Chapters My magic gripped the spoon, and I began to mix the coffee. When I was finished I tapped the end of it against the brim of the cup to make sure I wouldn’t get any droplets on the table. I was a Princess after all, and I needed to improve my dining etiquette if I wanted to live up to the shining idols Equestria looked up to me as. Lifting up the cup I took a deep chug of the sweet mixture. Sweet and milky, a fantastic blend. I put it down and looked to my companion sitting across from me. Pinkie Pie had a golden smile on her face, “Wowzers Twi, never seen you drink that stuff in one gulp! You usually spit it out when Spike makes it.”
I gave a soft chuckle, “That’s because Spike’s coffee is terrible. Unlike this stuff.” I turn to the approaching waiter, “Complements to the chef!” I say raising my hoof in approval.
“Save it egghead.” The waiter said as she approached. There she was, Rainbow Dash. The tired glowing champion we were all here to see today. After many years of working a dead-end job in weather development she quit and moved down to Ponyville and began working and living in this old coffee shop. We came here to celebrate, her announcement… Well me as in me and Pinkie. Rarity owned this place after her father retired; she comes her and works every so often to pad the bits bag, AJ was out of town on family matters, and Fluttershy was at some animal convention.
“Be nice to her darling, and thank you, Twilight my dear. It’s like an art, really. Almost like my dress making but easier.” Rarity said from behind the counter. Her lady like voice ringing from each end of the small shop. Dancing along my eardrum like a soothing violin.
Rainbow Dash grumpled and picked up my dish before going into the back room to wash them.
I gave a contented sigh and looked at all of my friends. Such happy faces, I wouldn’t want to give this up for anything.
“Hello? Equestria calling Twilight.” Pinkie exclaimed, making me jump a bit,
“Sorry, I daydreamed off their for a second.” I replied with a sheepish smile.
Pinkie gave an understanding smile, “Just wanted to know. You’re a Princess right?”
“I am a princess, yes.” I waited with baited breath to know what she was going to say next.
“Well have you got any news to why there have been so many Royal guards lately? I hear they’re recruiting ponies in the hundreds daily.”
I shrugged and said, “Maybe it’s to fight that Jason criminal running around kidnapping ponies.”
Pinkie’s ears dropped in fear, “J-Jason? Who’s that?”
Now I’m a nice pony. I think. I could be a complete asshole, and I’m delusioning myself into thinking I’m nice. Never the less. I think I’m nice. But I really couldn’t help but try and be scary. “Oh yes haven’t you heard?” I contorted my face and gave my best ‘Nightmare moon smile’. “A crimson phantom stalks the streets of Equestria and pounces on anyone careless enough to wander near him. Never to be seen again.”
Pinkie had death in her eyes, maybe I took it a bit too far.
“She’s merely joking Pinkie.” Rarity said with a deadpan and frustrated face plastered on her.
“Just yanking your chain Pinkie, he could also be a ghoul. Who knows.”
Pinkie took a sip of her coffee and laughed. “Wow you got me good their Twi!” She began to laugh and I joined in too. Just then the door opened to reveal a majestic figure standing in the doorway. It was a pink haired mare, with a white coat. Tall, she lightly stepped out into the main room and took a deep whiff of the air.
“Hello~ Harmony Cafe!” She said with a bombastic feel to her voice. “Looking splendid as always.”
“Go away Fleur.” Rainbow said as she walked out with a stack of new cups.
“You shame me! Rainbow! I thought we were friends!”
“Then pardon me madam! We’re not.” Rainbow replied sarcastically before walking back into the back.
Fleur scoffed and took another whiff. Her eyes sprung open and darted to me. “My~ My~ What is this wonderful scent I smell?” She walked- No it was more like she danced over to me. Upon reaching me she picked up my hoof. “What do we have here.”
Rarity got out from behind the counter and slowly approached her. “Fleur I’m going to have to ask you to leave,”
She paid no attention to her and focused on me. “Well if it isn’t the beautiful Twilight Sparkle. You know I’ve always wanted to meet you. And now meeting you now… Face to face. I can even say you’re more beautiful than I had imagined before hoof.” She kissed my hoof, which in turn caused me to blush. What can I say, my barn door swung both ways.
“T-Thank you miss. I uh.” The words fumbled out of my mouth.
“Mind if I take you out on the town. For a night of fun… My treat.”
