GREEN
31
1565
8.68 KB
- =Helios 15=
- >Thursday
- >The sun was high in the sky as you walked down the street.
- >For a moment you wondered if She could see you from it, if she was watching you still.
- >Those thoughts last about as long as you let the other thoughts you have of Her last.
- >Gone in an instant.
- >You adjust the shovel on your shoulder as you walk.
- >They didn't have traditional weapons in Appleoosa so you had to improvise.
- >There had been reports of a few "undesirables" in town lately, you were gonna root them out.
- >You walked around the town, asking anyp0ny if they had noticed anything suspicious about their neighbors.
- >Based on their information, you went around town and gathered up who you thought fit the bill.
- >Chasing down Blueblood wasn't the only detective work you had ever done.
- >You lead your posse of five to the outskirts of town, wanting to avoid any scene.
- >Once you reached the town limits, you turned back to everyone.
- "Afternoon everyone."
- >Mayor Buckington stepped forward. "Anonymous? What is all this about?"
- "Glad you asked sir."
- >You plant your shovel on the ground.
- "A while ago an army of Changelings tried to crash the Royal Wedding, as I'm sure you all know."
- >They all nod.
- "When they got thrown out, they got sent back to the wastes where they came from."
- "But here's the deal, I've gotten word that some of them may have snuck into town and disguised themselves."
- >You take a few steps toward the group.
- "So I'm gonna be asking ya'll a few questions, how you answer will determine your authenticity."
- >You grab your shovel and spin it around onto your shoulder.
- "Ya dig?"
- >Alright, let's do this.
- "At the Mild West Dance last Sunday, Sandy Shoes drank too much cider and fell into the trough, right?"
- >Your entourage nods.
- >"Fell right in." Buckington said.
- >Tornado Dancer nodded "Like a lummox."
- >"One Tartarus of a date..." His sister Twister said.
- >Rawhide and Saloon Scalper nodded as well. "I remember that." "That was a hoot."
- >Hmm...
- "And when we had to repair the engine of the train before the next one came in, when was that?"
- >"Last Wednesday."
- >"Round Noon Ah think."
- >"Powerful hot that day."
- >"Yeah."
- >"Close call that day."
- >It's like they don't even try...
- >You step towards them.
- "Where were ya'll 4 days ago?"
- >"Goon' over plans for the new water tower."
- >"Ah was workin' the Orchard."
- >"Tch. Drinkin' ta ferget."
- >"Spent all day with Sandy."
- >"Paintin'"
- >Paydirt...
- >You stepped closer to Rawhide.
- "Raw, Sandy was at the Mild West Dance, he passed out in the trough and had to be pulled out."
- >His face plummets.
- "How could he be with you?"
- >The others back away from "Rawhide" as he stammers.
- >"No- I was- Me and Sandy were-..."
- >He glances around. "Aw, horseapples!"
- >A small green pyre ignites around the pony before you and a black chitinous bug leaps out-
- >-Right into your shovel.
- >As it hits the ground twitching, you press your knee to its neck.
- "Alright, we found him. Can I ask you guys to head back to town now?"
- >The assembled ponies watched with a mix of shock and fear.
- >"Y-yes, of course Anonymous. Come on everyp0ny, let's leave the Sheriff to his work..."
- >You had dragged the Changeling to the edge of some rocky hills outside town and dumped him there.
- "Don't let me find you in here again." You said.
- >It had scuttled off into the hills without a word and you took that as the end of it.
- >You were walking back into town now, intent on going about the rest of your day.
- >Braeburn it seemed had other plans.
- >"Hey, Anonymous! Ya got a visitor in your house!"
- >What?
- "Who?
- >Braeburn shook his head.
- >"Didn't say. She just stepped off the train a while ago n' started askin' for ya."
- >She?
- >She...She wouldn't...
- "What did "She" look like?"
- >Braeburn looked over his shoulder back at your house.
- >"Can't rightly say, she had this real fancy hood up 'round her head."
- >...Great.
- >You sigh.
- "I'm gonna be a bit Brae, think you can hold down the town for me?"
- >You catch his concerned glances as you walk down the street. "Uh, sure Anon. Expectin' trouble?"
- >You don't know.
- >Never dumped a Sun Goddess before.
- >You cracked open the door to your house and stepped in.
