Oooh yeah!
I reckon the last chapter was just enough of a blue balling kick in the teeth cliffhanger for you. Shall I do it again?
Well, here we go. Part three.
Begin!
Parlave Oum
(Part Three)
Richard Pov
The world around me was white noise, empty, broken.
'Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen…"
She wasn't breathing.
'Twenty, twenty one, twenty two…"
She wasn't breathing.
'Twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty, and breathe!'
There was a foul taste on her lips, but I didn't care. I breathed into her, counting the seconds.
'One, two, three.'
She wasn't breathing!
"Chrissy please!" I cried, panting from the exertion. "I can't do this without you. I love you, I need you! Please love, wake up!"
The dome gave off a sudden loud gong, the sheer volume making me jump.
But before I could so much as put a mere thought as to why, I felt myself being tugged away from Chrissy, an unseen force pulling me away from her...and I couldn't fight back!
"NO!" I screamed, my hands leaving her as I was forced up into a standing position, like a puppet on a string. "NO, STOP! SHE'S DYING, I CAN SAVE HER. DON'T DO THIS!"
Even without my powers, I could still sense whatever this dome was as it pulled me away from Chrissy.
I could feel its power, I could feel it...and it was laughing at me, mocking me.
And then I heard it, like a voice in my head and yet all around me at once. Its words were far apart, as if saying them hurt whatever it was.
"You should...never have tried...to fight us...Such a foolish...little boy..."
"No, no please I'm sorry!" I pleaded, all thoughts of even attempting to fight back leaving me. "Don't let Chrissy die!"
"We did not...kill her...YOU DID!
As the last word filled my head, the dome flashed a terrible gold...and Chrissy's unmoving form caught alight, covered in golden flame.
It was like an eternity...in all of a second.
The fire vanished...and so did Chrissy.
She was gone, our bond was gone, everything was…gone.
There is no word in the English language to describe what came out of my mouth at that moment. The closest I can describe it to is something between an angry roar and a heartbroken scream.
"NOOOO!" The word was so raw that it hurt my throat. "CHRISSY!"
I could hear the dome again, it's voice, it's laughter as it permeated around me.
"Bring her back!" I screamed, ignoring that I couldn't fight against it, that it was bringing me closer and closer to a mare who had hunted us down like animals. I didn't care for either, I didn't care at all.
"NOW!"
"You DARE to…challenge us?"
Something invisible grabbed at my throat, restricting my breathing almost immediately. I couldn't even bring my hands to grasp at it, they were stuck to my sides.
"You forget yourself, Richard…Tyler. You forget…where you are. You forget…how truly…insignificant you are here."
"Then kill me!" I yelled, gasping for air that refused to come. "You've killed her, so kill me!"
It's laughter physically hurt my head, like a drum going off inside it.
"We didn't…kill her. Your struggling…your defiance…YOU killed her."
It let go of my throat, its words hammering into my head with all the subtly of a brick.
"You lie!" I screamed, unwilling, unable to believe it for a moment. "I thought nothing could hurt us here! No one can be harmed, how is she dead?!"
There was a moment of pause, a second or two of silence.
"Nothing can die here," it said, the voice suddenly smoother and feminine. Its words no longer sounded so far apart. "But we can punish you if you choose to defy us."
"What do you mean nothing can die, she's gone!"
"You fought and fought," it continued, ignoring me. "You tried to resist us. You tried to refuse the call of Parlave Oum. Such an offense cannot be let go without punishment, punishment of the mind and heart."
"Then you should have killed me," I whispered, ignoring the tears as they fell down my cheeks. "Y-You didn't need t-to…"
"But we can see that you did not know of the consequences," the voice continued, ignoring me still. "We have looked into you and can see this now. We do not punish the ignorant."
"Punish the ignorant?" I echoed.
"We reverse the punishment and offer apologies, forgive us Richard Tyler."
"W-What?"
I blinked…and realized that I was suddenly back on one knee, my hand rubbing a back.
Her back, Chrissy's back.
"Chrissy?"
The mare wretched and heaved but nothing came out of her, her body shivering against my palm.
'What's going on? Was it all a mindfuck?'
"Ugh, I hate this thing already," she groaned, rubbing her stomach with a hoof as she sat none to lightly back on her rump. "Sorry about that."