“Good.” She said, before leading me to the door and pushing her face into my neck giving me a loving nip. Did I say firecrackers? I meant fireworks.
Rarity ran to me with a very concerned expression on her face “Wouldn’t you want to stay here Twilight? I mean we’re celebrating right?”
That almost made me stop in my tracks but then I heard Pinkie say, “Oh it’s fine Rarity. Let her have some fun.” And with that I continued on my way with the sexy mare who was nuzzling against my neck. I turned back as we were across the street and I could vaguely see Rarity shouting something to RD. Before they both went upstairs. Wonder what that was all about.
The night was just upon us, we went to a small park, right in front of a small lake.
“You smell so good.” Fleur said lovingly.
“Thanks… I uh- Shower regularly.” Smooth Twilight.
“Anything you like to do?”
“Books. Books are nice.”
“Well educated I see.” She gave me these… Bedroom eyes that got me very hot and bothered. Gripping the wooden bars I looked to it for comfort, but instead found that it was rather old and flakey as a splinter jabbed through my hoof. I gave a small exclaim to the pain and jerked it away. “What’s wrong.” She asked. I showed her my hoof and she smiled. Gripping the splinter with her magic she tore it out, which caused blood to leak through. I was about to wipe it away but Fleur took my hoof and looked my in the eyes lustfully, before licking the blood off. I gave a nervous laugh, while blushing immensely.
I tried to make small talk again, “You know… My blood type is O.”
“Really? Mine is too… It’s quite a rare blood type. Did you know that?” Too which I nodded. “She then came close up to my ear and purred. “You’re blood taste amazing. But I bet you taste even better. How about we head to my place, and see if we can have a little more fun there?”
If I was to blush anymore, I would be dead. I stupidly nodded, wondering what an amazing experience the next couple of hours would be. She took my hoof and we wandered again. My mind was shooting off in all sorts of directions but when I finally came to, we were standing in a dark alley way. I looked to her and she looked back “There’s a lot of… Ghouls around here… Mind walking me up?”
I smiled and gripped her back.
She nuzzled into my neck and said “Now how about we see how you taste.”
And before I could respond, the most painful feeling I have ever felt came from were she was nuzzling.
I backed up in shock and saw her face was covered in blood. Eyes black with red pupils. She was a ghoul. “Just as I suspected.” She said with a toothy grin forming on her face. Alicorns do taste better.
I tried to run but I tripped, still I tried to crawl. Pained filled tears streaming down my face. Just then something grabbed me. I looked back and saw it was a weird red scalley tentacle coming from her back. She pulled me up in the air and dangled me. I would be lying if I wasn’t crying. I’d also be lying if I didn’t say I pissed myself in fear. I was about to be fucking eaten what do you expect.
She brought me closer, and laughed at my pathetic state. “You know if you weren’t so rare I would have thrown you into my feast. But no. I want you for myself… You’re just to good. To pass up.” Another tentacle, came down and stabbed me thru the kidney. Blood squirting out. I began to scream. She then shook me, up and down. Screaming “I love it when my meal’s insides are all mixed up!” It lasted for two ungodly painful minutes, I could feel my organs rearranging and hemorrhaging. Then she stopped and threw me into the building to the right, which was a construction site. With the little magic I could muster up, I braced against the impact by shielding myself with magic. I crashed through the wall was sent flying till I met the wall adjacent to it. I slid down it pathetically. Until I hit the floor and fell on my side. My vision was gone, there was only one thing certain, I was going to die. I could only hear now and I heard her stepping in front of me. “Oh, are you already dead? I was going to have more fun with you… Guess I’ll just-” And just like that I heard a loud snap and a booming crash, as if metal broke through the wooden floor. She screamed out in pain. “Not like this! Not like this!” What was happening. My hearing got hazy and I began to drift off.
I could feel that water splash beneath me, and a sandy texture underneath me. I opened my eyes and saw a crystal clear sky. I stood up and saw that I was standing on a beach. A nice beach with white sand. I tried to walk but I overstepped my footing and fell. I looked down at my body to see I was just a filly. No more than five years old. I got back up, confused. What was happening. I stared over the ocean and then to the land behind me. And their was this feeling deep in my heart. A calm warm feeling telling me I belonged here. Was I dead?
