An Affliction of the Heart: Chitin's Story

Chitin stretched slowly, giving the faintest of yawns and shaking her forehooves one after the other to get any kinks out of them. Her entire body ached just a little, from the furious rutting that Thorny Bramble had basically forced upon her before she had left the room. Already, she was trying to think of where to get a new bed, as her current bed had (finally) succumbed to the rigors of a horny changeling and earth pony, and broken.

Not that that had stopped Thorny Bramble for more than a second or two to make sure she was okay.

Chitin licked her lips as she let her mind wander, blue tongue swirling over pointed fangs eagerly, before she straightened up and shook her head to clear it. She had a meeting to attend to.

The door, unoiled for many years, creaked open slowly, and Chitin poked her nose through the gap created. “Hello?”

“Come in,” a batpony said, sitting behind an old oak desk, a thick sheaf of papers sitting on the pad in front of him, steam still wafting off a cup of tea.

Chitin nosed her way through the doorway, and stepped uncertainly towards the desk. “Are you who I have to meet?”

“You are Chitin, I assume?” the batpony asked, arching an eyebrow.

Chitin nodded once, looking the batpony up and down curiously. He was pretty standard, at least as far as she knew. Golden, slit-pupil eyes, pointed fangs, pointy ears, purple pointy wings, pointy personality and a grey-blue body. His mane was a deep blue bordering on ‘dark’ blue, with a streak of lighter colour, and done up in a spiked fashion to differentiate himself a tiny bit from every other batpony. A pair of silver-rimmed glasses with clear, slightly-purple frames completed his look.

“I am Chitin, yes,” she vocalised, realising that a nod might not be all the answer needed. “I’m supposed to meet an investigator in here. Kuno was supposed to be here, too, but apparently, she’s asleep now.”

“I was warned about possibly dismemberment if I attempted to wake her,” the batpony said with a slightly annoyed sniff. “Overall, entirely disorganized.”

Chitin frowned at his tone. “So… who are you?”

“I am the investigator,” the batpony said with a wave of a hoof.

“No, what is your name?” Chitin furthered.

The batpony lifted a single ear at her. “I am Spectre.”

“Bullied in school much?” Chitin asked with a slight giggle.

Spectre’s eyes narrowed slowly. “No, I was not. After I beat up the first pony who tried, I was never bothered again.”

“That’s excessive,” Chitin said simply, chewing on her tongue. “So… why am I here?”

“You are to talk to your species in my stead. You are more likely to be told the truth that someone they are unfamiliar with. But first, we await your… uh… partner,” Spectre said flatly. There was so much venom in the word that Chitin began to think maybe he was in a relationship with Bramble.

“Is… is Bramble close to you?” Chitin asked carefully.

Spectre gave her a confused stare. “I have never met the colt.”

“He’s a stallion,” Chitin corrected with another frown. “And you said ‘partner’ like I’d been fucking your lover or something.”

“For a species that relies on an emotion for sustenance you are amusingly awful at judging them,” Spectre said with a shake of his head.

“Then what? Why are you acting like this?” Chitin asked plaintively.

“I am not acting like anything,” Spectre said flatly. “I advise you to learn more about pony and batpony sociology before asking dumb questions.”

“Fine,” Chitin glowered, grinding her teeth together in annoyance, wings giving an angry little buzz.

Spectre said nothing more, returning to looking through the papers on the desk, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

There was a firm knock on the door, and Spectre looked up, straightening his glasses. “Come in.”

The door opened, and Thorny Bramble stepped inside, neatly closing it after himself and sidling up to the table. “You wanted me here?”

“Indeed I did,” Spectre said, giving Thorny Bramble a long, level stare. “I understand that you are Chitin’s alibi for the night of the murder?”

Thorny Bramble nodded once. “Aye. I was with her the night of.”

“Was there any chance that she slipped away without you noticing?” Spectre asked seriously.

“Sure,” Thorny Bramble said sincerely. “But when I woke up to use the toilet, she was fast asleep next to me. And I uh…” he trailed off, clearing his throat. “I would have noticed if she left.”

“Why is that?” Spectre asked simply.

“Because she was uh… quite messy,” Thorny Bramble said, clearing his throat in embarrassment. “I am quite a productive stallion.”

“Very productive,” Chitin reassured, pondering for a long moment. “Three… no, four mouthfuls at least.”

“How positively stomach-churning,” Spectre said dryly. “I shall put ‘genetic material’ under her ‘alibi’ heading,” he added, scribbling down a note on the page. He turned towards Chitin next, “Your identifying item is the ankh earring, yes?”