She looked at me, her face slightly green, her eyes widening a touch as she took my expression in.
"Richard?"
"You died."
Her eyes widened ever more, mouth open without sound for but a moment. "What are you talking about Richie?"
"You died Chrissy, "I whispered, the words leaving me so quietly, without thought from me. "Y-You…I tried CPR but you wouldn't wake up. You weren't breathing, you died, you caught alight and died, you died, you-"
"H-Hey, hey," she soothed, moving closer. "It was just a bad reaction hun. My body reacted badly to being cut off, that's all. I didn't die."
I looked at her…but I couldn't really see her. All I could see was me, my hands pressing and pressing, over and over but she wouldn't breathe.
She wouldn't breathe, she wouldn't breathe, she wouldn't breathe, she wouldn't breathe-
"Baby you're trembling," she said, her gentle tone bringing me out of it, if for but a moment. Her eyes met mine, confusion clear in her expression. "What's the matter? I told you, I was just…"
Realization clicked before she finished her last word. "This place is messing with your head isn't it?"
Was it?
'You tried to resist us. You tried to refuse the call of Parlave Oum. Such an offense cannot be let go without punishment.'
"Punishment of the mind and heart," I said quietly, looking at her hooves as I only just realized I was holding them in my hands. "Yeah I think so. I think it's fucking with me…fucking hell."
"What did you see?" she asked carefully, biting her lower lip.
She was worried.
"You threw up and then…you passed out and wouldn't breathe," I replied, fighting my body as it tried to continue shaking. "Y-You wouldn't breathe, I tried everything but you wouldn't breathe and then you…you were set on fire and burned to ash. There was n-nothing left of you."
I looked at the ground and then back at her. "Whatever this dome is, it knew what I was scared of the most. I'm terrified to lose you, I can't lose you. I can't lose anyone else."
Her eyes lidded sadly.
"You didn't lose me, I'm right here," she whispered, nuzzling me, her breath sweet. "Baby I'm right here in front of you."
A small grin grew on her muzzle. "I'm not dead and I'm certainly not on fire. I didn't even throw up."
"Wouldn't wanna kiss you if you had," I chuckled, my body giving one last shiver despite my efforts to hold it back.
"You're mean," she mumbled, kissing me lightly, a frown appearing on her face. "Baby you're freezing. Fuck…we don't even have our natural defences. That's why you're so cold.""
"You're cold too," I said, rubbing her wingless back, their disappearance unnerving me somewhat. "Come close."
"Wha-"
"Human trick," I added quickly, smiling as she closed her mouth.
She shrugged and leaned against me, her eyes widening in surprise as we began to share what warmth we had.
"My people do this when it gets cold," I explained, not sure whether or not she was listening as she rubbed her head against my chest. "We basically share body heat. It uh, helps."
"I'm not complaining," she purred. "Changelings rarely get cold. I feel like I've missed out on something here."
"Well, lower your defences in the future and we can do it again," I replied, smiling at her cat-like movement.
"It's a date," she said, grinning up at me.
A moment passed before I spoke again. "Chrissy, our baby. Can you…"
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I can't feel a thing in this dome."
A thought came to me, slow, as pleasant as it was unpleasant.
"Chrissy, in that…thing," I began, jumbling my words in an effort to say the right ones. "That mindfuck thing that just happened to me. The dome spoke to me."
"It…spoke to you?" she echoed, uncertainty in her tone. "Are you sure?"
"I hope so," I chuckled dryly. "It said nothing here can die. Not just that nothing can be harmed like Naerx said. But that nothing here can die. If that's the case then surely…"
Her breathing became unsteady for the slightest second. It was brief, but I heard it.
"I hope you're right love," she murmured, kissing my chest softly. "I really do."
The dome gave a substantially quieter gong, but the sharpness was enough to ruin our moment completely as Chrissy jumped in fright.
"I couldn't even feel that coming, it really does negate magic," she grumbled, rubbing her hornless head sadly. "We're powerless here Richard. Even my teeth are dulled down, I have no weapons."
"Me neither, I almost feel Human again," I agreed. "Well, more than almost actually. And having no clothes is certainly not helping right now with this cold."
