is time to continue to integrate ourselves into our new society.”

Chrysalis tilted her head, but she remained silent as Lilo opened her mouth again to speak.

“Carbon and I love each other very much.” She looked back for a moment and caught Carbon smiling at her. “It’s a wonder why I haven’t gotten fat off of him as he continues to feed me with his cheesy one liners. There’s a bond we both feel between each other. I know it, and he knows it, or else we probably wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

“You’re telling me,” Chrysalis slowly said in a small voice, “that both you and Carbon are thinking of getting married?”

Carbon stepped forward now, standing next to Lilo. “And we were hoping that you could be the one to marry us.”

“You… you want me to be the one to marry you two?” Chrysalis asked, shocked. She scuttled back to behind her desk and began going through the drawers. “The princesses are usually the ones that are in charge of this, not me.”

Lilo and Carbon looked between each other, then back to Chrysalis.

“The princesses haven’t exactly been present in Equestrian affairs as much as they used to lately,” Carbon said.

“The princesses have been busy with certain affairs concerning recent social and national… anxieties,” Chrysalis said hastily before Carbon could continue. “It takes up a lot of their time, but they’re trying to make time for their subjects. It’s been… hard for them.”

Lilo and Carbon exchanged another glance, this time both of them looking confused by Chrysalis’ answer.

“My qu- I mean, Chrysalis,” Lilo said, stuttering. “You’ve been the mother to the changelings for centuries, always leading us along some sort of path you had intended for us to take that would help us along. You wanted everything that was best for us, and you did everything in your power to ensure that we got what it is that we needed, even if sometimes your plans never turned out fully to be what you wanted them to be.” Lilo paused for a moment as she watched Chrysalis’ figure break her haughty poise. “The princesses have done so much for our race, but you are the one that finally gave us a chance to be redeemed and admitted into pony society. Carbon and I only thought it would be appropriate if you were the one who could marry us together, too.”

Chrysalis smiled at Lilo and levitated several papers out from one of the drawers behind the desk. Inscribed on the top of the papers was the Equestrian seal, a diagonal line of the princesses’ cutiemarks that separated a line of clouds and stars. The heading was titled “Official Documentation for Legal Marriage in Equestria.”

“I’m sure you’re both wondering whether or not you’re the first changeling and pony couple who have requested for a legal marriage in Equestria,” Chrysalis said, composing herself. “So, yes, you are the first ones to apply.”

Chrysalis watched as both Carbon and Lilo’s eyes lit up before continuing. They turned the papers around and began reading through the lists of questions, conformations, and signatures required in order for the marriage to be documented. The eagerness coursing through both of their bodies perked them up and shielded them from the cold air that still occupied the room and the unreal amount of signatures the passed over their eyes.

“I never thought I’d see the day when one of my own would marry a pony once again,” Chrysalis said, levitating a pen out from a cup at the corner of her desk. “During our life of wandering out in the Broken Leylands, old customs fell apart and relations with other ponies became increasingly sour, encouraging individuality. For a… long time it was just us out there.”

“But now that the princesses have pardoned you, you and the changelings no longer have to be alone anymore,” Carbon said, looking up. “It’s probably not the same as you remember it, but it’ll get there, right?”

Chrysalis smiled at Carbon for a moment, although the light that had crept into her eyes disappeared. “Yes, one day it’ll get there.”

Carbon and Lilo focused on reading over the marriage documents more and more carefully, taking the pen that Chrysalis offered them and signing their names down wherever their signatures were required. Chrysalis observed them both from behind the table, giggling quietly to herself as she watched Carbon occasionally grumble as he had to write his name again or Lilo chitter and squeak as they turned the page. After a while, Lilo stopped halfway from turning the last page of the marriage documents and gazed up at Chrysalis.

“Does that mean you’ll be marrying us, too?” Lilo asked.

Chrysalis nodded, her eyes shining again as a small grin stretched across her face. “Yes, I’d be more than willing to marry you and Carbon.”

Chapter 9: Spiral

Violets are Blue Chapter 9

Carbon and Lilo sat next to each other in the corner of a small sandwich shop located near the border between Canterlot’s rich and middle wealth districts. Wooden tables and chairs lay strewn out neatly together all over the floor, and towards the back of the shop sat the counter reserved for customers to place their orders. Large chalkboards hung over the counter spanning across the entire length of the shop, filled with dozens of possible orders and leaving nary a centimeter left of space. Regarded as a strikingly modern establishment, ponies were left in awe at the generous combination of orders that they could place, seeming as if everypony from across Equestria could be accommodated to their variety of tastes.

Between them, Carbon and Lilo—once again disguised as Rosebud—shared a large chocolate milkshake piled high with whipped cream. From their spot in the shop, they both looked out onto the street and all of the ponies passing by them. It was a beautiful sunny weekday and ponies crowded the streets as they went about their business towards the marketplace or their workplace.

“Aww, look at the two fillies!” Lilo giggled, pointing out of the window towards a pair of fillies who rode in one of their mother’s saddlebags.

The mother had stopped to speak with another pony who she passed by in the street, and the two quickly became absorbed in their conversation. Seeing their opening, the two fillies gave each other a devious look before one crawled out of the saddlebag and onto her mother’s back. Noticing that her mother hadn’t given any pause to the conversation to check to see what all of the commotion was going on behind her, the filly slid her tongue out of her mouth in concentration and reached over the other side of her mother’s back to pull a few pieces of candy out.

From her view inside of the sandwich shop, Lilo let out a squee just as the filly slid back into the saddlebag with her sister and distributed the candy among both of them. Their mother appeared to be none the wiser as she casually carried on her conversation with the other pony.

“Carbon,” Lilo said, resting her head on his shoulder, “do you think we could stop by the university’s hospital one more time? So that we could say goodbye to all of the foals staying there?”

Carbon looked over towards a clock that sat above the chalkboards at the back of the shop. A faint smile formed on his lips before he turned back to Lilo and nodded his head.

“I’m sure we can find the time once we get home and finish packing our things up,” Carbon replied. “Our train doesn’t leave for another three hours and the hospital wouldn’t mind us coming by for a short visit.”

Several quiet clicks sounded from Lilo’s throat. “Thanks, Carbon.” She lifted her head from his shoulder and took a few sips from the milkshake. “How long is the train from Canterlot to Ponyville?”

“A little over an hour,” Carbon said, taking a few sips himself. “Ponyville’s pretty close thanks to its location relative to Canterlot. Anywhere else and we’d need to travel around forests or mountains.”

Lilo nodded and returned to looking out of the window. A purple earth pony with a bushy pink and white mane and tail led along a troop of fillies and colts headed directly for the castle. Most of the foals had their eyes trained on her as she spoke to them about something, although there were a few in the back who had their own agenda. Talking amongst themselves, they giggled and lagged behind as their eyes were focused more on the ponies that were walking around them.

“I’ve never noticed, but does Canterlot really get so many tourists?” Lilo asked.

“More so than ever, it seems,” Carbon said as he, too, watched the trail of foals. “Having a changeling as our Head of State and Social Affairs has certainly sparked some interest across Equestria, although it might also have something to do with the former Lord of Chaos suddenly having a change of heart.” He frowned for a moment and took a sip from the milkshake. “Not to mention that Canterlot is expanding in size, diversity, and magical innovation. Many of the newest public buildings are being held together by powerful magic crystals from the caves underneath the city. Even if you’re a pegasus or an earth pony, you’re going to at least want to see what those buildings look like, right?”

“I suppose so,” Lilo said with a shrug. “I hadn’t realized that Canterlot had gotten so big. Going to the marketplace or trying to set up a reservation for a popular restaurant nowadays is like you’re swimming in a densely pack school of fish.”

Carbon chuckled. “And let’s not forget abou-”

“Um, excuse me, sir, madam,” a pony said from next to the table.

Carbon and Lilo both paused and turned to look over. The pony who normally stood behind the counter to take orders was now standing next to their table. He nervously glanced over his shoulder at a brown earth pony and dark grey pegasus that sat across the shop. They both gave a slight nod of their heads, and the employee returned his gaze back to Carbon and Lilo.

“Is there something wrong?” Carbon asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Would you and your, um, marefriend happen to have been involved in a brothel raid a few years back?” the employee asked in return.

Carbon glanced over at Lilo, who looked on at the employee worryingly. He turned back to the employee and cautiously gave a curt nod.

“Yeah, we had some involvement,” Carbon replied.

“A couple of customers suspect that your marefriend is a changeling and are… unnerved by it,” the employee said. His face drooped when he saw Lilo recoil. “They’ve asked if I could speak to you about it and, well, I have no choice but to ask you two to leave.”

“Leave?” Carbon asked, his voice growing cold. “We’ve been coming here for two years now. We never have caused a problem here, always paid our bills, Rosebud and I even met here. You’re asking us to leave simply because she is a changeling?”

The employee sighed. “I’m sorry, and although I would enjoy if both of you stayed, if several of our customers are uncomfortable by your marefriend we have no other choice. If it’s any consolation, you’ll get a full refund of your purchase.”

Carbon glared at the employee for a moment, then he and Lilo got to their hooves and collected their refund. The employee showed them to the door, and Carbon gave one last look back towards the earth pony and pegasus and caught them both staring at him. A shiver ran up his spine, and he trotted up beside Lilo and hurried them along from the sandwich shop once the door closed.

As they walked through the streets, Carbon noticed that several of the ponies that they passed by were giving both Lilo and he strange looks. He looked down at Lilo and saw that she hung her head and stared dejectedly at the ground, sniffling. He extended a wing and placed it around her back, slowing them down to a slow walk.

“Hey, Lilo, sweetheart,” Carbon whispered to her, giving her a nuzzle, “that was just a badly timed run-in with some angry ponies. You saw how awful the employee looked, right?”

