Monster

Two days after that incident, the video of Puzzling protecting her mother went viral and Spoiled Rich was arrested for assault. After she had been taken away kicking and screaming, Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara decided to pay Heart Guardian a visit. Their limousine pulled into a gravel driveway in front of a white sectional, and the driver exited to let the businesspony and heiress out of the vehicle.

Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara climbed the short set of steps and were surprised by the front door opening before either of them could knock. Puzzling Insanity looked them up and down before saying, “Just a moment, please.”

With that, she turned around and shouted, “Mom! That Tiara kid and a stallion in a suit are here! What do I do?”

“Let ‘em in before the cats get out!”

Puzzling turned back toward the ponies standing outside and nodded. “Okay, you can come in,” she said, holding the door open for them.

Heart Guardian smiled when Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara entered the humble home. “Hello,” she said softly.

“Hello, ma’am,” Filthy said, nodding courteously. “Just wanted to check in. Before that, however, I do have a question for you.”

“I’ll see if I can answer it.”

The businesspony cleared his throat and asked, “Do you know a good divorce attorney?”

Heart Guardian’s head cocked to one side and she blinked slowly. “I’m sorry, did you say divorce attorney?”

“Yes,” Filthy Rich answered. “My wife was arrested a few hours ago for her atrocious behavior two days ago, and she isn’t the mare I fell in love with anymore.”

“I-I’m afraid I don’t really know any divorce attorneys,” the mauve mare said sheepishly, “and I’m sorry about my daughter’s little fit. I swear I didn’t raise her to talk like that.”

Filthy shook his head and said, “Ma’am, you don’t have anything to apologize for; clearly your daughter loves you very much if she’s willing to stand up to somepony like that for you. My wife slapped you and insulted your appearance, for Faust’s sake!”

“But the death threat and the-”

“Water under the bridge,” Filthy said.

Puzzling looked up at Filthy Rich and quietly said, “In all honesty, Mr. Rich, I wanted to kill her. I only spared her life because of how important my mother is to me.”

The businesspony stared at the fanged mare, his eyes wide and his eyebrows significantly higher on his face than normal. He tried to find the words to convey his thoughts, but when he tried to speak, words failed him. After a long moment, he finally said, “In spite of how… angry you may have been, I appreciate the restraint. Having a murder in one of our stores would be bad for business. I will say that your mother is very lucky to have a daughter as fiercely protective of her as you are.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Heart Guardian hung her head again, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips. “Can I offer you something to eat?” she asked, looking at the floor.

Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara thought it over for a moment, then the businesspony shook his head. “I wouldn’t want to take advantage of your hospitality, ma’am,” he said, “but I do appreciate the offer.”

“I offered because it’s getting close to lunchtime for my daughter,” Heart Guardian said. “It would be rude of me to make her something to eat and not offer guests some food.”

Diamond Tiara’s muzzle wrinkled slightly at the smell emanating from the kitchen. “What’s that smell?”

Heart Guardian hesitated for a moment before responding, “I have beef brisket cooking in the oven for Puzzling.”

The businesspony and his daughter nearly went deathly pale at the thought of a pony eating meat. Filthy Rich swallowed hard and said, “I thought your daughter was an earth pony.”

“Technically she’s three-quarters earth pony,” Heart Guardian explained casually. “My mother was a batpony and my father was an earth pony. Puzzling got her fangs, the glowing eye thing and a taste for meat from her meemaw, and I guess those genes skipped over me.”

“So is she a carnivore or…?”

“I’m an omnivore,” Puzzling piped up, “and I normally eat meat from animals that have been slaughtered humanely. Unless, of course, somecreature does something reprehensible enough for them to forfeit their right to live.

“Plus, you gotta think, even if I did give in to my impulses that night, I’m sure her meat would taste horrible. Her name is Spoiled, after all.”

Heart Guardian swallowed a lump forming in her throat and said, “Please excuse me.” With that, she stood up and entered the kitchen. “Puzzling, sweetie, do you want mixed greens and flowers with your brisket?”

“Yes please,” Puzzling said, smiling and getting a plate from the cupboard.

“Out of the way, honey,” her mother warned, about to open the oven door. “I don’t want you getting burned.”

After taking the meat out and checking the internal temperature, Heart Guardian made a plate for her daughter, then washed her hands. She turned back and asked, “Are you absolutely sure I can’t offer you some flowers or greens? Maybe just some iced tea?”

Filthy Rich gave the question a lot of thought before saying, “Actually, if it isn’t too much trouble, I suppose a plate of greens could do me some good.”

“Me too,” Diamond Tiara said, nodding hesitantly.

The middle-aged mare smiled as best she could and made three more plates, these being meat-free. “Here you go,” she said, setting the plates on the dinner table.

“Thank you, ma’am,” the businesspony said before taking a forkful of mixed greens into his mouth. The corners of his mouth turned upward at the taste as he chewed. Swallowing the greens, he beamed at Heart Guardian and cleared his throat. “These are absolutely delicious!”

Heart Guardian blushed a little at the compliment. “Why, thank you,” she said. “It’s just something I threw together.”

“Please don’t be so modest,” Filthy Rich said, laughing. “I wouldn’t be surprised if your cutie mark had to do with the culinary arts!”

Puzzling looked over at her mother and asked, “Could you please pass me some napkins, Mom?”

“Of course,” the older mare said with a small lopsided smile, passing her daughter a few paper napkins. “I forgot how messy of an eater you can be sometimes.”

“Thank you,” Puzzling said, gently dabbing at her lips with one. “Brisket is a messy food.” With that, she cut off another little piece of meat and ate it. She looked at the businesspony curiously after swallowing. “You sure you don’t want a bite? It’s really tender, and there’s cola and brown sugar in it.”

Filthy Rich smiled nervously. “I-I’m good, thank you,” he said. He looked over at Heart Guardian. “I don’t mean to insult your cooking, ma’am, it’s just that-”

“I understand completely, Mr. Rich,” Heart Guardian said, waving off the awkwardness. “I don’t like meat either; that’s just her way of trying to be nice. Puzzling, honey, make sure you eat your greens and flowers too.”

Puzzling nodded, taking a forkful of plants and saturating them in the sauce on the plate before eating the greens and flowers.

“May I ask where you got the beef for your daughter’s… cravings?” Filthy Rich asked, trying to be thoughtful in the way he worded his question.

Heart Guardian nodded and answered, “Oh, there’s a nice little butcher’s shop near here. It’s been a Faust-send, especially during the full moon.”

“What happens during the full moon?”

Puzzling Insanity looked down at her now-empty plate, her ears back. As her cheeks took on a reddish color and tears pricked at her eyes, she said, “I’m overcome by savage rage and hunger and I start acting like a wild animal.”

Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara exchanged wide-eyed pale-faced expressions, both having had a vivid mental picture painted for them. The young heiress blinked twice and pushed the image out of her head. She looked at the fanged mare again and reached across the table, gently taking her pale hand.

Puzzling jumped and let out a surprised squeak from the sudden physical contact, but looked up to see a pink face with a gentle expression.

“Can you take your glasses off for a second?” Diamond said, taking one of the clean paper napkins from the table.

Puzzling took her eyeglasses off and set them down. The heiress proceeded to dab at Puzzling’s eyes with the napkin.

“There we go,” Diamond Tiara said. “Your makeup was starting to run.”

Puzzling gave the filly a sad smile before looking at Filthy Rich, her expression turning deadly serious. “They’re going to use that video as evidence in court,” she said, “and they’re probably going to want statements from my mother and myself. If you hear anything from the prosecutor, just give us a call.”

“Of course.”