Chitin nodded. “Yes.”

“As of this point forth, you are not allowed in public without your identifier in place,” Spectre said simply.

“What, why?” Chitin asked, ears splaying.

“You are capable of turning into any pony you please. It is no point having an identifier if you are permitted to remove it at any time you please. Furthermore, if you are found to be in public without your identifier, punitive action will be taken,” Spectre explained simply.

Chitin blinked once, before nodding. “I understand.”

“You do?” Spectre asked with a slightly smug smile. “It is nice that you are so reasonable.”

“You ponies are scared of us because you know we could take over the place if we wanted,” Chitin said quietly.

“No, no you couldn’t,” Spectre said bluntly. “Mainly because we are putting in safeguards to halt any transformation mischief before it can take root.”

Chitin stared at him, holding his gaze unblinkingly, head tilting slowly to the left. She snorted once, and then gave the softest of laughs. “Well, at least you believe what you say.”

Spectre’s eyes narrowed a little, but he didn’t respond, instead turning back to his page. “Either way, you will wear your identifier any time you are in public. This is, of course, relaxed when you are on these grounds or within your home, should you take residence in Ponyville or Canterlot or somesuch. If you are accused of a crime, then you will not be permitted to remove your identifier until the trial and punishment are decided.”

Chitin frowned deeply, but nodded. “That makes sense, I guess.”

Spectre turned back to Thorny Bramble, who was watching them with a guarded expression. “What is your darkest secret that your family members would be aware of?”

“What?” Bramble asked, blinking once, ears flattering. “Why would you want to know that?”

“I need to confirm your identity with your family members, in case you are currently a changeling. and knowing a personal secret of yours that your family can corroborate, that a changeling would not know, is the easiest way,” Spectre said simply. “So, embarrassing, preferably.”

Thorny Bramble cleared his throat nervously, pawing at the floor lightly. “I… I don’t have anything.”

“Yes, yes you do,” Spectre pressed. “Just say it. I’m not going to spread it around. I just have to make absolutely certain that the alibi for the changeling I am to work with it airtight.”

The stallion looked away, biting his bottom lip, before giving a long sigh. “Well… Ahh… Mah sis walked in on me one time…”

“That is hardly unique,” Spectre said dryly.

“W-well… No. I was… uhhh…” Thorny Bramble trailed off, chewing on his tongue. “I was experimenting.”

“Experimenting? How? Details are important,” Spectre said, observing him with a carefully blank expression.

Thorny Bramble’s cheeks warmed a little bit further. “I-I’d just uh… I’d just blown a load in my own mouth, okay?” he mumbled in a rush, ears burning with embarrassment.

Chitin’s ears perked forwards at that, and she licked her fangs.

“I see, that is… unique enough. Your sister saw this?” Spectre asked blankly.

Thorny Bramble nodded once.

“That is all I need,” Spectre said, laying down his quill. “You may leave. Though I will be confirming your secret with your sister tomorrow. If you are going to spend any more time in the complex, I suggest you create a special word or phrase with your family or a neutral third party for future security purposes.”

Thorny Bramble nodded, mumbling an affirmative.

“How long am I going to be here?” Chitin asked clearly, staring at Thorny Bramble.

“The rest of the day, I would expect,” Spectre said simply.

“Bramble… are you free tonight?” Chitin asked, holding his gaze with a hungry stare.

Thorny Bramble shrugged his shoulders. “I kind of need to go back home sooner or later.”

“Well… if you want to show up at my room tonight at any time…” Chitin trailed off, licking her lips.

Thorny Bramble gave a faint smile at that, and a nod. “I’ll consider it.”

“When you two are quite done,” Spectre interjected, pushing his glasses back up his nose. “You’re free to leave.”

Thorny Bramble gave a nod at that, and turned on his hooves, exiting the room with the push of the door with his shoulder.

“Next!” Spectre called, and a pair of royal guards escorted in a changeling. He was a little smaller than Chitin, and had a prominent spike piercing in his lower lip. He looked between the two of them, chewing anxiously at his piercing.

“Name?” Spectre asked, lifting his quill.

“I uh, I am named Needlepoint,” the changeling said.

“Your identifier?” Spectre asked next.

Needlepoint released his piercing from between his fangs, and then pointed at it lamely with a hoof. “This. The piercing.”

“Very well. You are henceforth not allowed to remove your identifier while in public. Being in public without your identifier will attract punitive action. Do you understand?”

Needlepoint nodded slowly.

“Now, the night of the murder, where were you?” Spectre asked simply.