Before I could think it through the sky went blood red and I heard noises. The sound of a doctor saying “I don't care if we don’t have authorization from the next of kin! We have a perfectly good kidney and we’re not going to let her die while we wait!”
Then a sickening splashing noise came up behind me from the sea. I slowly turned around and saw it. A giant Fleur began to crawl out of a blood sea. She was giggling. I tried to run. But my tiny legs froze in fear. She reached out for me and gripped me in her teeth, before dragging me down into the depths.
And again my eyes jolted open and I was once again in the land of the living. In a hospital bed, I felt ugly and broken. I wanted to cry but my body was dry of all liquids. I looked around the room an assortment of flowers and get well soon cards. From my friends and family no doubt. My eyes slowly scanned the room and then I saw it, the calendar, I had been asleep for ten months.
A nurse walked in with fresh sheets, minding her own business she made her way over to my bed. I spoke to gain her attention, “Hey…” I said unable to form any others for the time being.
Her ears perked and she turned to me in shock. “You’re awake!” She exclaimed in excitement. “Let me notify the doctor!” She then scampered out.
I leaned back into my bed and began to stare at the ceiling fan, till she got back. Staring at the ceiling tiles with little imprints in them. Two sets of footsteps could be heard coming down the hall. I gave an audible sigh and turned my head to face the door. And their stood the dear doctor who saved my life. A yellow stallion with brown bangs and rather boring spectacles. “Hello my name is Doctor Horse.” He said. The name was the most uncreative thing I’d ever heard. Who even makes these things? Some idiot living with their parents with nothing better to do with their life?
Raspily I replied, “Thank you for your service. Could I get some water or food? Or something?”
“Oh yes, but first I need you to sign some papers.” He then pulled out a couple of documents and I spent the rest of the night signing documents. How predictable.
Author's Note
This story is not a direct retelling. Rather a story that takes themes and ideas from the orignal source material and puts them in the MLP universe.
Days passed, with many visits from my friends and family. They were all happy to see me alive. Applejack had come back from her trip and brought me an ungodly amount of apple fritters as compensation for not being their to save me. Fluttershy gave me a stuffed animal, Pinkie… Well she was Pinkie and her mere presence is a gift. Rainbow and Rarity came in together, but when they visited they seemed the most relieved by my safety. Rainbow almost bursting out into tears. That’s funny, Rainbow and tears don’t usually add up. Well, unless you count that moment with Tank… But anyway, their whole visit was riddled with mystery, I wished to speak to them more about Fleur, but the nurses shooed them away before I had the chance to.
Anyway, today was the day of my release, I filled out some paper work and walked out the front door with great relief. No more claustrophobic rooms filled with the smell of medicine. I took a whiff of the air and gave a deep sigh of joy. I was dressed in the brown aviator jacket I got from Rarity that time we tried to help Rainbow study for her exam. Rarity gave it to me, free of charge while I was in the hospital. I reached in and took out one of AJ’s fritters from before. I took a bite out of it and swallowed it. Feeling the substance trickle down my throat and stop I knew something was wrong. It tasted like ASS. I quickly scrambled to a trash can and began to vomit the vile material up. When I finished I panted heavily and slid down the trash can exhausted. I brought the apple fritter up to my face and glared before chucking it into the garbage. Sorry AJ.
I got up and saw a small crowd of bystanders were watching in disgust. I gave them a confused looked and they instantly began to awkwardly shuffle away. I got up and walked back to my house- er… Castle. Still not used to that. I hung my head low in exhaustion, I hadn’t eaten in days, my stomach was aching. I thought of all the food I had in my fridge, and gave a small smile. This wasn’t really a wise choice, since I ended up lost in my thoughts and consequently got smacked face first into my door. I gave a colorful exclamation of my pain, and rubbed my snout before proceeding inside. Luckily I told my friends before-hoof to not give me a returning party, I needed to rest. Spike seemed to be out, probably out wooing Rarity, or getting groceries. Either way I had the castle to myself and I needed to eat and rest.
I lazily walked to the fridge and unwrapped a old hay burger from a few nights ago that I never finished. I took a bite and slowly chewed. Then my taste buds lite up in pain. It tasted like raw sewage. I grabbed my mouth and stumbled to the bathroom, holding the vomit in but not stopping it from slipping out of my nostrils. I emptied the contents of my stomach into the toilet. Okay, maybe the burger was moldy or something I don't know.