"Celestia's going to have a heart attack when she sees you," she muttered, her frown deepening as she looked past me, eyes widening. "Holy shit…"
"What?"
I looked behind me and had to rub my eyes a touch at what I saw in the distance.
Two golden chairs in front of an oval shaped golden table. They were almost translucent from where I was kneeling.
Four Ponies were sitting down on the opposite side, their horns gone, wings gone.
Celestia, Cadance, her husband and…
"Oh shit…"
Chrissy's whisper said it all for me.
"I killed her Chrissy," I said. "I swear on my life that I killed her. Emily pulled her from her body, I crushed her head beneath my foot, I felt it crunch. I felt her die."
"It must have been a trick," Chrissy hissed, anger clear in her tone. "You know, Richie. In a way I'm glad. Now I get the chance to rip out her throat for all she did to you!"
She was up and walking over before I could stop her, prompting me to quickly keep pace and follow.
As we neared, Celestia turned her head from her sister and looked at us, her eyes resting on Chrissy for a moment before settling on me.
I tried not to shiver as her eyes trailed down, a light flush appearing on her face.
Cadance and her husband were a mere afterthought compared to her, though I did take note of how frightened Cadance seemed to be. Her eyes were glued to Chrissy and barely blinked.
My attention however was on Luna, anger simmering beneath the surface as I glared at her and…
Blinked.
She was smiling at me.
Not in a creepy way, or even a condescending way. She was smiling at me like…almost like…
No…no it was just a trick. I was seeing things, I had to be.
"Welcome," Celestia said, her voice surprisingly smooth given the circumstances. "Please take a seat, we'll likely be here for some-"
"Do not play nice with us, Princess," Chrissy hissed, interrupting her with more loathing than I had thought possible. "After everything you have done to Richard, to me. Don't you dare play nice with us now!"
"If we are going to play the blame game, then we're going to be here for quite some time my dear," Celestia replied, evidentially amused judging by her tone. "Do you truly wish to start this with that? I do have a list somewhere if you intend to do so."
"How are you alive?" I cut across, staring at Luna who in turn was merely smiling back.
"Me?" she asked, her smile becoming almost…cheeky? "Well usually I start by breathing, it does help a bit."
Taken aback at her flippant manner, I honestly didn't know what to say.
"Luna…" Celestia scolded, giving her an exasperated look before turning to face me, a warm smile on her face. "I apologize Richard, she's been rather chipper lately. Though I do wonder what you mean by your question? What do mean by, how are you alive?"
I did NOT want to talk to this bitch, not one bit.
But the moment that thought crossed my mind, I felt something very powerful brush against me, my skin hot at its touch. Celestia's eyes widened in that moment, my eyes only just managing to notice a light golden wisp touching her shoulder.
"Luna?" she said slowly, her voice low.
"Sister?"
"What are you doing?"
Luna giggled…as in actually giggled and shook her head. "I've just asked for something to keep us all honest, that's all."
"You never told me you were going to do so, Luna," Celestia said, not quite angry but close.
"You never would have agreed to let me use Parlave Oum if I had," Luna replied, her smile tighter, not quite as happy as before. "You need to trust me, sister. I know what I'm doing."
"And what are you doing?" Chrissy snapped, eyes ablaze with fury as she glared at her.
Luna turned and looked at Chrissy, a soft smile upon her muzzle. "What is your name?"
Chrissy, taken aback by the question said nothing for a moment.
But then I saw it, her muzzle was trembling, her eyes wide with disbelief as words seemed to force their way through her mouth.
"Chrysalis!" she said, gasping the word as she looked at Luna with fear. "What have you done?"
"I've kindly asked the old magic to allow us the use of a truth field," she replied, her words almost unnaturally smooth.
"A truth field is dangerous Luna," Celestia said, sighing tiredly. "I wish you had told me beforehoof."
"Would you have allowed it to go through if I had?"
"No." Celestia's eyes widened at the apparent lie she had failed to tell. "I mean…n-n-no. Gods, Luna!"
Luna laughed and poked Celestia playfully, an action not at all received with joy by her older sister.
"Can you not see the benefits?" Luna asked, looking at both her sister and us. "No one can lie, no one can trick the other. The only agreement we can make here can be one of honesty, where both parties come out with an equal share."
