Chapters Love is all I’ve ever wanted.
Love between friends, who care more than they’ll say. The budding love of two lonely souls, so scared of what’s to come, but so ready to face it together. The love between mates in the dark of night. The love of a wife on her wedding day.
The little bits sprinkled throughout the day, in glances stolen from across the room, sure that I wasn’t looking. In quick goodbyes and rushed kisses on the way to work. In a well packed lunch, or a favorite meal after a long day.
During a romantic Hearts and Hooves Day dinner at her favorite restaurant. After the perfect gift on her birthday, surprised I had listened.
All for someone who loved more than they could ever show. Who loved more than either really knew. Who still loves, despite everything.
Love is all I’ve ever wanted.
And after today, I will remember it fondly.
Author's Note
Second place winner of the Q&S Contest with a prompt of Pleasure and the theme of a quote:
The seeds of repentance are sown in youth by pleasure, but the harvest is reaped in age by suffering.
“Ugh, this again? I’ve already told you everything I know. Can’t I just go home?
“Fine, fine. I’ll just repeat myself until the end of time. Should I start at the beginning, then?
“Ok, so I was just minding my own business, as usual, on a hot summer day. I was just walking through Ponyville’s marketplace when I started to get a bit queasy. I think it was the heat, but it may also have been that new restaurant that I had eaten at earlier in the day.
“I found a cool place between some buildings, super shady and with a nice breeze, and that’s when I saw it.
“Yes, “it”. It certainly wasn’t a pony, though it kind of looked like one. It had the silhouette of a pony, but with what little light that was there, I could see that it was almost like some sort of bug, or a beetle. Black shell, those weird eyes, and the fragile-looking wings. And it had a spiky horn, and fangs. I couldn’t help but stop dead in my tracks; I was terrified.
“And it was standing in front of… excuse me. It was standing in front of a dead body. I couldn’t have been sure at the time, but I definitely am now. The body was Creamy Gelato, that new pony who moved in just a few weeks ago. But then…
“Fine, I’ll tell you, but you won’t believe me. Nopony else has.
“Don’t be too sure. The bug-pony, it… it caught on fire, a big one, and then suddenly, there stood Creamy Gelato. I was almost relieved, but then I saw that the body was still there. There were two Creamy’s.
“Then, the creature picked up the body and ran inside the nearest building, which was Creamy’s home. I followed it, and, well, you kinda know the rest, don’t you?
“The record says that I was a delusional intruder into their home. I’ll admit that I may not have handled the situation that well, but can you really blame me? I mean, I just witnessed a murder! That kinda thing doesn’t happen every day, you know.
“Of course I accused them all of being in on it. They had to have seen her walk in there. They were either blind or covering for her. It. Celestia, now I’m getting confused.
“Look, that’s all I know. If you want more information, I’m afraid you’re not gonna be getting it from me. I’d ask Creamy what she thought happened, but I’d assume she has some sort of alibi, no doubt being supported by her “family”.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. I just… I wanna get out of here. These white walls are gonna drive me crazy. Well, crazier, I guess. When am I getting out of here?”
Author's Note
This won third place for a Panic in Q&S, given the prompt Insanity. So, of course, I had to write changelings.
I spun, and I jumped, and I glided all across the room in seemingly effortless motions, all to the tune of a waltz that was perhaps a bit too fast for my taste.
And taste was what I was here for.
Which made this dance extra depressing. Too fast, and my… dance partner… had not arrived. I knew that he was in this very lovely, very big house, but he had yet to make his appearance where I was told he would be waiting.
Instead, he had left me waiting. Unknowingly, but it was still rude, and I was counting it against him.
But then, just as the music was reaching its climax, I saw him enter the room. A tall, dark stallion, obviously taking great pride in his looks. I idly wondered if that was what had taken him so long.
I didn’t have much time to wonder, though, as the next song began. I quickly made my way over to him, but tried not to make it too obvious. A lady’s got to have subtlety, and me even more so for what I intended to get done tonight.
All too soon, I was upon him, and swooped him along with me. He was unprepared, to say the least, but went along with it anyways. A gentlecolt too, I see. A shame.
We danced together, swaying this way and that to the music. I begrudgingly gave him the lead. Around and around we spun, until finally everything came to a halt, and I seized my opportunity. There wouldn’t be many tonight, and this was too important to mess up.
I grabbed his fetlock and dragged him to the closest doorway out of the ballroom. He got the message and followed along.
We passed through many hallways and many rooms until I came across the one that I had decided was perfect weeks ago. It was, of course, unlocked and empty, with a single bed sitting immediately inside, made and ready for use.
I giggled, and made a show of hopping onto the bed, then patting a spot next to me.
Once again, he got the message, closing the door behind him and locking the door with his horn. He slowly undressed, removing his tie, then his vest, and so on until he was completely bare.
He got up onto the bed, and started undressing me. Perfect.
I took the opportunity and blazed into my true form, striking at his neck with a changeling’s fangs.
Mission accomplished.
Author's Note
Second place winner of the Q&S Panic, prompt of Ballroom Blitz.