I decided to just go to bed. I slammed my body onto the mattress, not even worrying about taking off my jacket. I closed my eyes and attempted to sleep. Waiting what felt like hours I began to hear something. It was faint. A giggling, a creepy giggling. It was unsettling, I took deep breaths and tried to relax. But their was this vile feeling I was being watched. I opened my eyes and got out of bed. Okay! I don't need to sleep! Sleeping is for old people and stuff. I don't know. I just really needed to get out of the castle.
I stumbled out of the house and saw that the day had transitioned into the night. I pushed the collar of my jacket up to hide my face and continued into town. My head hanged low, and I walked into the center of town, I really hoped nopony recognized me. I don't want to sign any autographs today, nor be chased around town by fans... Again.
I looked around the town filled with bustling ponies. The bright lights of stores that housed ponies of all ages. A smile appeared on my face as I remembered that these were my subjects. But then something happened. A smell hit my senses. A delicious smell that seemed to be all around me. It smelt like roasting meat. Normally that wouldn't be an appealing smell. But right now, it smelt glorious. I looked around me and saw only ponies. Nice, juicy ponies. With flesh that tastes like licorice. With blood that would taste like syrup. Nice, tantalizing flesh! MEAT! FLESH! FLESH FLESH!
My mind snapped back to reality. Noticing my mouth was covered in drool, I realized something terrifying. And if this thought was true, I was a danger to everyone around me. I ran back home and slammed the door shut. My breathing was heavy and uneasy. I needed to figure out what was happening. I needed to EAT! No! I gripped my head and slammed my hoof against it multiple times. "Stop thinking that!" I screamed. I stumbled and slammed against my bookshelf which caused a couple of books to fall onto the ground. One book opened to a page describing the attributes of a ghoul. My eyes darted to it and quickly read it aloud. "A ghoul can not sustain themselves on pony food. If they did so their body would reject it." I read a little bit more and then the impact of my situation finally hit me and I scrambled to my fridge.
I took a bite out of a celery stick that was lying on one of the fridge's shelf. I immediately vomited on myself. NO.NO.NO. STOP IT. I hostilely took a tomato that sat next to the celery stick and gnawed at it. My body grew weak and I vomited that onto the floor as well. Apples. Banana. Hay. EVERYTHING MADE ME SICK. Tears streamed out of my eyes and I climbed to the last item left in my fridge. A house warming cake from a few weeks back. The thoughts of my friends filled my head as I gently slid it out of fridge and placed it on the counter. I took a spoon and gripped the end with my magic. I then dipped it into the cake and took a spoonful into my mouth. I waited a few seconds and began to cry. Falling over into a puddle of my vomit, piss and fecal matter, I curled up into a ball and sobbed like a filly whose parents were getting divorced.
'Their skin can't be pierced by knives or blades.' I remembered the book said. I got up and opened the kitchen draw. My magic gripped a kitchen knife, in response I stood on my hind legs and revealed my surgery scar. I brought the knife up to it and prepared to strike.
"Twilight!" I heard coming from the doorway, followed by the scampering of little feet growing closer and closer.
My head jerked to the intruder and I dropped the blade upon seeing who it was. "Spike..." I muttered shamefully.
He was in shock, eyes darting around the room like ping pong balls. "Wha- What did you do!"
I turned my head around to examine the room, food half eaten scattered around. Puke and shit in my hair and on the floor. And a knife directed at my kidney. I dropped the knife and simply said "I don't know."
He tip toes his way around the mess and climbed up the kitchen counter to look me in the eye. "Twilight." He said somberly. "Please don't do anything stupid. Please. I'm here for you." He must think I was trying to kill myself. Bless him for his sincerity.
Tears started to fall down my face again and a smile appeared. "I'm sorry for worrying you Spike." I gave him a hug which we shared for a minute or two.
He sniffed the air and replied, "Come on, we need to get you washed up." He took my hood and directed me to the bathroom. He turned on the water and gestured for me to get in. I stepped into the bath and the miscellaneous bodily fluids on me washed off and swirled down the drain. Spike stepped onto a step ladder and squirted shampoo, onto his hand. He rubbed it into my hair. I always like it when ponies played with my hair, it was a nice feeling. I laided back and began to relax. Letting the steam and Spike head massage clear my mind. I soon forgot about the worries I had a few seconds ago and closed my eyes.