“Yeah, I saw him,” Lilo said quietly, “but Carbon, that still doesn’t change the fact that ponies won’t hesitate to show their hatred my way if they can do it. Why try to get me thrown out of a sandwich shop if I wasn’t bothering anypony unless it’s just to send the message across that changelings are still hated?”

“Some ponies will never change and it’s unfair to live with that, but we can’t keep our muzzles buried in cynicism and believe that everypony hates changelings. There’s always the outspoken few in the minority crowd of many. We can’t rely on them to speak for most of Equestria.”

“Even if they are a few,” Lilo said, “it doesn’t make a difference if they are able to instill fear into other ponies or make the lives of other ponies miserable. Why can’t they just leave us alone?”

Carbon sighed. “I don’t know, Lilo. Come on, let’s just get home so we can get ourselves all packed up. Maybe that little visit with the foals at the hospital will lighten things up?”

Lilo perked up a little, lifting her head and giving Carbon an affectionate nuzzle. She let her tail wrap up in his, and they quickened their pace so as to move along with the flow of other ponies walking the streets.

“There isn’t anypony else that I would rather tell me that I’m no different than a pony,” Lilo said. “I love you, Carbon. Th-thank you.”

“I love you, too, Lilo,” Carbon replied, smiling at her. “You’re perfect the way you are. Let’s get home.”

~~~

“And I said to the doctor,” Carbon said, snickering, “Can you put this back? It needs to cook longer. Another three months maybe?”

Lilo chortled and bumped herself against Carbon’s side. The two of them climbed the last set of stairs before the floor where their apartment resided, regarding the apartment with an atmosphere of satisfaction and nostalgia. Once they had themselves packed up and ready to go, they would be leaving the apartment and moving to Ponyville in their hopes to escape Zumas. For two years they both lived here and carved a living for themselves, but now they were moving onto new vistas and new adventures.

“Did you really say that to the doctor?” Lilo asked, giggling.

“I did!” Carbon said. “I totally said that to him.”

“And what did the mother think?”

“She was laughing so hard that we had to hold the foal from her for a moment before we could let her touch him,” Carbon replied, grinning.

Lilo giggled, but then it fell short when both she and Carbon saw the door to their apartment cracked open. A gust of wind picked up and the door swayed on its hinges, indicating that it was indeed wide open for anypony to step inside.

“Carbon, you locked the door before we left for the sandwich shop, right?” Lilo asked.

“I always do,” Carbon said, creeping forward. “Wait here, I’ll go check inside.”

Lilo held up a hoof, but she was too late as Carbon already crept forward and pushed the door open. The apartment was completely dark without a single piece of furniture having been tipped over or wrecked. The heater was still on as they had left it, although most of the heat had been sucked out of the apartment due to the door being left open. Upon seeing nopony skulking around so far inside of the apartment, Carbon scrunched his nose up.

He stepped into the apartment and left the door hanging open. Everything was eerily quiet aside from the pitter patter of his hoofsteps on the carpet, and the chill from both the cold and rising fear made all of the hairs on his neck stand on end. He first went to the kitchen once he made sure that nopony was hiding in front of the couch. When he poked his head in, he was met with several unwashed dishes stacked on top of each other from the previous night, but there was nopony lying in wait for him.

Carbon huffed and stepped back out of the kitchen. Glancing down the hallway, he didn’t see any of the doors having been left disorganized. He shrugged to himself and thought it wouldn’t be hurt to check. Making sure to stay as quiet as he possibly could, he crept over to the bedroom and looked inside.

Nopony lay in wait for him, but he wanted to make sure. Carbon very slowly crept into the bedroom, his eyes trained forward and watching the bed for any sign of movement. He held his breath and strained his eyes in the darkness.

As Carbon passed a corner in the wall leading to the closet, he saw out of the corner of his eye the butt of a speak being thrusted right at his head. He had no time to react, and when the spear made contact he was sent careening with the wall next to him. His head spun and ached, and he thought that perhaps he saw a few stars, but he groaned and lifted his head up.

Standing over him was a large, dark grey griffon with turquoise feathers surrounding his eyes. His tail resembled that of a tiger rather than a lion, and he had spots lining all over his chest feathers. He grinned down at Carbon, then picked him up by the neck with one of his taloned feet and pinned him against the wall.

“Going somewhere, are we?” Nero asked.

Carbon struggled against Nero’s grip, kicking his hind legs out while clawing at the griffon’s talons with his forehooves. He gasped for breath, and stared in horror straight into Nero’s eyes.

“Zumas got you spooked, huh? Quivering in your hooves now that he is back? Off to run somewhere else, thinking that he’s never going to find you in this small, small world?” Nero dragged Carbon up against the wall. “I don’t know what kind of stunt you’re trying to pull, pegasus, but Zumas wants to have a word with you and your changeling marefriend, and when Zumas wants a word, he’s going to get a word. You didn’t think he would leave you alone after what you two did to his operation last time, would you?”

There was a shriek from outside of the apartment, then some scuffle followed by a loud thump. Carbon’s ears perked and he struggled more ferociously against Nero’s grip, but the griffon had him pinned securely against the wall.

“Carbon!” Lilo screamed just as the door to the apartment closed. “Help! Please!”

“Let her go!” Carbon shouted at Nero, who just gave him a wry grin.

“I said that Zumas wants to have a word with you two,” Nero said.

Carbon went to bite down on Nero’s talon, but the griffon easily tossed Carbon across the room and into the closet doors. There was a crack as the doors were torn from their hinges and Carbon slumped to the floor. He groaned and struggled to get some balance on his hooves, but they slipped out from underneath him.

“Carbon! Please, don’t le-” Lilo said just before she was cut short by another loud thump.

Nero advanced towards Carbon, and his talons stopped directly in front of his face. The pegasus looked up, panting and aching all over his body, but he still managed to give Nero the most vehement glare he could muster in his current state. Nero simply shrugged it off and grinned down at him. He lifted the butt end of his spear again and thrusted it at Carbon’s face. Sharp pain stabbed through his neck as the world faded to black.

Author's Note

I did this whole chapter in one night because reasons of homework procrastination. I don't even know how.

Chapter 10: Disappearance

Violets are Blue Chapter 10

Sky Runner wasn’t known for her punctuality or her courtesy towards other ponies and letting them know that she was going to drop by and say hello. In fact, in most cases, she happened to drop in on ponies in their most inopportune moments, catching them in the middle of something too terribly important to be interrupted or too embarrassing to be seen. Such impromptu visits never failed to leave a little smudge on whatever good record she had left with ponies, but she never felt to be the wiser to such scarrings. It was just another day in the life of a Canterlot burglar, as she always thought, and in her field of work jobs never failed to surprise her or give her a broader perspective.

Today wasn’t any different from another, and Sky stood on top of a rooftop looking over the apartments where Carbon and Lilo lived. Dressed in her cloak to hide her pale white coat and bright red mane and tail against other ponies, only allowing for her wings to poke through, she snorted when she saw that the light to Carbon’s apartment in particular was entirely absent. The sun had only just set behind the canopy of the Everfree Forest, signifying that the night was still young.

“You don’t suppose that those two are out having dinner somewhere, do you, sis?” Shadow asked as she stood next to Sky.

Shadow was a little blue filly with a brown mane and tail. Sky looked down at the filly and smiled, putting her hoof on the Shadow’s shoulder. She wore a dark cloak just like Sky did, hiding her coat and her mane away from other ponies and only allowing for her oversized wings to poke through.

“Carbon isn’t the kind of pony who likes to go out at night,” Sky said. “For how much he coupes himself up at that university, you’d think he would love the nightlife more than you and I do.”

“So you still want to try the door, then? You know, I have a bad feeling about this.”

Sky chuckled and tussled Shadow’s mane. “Or they could just be spending some quality time together. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to drop in on a time like that, now, would it?”

Shadow sputtered and wiggled herself out of Sky’s reach.

“Sis! You can’t be-!” She tried to say, but Sky had already hopped off of the roof top. Shadow groaned and unfurled her wings. “Oh, for the love of… Can she think about something else for just one second?”

Shadow looked up at the moon as if asking Princess Luna to help her out, but when she didn’t get a response she huffed and hopped off of the roof as well. Sky was already waiting at the entrance to the apartment complex, folding her wings back up against her sides. She winced as her damaged right wing sent several jolts of pain down her back, although she hid her discomfort with a smile as Shadow touched down next to her. The little filly had a pouting face for whenever her sister went after two ponies who were probably wishing for a little alone time.

“Oh come on, Shadow,” Sky said, rolling her eyes and giving Shadow a nuzzle. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe they are out getting something to eat. Come on, we’re never going to know for sure unless we go ahead and check, right?”

Shadow sighed and nodded her head, and together they both pushed through the apartment doors and walked into the lobby. Nopony stood at the reception desk, and the room was very dimly lit with only a several candles from a gaudy looking chandelier hanging over the center of the room. Dust and dirt covered the walls of the lobby, although the carpet underneath their hooves looked as though it had recently been cleaned. Sky pulled her hood back and walked up to the reception desk.

Although there was a bell sitting on the desk, Sky ignored it and hopped over the desk. Looking through several drawers, she found a book with a full list of residents staying at the apartments. She opened the book and flipped through the pages, sitting down on the pillow that the receptionist normally used.

“I still don’t have a good feeling about this, Sky,” Shadow said, looking around the lobby.

“Oh, spooky, Shadow,” Sky said, poorly mimicking the sound of a ghost. “Better be careful or the Boogeypony is going to get you tonight.”

“I’m not scared!” Shadow said with a stomp of her hoof. “I just think it’s weird that the lights to his apartment are off is all.”

“Well, hey, maybe they’re out on the town tonight! As you said,” Sky shrugged, more to convince herself rather than Shadow. “And what better ponies to come home to than me and you, right?”

“Carbon and Lilo have never even met me, and they haven’t seen you in over a year,” Shadow pointed out.

“Well, yeah, but there are worse ponies to come home to,” Sky beamed. “Come on you big scaredy-flanks, stop worrying. Carbon and Lilo are going to love you and it’s going to be great to catch up with them. Just calm down and everything will be okay.”

“Or they might flip out and kick our flanks out onto the street,” Shadow said before muttering, “And I’m not a scaredy-flanks.”

“All the more reason that we would make the perfect welcome home ponies,” Sky said simply, stopping on a particular page and pointing at Carbon’s name. “Found them. Come on, let’s be on our way. They’re on the fourth floor.”

Sky put the book back where she found it and hopped back over the reception desk. She couldn’t help but feel a slight uneasiness seeping into her bones, but she took it for the eerie setting that this apartment left. Sky and Shadow passed through another set of doors and began their ascent up the first flight of stairs, quickly making their way up past the second and third floors. When they arrived on the fourth floor, Sky poked her head out of the door and looked down the hallway.

Towards the end of the hallway where Carbon and Lilo’s apartment was located stood a zebra decorated in all sorts of golden jewelry. She had a small bag secured in her mouth and was waiting patiently in front of the door. Sky looked behind her and saw that Shadow stared at her expectantly.

