Reborn in a Dating Sim: Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game! Book 2

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Interlude

Her prison was a gilded one, but it was a prison nonetheless. Starlight Glimmer glowered at anyone that happened to be close enough to her, but at the same time she kept a watchful eye on those that were going about their lives. For the past half a year she had been here. Forced to live in this place, taken away from her father, from her destiny, and instead forced to live a life of mere existence. Granted, the temple where she was currently residing was comfortable enough.

The priests and priestesses did not seem to hold any animosity toward her, despite the fact that she had informed them that once her father finally came they would be forced to join his army or die. It had begun as a threat, but now it was a promise she made. They had shown her kindness, and in return the kindest thing she could think of would be to serve her father. There would be no questions on where they fit, no desperate searches for their destiny. Everything would be answered, it would be solid, and they would be forever shaped in the imagine of their ruler.

Those that would not get this promised assurance would be the hero that stopped her father, the current royal family that sent their loyal lapdog out, and those foolish enough to attempt to resist him. Although, those that merely resisted likely would become members of the undead. Forever chained to her father after their death. They would be forever changed, and forever forced to serve. That would be their duty.

Today had been different. The Saint had been found, and even she knew of the Saint. She knew of the power that the Saint, and what that meant for her father. The hero had the ability to stop her father, that much was true, but the Saint had the ability to erase her father. Her holy magic would be powerful enough to undo all of the magicks that fueled his body. It would undo all that he was, and she could not allow that. In her mind the one to stop slowly changed from the hero to the Saint.

The five fools she surrounded herself with would be easy enough to deal with. From her understanding she herself was not ugly. Apparently, according to some, she was actually quite fetching. So, it stood to reason that the very thing she could do would be to seduce them. It would be easy enough, or she supposed that it would. Then again, she wasn’t exactly sure how to seduce someone. The idea was far removed from her. She’d heard one of the many visitors to temple say that snaring a man was similar to hunting.

She could hunt. Finding her prey’s weaknesses was the same as assessing a battlefield. It meant preparing, and ensuring, that her prey was caught in her trap. The trap she needed to set had to be something that would bring those she wanted to seduce closer to her. She growled as she tried to consider it. How would this work? Her mind tried to consider all of the angles. She tried to think of the best way to ensure success, but it wasn’t as cut and dry as she would like it to be. That was the problem with ensnaring a man. She had never done it. She had no idea of how to attract one.

The idea of merely walking nude up to one, allowing him to feast his senses upon her until he was overcome with whatever he’d overcome with was an idea. It was also something she didn’t see herself doing. Personally, she believed that her fleshy body wasn’t that beautiful. She believed it was something that tied her to this realm. That was it. She desperately wanted to be like her father. A lich, a being that existed to gain all knowledge, to control all, and to rule over all.

Doing such a thing would be the best option. It would ensure that there would always be equality. Those that serve would know their place, and those that ruled would ensure their loyalty. It would be a system that would ensure a perfect world. That was what she was meant for. That was what she was destined for. Instead she was forced to face a world that she wasn’t truly prepared for, and she felt lost.

“Golly, you seem really lonely,” came a younger voice, “Why I bet that there’s not a single person here that’s even really talked to you for a very long time. That just seems wrong,” the same younger voice said, “I bet that right now you could use a friend.”

She looked to see a younger girl, her hair styled in curls, and her innocent eyes seemed to be a perfect disguise. The thing was that Starlight had years of reading faces when she prepared to torture them. She had years of seeing what was behind those eyes. There was a brutal huntress there. One that craved power and validation. It was the eyes of a kindred spirit. She laughed slightly at the sight, “Tell me, young one,” she said as she looked at her, “What brings you to the general of the undead armies?”

The younger girl moved near her, “Oh, only that you seemed so lonely, and that you seemed to be interested in those five idiots over there,” she said as she pointed toward where Starlight’s selected prey was, “I mean, honestly I think that she’s too greedy, taking all of them for herself. I’d like to help you snag one, if you want.”

She studied the younger woman for a moment, “What would you gain by doing so?” she asked, her voice relaying her own doubt, “No one does anything for free. That is the truest nature of the world.”

The younger girl smiled, “Oh, I would get something special. I would get to prove that I’m better than her,” she said, her voice sounding sickeningly sweet, “It would let her know that things hadn’t changed, and that she will always be second in everything we do.”

Starlight Glimmer looked at the younger woman. There was absolutely no denying that she was someone who wanted to subjugate those around her as well. She would fit in well with her father’s army. The frankness of how she spoke about what she wanted to do to her sister was more than enough proof of that. She wanted to ensure that her sister understood where they stood. She wanted to prove to her sister that whatever she owned could be taken away. At least she assumed that it was her sister.