When the bath was over I walked to my room with Spike and put on my sleeping gown. A light blue gown with stars sewn all over them, with a hat to boot.
Spike peeked into my room and smiled, "If there is anything I can do just call me okay? I'll be outside cleaning the mess."
I nodded childishly and pulled the covers over me as he shut the door. I tried to rest for a good 30 minutes, but then the giggling came back. I opened my eyes and got out. Looking to the mirror placed to the left of my bed. I stared at it expecting something to jump out. But instead something seemed to pass by in the mirror. Fleur. That bitch's stupid face appeared in the mirror and my mind heated up with anger. I turned and bucked the mirror hard in response. Breathing heavily, I looked at the wrecked mirror. I hadn't broken a mirror in what? One year now? Guess I broke my streak. Just then I smelled a delicious scent. It smelt like Celestia's cooking from when I was a filly. The sweet warm smell. It was outside, I went into a... Trance and followed it. Opening my window and falling out. Yeah, I know I have wings but for some reason the idea of falling felt appropriate. I got up and followed it into town. Into a dark alley, behind trash cans. There I saw it, and it made me cry.
A pony in a trench coat eating a corpse of another pony. A ghoul, I fell to the ground and sobbed. He looked up and saw me crying. "Hey. You okay kid?" He looked down to the corpse and tore a bit off of it. "Here, have some. I haven't eaten in a long time so I can't give that-" His speech stopped as his head was torn clean off by a mysterious figure that loomed behind him.
"You know, you dicks really should sense the signs. These are my hunting grounds." The figure said with a sly sarcastic voice. The figure came into view which revealed a young pegasus stallion with light blue hair and a dark blue coat. He put his hooves to my sides and threw me against a wall before slamming me against it via holding my neck down with his hoof. It was painful to say the least.
"I was just passing through! I swear!" I gasped out.
"Let me put in a way you might understand this. I walk in to see you fucking my girl in my house. And you say 'This isn't what it looks like!' Now I think that gives every right to rip off your fucking head!" He screamed in my face. He pressed his hooves against my throat and cut off my respiratory functions. I struggled as best I could but it was no use. I gasped for air frantically and painfully. But again it was to no avail. My eyes sight grew blurry. Was I going to die? That seems pretty anticlimactic, I get out of the hospital and literally the first day out, I'm at death's door again? Lame.
"Who said this was your hunting ground?" A familiar voice asked from out of my view.
The stallion loosened his grip and I dropped to the floor like a brick. I laid on my belly and looked up to see my savior. A mare, she had a long coated black hoodie, with a mask of a hawk. I examined her closely, her tail hung out and a bit of her leg was visible. Her fur was cyan blue and her tail was rainbow colored. My eyes grew wide as I realized who it was.
"Rainbow Dash." I said quietly.
She ignored me and faced the stallion. Her posture was tense. She was getting ready for a fight.
The stallion stared her down and frowned. "This is my hunting grounds. You should know that. I marked it."
Rainbow Dash stepped forward confidentially. "And you should know, those who make 'hunting grounds' are too weak to actually hunt for themselves. Instead having to trap ponies and hide in the shadows like cowards."
"Are you calling me a coward?!" His voice grew with anger. Gritting his teeth in rage.
She gave a shrug in response. "Ain't calling you brave."
And like that something in him snapped, and it sent him flying at her in rage.
Rainbow dash didn't move an inch; so when he came close to her, she quickly grabbed his head and pushed her body down. This caused him to get flipped upside down and he landed on his back. He let out a gasp of pain before looking at Rainbow Dash with terrified eyes. She had his head in her hooves and he knew what would happen next.
I tried to close my eyes but my body was frozen in shock. I saw her twist his head aggressively, followed by a sickening snap. She let go and his body fell to the floor lifelessly. This couldn't be Rainbow Dash. It couldn't! My friend wasn't a murder! She just wasn't!
The murderer looked up at the sky and gave a deep sigh before turning to me and approaching me. "You okay?"
I backed off and pressed myself against the wall. What was she going to do to me? Was she planning on snapping my neck too? I hid my face.