She looked back at us.
"I called Parlave Oum for three reasons. One, to get both of you here so we can talk. Two, so that we can come to an agreement that benefits both of us equally, with no tricks or lies. And three…"
She looked past Chrissy and at me, standing beside her.
"Well, that comes later," she said, smiling to herself.
"I can't wait," I snarked, sneering at her otherwise cheery face. "Does it involve rape? You seem to love doing that if I recall. How many stallions did good ol' Princess Luna rape back in the day?"
"There will be no rape here," Luna replied, her face steadily uncomfortable as she tried and failed to fight back the rest of the question. "Eighty seven stallions."
Cadance's gasp reminded me that she was there at her, her husband seemingly just as shocked as he looked at Luna in horror.
Celestia just looked sad.
"Eighty seven stallions, oh my," Chrissy mocked, sneering at Luna. "You must be able to fit a hoofball up there by now. Aren't you just the picture of perfect Equestrian royalty."
Luna said nothing and merely sighed, shaking her head sadly.
Seeing that no response was coming from her, Chrissy turned onto Celestia instead.
"So how many colts did you kill this time?"
Celestia actually looked surprised at the question, comically so in fact. "I beg your pardon." She then grit her teeth as the answer forced its way through her muzzle. "I did not kill any colts."
"Oh?" Chrissy asked, smirking at her discomfort. "Did you not require one the last time you used this dome? Did your vile sister not kill a young colt of twelve or so years to summon it?"
The looks on Cadance and her husbands face were actually rather funny by now. I had no idea it was possible to look so horrified in unison.
"Oh yes," Chrissy continued, having noticed the same thing as she looked at them. "Your perfect Princesses aren't so perfect after all. They've killed children, raped stallions, who knows where it ends."
"I've killed no one," Luna said softly, looking at Chrissy with tears trickling down her face. "Not to summon this dome. I summoned it of my own will, of my own heart."
"Are you crying?" Chrissy sneered, anger slowly creeping into her tone. "You have no right to cry after all you've done. To Richard, to Naerx! You have done so much wrong to so many, what right do you have to cry now? Do you believe it takes away from all the hurt you have caused, all the wrong you have done?"
Luna shook her head. "No," she said quietly. "Nothing I can say, nothing I can do will ever change the fact that everyone suffered because of Princess Luna."
"Oh, so what can you do then?" Chrissy mocked.
To my surprise, Luna actually smiled as she replied.
"Be better than her."
"Be better? What-"
"Enough!" Celestia interrupted, clearly angry as she narrowed her eyes at Chrissy. "We called you here for diplomacy, not to tear apart my sister for crimes so old they occurred before you were born."
"Age does not excuse the act," Chrissy said, laughing at her. "Is that your excuse? I was young therefore I cannot be blamed now because I am a good Princess?"
"No," Celestia replied heatedly, the truth behind that single word enough to surprise the both of us. "I do not excuse what either of us did when we were young. They were terrible and merciless, but in doing so allowed Equestria to become what it is today. And although I feel terrible, although I weep every time I sleep and see all the death and destruction we caused, I do not excuse it because it was necessary to forge Equestria into a Kingdom of peace."
A pause. "The fact that you truly believe that speaks volumes to your character Celestia," Chrissy said, regarding the Princess with something close to apathy. "And your kind think me a monster, how ironic."
"Enough," Celestia said, hoof in the air. "As I said before, you both were called here for our situation. Not of those that occurred over a thousand years ago. I will hear no more of the past, leave it where it falls."
She looked at Cadance and sighed sadly at the look of horror she got in return. "Please do not look at me so, Cadance. I am not that mare anymore."
Cadance's husband touched her shoulder and shook his head, the pink Alicorn looking down at the table with an emotion I couldn't decipher.
"A mare like that couldn't love," Cadance finally said, ignoring the snort Chrissy gave her as she looked at Celestia with determination. "Do you even love me? Do you love anyone, are you capable of it?"
A quick nod from Chrissy prompted me to sit down on the golden chair, my mate following suit as she observed the drama with amusement.
"Cadance…" Celestia's voice was so full of pain it was almost delicious. I wished more than ever that I could feel it. "I love you with all my heart. I love you and Luna and Twilight, and almost all of my little Ponies. Please don't doubt that, don't ever doubt that."