“Shadow, how about you go and wait for me at the park, okay?” Sky asked.

“B-but sis! What if something happened to them?” Shadow asked. “I can’t watch your back if we’re several blocks away from each other.”

“Everything’s going to be fine,” Sky said, stroking Shadow’s mane. “If I run into any trouble, I’ll come and find you, just like I always do.”

“I thought you said that you didn’t think that anything happened to them?” Shadow asked, cocking her head. “You know, like they went out on the town or were getting some dinner?”

“You can’t ever be too careful, right?” Sky asked in return. “I tell you what, you go and wait for me at the park, and if I do happen to run into Lilo and Carbon while they’re going at it in their apartment, then I’ll introduce you to them, alright?”

“Please tell me that you’re going to do that after they’re done,” Shadow groaned.

Sky gave Shadow a mischievous grin and said, “No promises, sweetie.”

Shadow gave Sky a searching look, then she nudged her sister against her hoof and walked back down the stairwell. Sky watched her go until she was out of sight, then turned back around and pushed the door open.

Naroke heard the door to the stairwell close and she looked over, noticing that Sky was approaching her. She set her bag down in front of her hooves.

“Good evening, my young pegasus friend,” Naroke said, “I take it that you, too, come here seeking whether these two ponies marry as intend.”

Sky stopped in her tracks and gave Naroke a blank look.

“Wait, hold on for a minute here,” Sky said slowly. “Did you just say ‘marry?’ “

“You have not heard?” Naroke asked, cocking her head. “Two ponies, a changeling and a pegasus, are set to be married is the word. I figured that you were here to see Lilo and Carbon. If that is not the case, then we must talk (with them) face to face. ”

“No, no, I am here to see them,” Sky mumbled. “Are you sure that it’s them? You know. Carbon and Lilo? Not somepony else?”

“Although the tabloids do not mention them by name, assuming that they are the two ponies in the news is fair game. I spoke with Carbon in particular the other day; I wouldn’t put it past him if he asked Lilo to marry him right away.”

“And they didn’t think to tell me of all ponies about this little arrangement of theirs?” Sky asked rhetorically with a pout. “When I get my hooves on Carbon, he’d better be making me his best mare. Name’s Sky Runner by the way.”

“And my name is Naroke. It is a pleasure to meet you on this fine day. Unfortunately, neither of them seem to be home at the moment,” Naroke said. “Perhaps if we leave and come back later they will be present.”

“Or we can take a closer look,” Sky said with a grin. She pulled out a bobby pin and trotted up to the door. “They could just be shagging each other in the back room for all you know. Do you have any idea how kinky the dark is?”

Naroke’s face reddened and she struggled to repress a fit of coughing. Sky looked behind her and gave the flustered zebra a wink.

“You don’t mean to barge in on them at such a time!” Naroke protested. “Doing so is like committing a doozy of all personal crime.”

“Trust me when I say I have s-” Sky’s words caught in her throat when the door creaked open at her touch.

The apartment remained too dark to see anything past the floor mat that sat at the foot of the entrance. Sky glanced back at Naroke with a confused look across her face. The zebra returned the look, and slowly her hoof that had originally been covering her face settled back onto the floor.

“How about you stay here,” Sky said, and there was a click has her miniature crossbow snapped out on her hoof. “I’m going to check out the apartment.”

Naroke nodded her head and Sky pushed herself into the apartment. The living room remained surprisingly warm against the cool mountain air from outside with one of the heaters blowing in the corner. Sky’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the lack of light, but when her focus came to, her breath caught in her throat.

Pictures of all sorts lay strewn out all over the floor, the frames damaged and scraped while the glass was cracked or shattered. The table that stood next to the couch lay broken with wood splinters embedded in the floor, while the couch itself had several tears and scratches all along its side. A small trail of dark blood ran along the floor and stopped short before it reached the entrance to the apartment, leaving the dull scent of iron hanging in the air.

“Bollocks,” Sky breathed, and she very carefully stepped around the small trail of blood to trek further into the apartment. Taking a brief look at the kitchen, Sky saw that nothing appeared to be out of place, so she looped around and headed towards the hallway. Carbon’s bedroom door remained open, allowing for her to step in and get a look around. She heard her heart pounding within her ears.

A very thin layer of blood dripped down the wall, and Sky turned her head the other way and saw the closet doors. They lay broken and smashed where Carbon had been thrown.

“What kinds of atrocities have occurred here?” Naroke asked, her voice emanating from the living room. “D-did somepony come by and try to make Carbon and Lilo disappear?”

Sky took a deep breath and stepped out from Carbon’s bedroom. The lights were on in the living room and Naroke stood staring at the small trail of blood that remained splattered across the floor. She walked up next to the stunned zebra and extended her good wing to place it around her back.

“We’re going to find them,” Sky said. “But first I need to know if there is anypony who has a vendetta against Carbon or Lilo. If there’s anything that you know, Naroke, it would help.”

“Th-there was the unicorn, the one from two years ago,” Naroke said. “The one who had kidnapped Lilo and turned Carbon into his foe.”

“I was afraid that you might mention Zumas,” Sky said with a grimace. “Okay, Naroke, is it?” Naroke nodded. “You seem to know Carbon and Lilo pretty well, so here’s the plan. I have a couple of ponies that I know who I could use to track down Zumas, but in the meantime I want you to find any ponies that you know. Round them up and we’ll track this asshole down. We’re going to need all of the help we can get.”

Naroke nodded her head again and Sky gave her a pat on the back.

“Thanks, Stripes,” Sky said and she giggled when she saw Naroke’s nose wrinkle. “We’re going to get them back. Both of them. And we’ll get rid of Zumas for good this time. Alright?”

“I really hope that you are right, Sky Runner,” Naroke said. “Zumas is not the type of pony that you can continue to deter.”

Author's Note

I did this one in one night as well. Surprisingly. I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but then I'm never satisfied with writing Naroke. That rhyming... I can only blame myself.

I big shout out and thank you to Happycamper for allowing me to use his OCs Sky Runner and Shadow. If you want to read more about them, go check out his story Canterlot Burglar. It's a pretty good mix of adventure and comedy.

Chapter 11: Discrepancies

Violets are Blue Chapter 11

Grey skies hung overhead Canterlot’s south cemetery, draping a dark sheet of cool air over the city’s landscape in the early autumn. Trees had their first tinges of fall colors coating their leaves, retaining a mix of greens, yellows, and reds running through the canopies. The wind had yet to rip those leaves from their branches, leaving the ground relatively devoid of the crunchiness under ones hoof that came with the change of seasons. Healthy, green grass instead remained prominent over the rolling hills and flat grassy meadows, looking as beautiful as ever before the leaves would take their place.

Carbon and Lilo stood at the gate of the cemetery, staring through the iron bars that blocked their passage onto the grounds. Lilo—fully disguised as Rosebud—gave Carbon a side glance as he stood there. The lock around the iron bars that normally sealed off the cemetery remained wide open, allowing for ponies to easily pass through, as demonstrated by a young unicorn mare and her foal.

“Carbon, is everything alright?” Lilo asked.

“Yeah, there’s something that I wanted to show you,” Carbon replied, exhaling.

“You told me that already,” Lilo said, frowning.

“There’s some ponies that I want you to meet,” Carbon said. “I, um… I consider you to be the closest pony that I know, and, well, come on. I suppose we should actually get in there.”

Lilo’s ears flopped back against the side of her head as she fell in behind Carbon, stepping through the gates and onto a narrow rocky path. The path snaked through the grass and around a sea of tombstones that covered the cemetery grounds. The outermost tombstones resembled the small semicircle headstones that ponies typically put out in their yard during Nightmare Night, but as the path wound deeper into the cemetery the stones became more and more ornate. Intricate carvings marked some larger tombstones, depicting names and respects given to the pony that lie buried, while others looked like tall obelisks or tiny plaques.

A shiver ran down Lilo’s spine as she looked in every direction around the tombstones. Ponies lay scattered through the cemetery, paying their respects to their deceased loved ones or reminiscing of years long since passed. An old stallion stood over the grave with a tall headstone decorated in a multitude of colors, silent and staring at the name engraved on the stone. The unicorn and foal from earlier sat hunched over a plaque, the unicorn’s face hidden by her mane.

Above all else, not a single sound made its way through the cemetery. The distant sounds of Canterlot’s marketplace fell short at the walls while the birds that originally chirped happily from their perches on the trees fell silent. Not even their hoofsteps crunching on the rocky ground made any noise, leaving Carbon and Lilo in an eerie void.

They wound their way through the gravestones until they stopped halfway up a hill that gave home to a massive willow tree. Carbon sighed and turned to face three semicircular headstones that stood alone from the rest that surrounded them. Lilo turned with him, sidling up to his side and leaning forward to see the names inscribed in the stone.

“Lilo,” Carbon began, “when I first kissed you back in that sandwich shop two years ago, I felt a rush of euphoria that I had not felt in a long time. I felt happy, renewed, excited, and optimistic. I had another pony in my life that could bring the color back that life once held so vibrantly. The change in that moment was almost immediate, the love that I felt come from you was something that no words can describe, aside from that what the kiss that we shared was true.”

Lilo’s chest felt warm as she felt the aura of love surrounding Carbon accentuate the more he carried on. Listening to his words filled the base of her hooves with what felt like tiny pockets of air, replicating the same feeling as if she stood on a plush cloud from Cloudsdale. Her ears drooped, however, and the light in her eyes all but extinguished as she read over the names of the gravestones.

“Now it has been two years since that day,” Carbon continued. “Two years we have both grown around each other. The dates that we went on, the laughs that we shared, the tears that we nurtured, all compiling together into what stands here today. You and I stand here as products of each other; not like the products of somepony’s parents or school teacher, but the products of two lovers.”

Starting from the left, a medium sized tombstone with flowers and vines decorating the sides read, “Here lies Wildflower, proud mother and wife.” A bouquet of withered flowers lay at the base of the stone. Next to Wildflower’s tombstone on the right was a smaller tombstone also engraved with flowers and vines that read, “Here lies Bumblebee, beautiful daughter and faithful sister.” Lastly, to the far right was a tall tombstone that read, “Here lies Silicon, respectful father and dedicated husband.”

Carbon sat down on his flanks and read over each of the names. “I love you, Lilo. I love you more than anything else that this world can give me. You are what makes me laugh, smile, and wake up everyday, eager to see your beautiful face once more. You’re the light in my eyes, just like how they all were the light in my eyes.” He shakily holds his hoof up to the tombstones. “But no matter what I say or how often I say it, words cannot describe what my love is for you. Language is underwhelming in that regard, only my heart can fully express what it is that I feel.”

Lilo turned and threw her forelegs around Carbon, hugging him as tightly as she could manage as her pegasus disguise dropped.

“I love you, Carbon,” Lilo said. “There isn’t anypony in the entire world who I would rather spend an eternity with. Nopony could ever love like you do, or care like you do, or make me smile like you do. Nopony can ever replace you, Carbon.”

“I love you, too, Lilo,” Carbon said, wrapping Lilo up in his hooves and his wings. “You’ll always have a place by my side and by the side of the rest of my family.”