She stepped in front of me and bent down, she looked at me and stood up straight in shock. "Twiligh- I mean Princess." She knew me. Maybe it was Rainbow... No. Rainbow wasn't a murderer. "Ma'am. I'm sorry you had to see that. I promise we're not all like tha-" her speech stopped. And she got closer to my face, as if she were examining my face. "Twilight... You're a ghoul?"
My eyes went wide and I got frantically and looked in the reflection of a nearby puddle. There I saw it, my left eye was black and the iris and the pupil were red. It was true I was a ghoul. With the revelation at hoof I began to weep again. I looked at the murderer with wet eyes. She looked down on me and began to strip away the mask. I would like to say that I was wrong earlier. But I wasn't, Rainbow Dash stood where the masked murderer once stood. Both eyes of here's were the same as my left one. Rainbow was a ghoul? Why did she never tell me?
She sat in front of me and patted my back, "It's okay. You don't have to hide anymore." Was this a gesture of reassurance? Because it made me sadder. She got up, walking to the corpse and tearing the hoof of the poor pony off. She had it gripped in her teeth as she walked back to me. "Here." She said through clenched teeth.
I reached out for it lustfully but before I could eat it I pulled myself back. "No..." I whispered as I hung my head. "I can't. You gotta believe me Rainbow... I was once a pony. I wasn't a..." The word monster hung on my tongue.
Rainbow sat down in front of me. "You mean. You weren't like this before?" She paused and contemplated the situation. "Doesn't matter you got to eat. You look starved." She held it out again.
The scent was driving me crazy, I began to pant and I reached for it one more time. NO! I CAN'T! I'M A PONY! I threw my head to the floor and began to smash it into the ground, attempting to crush the dark impulses that lay within me. I began to scream, "I can't! I can't! I can't! I can't!" With each word I bashed my head harder and harder into the ground. Tears and saliva streaming down my face.
Rainbow grimaced at my state and got up. Walking over to the corpse once more, she ripped out a chunk of muscle and approached me with it. "Twilight you're my friend. But you'll die if you don't eat." I looked up to her and she looked back with such confident eyes. "So I'm going to give you a helping hoof." And like that she took the meat that was in her hoof and slammed it against my mouth. She hit me so hard that I got slammed against the wall. It entered my mouth, and I tasted the sweet succulent juices. The wonderful taste of flesh. I swallowed it and I fell to the ground. I began to breathe heavily. Turning my head to the mangled corpse I couldn't help but run over and begin to feed. Tearing the flesh off the bones, chewing on the muscle. It was wonderful. It was delicious! My mind blurred, my body being pumped full of adrenaline. When I came to, the corpse was nothing but bone. I was covered in flesh. I felt a hoof pat my head, and turned to see Rainbow.
"Better?" She asked with a pleased smile.
Tears ran down my face once more. I looked at my bloodied hooves and back to her. My vision went dark once more and I fell to the ground with one thought looming in my mind.
My mortality was being unraveled.
Opening my eyes, I stared at the ceiling looming over my head. A fan overhead caught my attention. I stared at it, circling and circling, forever spinning in an endless cycle, until someone finally stops it; like an oroboro. I picked my head up and observed my surroundings. It was a pleasant looking room, with an adjacent couch and a small table in-between. The table had two antique cups on it, which seemed to be holding Coffee in them. I got up and sighed, I knew where I was by deduction alone. Rarity’s shop.
I placed my hoofs over my face and contemplated my actions last night. “I ate somepony.” I said aloud as if doing so would help me come to terms with it. It did not. My memory was hazy, but the images were there. Rainbow Dash killing somepony, me eating the corpse. I wanted to cry but I couldn’t. I was all dried up.
Just then I hear a familiar eloquent voice on the other side of the door. “Looks like the Binge eater has moved into Ponyville. If we can figure out where she is, we take her down before she raises any notoriety. We don’t want the royal guard coming in.”
The door opened to reveal the owner of the voice. Rarity, is she a ghoul too? Why didn’t any of them tell me? I got up and looked at her vacantly as if saying, ‘I deserve an explanation.’
“Hello there dear. Heard you had a rough night.” She said nonchalantly.
She had no fucking idea. My features grew furious and I opened my mouth to yell at her, but she stopped me.
“I’m sorry dear. For everything.” She said with a saddened expression.
“You and Rainbow Dash… Ghouls. Why didn’t you tell me?”
She gave a sheepish smile and shrugged. My anger grew more intense.
