The Abyssal Requiem

The next morning, Flurry Heart impatiently waited for Tempest to arrive at her door after getting herself dressed. She paced around her room, looking for something to do. She did everything she could to fight off the boredom, which ranged from reading books, challenging herself to a board game, even going so far as to play pretend as if somepony with her. Eventually, her boring solitude got to her and she collapsed on her bed in frustration.

“Sweet Celestia, I want to leave! I understand that I’m a princess, but this is too much! Just what is keeping Aunty Tempest!? I want to explore already! Jeez!” Flurry Heart shouted in an exasperated tone.

But just as she was about to scream into her pillow, she heard a knock on her door.

“Aunty Tempest!?” Flurry Heart shouted before excitedly running to her door.

Much to her shock, it turned out to be Apple Bloom. It wouldn’t really be much of an understatement to say that Flurry Heart didn’t expect this. For all she knew, the earth pony could just be sending a message about something.

“O-Oh. Big sis Apple Bloom. How are you this morning?” Flurry Heart asked in a now-sheepish tone.

“Tempest is currently overseeing Starlight’s recovery, so I have been assigned to watch over you for the time being until she is back on her feet.” Apple Bloom said in an annoyed tone.

“Aunty Starlight!? Please tell me! Is she okay?” Flurry Heart asked, feeling concerned for the unicorn.

“I cannot say. It has been classified and I haven’t been filled in on her conditions. But all I can say I now have to foal-sit you. Are you ready?” Apple Bloom said with a deadpan expression.

“What is with you? I’ve been nothing but nice to you and you’re treating me like a rotten apple on the roadside. Did I do something to hurt your feelings?” Flurry Heart asked, trying to figure out why Apple Bloom is acting grumpy.

“Are you ready…?” Apple Bloom asked, ignoring Flurry Heart’s question.

“Yes. I am ready. You don’t have to act so mean about it.” Flurry Heart retorted as she exited her room.

Apple Bloom groaned in frustration as she and Flurry Heart proceeded to leave the castle. For most of the day, it was tense, Flurry Heart barely spoke a word to Apple Bloom and when she did something, the earth pony would instantly grab and pull her away to keep her from escaping her sights. And whenever Flurry Heart sat beside Apple Bloom, a tense air surrounded the atmosphere all around her. It was like being watched over by a hungry timberwolve. Flurry Heart wasn’t even sure if she would make it through a day, let alone a week, of being supervised by Apple Bloom. She would much rather be forced to eat vegetables than to be watched like a vulture in a desert. But just as she continued to dread the moment, she heard a very familiar voice.

“Flurry Heart!” the voice called out.

The alicorn instantly lit up with joy and saw Cozy Glow with her usual basket of cookies. Flurry Heart couldn’t have been more happy to see her pegasus friend again after putting up with her icy bodyguard.

“Do you want any cookies?” Cozy Glow asked in a cutesy voice.

“But of course! May I, big sis Apple Bloom?” Flurry Heart begged.

“I don’t care if you take the entire supply…” Apple Bloom groaned.

Flurry Heart was unsure what she meant by the entire supply, but she took her bodyguard’s answer as a yes. So she happily replied,

“Thank you!”

She then took the entire basket of cookies and started eating them. But as she continued to eat the whole basket, she stopped herself from consuming any further and asked as she grabbed a cookie with her wing,

“Do you want any, Apple Bloom?”

“Not hungry.” Apple Bloom answered in her cold voice.

Flurry Heart felt a tad heartbroken by her response, but then she turned to Cozy Glow and asked,

“Do you want any, Cozy Glow?”

“Oh now, I couldn’t possibly take my gift away from the princess~. What would my parents think if I confiscated those from royalty~?” Cozy Glow said in a saccharine tone.

“Oh… well, more for me then…” Flurry Heart said in a dejected tone.

“Aw, don’t be such an angry earth pony~. We are only trying to be nice~.” Cozy Glow teased.

In response to Cozy Glow’s condescension, Apple Bloom turned to her and stared at her. Only she wasn’t just staring into the pegasus’s eyes, she was staring into her soul. Cozy Glow felt a feeling of fear and intensity the more that Apple Bloom continued to stare daggers into her. Then Apple Bloom asks in a cold, mocking tone,

“Would you like to run that by me again, my cute little pegasus friend?”

“N-No, ma’am!” Cozy Glow answered as she sweated hard.

Hearing this, Apple Bloom takes her eyes off Cozy Glow and returns to watching out for Flurry Heart while she continues downing the cookie basket. But before she could say anything, Cozy Glow notices a few guards walking their way. So Cozy Glow says to Flurry Heart,

“You can keep the basket. I gotta get going. Let me know if you want me to come over…!”

“W-Wait! I thought you needed to sell more cookies!” Flurry Heart shouted as Cozy Glow ran away.

Just then, the guards walked towards the princess and bowed before her. Then one of them asks,

“Your Highness, did you happen to see a thief with a basket full of cookies?”

“A thief? Do you mean Cozy Glow?” Flurry Heart asked in a clueless tone.

“Yes. She was carrying a basket that looked exactly like that. Did you happen to see where she went?” the second guard asked.

“She went over into that direction, I guess. What do you want with her?” Flurry Heart asked, curious about the guards’ plans.

“We just want to ask her some questions, princess. Carry on. Although we will need the cookie basket as evidence.” the first guard answered.

“What? But I wasn’t finished! Although I am starting to get full…” Flurry Heart said as she heard her stomach no longer growl.

“Very good. Is it okay if we use it?” the second guard asked.

“Sure, I guess.” Flurry Heart answered as she gave them the basket.

“Thank you, Your Highness. We hope you enjoyed the cookies…!” the first guard shouted as he and the second guard left their sight.

After seeing them leave, Apple Bloom said to Flurry Heart,

“You will not see her anymore.”

“What? Why?” Flurry Heart asked.

“Because she is a thief and she was trying to sell her way into the circle of trust.” Apple Bloom said in a brutally honest manner.

“But we don’t know that. She could only be doing it, just so that she can eat like us.” Flurry Heart said, trying to defend Cozy Glow.

‘Which is exactly why you won’t see her anymore.” Apple Bloom said in a serious tone.

“But she-!” Flurry Heart said before being cut off by Apple Bloom.

“But me no buts. I don’t care whether you two share a blood connection or not. You will not see her anymore. Do I make myself clear…?” Apple Bloom asked, asserting her dominance as Flurry Heart’s bodyguard.

“Crystal…” Flurry Heart responded in a defeated tone.

“Now let’s go. It’s getting late.” Apple Bloom said as she got off her seat.

“But it’s still early. We didn’t get to look at the statues long enough and I’m not even tired.” Flurry Heart whined.

“Well, I’m tired…” Apple Bloom said as she started to walk away.

Having no other choice but to obey her, Flurry Heart walked back to the castle with Apple Bloom and they stayed there for the entire day. All that the former could do was play with her toys while the latter kept watch on her. When dinnertime rolled around the corner, Flurry Heart was eating by herself once again. And after dinnertime came bedtime. When she was finished tying back her mane and brushing her teeth, Flurry Heart went to her room with Apple Bloom continuing to keep watch. But before the alicorn could go into her room, she turned towards the grumpy earth pony and says,

“I love you, Apple Bloom.”

But before Apple Bloom could get a chance to look at her, Flurry Heart went into her room and closed the door. She went into her bed and tucked herself in before staring up at the ceiling above her. Flurry Heart had no idea why Apple Bloom was being so mean to her nor why she acted so dismissive of her in the first place. But she decided to figure that out tomorrow as it was already past her bedtime.