Cadance seemed to wilt slightly. "I just can't believe both of you were ever that terrible."
"Please leave it be Cadance," Celestia implored, touching her gently with a wing and wincing as Cadance flinched. "I punish myself with all that I did every time I think of it. Please don't punish me too, I love you."
She lowered her ears slightly and looked at Cadance intently, her voice sad. "Do you not love me too?"
"Of course I do," Cadance whispered, still refusing to look at her. "I just…I need time to think."
"Well you've picked a bad time to do so," I quipped, smiling at the angry glare her husband gave me. "What's the matter white? You're looking a bit upset, did I bother you?"
"Can't you see they're having a moment?" he snapped.
"Nope, can you not see that I don't care?" I replied.
"Yes," he growled, gritting his teeth as the words were dragged out. "But what else could somepony expect from a brutish monster, completely incapable of empathy and understanding!"
"Was that a question?" I asked, grinning at his rapidly reddening face. "I don't quite feel compelled to answer."
"How about this one instead," Chrissy cut in, smirking as Cadance raised her head and failed to glare at her, her expression too frightened to do so. "Tell me Shiny, has little Cadance here actually managed to fuck you yet?"
"Of course she has," he blurted out, his face becoming even redder.
"Oh, sorry," Chrissy chuckled, a rather evil smirk on her muzzle. "I phrased it incorrectly. What I meant to ask was whether or not she's fucked you better than me?"
I gave Chrissy a what-the-fuck look that she promptly ignored, keeping her eyes on Shining or whatever his name was as he grit his teeth.
But in the end…
"N-NO!" he yelled, immediately looking at Cadance who was looking rather hurt at his admission. "Sorry, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to say that, I tried to-"
"Lie!" Chrissy sang, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "What's the matter with her Shiny? What makes me better? Come on, share with the rest of the class."
Tears sprung behind his eyes as he tried with all his might to fight back. But the truth field apparently wouldn't let him, and so he began to spill.
Very, very quickly.
"She doesn't like blowjobs, she won't bite me when I come, she stops after she comes whether or not I've finished, and SHELAYSTHERELIKEADEADSTARFISH!"
…
"Damn," I said, whistling. "Sorry dude."
"Shiny you should have told me!" Cadance whispered, red as a tomato as she looked at her now very silent husband. "You told me I was the best you ever had, that nopony else ever compared. Why didn't you just tell me, we could have worked on it?"
"Would you fuck me again if you had the chance?" Chrissy asked.
"No!"
"Oh well, worth a try."
I leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Chrissy I don't mean to be rude, but if you keep asking him about your previous sex life then I'm going to get upset."
"Don't be jealous love," she whispered back, smirking as Cadance and her husband started arguing. "I'm just stirring the pot a bit, it'll work in our favour if they aren't thinking straight."
"If we could please get this back on topic," Celestia said, or tried to say anyway.
"No!" Cadance snapped, glaring at Chrissy with heat in her eyes. "I have a question for her!"
"Well, well," Chrissy chuckled, grinning at her. "Where did that fear go?"
"Be quiet!" Cadance retorted, smoke practically coming out of her nostrils. "It went away when you messed with my sex life. So let's ask about yours!"
"Mine?" Chrissy echoed, grin now a smirk. "Oh dear, we will be here all day if that becomes the topic."
"How does Richard do then, hmm?" Cadance continued, ignoring her. "Does he fuck you good, is he the best you've ever had?!"
"Yes."
The lack of any hesitation or pause actually made Cadance shut up, her mouth comically half open.
"He…how?"
"Because he loves me," Chrissy answered, looking her dead in the eyes. "Sex is different for Changelings. The act itself is meaningless without love behind it. Lust is a good sub tier but is no substitute for the real deal. Therefore, sex for the sake of sex will never compare with the act of making love. Which quite easily makes my Richie the best lay of my life."
She stopped and smirked at her dumbfounded expression. "Anything else? I could tell you about how he uses his tongue? Your dear Shiny clearly needs some sort of direction since you don't seem to be giving him any."
"I am not giving him pointers," I deadpanned, secretly amused at how stupid this whole farce had become. I had expected a deadly showdown, not a slapping contest.