~~~

Light shined on Carbon’s face and he groaned, flickering his eyes open. His vision met a cold stone floor, and he saw the tiny grooves and cracks that creased along the material.

“Ah, so you are awake,” a dark voice said. It sounded vaguely familiar. “I was thinking I was going to use this bucket of water here to wake you up. It’s not exactly entertaining talking to myself.”

Carbon looked up and met the eyes of Zumas. A wave of dread washed over him and he scampered backwards until his back butted up against a wall. A thin set of metal bars separated Carbon from Zumas, but it did little to protect Carbon from the dark unicorn’s cold, piercing eyes and hostile frown.

“I wasn’t actually going to still throw the bucket on you,” Zumas said, gesturing at the bucket of water that sat next to him. “You know what, I have a better idea, why don’t I give this to you and, uh… the changeling so you can have a drink?”

Zumas pushed the bucket of water up against an intersection of metal bars, indicating the presence of a second holding cell next to Carbon’s. Looking over, Carbon noticed Lilo butted up against the wall as well in the other cell, trembling as she refused to take her eyes off of Zumas. However, shortly after he felt the tingling and dryness within his throat and he nodded at the bucket.

Lilo got to her hooves, then both she and Carbon very carefully approached the metal bars. Seeing as Zumas merely watched them approach, Carbon knelt down next to bucket of water and tried to take a drink by sticking his tongue between the metal bars. Neither he nor Lilo could drink from the bucket.

“Oh, can’t reach the water, I see,” Zumas said with mocking sympathy. “Well, I suppose that I’ll have to get you two some later after we’ve had a little talk.” Zumas took the bucket of water away from the metal bars and set it down next to him again. “In any case, why don’t we all catch up? It’s been two years since we last spoke and I know that we didn’t start off on the right hoof,” he nods in Carbon’s direction, who flinches under his gaze, “but I’m interested in what you two have been up to.”

Carbon and Lilo looked between each other before turning back to Zumas. Neither of them utter a word, keeping their mouths clamped shut and watching the unicorn carefully. Zumas’ frown deepened.

“I guess I’m going first, then,” Zumas said with a sigh. “You know, ponies always rant and rave about the accommodations and hospitality that the castle supplies to their guests, yet I didn’t experience that during my stay. I sat in a cell for most of the time staring at a wall or the castle guards as they walked past, then occasionally was let out for some free exercise down in some sort of underground chamber.” He shrugged. “It wasn’t all bad, though. The food was decent.”

Carbon and Lilo both narrowed their eyes at Zumas, who didn’t notice as he stood up and paced back and forth in front of their holding cells.

“All of that time that I spent in that cell wasn’t for naught, though,” Zumas added. “I got to thinking—really thinking—about what it is that I had done and what landed me in that… cesspit. I ran this brothel full of ponies who were practically indebted to me because they failed to read fine print or owed some money.” He stopped. “Do you have any idea how many pretty, pretty mares are looking for money these days?”

Carbon and Lilo didn’t answer. Zumas threw his head back and scoffed before he resumed pacing in front of the holding cells.

“Anyways, I suppose I was well known to the ponies in Canterlot. By no means are brothels illegal in Equestria, although the princesses frown upon them. Strange, really, when plenty of their subjects seem to turn those frowns upside down when they visit those establishments, but that is besides the point.” Zumas sat down in front of the cells and looked between Carbon and Lilo. “The point is that I thought that my notoriety and infamy would hide me from ponies such as you.” He sneered at Carbon. “That you would hide, and cower, and let me take your precious changeling away from you in fear that somepony like me would tear you apart.”

Carbon glared back at Zumas, but he still refused to open his mouth. Zumas snarled and slammed his hooves against the iron bars of both of the cells, eliciting a jolt from both Lilo and Carbon.

“Looks like I’m going to force this conversation out of you two,” Zumas said as he levitated a set of keys over from the wall. “Swifthoof! Get in here.”

The door on the far side of the room opened, allowing for the earth pony that Carbon saw at the sandwich shop to enter. He carried a second bucket of water with him along with a rag hanging over the edge of the bucket. He dropped the bucket down next to a table that was centered in the room.

Zumas plunged the keys into the keyhole of Lilo’s holding cell door, and he twisted the lock and shoved the door open. Lilo screeched and darted to the furthest corner away from Zumas, but the unicorn merely smirked and took hold of her tail with his magic, dragging Lilo slowly across the floor towards him.

Carbon dashed up to the iron bars of his cell and hammered on them with his hooves, trying to some degree to break open from his prison. He was unsuccessful however, and he watched in horror as Zumas dragged Lilo out of her cell.

“No!” Carbon shouted, his hooves scraping along the iron bars. “Take your hooves away from her. Don’t you dare hurt her, Zumas!”

Zumas dragged Lilo up onto table and pinned her on her back. Swifthoof work true to his name, quickly locking Lilo’s hooves in place on the table with leather bracers, immobilizing her aside for her neck and wings. Lilo tugged frantically against her bonds, but she remained secured against the table.

“You know,” Zumas said as he levitated one of the buckets of water up onto the table, “waterboarding is an ancient form of torture that was used incredibly often during the Lunar Rebellion. Ponies on both sides of the conflict were taken from their homes by soldiers if they were thought to be spies, then were brought to chambers just like this one to be waterboarded.” He paused, watching as Lilo’s struggles against the bonds weakened. “The technique occasionally had some serious adverse effects to the victims. Brain damage, damage to the lungs, and, well, you know, death.”

Carbon pawed at the metal bars with his hooves, tears streaming down his face as he caught Lilo’s eyes with his. Zumas turned towards the noise and cocked his head.

“Please don’t hurt her, Zumas,” Carbon pleaded. “What good is there in harming her? She just wants to be free like everypony else. Just like you or me.”

“Good?” Zumas asked. He slapped the rag over Lilo’s mouth. “This isn’t about good or bad, profiting or losses, this is about a little… revenge. Conversational revenge.” He lifted one of the buckets into the air. “But I promise Lilo won’t get hurt if you answer some questions. Well, won’t get hurt much.”

“How can you be so petty as to go after something like revenge?” Carbon asked, poking a hoof through the metal bars and reaching for Lilo. “We beat you, Zumas. You had an illegal operation going on here in the city, enslaving ponies and mistreating them to terrible degrees. How can you talk about revenge when the crimes you committed in the first place were far too great to even warrant such a thought?”

“What makes you think that I care about the crimes I committed?” Zumas snarled. “You ruined the business that I worked so hard to build. You destroyed the contacts I had, killed my employee. Don’t you think I’m at least a little pissed off?”

With that Zumas slowly poured the water over the rag on Lilo’s mouth. Her eyes widened and, to her misfortune, she opened her mouth to scream only to have her oxygen cut off. Lilo flailed in her restraints, unable to relieve the terrible sensation filling her lungs. She wanted to cry out, but she couldn’t. Not a single breath of fresh air made it through the water pouring on her face.

“No!” Carbon shouted, pressing his entire body against the metal bars. “Please, Zumas! I’ll answer your questions. Please, stop doing this to her.”