“Tell me, what is your relationship to the Saint?”

The girl smiled, “I’m her adorable little sister,” she replied, her voice still sickeningly sweet, “And more than that I’m better than her in every single way. I don’t mind that she went to become the Saint. That’s fine. I don’t really want that job. I mean having to be on my best behavior all of the time isn’t that hard, but being at the beck and call of the temple whenever the needed me would get old fast. No, I’d rather just prove that I’m better, and have everyone adore me for being me.”

Starlight studied her, trying to make sense of her. Her malice, her absolute desire to subjugate her sister was certainly something that she respected, and yet she didn’t want the power her sister had. The reasoning was she didn’t want to be at the call of the temple. To some degree she could understand that. To be at the call of an inferior religion, and of those that practiced it, would become monotonous over time. She would want to ensure all of their deaths came slowly, painfully, and without mercy.

That could be considered going above what they deserved, and she understood that, but at the same time she felt that it was exactly what should be done. She looked at the newest person she’d met so far, and finally she decided to try something the others had done around her, “Very well,” she said her voice sounding as sincere as she could make it, “I accept your offer of help. I am Starlight Glimmer, general in the army of the Undead, daughter to King Sombra.”

The younger woman smiled, “And I’m Cozy Glow Velvet, daughter of Viscount Faded Velvet, and most likely the heiress of the Velvet lands and domain. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” she replied with a smile, “Now, let's talk about how to bring my sister down a peg or two.”

With that Cozy led her toward an area that wasn’t heavily monitored. She herself had been there a few times. Mostly to just oversee the actions of those around her without being watched too closely. However, she knew that if she tried to leave without being seen it would be a useless exercise. So, in the end the area was good for getting away from being watched too closely, but too far from the exit to attempt to leave. It was mostly to just think on her own.

“The first thing you need to know is that all of those guys are idiots,” she said, her voice still sweet, but firm, “Every last one of them are incredibly stupid and idiotic. The prince is honestly the worst of them all. Still, for fun I suppose they would be okay. Each one of them has certain things they like, and certain things they don’t. I found out from my sister that she studied up on them before coming, and so I’m sharing what she did.”

She pulled out five small portraits, “The Prince likes for people to act like they see past his being a prince. He likes to pretend that he understands what is to come from a much lower standing house. He doesn’t, but he likes to pretend like he does. He wants to have someone that will share food from a local vendor with him, and he wants to visit places where he can go out and work like a normal person for a few minutes. He does enjoy adventuring, but mostly it’s for show.”

She then pointed to another one, “This is Platinum Reserve. He’s seriously conceded, He believes that the sun rises and sits with his mood,” she took a moment to look at her, “I’m no kidding. He really thinks that everything should revolve around him. However, to get him interested you just have to find something that he’s interested in, and ask him a bunch of questions about it. Having him believe that he’s interesting will be the first step.”

She then pointed to the next one, “Spear Point is a meathead. He’s all about training, about working out, and adventuring. He has no real world experience, but he wants someone that’s going to compliment his muscles, and apparently that’s going to act like he’s the hottest thing since boys were first born. Feed his ego and he’ll be putty in your hands.”

She then pointed to the following one, “Ugh, Posh Proppers isn’t as bad, but he’s got serious inferiority issues. He doesn’t believe that he’s going to measure up to his father, and that he’ll never be the warrior that his father is. Listen to him whine for a while and he’ll want to be with you. That leaves us with him,” she said as she pointed to the next portrait, “Mithril Shield. Of he group he’s the most forgettable. He’s a decent warrior, a decent shot, and a decent adventurer, but he’s not an overachiever. He just happens to look good. Personally, just act interested in him. That’s enough.”

She studied the portraits and then looked back at her, “So, why give me so much of this information?”

She smiled, “One, I’d like to think that we’re friends now,” she replied, “But mostly it’s because I want to watch my sister have to suck it up knowing that she’s losing everything she had. I want her to come crying to our father, only for him to tell her that she should be more like me. I want to watch her go into depression, and then I want to do the final twist when I come in and flaunt whatever new academy student happens to catch my eye. Just seeing that will be enough.”

Starlight studied Cozy again for a moment. She was devious, she wanted to subjugate her sister into understanding the pecking order, and she had all of the earmarks of being a fine member of her father’s collection. She could, without a doubt, do well as a high member of the undead army. She made the decision that when her father returned for her she would capture Cozy Glow Velvet. Not because she wanted to harm the girl, but because she wanted to give her the truest chance she had of becoming something great. She could climb far further with her father’s nation than she could here.