"Shame," Chrissy sighed dramatically, grinning at me. "Not even one?"
"If she's lying on the bed like a dead starfish?" I asked rhetorically, giving him a quick glance. "Not sure the problem's with you mate. You sure she's awake when you're dicking her?"
"Yes she's awake…" he ground out.
"Oh," I uttered, fighting back a laugh at the look Cadance was giving her husband. "Then I don't know, buy a whore?"
"I didn't marry her for sex."
"That's good, if that was the case you'd be divorced by now."
"Ignore him Shiny," Cadance interrupted, glaring at me. "He's riling you up honey. You know I love you, we can work on our sex life after this is done."
"I still say buy a whore, you might learn something."
"Shut. Up."
"I'm not particularly inclined to," I replied, losing my grin. "The last time we met, you tried to take my love for Chrissy from me. So whatever it is that you've dragged us here for, I'm not really in the mood to make it easy for you."
"The spell failed, Richard," she implored, her apparent forgiving nature coming out as she looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry that I tried, I never would have if I knew it was genuine. But when I used the spell, it was used with the belief that the Chang…that Chrysalis here had corrupted you with her magics."
"Understandable," Chrissy agreed.
"What?!"
Chrissy looked at me and shook her head, her eyes trying to convey something.
"Don't blame her, Richard," she continued, much to the surprise of the mare in question. "You need to ask yourself who told her to use the spell. Who told her to try and strip away your love for me?"
"Back to me, are we?" Celestia asked, slightly amused as she looked at Chrissy. "Now if you're quite done mocking her love life and trying to turn my niece against me, you are both here for a reason. And it is best we get to it, now."
"There she is," Chrissy hissed, all amusement, all levity gone. "Even without my magic, I can still smell your arrogance Celestia. It's like a rot under your fur, disgusting and vile. So very much like the mare it comes from."
"Must we waste more time?" Celestia asked, sighing wearily. "Especially when you don't really have any to spare."
"What is that supposed to mean?" I snarled.
Celestia snorted and regarded me strangely.
"Do you think me blind, Richard?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Did you think I was merely sitting here in silence as your dear Chrissy tore into my niece and her husband?"
I said nothing, Chrissy following suit as she just stared at the Princess.
"For all of my supposed arrogance, you think far too little of me," she chuckled, smiling at me before turning her attention to Chrissy. "That was most unwise of you."
"Get to the point mare," Chrissy hissed.
"You're pregnant," Celestia said, her smile widening at Chrissy's flinch. "Ah, there we are. Confirmation. But really, holding your stomach every few minutes? I am old, not blind."
"P-Pregnant?" Cadance stammered, the fear she'd apparently overcome now back with a vengeance. "H-How many, hundreds, thousands?!"
Chrissy tried, she truly did. I could see the strain as she tried not to answer.
But in the end…
"One!" she spat, gasping for air she'd denied herself.
"W-What?" Cadance asked, fear subsiding as quickly as it had come. "But I thought you gave birth to a lot of children."
It wasn't a question, so thankfully there was nothing to answer.
"Don't you?"
Or not.
"I…do…usually…" Chrissy ground out, gritting her teeth as she tried to hold the words back.
"Then why not now?" Celestia interrupted, curiosity on her face.
"Because I'm not ready for that many," I said, Chrissy releasing a breath as she looked at me in surprise. "So we're having one to get me there. That's all there is to it."
"And how long can you stay in here without feeding it?" Celestia asked, not a single tickle of a smile on her face as she looked at Chrissy.
"I don't know," Chrissy spat angrily. "Can anyone even die here?"
"No," Celestia replied. "Not any of us anyhow. But I'm not sure the dome even counts your child, how far along are you?"
"A day."
"And how long until you give birth?"
"Nine days."
Celestia's eyes widened comically for a moment. "Well, that is rather quick. Still…"
She leaned back a touch and looked at her clinically. "Still, I truthfully cannot say whether or not the old magic will even recognise it as really alive. It certainly wouldn't for a mare, not for a mare that had only been pregnant for a day."
"So…" she finished, leaning forward and crossing her hooves on the table. "Shall we get to it? Time is of course, of the essence."
To Be Continued In Part Four