Zumas tipped the bucket back up and set it down on the table before he pulled the rag off of Lilo’s mouth. She gasped frantically for air, her chest heaving just before she broke into hysteric sobs.

“For now,” Zumas said casually, “but I know you like to play the stubborn hero. Now then, where were we?” Zumas watched with nary a smile on his face as Carbon slumped against the bars. “I really am curious as to what you two, um, well, one of you isn’t exactly a pony, but I am curious as to what both of you are up to.”

Carbon gave Zumas the most vehement glare he could muster. “Leading happy, fulfilling lives with hardly any cares about ponies taking that from us. You know, if there is anything I can thank you for, as twisted as it is, it is letting me find her.”

Zumas’ eyes narrowed for just a moment before he took the bucket in his magic again. “Even so, there are all of those anti-changeling protesters walking around the city streets. I know that Lilo here uses her disguise to keep hidden, but I want to know your take on the whole thing.”

“They’re bigots and imbeciles,” Carbon growled.

“Indeed?” Zumas asked, cocking an eyebrow. “Or maybe they’re afraid and remember what happened two years ago? You know, a city getting attacked is nothing that somepony would forget. What’s more, they all are terribly upset over the news of the first pony and changeling being married. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

Carbon remained silent, although he very slowly looked over at the sobbing Lilo. Zumas followed his gaze.

“Nothing?” Zumas asked.

Carbon opened his mouth, but no words came out. A little spark flashed through Zumas’ eyes, and he turned around and put the rag back over Lilo’s mouth. Carbon let out a shout, but Zumas failed to heed it as he poured the rest of the bucket of water over Lilo’s face. She thrashed about in her restraints and a tiny crack in her chitin split down her left hind hoof, but she hardly uttered a sound above a few forced gurgles as the oxygen was sapped from her lungs.

“Zumas, please!” Carbon shouted, banging his hooves against the iron bars. “Please, I…! Yes… Lilo and I… Lilo and I are the ones who are… who are slotted to be married…”

Zumas tipped the bucket up again before he threw it to the floor, spilling the rest of its contents all over the ground. He turned back around with a malevolent gleam in his eyes.

“So it is true,” Zumas said. “You know, when I first heard about a pony and a changeling openly marrying themselves I couldn’t believe my ears. Of course there are about as many changeling sympathizers as there are who hate the bugs, but I didn’t expect an open marriage to be a viable option for you guys for another few years. You know, give the bigots some time to cool off so that only the loudmouth minority are the ones doing the talking. But no. Oh, you. Are. Brave.”

Carbon panted as he slumped against the iron bars again. Lilo lay reeling on the table, gasping in between her sobbing and whimpering. He looked over her and, although he didn’t know if she saw him or not, he gave her the most sympathetic stare.

“So brave, in fact, that I’m going to change tactics a little here,” Zumas added. He picked up the other bucket full of water and tossed it away, splashing the water everywhere. “You see, using one method just isn’t enough. Have you ever heard of the phrase double tap?” Zumas walked along the other side of the table and bent his head down. Carbon heard some clinking echoing from behind the table and his eyes widened as Zumas popped back up over the top of the table with a long fillet knife in his magic.

“Zumas, no, please,” Carbon pleaded, his heart pounding in his ears. “Zumas, don’t hurt her anymore. She’s suffered more than anypony ever should. Look, we’ll tell you anything else that you want to know.”

“You know, at one point I might have reveled in hearing you plead for your marefriend’s life,” Zumas said as he looked over Lilo’s damaged wing. “I can’t seem to find any satisfaction in any such groveling, though. All I want it some revenge, so, you know, I’m going to get it.” He lifted Lilo’s damaged wing with the knife. “Now, Lilo, can you tell me how long this wing has been damaged for?”

“T-two years…” Lilo squeaked between her sobs. “P-please, Zumas…”

“Two years?” Zumas asked. “Oh yeah, that’s right, I remember now.” He jabbed the knife into Lilo’s wing and twisted. Lilo shrieked and her wings buzzed, causing for her damaged wing to tear apart due to the knife lodged in her membrane.

“Lilo!” Carbon shouted. He rammed himself against the metal bars, but all he got in return was searing pain through his shoulders. “Zumas! Stop!”

Zumas left the knife embedded in the table and through Lilo’s wing. Lilo’s wings slowly ceased fluttering as the knife hardly damaged her wings anymore, leaving the membrane an absolute mess. She quietly whimpered to herself as Zumas turned towards Carbon.

“So, now that we have gotten that out of the way,” Zumas said, “there’s something else that I want to ask you. Are you going to cooperate this time, or are you still going to play hero with me like a sniveling colt?”

Carbon glared at Zumas, but he begrudgingly nodded his head.

“I know that you have ties to the former changeling queen,” Zumas said, pulling the fillet knife out of the table, “and I also know that she is operating in the study of the castle. Now, as you probably saw when you asked for her to marry you two, the study is filled with tome upon tome of documents and ancient spellbooks that are not typically offered in the Canterlot Library. In fact, if I remember correctly, the study is just a remodeled version of the Star Swirl the Bearded wing.”

Carbon’s eyes narrowed, but they didn’t hold as he winced from the pain coursing through his shoulders.

“So you do,” Zumas concluded. “Well, there’s a certain scroll that I’m looking for that is located in that study. The letters are written in one of the ancient languages of the world so I would need to show you the symbols themselves, but what I’m asking of you is to retrieve that scroll for me.”

“You want me to retrieve a scroll that is potentially not only dangerous to yourself, but all of Equestria as well?” Carbon asked. “All of Equestria will be put into danger because of a scroll that is supposed to be locked away in the hooves of the princesses is given to a cynical and maniacal menace.”

Zumas sighed and lifted the fillet knife again. “You know what, why don’t we continue this another time, Carbon? Time’s almost up and I need to address some business propositions with a few of my old clients. Looks like you guys are off the hook, for now.” He turned back to Lilo and very carefully fit the knife between the ripped hole in her membrane, careful not to touch the edges. “In fact, maybe I’ll have much more luck with you, hm?”

His face contorting into a snarl, Zumas slashed the knife through Lilo’s wing. She let out another scream and tugged against her restraints, further splitting the crack in her hind hoof. Carbon stuck his hoof into his mouth to suppress another cry as he watched his fiance struggle and squirm in her restraints.

Waiting until Lilo stopped convulsing in her restraints, Zumas unfastened the leather straps around her hooves before taking her tail in his magic again. He lowered her onto the ground, then dragged her into her cell and deposited her on the floor, leaving her to reel and whimper. Carbon dashed over to her cell and stuck his hooves through the bars.

Zumas stepped out of Lilo’s cell and closed it behind him, using the key to lock it up. He then levitated the keys over onto the far wall.

“I’ll see you two in three hours,” Zumas said, exasperated. “Maybe then you will actually cooperate, otherwise I may be forced to take more drastic measures than simply making that changeling more crippled.”

Zumas walked with Swifthoof out of the room, leaving Carbon and Lilo alone in their cells. Carbon pushed himself as hard as he could against the cells, trying his best to reach Lilo with no success.

“Come on, Lilo,” Carbon said softly, “I know it hurts, but come closer. I might be able to help a little.”

Lilo whimpered, then she shakily used her forehooves to drag herself across the floor towards Carbon. Her bad wing dragged along the ground, the membrane twisted and torn in all places, hardly even resembling a changeling wing anymore. Carbon did his best to not tear up, but he couldn’t save the tear that rolled down his cheek.

When Lilo finally reached Carbon’s cell, he scooped her up in as much of a hug as he could muster through the bars. Lilo nuzzled into his forelegs, burying her face as she let herself cry.

“C-carbon, it… it hurts,” Lilo whimpered. “It hurts so much.”

“Don’t worry, Lilo,” Carbon said, stroking the back her head. “We’ll… we’ll think of something. Don’t worry, please…”

Chapter 12: Vindicta

Violets are Blue Chapter 12

“One, two, three, four… five,” Sky said to herself. She stood atop a two story building overlooking the brothel, which had formerly been owned by Zumas. Since his capture, it fell into a state of disrepair from neglect and nosey foals looking for a little adventure in their life. The paint covering the establishment looked dull and was slowly peeling away, while the windows covering both floors were either broken or so dirty that it was hardly possible to see through. Even the front door was boarded up, but that had not stopped Zumas’ lackies.

“Could be worse,” Sky continued, crouching low behind ridge of the roof. “I’ve certainly seen worse. Looks like the front door isn’t going to be an option here.”

Through the broken windows of the brothel, Sky watched as guards carefully patrolled the upper and lower floors. They carried all manners of weapons and wore some padded armor, leaving Sky with her darts, mask, cloak, and thin leather armor woefully outmatched. What she did notice, however, were the paths the guards made, with at least two of them tracing the same path over and over again every few minutes.

“Okay, so, conehead and fidget the pegasus aren’t the brightest of the bunch it seems,” Sky said. “Looks like I have a path I can take. If Zumas is like any other villain, he probably has Carbon and Lilo locked up somewhere below ground.”

Sky pulled her hood over her head and slid down the backside of the roof, then hopped off of the edge and spread her wings so that she easily glided down into the back alley. She poked her head out from the alley and looked over at the brothel. Upon seeing none of the guards looking out of the windows, she darted across the street and down an alley on the right side of the building.

A slight chill filled the air as dark clouds swirled around the sky overhead. As a breeze picked up, Sky shivered as the chill cut right through her fur, and she pulled her cloak tightly around herself in an effort to curb any further shivers racking her body. Unfortunately her efforts were unsuccessful as the hairs on her skin all stood on end.

“Bugger, it’s cold out,” Sky whispered as she walked up to a drain pipe. She traced the pipe with her eyes all of the way up to the second roof. “Ten bits says that that skylight is still broken.”

