I'll Wait For You

I'll Wait For You
Ink Mage

Chapter Six
Age Seventeen

The lone lapis colored stallion trudged into the bar at the edge of the Crystal Empire. Princess Cadance and Shining Armor did their best to limit the number of buildings which sold alcohol in the kingdom, but that didn't mean a few were left untouched.

The stallion made a gruff notion to the bartender, shaking his head as he laid it on the wooden table.

"Mix me up some of everything," he said in a deep voice. The bartender nodded, getting to work on making his concoction.

It had been a year since the incident in the cave, and the stallion wasn't any closer to his goal than he had been a year ago.

"Crys Dunkin?" somepony asked from besides him. The stallion jerked his head up to look at the newcomer. It was an older pony, one whom he recognized very well.

"Oh, it's you, Power Out. It's been a while, it's not very nice to see you," Crys Dunkin said in monotone. The stallion barked his head up and behind, letting out a brief chuckle.

"It's good to see you too, Crys Dunkin. It definitely has been a while, how's life been treating you?" Power Out asked him, sipping his drink. Crys Dunkin gave him a blank look.

"Have you not seen that ginormous lookalike parading around the Crystal Castle with my face on?" he buffed. Power Out shrugged.

"When you're as old as I am, you tend to overlook the minor details."

"Minor details?!" Crys Dunkin bellowed, stomping his hoof onto the ground. "Minor details? All this to you is a minor detail."

"Hey, dude, take it easy, I mean no harm," Power Out said, leaning back in his seat with another sip of his drink.

Crys Dunkin stared at the foaming mug in front of him, eyeing it suspiciously before picking it up and chugging it down in one gulp. He sighed, cleaning his now dirty lips and passing it back to the bartender.

"Another." He looked back to Power Out. "Don't tell me you don't know what's going on," he said.

"What?" Power Out asked. Crys Dunkin grumbled something under his breath.

"I think the rumors aren't just somepony trying to play a prank on the kingdom... there really is a changeling. And it's living in the castle under the impression of my face."

"A changeling? But those old thing disappeared hundreds and thousands of moons ago! During the royal wedding!" Power Out exclaimed, not bothering to hide his nervousness. Crys Dunkin deadpanned him a look.

"Really now? And what about that incident seventeen years ago?" he asked. Power Out's ears dropped to his forehead as he sighed.

"For all we know that stray changeling went back to the hide ages ago, we can't be sure of anything," he said. Crys Dunkin snorted, taking a large sip from his drink.

"Right, right. Call me when you expect me to believe that," he moaned at the increasingly larger headache he was starting to experience. "Anyway, now that I don't, and won't ever believe that, I'll tell you exactly what I plan on doing about this."

"And what is that?" Power Out asked curiously, leaning forward in his seat.

"I need to get my revenge for all the pain and doubt that has gone through in my life. Oh Power Out... you don't even know what I've experienced," Crys Dunkin said, "everywhere I went, ponies laughed at me, telling me that I was trying to get attention by dressing up like the princess' personal guard. It was pitiful." He stopped to sip his drink again. "I, of course, had no idea what they were talking about, until just a little over a year ago, when I saw a newspaper with a pony who looked exactly like me on the front page." He drank more. "I had no idea what was going on, but quickly put the pieces together, and decided I would need to take action on this... so I devised a plan."

"Well that could never mean anything good," Power Out joked, causing Crys Dunkin to glare at him. "Alright alright, I know you want to ask me. Yeah, I'll help."

"That's what I thought." Crys Dunkin's gaze lowered. "This Crystal Hoof pony seems to have gotten pretty chummy with the young princess, hasn't he?" Crys Dunkin let a deadly smirk pass onto his face.

"Well, yeah, I suppose. They've known each other practically their entire lives," Power Out reasoned.

"Have you noticed that this colt seems to never age?" Crys Dunkin suddenly asked. "It's all too suspicious for me."

"You can't possibly be serious! I highly doubt Princess Mi Amore and Shining Armor would allow a changeling to walk around the castle and socialize with their only daughter!" Power Out said.

"Ah, but seventeen years ago, that changeling proved himself worthy," Crys Dunkin said. "I imagine Queen Chrysalis is quite angered about this whole situation."

"The queen of the changeling hive?" Power Out inquired. Crys Dunkin nodded, glugging more of his now third mug.

"Yes... I suppose we would be nicely rewarded if... oh, I don't know, we were to bring him back to her?" he said with a smile creeping up his face. Power Out gawked at him.

"What are you suggesting?" he asked in a deadly whisper.