- >Standing by your desk was a pony in a regal looking cloak.
- >Whoever it was, they were too small to be Celestia.
- >But that cloak was definitely Canterlot...
- >The hood was pulled up, hiding their features.
- >You were about to confront them when they spoke up.
- >"Hello Anonymous."
- >Oh hell...you knew that voice...
- "Hey...Cadence."
- >The Crystal Princess lowered her hood to reveal her dour face.
- >Cadence had more or less ceased her intermittent trips to Canterlot after what had happened with Shining.
- >Last you had heard she was peacefully tending to her own kingdom, trying to heal the hole in her heart her husband had left.
- >And now she was here...
- >"You look well Anonymous." She says with a small smile.
- >How the hell do you handle this? You had hooked up with Celestia only hours after you got her husband killed...
- "Thanks. I feel...well."
- >The smile evaporates.
- >"I came here to speak to you...about "that"."
- >Oh hell!
- "I don't want to talk about "that"."
- >"It's important Anonymous."
- "I left to get away from "that" Cadence, don't try and drag me right back-"
- >"Princess Celestia has been rendered lethargic by your leaving, I'm only hear to give you the full story."
- >You stop with your door handle in your palm.
- >"Celestia was crushed after you left. She locked herself in her room for who knows how long and only recently started leaving."
- >Aha!
- "There, see? She's fine. I'm fine. We're both fine."
- >"She has been leaving without a bodyguard, Anon."
- >Your bodyguard senses start to tingle.
- >You wheel around and face Cadence.[spoiler][/spoiler] "What!? That's idiotic! Why is she doing that?"
- >Cadence shakes her head.
- >"She says that she cannot get another bodyguard. Not after what happened with you."
- >Cadence looks out the window as the sun moves across the sky.
- >"When my aunt goes on her rounds of Canterlot on her own, all anyp0ny says is how sad she looks."
- >"I asked her and do you know what she told me? She said that there is nowhere in the city she cannot go where she isn't reminded of -you- Anon. Even back when you were just friends I don't think you understood how much that meant to her."
- "And I don't think you understand what happened Cadence. I FELT her thoughts in my head. I could FEEL her affection for me and it...I-I don't think I can do that..."
- >It was Cadence's turn to sigh.
- >"Anonymous, did you know my aunt was in love once? EXACTLY once?"
- >"It was back when she was young. He died before she could confess to him."
- >"You can imagine how that would affect a young immortal."
- >You ran your hand through your hair as you thought it through.
- >That's one hell of a way to end a first love story...
- >"For the longest time, Aunt Celestia played the part of the dutiful queen caring about only running her kingdom and the subjects in it."
- >A smile tugged at Cadence's mouth. "But...then you showed up Anon."
- >"Celestia talked with you Anon, not to you but -with- you."
- >Cadence's grin grew.
- >"She saw another oddity in the world and she latched onto it."
- >"Over time, you became the first real friend she had had in eons."
- >Whoa.
- "What about Twilight? And all her other students?"
- >You remember that big wall she had.
- >Cadence shook her head. "They were just that Anon. Students. Dear to Celestia's heart, yes. But the Student/Teacher relationship was still an impenetrable wall on their path to true friendship."
- "Then why me?"
- >Cadence smiled. "You met my aunt as a true person Anon. You didn't see the immortal sun bringer or the head of state, you saw the pony underneath all of that."
- >"At least...before you entered the guard."
- "Whoa, are you saying that my JOB is what caused this?"
- >"A part of it yes. Once you became my aunts guard, you began to only see her as your charge and not as just her."
- >"That did not stop her, however. You were still her friend and now you were just closer. Over time the affection grew, especially after you would protect her from something."
- >You remembered some of the times you stopped an attempt on Celestia's life.
- "Are you trying to talk me into going back?"
- >Cadence sighs as she heads to the door. "All I came here to do is tell you what was happening with Celestia and to hopefully shed some light on her reasons for doing...what she did."
- >She stops at the door.
- >"All I ask that you do Anonymous is think on your own feelings."
- "What, you're trying to make me feel love now?"
- >Cadence lets out a small giggle.
- >"Perhaps I don't need to?"
- >With that she walked out, leaving you alone with your thoughts again.
by
Mandroid
by
Mandroid
by
Mandroid
by
Mandroid
by
Mandroid