She gave a sigh and began to continue, “Okay. Take it from our perspective. We’re hated by most of Equestria. Who the Royal Guards hunt for the hell of it and Princess Celestia allows it every time. Now you come into our lives. Prodigy of Celestia. Brother is the HEAD of the royal guard. Do you see what I’m saying. If we told you we could have been sticking our heads into the shooting range.” She grimaced to me.
I looked down disappointed. She lied, our entire friendship was based on a lie. “I would have accepted you either way…” I muttered.
She put her hoof on my shoulder and I didn’t have enough courage to shrug it off. She spoke once more, “We trusted you… Just not the people you were affiliated with.”
That didn’t make me feel better. “Who else.” I demanded.
“No one else in our little group but at least 1/8th of ponyville are ghouls.”
I shook my head, “The Princess loves all her citizens. Even ghouls!”
“Oh is that so?! Is that why we’re in hiding?! Is that why the Royal guards slaughters our kind on a daily basis with minimum evidence?! Kill on sight! That’s what they do!” Rarity screamed teary eyed.
Touched a nerve did I? I gave a loud sigh and cupped my face. I’ve been living a lie. My friends, family, my mentor. Everything has been a fucking lie. I wanted to scream. To fly up to the sky and scream as loud as I could. But I held my tongue.
She got up and paced the room. “Rainbow said you weren’t a ghoul before?”
My eyes darted up, “I wasn’t, you have to believe me.”
“I believe you. No ghoul could eat that much cake without getting sick.” She gave a coy smile and patted my stomach, which caused me to blush. “Let me see your face.” She said as gripped my face with her hoof. “Sorry about this.”
“About wha-” My question was cut off short when I felt a sharp stabbing motion on my hoof. I jumped back and exclaimed, “What the hell was that about?!”
“One eye.” She replied, with a vacant expression.
I touched my cheek and said, “Yeah, I have one ghoul eye. What about it?”
She began to pace again, “A one eye ghoul… Well it usually means that said ghoul is half ghoul half pony. Born from a pony mother and ghoul father… But from what you’re telling us, you weren’t always a ghoul... “ She looked up to the ceiling lost in thought “Artificial?” She muttered out. Minutes passed in complete silence, until she blurted out a question. “What happened to Fluer?”
“Dead. Or at least that’s what they told me.”
She began to pace again, shocker. I laid back down and stared at the ceiling again, this heated discussion has simmered down into two ponie- Er… Ghouls, silently thinking to themselves and occasionally blurting out a question or remark.
She stopped and stared at me, before running up and placing her head got close to my face and she demanded, “Show me your kagune.”
“My what? Look I don’t show that to just anyone. That’s saved for my special somepony.” I remarked stupidly.
Rolling her eyes she replied, “Not your… Wohoo. Your kagune. It’s a liquid muscle us ghouls can form.
Again I was stumped, “Mind showing me?”
A frustrated sigh left her mouth and she turned from me. She clenched her muscles and out of her left fore-leg something formed. It sprouted her fore-leg, it was a shapeless thing, eldritch in design. If I could describe it in anyway it would be like a multi jointed arm and claw. It’s skin was a rorschach of red and purple with what appeared to be crystals lining the skin. It was beautiful in some twisted way. “You try.”
I tried to imitate her, sucking in my gut and tensing my body I felt something rising in my body. I tried to force it out, pushing as hard as I could and… I farted.
Rarity burst out laughing. “Not like that Twilight. But it seems you haven’t been eating well… Come on let's get you some food.” She opened the door and walked down stairs.
I quickly followed and began to hear commotion as we began to step down.
“Gods damn it Ditzy! That’s like the eighth one you’ve broken!” Rainbow’s voice said.
“Sorry miss dash!” A bubbly voice replied.
We hit ground floor and saw a clutter of ponies. Rainbow dash was scolding this cross eyed mare. A stallion wearing a brown coat was sleeping in a chair placed in a corner. Sweetie Belle was doing homework on a table. And A black and white stallion stood behind the counter washing cups. But as soon as Rarity stepped down all attention shifted to us. Minus the sleeping stallion who was still napping. They all looked at her with a insane amount of respect. What had she done for them I wonder?
“Alright staff. May I introduce, Miss Twilight Sparkle. She’s the latest member of our ever growing family.”