Crys Dunkin laughed, rubbing his hooves together. "I'm thinking we could have a bit of fun with this..."

"Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday Princess Flurry... Happy birthday to you!!"

Flurry Heart grinned widely as she cut open the chocolate filled cake. Cadance and Shining Armor were instantly by her side, taking cake into their hooves and splashing it onto their daughter's face.

"Hey!" Flurry exclaimed through snorts of laughter, "Mom! Dad! Stop it!"

Cadance and Shining Armor laughed as they finished smearing the treat on her cheeks.

"It's only tradition, sweetheart," Cadance said, taking her daughter in for a hug.

"Now go wash up while we cut this cake for you," Shining Armor said, lightly pushing her in the direction of the bathroom. Flurry laughed, nodding back to them.

"The first slice's mine!" she called, before disappearing down the hallway.

Crystal Hoof smiled gleefully upon looking over the celebration. Flurry's friends were huddled up in the living room, getting ready to play another round of Twister, and the adults of the party were busy chatting and drinking.

Crystal Hoof went to the bar, grabbing a drink for himself and uncorking it.

"Now now, Crystal Hoof. Remember to set a good example for our daughter," Cadance teased as she and Shining Armor approached him. Crystal Hoof grinned up at them, bowing his head slightly out of respect.

"Yeah Crystal Hoof, don't get too wasted," a new voice called out for them. The three turned to see Flurry Heart trotting towards them. Crystal Hoof's eyes instantly softened upon looking at her, as the two went in for a quick hug.

"I don't think I ever told you today, but happy birthday, Princess," Crystal Hoof said, shooting her a wink as they pulled away. Flurry giggled, letting go of him and striking a pose.

"How do I look?" she asked, flipping her hair.

Crystal Hoof laughed. "Ravishing," he said, grabbing her hoof and twirling her around.

Cadance and Shining Armor looked at them with amused smiles. Cadance nudged Shining Armor's side, shooting him a smirk and then glancing at Crystal Hoof and Flurry Heart. Shining Armor groaned, turning and walking away from them. Cadance laughed, following suit to find her husband.

"Enjoying the party?" Flurry Heart asked Crystal Hoof; the two barely noticing Cadance and Shining Armor leaving. Crystal Hoof nodded excitedly.

"Oh yeah, it's a blast. Though I can't wait till I can just go crash on my bed and call it a night," he said. Flurry nodded as the two began walking away from the main part of the celebration.

"I hear you, as much as I love my friends, I think I'll always love sleep a little more," she said with a wink.

"Of course," Crystal Hoof said jokingly, as the two made their way into the upper balconies. Flurry sighed, leaning over the railing as the cool breeze hit them. Crystal Hoof closed the doors behind them before turning to her.

"Can you detransform now?" Flurry asked softly, looking over her shoulder to face him. Crystal Hoof nodded, erupting into flames before showing himself as his true form.

Flurry smiled, letting go of the railing and slowly walking towards him. She held out her hoof for him to take, which he did.

Slowly, she placed his other hoof on her waist, and her left leg on his shoulder. Thorax watched her as she got into a comfortable position.

"Dance," she whispered, guiding him to begin the waltz.

Thorax bit his lip nervously. "Flurry... I've never done this before. What if I mess up?"

Flurry looked at him in surprise. "You've never learnt how to ballroom dance?" she asked, "haven't any of your marefriends ever danced with you?"

Thorax looked away shyly. "I've never had a marefriend before," he said quietly.

Flurry's cheeks instantly turned a bright shade of crimson. "Oh."

She suddenly grabbed his hoof, leaning back and letting herself fall into the rhythm she had built up for them. She slowly reached up so that her mouth was right besides his left ear.

"Then follow me," she whispered, before spinning herself and landing into his arms.

Sensing it was his turn, Thorax quickly took Flurry's hooves and started tapping his hind legs to a random beat on the hard crystal floor of the balcony. Flurry smiled at his attempt to please her, and quickly started following him. Wherever he was taking her with this.

She could tell he was very nervous. But it didn't stop him from trying his best, and Flurry admired that.

"You're a natural," she said once they started picking up the pace.

Thorax blushed, but didn't say anything.

Their foreheads connected as their dance came to a halt. Their breathing was in sync as they cooled down together.

Thorax's eyes drooped as if he had just realized something, and he slowly backed away from her. Flurry looked at him in confusion as he turned so that his tail was facing her.

"Thorax...?" she called softly.

Thorax took a deep breath, beginning to walk away from her.

"Happy birthday, Princess Flurry."