Taking a few steps back, Sky made a dash at the wall and latched onto the drain pipe with her hooves. With a little help from her wings, she managed to run half way up the wall to the first level of the building before she lost her momentum. Still gripping onto the drain pipe, Sky dug her hooves in and shimmied the rest of her way up to the second level. The pipe creaked and groaned under her weight and Sky frowned slightly.

“Oh shush, I’m not fat, am I?” Sky said, pausing on the pipe and looking down warily. If it had been anypony else, they might have commented on her not eating enough. “Or maybe you’re too old.”

Sky climbed the rest of the way up the pipe and scampered onto the roof, taking a deep breath and looking back out over the edge. Slight indentations in the drain pipe marked where Sky dug her hooves in.

“What I would give for a pair of working wings,” she muttered.

She turned around and trotted over to the skylight she broke two years ago. The skylight was in fact, much to her delight, still broken. Sky peered through the broken glass and into the building below. The carpeting and furniture looked weathered and deteriorated, stinking mold and rot taking hold of the room and ruining the original grandeur that it once held. More importantly, however, the room looked as though nopony had tread through the place in over a year.

Tucking her wings tight against her body, Sky hopped through the window, carefully avoiding the jagged glass shards still embedded in the window frame. Once through, she opened her wings again and coasted down onto the floor, pointedly missing the broken glass that littered the center of the room. When she touched down, she winced as she pulled her damaged wing back against her side.

“Okay, getting inside was easy enough,” Sky whispered as she snapped her hoof crossbow out. “Now, where oh where did that dipsti-”

Sky was cut off as the door knob to one of the doors on the far side of the room twisted. She dashed over behind some broken tables and pulled her cloak tightly over herself, hiding herself from view.

The door opened and Sky’s ears perked as she heard a pair of hoofsteps approaching. They sounded quite heavy and crunched under the broken glass.

“You said you saw somepony snooping around this side of the building?” one of the ponies asked. They stopped underneath the skylight.

“Ah swear ah did,” the other pony said. “Ah tell ya, they was wearin’ a cloak an’ made all sorts ah noise climbin’ somethin’.”

“There is the drain pipe on this side of the building. The thing’s as old as Tartarus, though. I bet anypony other than a filly climbing that thing would have pulled it right out of its clamps.”

“Then maybe it was ah filly?”

“Or maybe you just saw a raccoon. Do you need glasses?”

“No.”

Sky lifted her head and peered over at the two ponies standing under the skylight. One was a the pegasus that made the predictable patrol rounds from earlier, and he wore thick, padded armor everywhere aside from his wings. He also carried a sword strapped over his back. The other was a thick, muscular earth pony wearing the same padded armor as his pegasus compatriot, but he carried several throwing axes strapped to his back.

“Then if you’re done dilly dallying around,” the earth pony said, “lets get back to our patrol.”

“Do ya think that ol’ Zumas will come back for that changelin’ an’ pegasus?” the pegasus asked.

“Of course he will,” the earth pony snapped, turning around. “They’re the whole reason why we haven’t moved safehouses. Zumas wants to keep them here until he’s finished with them.”

“By those screams earlier, and tha way ol’ Zumas looked when he left tha basement with all that machinery, ah thought he was finished.”

“You’re new to this job, aren’t you?” the earth pony gave the pegasus a wry look. “Come on, let’s get back to work.”

The two ponies turned and walked back to the door that they came from, leaving it wide open as they departed. Sky climbed out from behind the tables and walked up to the door, poking her head around the door frame and peering down the hall. The two ponies had long since turned down the end of the hall and were out of sight. Sky retracted her head and sat on her flanks.

“Thanks for the info, fidget,” Sky whispered. “I need to get down there. If Zumas already got to them…”

Sky cycled in a green sleep dart into her crossbow and crept into the hallway, doing her best to mitigate the sound of her hoofsteps. She rounded the corner at the end of the hall and approached another door that led into the back halls of the brothel. The fogged glass that hung over the top of the door had been blasted out and remained shattered all over the floor. Carefully placing her steps around the pieces of glass, Sky slunk up to the door and peered through the broken window.

The earth pony she saw with the pegasus earlier passed by the door. Sky ducked her head down and listened to his hoofsteps, and when she suspected that he was far enough away, she very carefully pushed open the door and snuck into the hallway. Watching the earth pony trek down the hall, Sky followed after him at a distance and kept her body pressed against a wall. When he finally turned down another hall at the end of the hallway, she let out a sigh of relief and trotted the rest of the way, scanning over the plaques that were bolted next to the doors.

Sky came upon the door with a plaque that had the words “Machinery” inscribed on it. She tried the door, but when she found that it was locked, she sighed and pulled out two bobby pins. Putting one of the bobby pins in her mouth, she stuck it into the keyhole while she used the other bobby pin to push the keyhole in the right direction. When Sky felt a satisfying click of the door unlocking, she smiled and put the bobby pins away.

Sky put her hoof on the door, but just as she went to turn the handle, a much larger shadow crept over her own small shadow. Sky’s eyes widened, and she ducked her head just as the earth pony swung one of his throwing axes and embedded it into the door. She flipped onto her back and took aim with her crossbow at the stallion standing over her, and she shot one of her sleep darts into his neck.

The effects were almost instantaneous, and before the stallion let out a shout, he slumped forward and landed on top of Sky. The little pegasus let out a squeak.

“Well, this isn’t the first time this has happened,” she said with a huff. “And this time he didn’t even last for two seconds.”

With some effort, Sky pushed the earth pony off of her. Checking down both hallways and finding no other ponies charging at her, she pulled open the door to the machinery basement and dragged the earth pony in with her by the scruff of his neck. She grunted and let go of his scruff when he was sufficiently inside, then closed the door behind them.

The noise of water pumps and crystal power generators echoed through the basement, indicating that Zumas had managed to get the power working for the brothel. Sky cycled another sleep dart into her crossbow and carefully ventured further down into the basement, her ears swiveling around her head. She rounded a corner and passed by several water pumps and crystal power generators, then came to a stop at a door. Carefully opening the door, she came face to neck with a burly looking pegasus.

“Oopsie, I must have made a wrong turn,” Sky squeaked, taking a step back.

“Sure did,” the pegasus grunted. “In fact, I think you might be in the wrong building.” He drew his sword.

“You think so?” Sky asked in a small voice. “I was just scavenging, you know. Trying to find some food and a little bit of water for my sister and I.”

“Find what you were looking for?”

“Well, I…” Sky looked the pegasus up and down and bit her lower lip. “Well, it’s not exactly what I’m looking for, but I’m sure a handsome stallion such as yourself could help out a mare who’s in a bit of a predicament?”

“How do you suppose I do that?”

Sky took a step forward and traced one of her soft hooves along his chest. “You know, I used to work here when it was a brothel, and I’m feeling a little nostalgic come to think of it. Of course I’m trying to find some food for my sister and I, but, I, um… wouldn’t mind if I could relive some of those days. I’m sure a sweet stallion would understand.”

The pegasus looked around the room full of water pumps and crystal power generators, then dropped his sword and took Sky in his forelegs. The little pegasus mare squeaked again when he grabbed her, but she made no efforts to stop him as he kissed her.

Seeing her chance, Sky reached underneath her cloak and grabbed a sleep dart, then stuck the dart into the stallion’s neck. In seconds the stallions eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped to the floor, leaving Sky laying on top of him.

“Not today, buddy,” Sky said as she lifted herself off of him, “but maybe another day I’ll come find you.”