“Very well,” she said as she looked at the small portraits again, “The easiest would be to go for Mithril Shield, but I want to do lasting damage. I suppose that I should sit my sights on Prince Apollo instead. I shall do my best to ensnare him. Unfortunately, I am lacking in this kingdom’s ideas of flirting. It is not merely a formality of pointing at a consort and demanding that they perform.”

Cozy cocked an eyebrow at her, “Well, that kind of depends,” she admitted after a moment, “It wasn’t that long ago that things pretty much worked like that for the daughters of barons and viscounts. But that was because several of us had our mothers replaced by creatures that could look like anyone. I don’t know everything that happened, but I do know that my actual mother isn’t much older than my sister. It’s really weird. I actually miss the other mother. Sure, she treated dad like an accessory, but she lead by example. My real mother is actually very reserved. It’s weird.”

She shook her head, “Not that it matters,” she said as she looked at her, “So, we’re going to go ahead and move along with this. If you want to seduce him you’ve got to play up to the treating him anyone else would. Just treat him like a normal person. Getting out of here is the first step. And that means that you’re going to have to play a long game in order to do it.”

She studied Cozy as she sat there, “Play how?” she asked, “What do you mean?”

Cozy smiled, “One thing that I am truly gifted at is making others believe that I am a perfect little angel,” she said, her voice still sickeningly sweet, “And that’s what we’ve got to work on with you. You need to put on a show that gives them the idea that you’ve truly changed. Stop telling them all that they’re going to die, or that your father is going to change them into slaves. Sure, it’s what you believe, and that’s fine, but you’ll never get out of here if you keep doing that. So, instead watch how they talk to each other, copy what they do. Don’t let it get into your head, but copy it. Act friendly with each of them.”

She smiled at her, “And when they start to buy it, ask to leave the temple for short periods. At first I bet that you’ll have to have an escort. That’s fine, direct them toward the food stalls. Inquire about the food, but do it with other people there. That idiot prince will be at one of them, eventually, and you’ll be able to ask him. Let him go on and on about how wonderful the food at the stalls are. Since he’s a complete moron it won’t take long for him to really get into it.”

She grinned, “Let him buy you lunch, he’ll like that,” she said with a grin, “But ask him if he’s sore, be a little demure, but don’t oversell it. Let him talk to you like he’s someone that truly believes that he has some real world experience. He doesn’t, and he likely never really will. Instead he’s a complete and total loss that really only has a place in the royal family. That’s it, but let him believe that he does.”

Starlight looked at her, “And what will come of this?”

Cozy grinned, “He’s going to want to talk to you more, and he’s going to get the idea that he can help you. Let him believe it. Let him think that he can, and let him come and visit you with those stupid skewers of his. Believe me, I’ve had to eat the stupid things before, and they’re okay, once in a while, but they get old really fast. Once he’s come to you enough, make a move.”

Starlight grinned, “Demand that he disrobe so that we may copulate?”

Cozy looked at her for a moment, “Okay, you’ve just jumped ahead a bunch of steps,” she replied, “And it’s a little forceful. Who knows, maybe he’ll like that, but I’d play it safe instead. Tell him that you want to spend more time with him, and ask him if he thinks of you as more than a friend. Win his trust, gain his love, and then take his love. When he finally abandons my sister she will be completely destroyed.”

She grinned at her, “And that will be the shining moment. She’ll have to do her duties as the Saint, but she won’t be able to focus. Everything will suffer because of it. After all, you don’t go after a warrior’s body, you after the heart. We’re destroying her heart.”

The words made sense to her. Destroying the Saint’s heart would make her falter. It would make her less likely to be able to do her duty, and it would turn her from a powerful adversary to into mewling quim. That would remove the obstacle for her father beautifully. There was no doubt in her mind at this point. Cozy Glow would do wonderfully in her Father’s army. She would be used for missions dealing with espionage. That was where her true talent lay. It was obvious how gifted she was.

“Very well,’ she said, her voice confident, “I shall do my utmost to ensure that those here believe I have changed, and then I shall move on to seducing the Prince. When it is said and done he will be little more than a obedient pup following after a master that cares not if he lives or dies,” she stated, a confident smirk residing on her face, “and I shall do my best to keep our friendship. I rather enjoy talking to you.”

Cozy grinned, “And I like talking to you,” she replied, “It’s nice to find someone else that wants to see idiots suffer.”