Needlepoint looked back and forth between Spectre and Chitin. “I was… around.”

“Did anyone witness you ‘around’?” Spectre asked in a clipped tone, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

Needlepoint’s ears lowered slightly, and he shrugged. “I… don’t know?”

Chitin lifted a hoof for attention. “Needlepoint, were you alone that night? Did you sleep alone?”

Needlepoint turned to focus on Chitin. “I slept in my bed. I share my room with Titan. He came to bed late. He smelled like a mare.”

“Do you know roughly what time he returned?” Chitin asked gently.

“Sometime just before midnight?” Needlepoint offered plaintively.

Spectre nodded to himself, scribbling down notes. “Very well, you may leave. Next!”

Needlepoint was escorted out of the room, and another changeling was shown in.

“Name,” Spectre said, lifting his quill again.

Chitin gave a low groan, shaking out each of her hooves one-by-one as she stalked down the hallway. The sun had already set, and candles were lit all around the mansion, casting flickering glows on the walls. A huge group of changelings had been confined to the main dining hall until they could be interviewed.

Spectre had retired to a bedroom for the night, taking his notes with him to pour over.

Chitin paused in front of a window looking down on the dining hall. Some changelings were already sleeping, curled up in the corners and under the tables in haphazard nests of blankets and pillows. Other changelings had formed orderly groups and were quietly chatting with each other over candlelit dinner settings sparingly laid out with tasty snackfoods.

Chitin watched them for a few moments, before continuing down the hallway. As she walked, she reflected on the fact that she had chosen one of the furthest-away structures as her bedroom. Her tower was a good two minute walk from the centre of the mansion.

An eager changeling pushed open the door to the tower, and she pushed her nose in, grinning toothily. “I’m here!” she called out.

Silence greeted her.

Chitin’s face fell as she realised that Thorny Bramble wasn’t waiting for her. With a faint harrumph, she waited a full ten seconds in case he was hiding under the bed or in the cupboard, before turning around again and leaving.

Spectre gave a long groan of annoyance at the knock on his door, rolling out of bed and picking up his glasses, deftly sliding them into place on his nose. He pulled the door open, squinting out. “Yes?”

“Uh, good evening!” Chitin said with an attempt at a winning smile.

“Yes, good evening,” Spectre said with clipped tones. “What do you want?”

Chitin gave an awkward glance back and forth at that, licking her fangs anxiously. “I’m really horrible at this kind of thing. But I’d like to seduce you, if it isn’t too much of a problem?”

Spectre gave her a long, blank stare. “What.”

“Seduce you,” Chitin repeated, making a motion with a hoof. “I assure you, I’m quite good at sex. I’m just… really bad at getting to that point.”

“No,” Spectre said flatly.

Chitin’s face fell, and her ears lowered. “Oh… okay. May I ask why?”

“Firstly: gross. You’re at least half-bug. I am not attracted to insects. Secondly: I have a marefriend!” Spectre protested, scowling.

“Would it help if she joined in?” Chitin asked with a hopeful smile.

“No!” Spectre said, slamming the door in her face.

Chitin blinked once, scratching the side of her neck with a hoof. She frowned a little bit, slowly working her fangs against each other. With a soft snort, she turned on her hooves, heading for the front of the mansion.

As she walked, a flare of green light rose up her form.

Chitin stretched out her new form as she walked. It was the same ‘guard’ form from the previous day. Pure, creamy white fur, two-tone golden-blonde mane, and a cutie mark that was a gleaming silver shield with a deflected golden star bouncing off it. Piercing blue eyes regarded the pair of guards at the front gates of the mansion.

Pegasus-Chitin sautered up to them. The guard who had seen through her disguise previously, turned and scowled at her. “You’re not supposed to impersonate guards.”

“Nopony told me that,” Chitin said with a sly smile, giving a languid stretch of her wings and looking back and forth between the two guards.

“What do you want?” the guard asked, watching her with narrowed eyes.

Chitin licked her lips innocently, thoughtfully tracing a figure-eight into the ground with a forehoof. She smiled at the two guards, eyes narrowing slowly. “I was just wondering if you two could find somepony to cover for you for…” she trailed off, rubbing a hoof against her chin thoughtfully. “Half an hour?”

“Is that… are you…?” the guard asked, voice squeaking slightly.

Chitin nodded slowly.

The guard exchanged a glance with the other guard. The second guard made a motion with his head. “Wait here. I’ll find us a replacement.”

Chitin gave a triumphant smile, eyes glowing for a moment as the guard walked with an excited gait back towards the mansion.