She winked at the sleeping pegasus before pushing open the door.

~~~

Carbon and Lilo remained cuddled together at the back of their respective holding cells, staring down the large pegasus who stood guard at the door. He didn’t so much as even send a glance their way, content with staring straight ahead. His armor was thick around his legs and his chest and he carried a heavy sword across his back.

Lilo rested her head against the metal bars and whimpered when Carbon’s hoof traced along her back and too close to her wing. Carbon immediately retracted his hoof and sighed.

“I’m sorry, Lilo,” he said.

The changeling squeaked and took one of Carbon’s hooves in her hooves, clutching it tightly.

“Please don’t be,” Lilo said quietly. “I’m fine… I’ll be fine.”

“Lilo, I… I want you to-” Carbon started, but he was cut off by the door to the room opening. The pegasus standing guard turned around and stepped halfway out of the door. Two voices shortly followed afterwards, one of the voices presumably his. The other was a sexy high Canterlot accent from a mare.

“Lilo, wait here,” Carbon said. He very carefully lifted himself from his spot next to Lilo, and after checking to see that he didn’t leave her to lie in any further agony, he crept over to the front of his holding cell. The pegasus guard stepped fully out of the room and closed the door behind him, which was promptly followed by a dull thud. Carbon’s ears widened and he swiveled his ears forward in order to strain to hear what is going on beyond the door.

Moments later, Sky Runner opened the door, then upon seeing Carbon, she hopped around the table and dashed over to him. She pulled the mask off over her face and tossed it away.

“I found you,” Sky said. She noticed Lilo in the corner of her cage. “Oh no. Carbon, are you two okay?”

“Lilo’s wing is terribly damaged, Sky,” Carbon said, rushing back over to Lilo. “The keys to the doors are on the far wall. We need to get out of here before Zumas comes back. I don’t know how much time has passed, but he said that he would be back in three hours last time we saw him, and that was a while ago.”

Sky hopped over the table and nabbed the keys off of the far wall, then darted back over to Carbon’s cage. She slammed the key into the keyhole and twisted, then upon hearing a click, she opened the cell door open.

“Carbon, I’m going to need you to carry Lilo while we get out of here,” Sky said, hopping over to Lilo’s cell door. “I’ll protect you two if we run into any trouble. You two will be fine if you stick with me, okay?”

“Thank you so much, Sky,” Carbon said, running out of his cell and standing next to Sky as she opened Lilo’s. “How did you find out that Lilo and I were in trouble?”

“You had to have known that I would be broken up over you two forgetting to invite me to the reception,” Sky said, pushing Lilo’s door open. “So naturally I decided to stop by your place to find out if you were having any pre-wedding vibes. It wasn’t… quite what I hoped for.”

“Why don’t we make you the best mare of the wedding, then?” Lilo said from inside of the cage. She was already on her hooves, albeit shakily. “I’m sure… that Carbon wouldn’t mind.”

Carbon ran into the cell and sidled up next to her, nuzzling her under her chin. Lilo carefully climbed onto his back, wincing when she felt her mangled wing brush up against his own wing. When she was securely on his back, she wrapped her forehooves around his neck and gave him a kiss on the back of his neck.

“I love you, Carbon,” Lilo whispered into Carbon’s ear.

“I love you, too, Lilo,” Carbon whispered back.

“Aw, that’s so sweet!” Sky said with a squee.

“How about we get ourselves moving?” Lilo asked with some urgency.

“Right, on it,” Sky said. She turned tail and dashed over to the door, pushing it open. When she saw that nopony lie in wait for them among the water pumps and crystal power generators, she looked back at Carbon and Lilo and nodded her head. “Looks like Lord Conehead isn’t back from whatever it is that he is doing.”

With Lilo on his back, Carbon followed Sky out among the water pumps and generators. He felt Lilo’s hooves tighten around his neck, and while keeping one eye trained forward, he reared his head back and gave her a nuzzle.

“Sky’s going to get both of us out of here, Lilo,” Carbon said. “Don’t you worry. We’ll both get out just like last time.”

Sky’s walk slowed to a stop at the very edge of the water pump and generator room. Her wings were slightly unfurled, and after a moment she looked back at Carbon and Lilo and held a hoof to her lips.

“Stay here,” she said, then cautiously made her way forward towards the door. The axe was missing. “Damn it, I can’t believe I forgot to take the axe out of the door.” She stepped over the earth pony’s limp body and peered through the hole left by the axe. When she saw nopony standing outside of the door, she pushed the door open and stepped out.

“The coast is clear,” Sky said with a hint of nervousness creeping into her voice, “but I think we should get out of here as quickly as possible.”

Carbon trotted up behind her. “Sky, what’s wrong?”

“Carbon, I need you to keep you and Lilo safe,” Sky said, “Whatever happens, don’t separate and stay right next to me. I’m going to get you out of here, I promise.”

“Both of us trust you,” Carbon said. “We know that you won’t let either of us get hurt. Now come on, I suppose we need to pick up our pace.”

Sky fondled her crossbow for a moment, then walked down to the end of the hallway where a door lay with Carbon and Lilo in tow. She tried the door and found that it was unlocked, but when she went to push the door open, it refused to budge. She tried a few times, forcing her weight against the door, but it remained locked in place.

“Bollocks,” Sky breathed. “The door’s blocked from the outside. We’re going to have to go back through the other back rooms of the brothel.”

Carbon nodded his head, then fell in behind Sky as she made her way back down the hall. Her ears swiveled around her head anxiously, homing in to any little sound that kicked up within the hallway. To her dismay, not even the sounds of a guards pony patrolling on the floors above her reached her ears.

When Sky, Carbon, and Lilo were within several steps of reaching the door, a very faint outline of a shape came barreling towards them from beyond the doors leading to the main commons of the brothel. Carbon’s breath caught in his throat and he watched as Sky lifted her hoof with her miniature crossbow on it.

“Carbon, you’re going to want to get back,” Sky said.

As Sky tensed and readied her crossbow, the door leading to more backrooms of the brothel swung open and smacked her right in the face, knocking her onto her back. Carbon and Lilo both screamed just as Nero charged through and blew open the doors to the main commons of the brothel. In one of his talons was a long spear, and he was flanked on either side by a pegasus and an earth pony.

Sky rolled over onto her stomach and shouted, “Carbon, run! I’ll be right behind you!”

Carbon turned tail and galloped down the hallway, but before he made it ten steps he crashed headlong into another door that opened up in front of him. He flew back, sending Lilo flying and crashing onto the floor with a yelp as well. Carbon’s head throbbed and he rolled onto his back, looking over at Lilo, who looked passed him with wide eyes.

“A bit of deja vu,” Zumas said, stepping out from behind the door that was used to knock Carbon over. Swifthoof followed soon after. “I’ve learned my lesson, though, and you’re not escaping this time. Nero, kill them.”

Carbon scrambled to his hooves just in time to escape Swifthoof bringing his hoof down onto his back, then slid to a halt in front of Lilo. Swifthoof snarled at Carbon, slowing drawing his dagger from his side and holding it firmly in his mouth. Carbon’s ears flopped back, but he held his ground as Swifthoof made his advance, his wings unfurling while the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

Behind him, Carbon heard several thumps and the sound of a crossbow being fired, but he refused to take his eyes off of the advancing earth pony. His muscles felt tense, his nostrils flared, and when he saw Swifthoof make his move, pivoting his forehoof, he launched himself forward as fast as he could muster with a flap of his wings. Swifthoof blinked, and he was too late to angle the dagger before Carbon slammed into him, both of them careening into the wall.

Before Swifthoof had a chance to collect himself, Carbon shakily dashed away from the earth pony and slumped against the far wall, panting. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Zumas’ horn charge, red sparks flying from the tip. Adrenaline rushing through his veins, Carbon rocketed off of the wall back towards Swifthoof just as Zumas fired a volley of his magic, leaving a heavy scorch mark where the magic impacted.

Still recovering from Carbon’s initial assault, Swifthoof had hardly enough time to dodge his second charge. Carbon rammed straight into the earth pony a second time, successfully knocking the dagger from his mouth. However, having braced himself before hand, Swifthoof managed to recover from the charge much more quickly than Carbon and drove his hoof into Carbon’s gut. The initial impact sent Carbon hobbling backwards and flopping onto his back.

Swifthoof wiped the trickle of blood trailing for his mouth, then reached down for his dagger. To his misfortune, Lilo took the opportunity to charge Swifthoof and sink her teeth into his shoulder, driving him back up against the wall. The earth pony let out a yelp, then began to repeated sock Lilo in the stomach and on the side of the head with his free foreleg until she finally pulled free, taking a chunk of his flesh with her. She spit the flesh out and snarled at him, blood dripping from her fangs.

“Lilo, watch out!” Carbon shouted, eyes trained on Zumas.

Zumas fired another bolt of his magic at her, but Lilo ducked low underneath the blast, letting the magic impact the door that was used to smack Sky in the face. With Lilo distracted, Swifthoof charged and plowed her right up to the wall, smashing her damaged wing. Lilo screamed out in agony, but she was quickly relieved as Carbon bowled himself into Swifthoof, knocking him over onto his side.

Taking only a moment to survey how Sky was fairing, Carbon noticed two of the guards were dispatched on the ground, sleep darts sticking out from their limp bodies. Sky herself looked pretty beaten up, her hair an even more tangled mess, the bandages on her wings hardly staying in their place, and several bruises coated her body. She went up against Nero and another guard, to which she dodged a nasty jab from the griffon’s spear.

“Carbon, Zumas is charging his horn again!” Lilo shouted, scrambling to her hooves.

Spreading his wings, Carbon lept out of the way of Zumas’ magic and landed with a thud next to Swifthoof’s dagger. He picked it up in his mouth and locked his eyes with Zumas’ icey, blue ones. He spread his wings, then took off down the hallway straight at the unicorn. Zumas tried to charge his horn again, but he was too late as Carbon slammed right into him, smashing them both into a wall and leaving a sizable depression.

Zumas snarled and punched Carbon across the face with a hoof, but the pegasus quickly recovered and slashed at his face. Zumas screamed, and with all of his might he powered his horn and released a powerful blast of wind in every direction around him. Carbon was sent flying back into the wall on the other side of the hall, then flopped onto the ground with a groan. When he looked up again, he couldn’t help but feel a little satisfaction.

Zumas glared at Carbon with blood dripping down his face, the flesh around his left cheek and jaw completely torn away and leaving the muscle and teeth visible and open for everypony to see. Pure fire raged in his eyes, and sparks flew freely from his horn.

“I will kill you, you bug sympathizing fuck!” Zumas shouted. “You and your fucking fiance will have your filthy heads given to that former bug queen stuffed with your smoking entrails!”

Further down the hall, Nero picked up the shouts coming from Zumas and looked over. Only for a moment did his eyes widen before he took off down the hall, his wings propelling him towards Carbon. He flew away from Sky, who remained tangled up with the remaining guard. He flew past Lilo, who managed to dodge a punch from Swifthoof. He flew straight into Carbon, plowing the pegasus across the floor and tearing up some of the floor boards.