Their eyes directed themselves to me, Sweetie Belle waved and Rainbow Dash gave me a smile.
The cross eyed mare flew into my face, “Wow! I’ve seen you! You’re the Princess! I never knew you were a ghoul!”
I wanted to say I wasn’t but I held myself back.
Rarity directed her to get down and she continued, “At this moment she needs some food so could one of you prepa-”
“We’re out.” The black and white stallion said, with a peaceful disposition.
Rarity sighed and walked over to the sleeping stallion. She poked him, “Time Turner.”
He kept sleeping.
“Time Turner!”
Continued.
“Time Tu-”
“Calm down Mirss. I’m just joking.” He responded as he got up. He stretched himself out and looked around.
“Ah, we need you to go get some ‘groceries’ with our newest sister.”
He turned to me and rubbed his eyes, yawning and smacking his lips. “Who would have thought we would be calling a princess, our sister.” A smirk appeared on his face.
I shuffled around awkwardly wishing that I could explain my situation.
“We also need you to take her to Vinyl, and get a mask. We wouldn’t want the royal guard to see her face.”
“Mask?” I questioned.
Rainbow Dash jumped over and said “You’ll need one, to hide your identity. Royal Guards remember faces of us ghouls and they will… Hunt. You. Down.”
Time Turner was already at the door, “Come along princess.” There was a joyous swing to his voice. I soon followed and we walked out of the cafe… Well I walked, he skipped.
Catching up to him I attempted to make small talk with him. “I’ve seen you around before, aren’t you ponyville’s local scientist?”
His head turned to me and made some weird noise reminiscent of a drum roll right before shouting, “Right you are Princess Sparkle! Glad to see you know the little ponies.”
That was a bit passive aggressive but okay. Did he have a problem with me? “Something wrong?”
“What? Nah. Nothing at all. In fact happier than can be. Don’t worry your pretty little head miss.”
Still with the passive aggression. “You know hiding your feelings isn’t healthy, you really should-”
“I’m not hiding anything! And in fact I’m quite healthy.” His face contorted, and he switched from a happy energetic expression to one of pure hatred. “So drop it, murderer.” Then back again, he trotted along. I stood there dumbfounded, I wonder what underlining grudge he has with me. Probably not the best time to ask though. I caught up to him as we approached a small house. Time Turner let himself in and started to yell out, “Vinyl. You here?”
I walked in with him and took a gaze around the room, which was lined with music equipment and masks of different varieties. Spotting a rather large, blanketed figure, I made my way over to it. Curiosity overcoming me, I took off the cloak and was greeted by a blue haired ghoul jumping out.
“Hey there.” She said calmly.
“There you are Vinyl. I was starting to worry.” Time Turner stated as he walked up. “We need you to craft a mask for our newest family member.”
Vinyl titled her head and stared at me. “You… A ghoul… What a… Pleasant surprise.” She smiled… A knowing smile. The smile a criminal gives a officer. The type of smile your parent gives when they're telling you a white lie.
Time Turner noticed this to, “Something wrong Vinyl?”
“No, no… Just surprised to see a Princess at my doorstep. Now sit down.” She placed a hoof on my shoulder and lead me to a seat. After seating me she took out some measuring tape and began to bombard me with questions. “Like any types of animals? What’s your favorite color? What’s your- Wait… Hold on.”
I could smell a strong aroma, one that tasted sweet and salty. Looking over I see she’s eating… A penis. A stallion’s penis. I shuddered in response.
“Huh… Looks like you’re a One-eye. Wait here a second.” She left and returned seconds later with a white eyepatch. “I hear one-eyed ghouls can’t really control their eye. It’d be safer for you to wear this.”
I put the eye patch on, it was a comfortable fit… Seemed to be made out of felt.
“That looks good on you.” Time Turner responded.
“Yes, it does look good on her… Hm. I think I have just the thing.” Vinyl left again, to see, this time with a longer wait time. Upon her return she had a small shoe box in hoof, which she handed too me. “A little something I made a while ago, never found a good host for it though.”
I opened it up to see a black leather mask. It had gritted teeth on it, and an eyepatch to cover my normal eye. I strapped it on and turned to my two companions, expecting a reaction.
“Brilliant.” They both said with smiles on their faces.
I levitated a mirror up and looked at myself, touching the fabric and leather I gave a deep sigh at my new look.
At my new face.