“You made your last mistake, pegasus,” Nero snarled, lifting his spear and aiming it down at Carbon’s chest. “You and your changeling are going to die here, as well as any hope that changelings will be able to integrate into Equestria.”

Seeing Carbon pinned against the floor underneath Nero, Lilo felt all of her blood rushing through veins run cold. Her wings damaged, her chitin cracked, blood dripping from her wounds and her mouth, she broke from her fight with Swifthoof and made a dash for the griffon, her fangs bared and her lips curled into a snarl. Closing in on the two, Lilo lept into the air, primed to locked her teeth into Nero’s neck.

Nero heard the sound of hoofsteps rapidly approaching, and to everypony time seemed to stop. He shifted his weight from both of his hind legs onto only one of his hind legs and he started to twist his body around. His spear lowered from its position above Carbon’s heart and turned as Nero spun, and when his eyes met Lilo’s his lips curled into a smile, and before anypony knew it, he ran his spear straight through Lilo’s chest. Her blood splattered all over him and Carbon, who could only look on in horror as the other end of the spear stuck out of Lilo’s back between her wings.

“No!” Carbon shouted, his wings beating furiously as he rocketed upwards and bit into Nero’s wing. The griffon screeched and dropped his spear and Lilo with it, and he spun around to grab Carbon with his talons. Carbon, however, moved too quickly and propelled himself in another direction, yanking Nero off of his hind legs and twisting him onto the ground.

From further down the hall, Sky Runner fired a sleep dart into the remaining guard’s neck, then turned and looked down the hall. She saw Zumas and Swifthoof making their departure further down the hall, but then she saw Lilo hunched up with a spear impaled through her chest. Her heart dropped.

“Oh no,” she breathed, and took off running down the corridor. She cycled in another sleep dart and aimed it at Nero, then fired, hitting him in the leg. The effects acted almost instantly, and he was knocked out before Carbon managed to crawl on top of him and start beating him with his hooves. “Carbon! Get off of him!”

“I’m going to fucking kill you!” Carbon shouted, beating his hooves into Nero’s face. “You’re a fucking dead griffon, you hear me?”

Sky tackled Carbon off of Nero, holding him in her hooves as tightly as she could.

“Carbon, stop!” Sky shouted. “He’s already knocked out.”

“Let go of me!” Carbon shouted back, and he jabbed his foreleg back into Sky’s stomach. She promptly grunted and let him go, but when he was back onto his forelegs again, seeing Nero lying there unconscious and Lilo lying not too far away from, the look on his face resembled that of somepony’s world shattering before them. He galloped over to her and collapsed by her side.

“No…” Carbon pleaded, his eyes tracing over Lilo’s wound. “No, no, no. Lilo! Lilo, sweetie, are you there?”

“Carbon, it… it hurts… so much,” Lilo panted, looked up at him.

“I’m going to get this out of you, okay?” Carbon said, placing his hooves on the spear. “I’m going to get this out of you, and then I’m going to get you over to Canterlot Hospital and fix you right up, alright?”

Carbon took the spear in his hooves and pulled, but all he got in return was an agonizing shriek from Lilo. He immediately retracted his hooves and stared horrified at all of the blood that oozed out onto the floor.

“I’m so sorry!” he shouted, stroking Lilo’s mane. “Okay, um, Sky? Can I borrow your cloak?”

Sky pulled her cloak off without a moments hesitation and hoofed it over to him. The expression etched into her face looked like a cross between sorrow and vague reminiscence. Taking her cloak, Carbon wrapped it around the point where the spear impaled Lilo’s chest.

Off in the distance, the sound of the front door of the brothel slamming open echoed through the building and Sky’s ears perked. Several shouts rang out, the shouts of the Canterlot Guard, and she leaned over Carbon’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Carbon,” she whispered, although it was likely he didn’t hear her. “I’m truly sorry…”

Sky took off down the hallway and took the door into the backrooms, narrowly dodging the guards as they stormed into the hall.

“Lilo, you’ve got to stay with me,” Carbon pleaded, rubbing his hoof on her cheek with tears streaming down his face. “Come on, keep focused on my voice.”

“Carbon, I’m… it’s so cold,” Lilo whispered. “Everything’s so cold. Please… I…”

“No, come on, you’re going to be fine,” Carbon said. “Just stay with me. All you need to do is stay with me.”

“I… I love y-” Lilo slumped to the floor, her entire body going limp. Whatever convulsions that racked her body, whatever breathes she struggled with, all ceased.

“Lilo? L-lilo?” Carbon’s face dropped. “No, Lilo, please. Stay here. Come on, Lilo, don’t leave like this.” He leaned in closer to her face, their muzzles bumping each other. “Don’t do this, not now. Please, Lilo! Wake up!”

Two pegasi guard remained standing behind Carbon and Lilo, their helmets tucked underneath their wings. All of the ponies who acted as Zumas’ henchmen were being hauled away by the rest of the guards.

“Lilo!” Carbon shouted throwing his forelegs around her. “Come back!”

Chapter 13: A Place by My Side

Violets are Blue Chapter 13

The smell of fresh rainfall filled the cool morning air of Canterlot, sweet and refreshing with a slight hint of underlying melancholy. Just enough to wet the ground, tiny puddles formed all over the city overnight. The birds did not chirp, nor did the bustling sounds of the city’s marketplace reverberate through the city streets in an effort to fill the uncomfortable void that had taken over the city. Ponies remained in their homes instead, doing their best to avoid the rainfall that was sure to be present throughout the day.

In Canterlot’s south cemetery, the massive willow tree at the crest of the hill stood taller than ever. Its long, dangling branches swayed majestically in the gentle breezes that passed over the many gravestones littered throughout the grounds, providing a special centerpiece to all of the ponies who had come to mourn that day. Although hailing from Ib’xian folklore, ponies from both the Ibex Empire and Equestria believed that wherever a willow tree grew, a ghost would be present as well. In a cemetery with a willow tree, its presence was only more substantial for ponies to make their visit to see their lost loved ones, if only for a chance to see them once more.

Carbon sat on the hill leading up to the lumbering tree, its shadow casting over both him and the four grave stones that lay in front of the pegasus. The three to the left still remained the same, marking the resting spot of Carbon’s parents and sister, but the one to the far right was fresh. Free from weather damage and moss, the freshly carved stone lay decorated in flowers, vines, and a little heart present at the peak of the headstone. More importantly, however, was the writing engraved that read, “Here lies Lilo, beautiful wife. You’ll always be by my side.”

Staring at the stone, Carbon’s eyes traced over the markings and words for perhaps the hundredth time that morning. All of the ponies who had come to see Lilo earlier had long since left; Chrysalis having royal duties and Naroke having to return to her shop. Sky Runner stayed the longest after the other two left, but eventually she, too, departed when she felt the need to return to her sister. With a hug and a kiss on the cheek, she trotted down the hill and pushed her way past the gates.

Now left alone in the cemetery, nothing stopped Carbon from getting the time to say whatever it is that he wanted to say to his fiance. With his cheeks still wet and his wings drooping at his side, he cleared his throat and padded his hoof on the ground.

“I, um,” Carbon started quietly, “I told you that you would always have a place at my side and… and the side of my family.” He paused, but when no answer came he sigh. “I already miss you, Lilo. We had so many plans for when we would grow old together. Do you remember that? How some nights we would just sit in front of the fire for hours on end, describing all of the ideas we had for when we would become a pair of old fogies.

“R-remember how we planned to one day visit Voltenice?” Carbon’s eyes searched the gravestone, but they fell when he again didn’t get a response. “We… we wanted to visit the annual carnival that takes place all of the time. Wear the masks, watch the fireworks, dine on the delicious south Equestrian food. Then we would visit the Doge’s Palace and take a look at all of the great architecture through the city. Would would meet the ponies there, take gondolas.”

A slight breeze kicked up, rustling Carbon’s main and the fresh flowers that lay at the base of Lilo’s gravestone.

“We also wanted to take a trip cross country, just you and me on hoof from one corner of Equestria to another. Do you remember that? We wanted to stop in all of the major cities along the way. Stalliongrad, Hoofington, Manehatten, Fillydelphia.” He shuffled his hooves and looked at the ground. “There were so many ponies we would meet, all sorts of different lifestyles spread out through the whole country. We would get a big taste of the melting pot that this country is known for.”

Several drops of rain fell onto Carbon’s head and he sniffled. His heart felt heavy and his nose warm.

“But now that you’re gone…” Carbon said. “All that we planned for, all that we longed for, the two of us. A changeling and a pegasus, in love and against the rest of the world, ready to show that these two worlds could coexist.” He reached out with a hoof and touched the headstone. “It isn’t fair, Lilo.”

Silenced soon followed as Carbon slumped against the headstone, laying his atop the peak and sobbing to himself. The rain gradually picked up around him, falling more in earnest as time moved on. Carbon’s feathers became as soaked as the grass around him, and his mane fell around and molded to his face.

After what seemed like half an hour, Carbon finally took himself from the gravestone and shakily rose to his hooves. The flowers he brought for her no longer held their beautiful splendor, now soaked and listless.

“I’m leaving Canterlot, Lilo,” Carbon said. “I need to get away and… well, have some time to clear my head. After everything that has happened in this city, I can no longer bear to look at it anymore. What used to be a city of imagination and beauty has turned into something dark, twisted, and angry.” He cringed as Lilo’s headstone seemed to take on a few years of weathering all at once. “I don’t know where I’ll go or if… I’ll ever return, but there is one thing that I want you to remember: I will love you forever, Lilo. I will never forget you or what you gave to me. You are the beauty that I still see in my eyes, and for what it’s worth, I think we married each other from that moment inside of the sandwich shop.”

Taking one last long look at Lilo’s headstone, Carbon turned and walked down the hill towards the gates of the cemetery. The rainfall intensified even more, water drops raining heavily all around the city and filling the noiseless void that had taken hold. Just as Carbon closed the gates behind him, the first leaves of autumn broke free of their branches and floated to the ground.

Author's Note

First off, I would like to give a huge thank you to Redracer for his fantastic editing skills, and then another thank you to Happycamper for his prereading and allowing for me to use his OCs Sky Runner and Shadow. If you'd like to see more of these two, go check out his story Canterlot Burglar!

Secondly, I just want to say that writing these last two chapters were hard for me. A few of you know that I have a bit of a habit of killing characters off in fics, but I don't think I've ever had as much difficulty doing it as I did with Lilo. And there is a reason that I did it, however, for future fics revolving around this universe.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of you for reading Violets are Blue. All of your support for me and my writing really helps me out and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I love all of you.

I'M SO SORRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYY