Fool Moon, Part 24 (Scent of Evil)

>You slowly blink your eyes awake as you feel warmth on your cheek.

>Sunlight, burning and bright, shines into your eyes.

>At that moment, you're glad you didn't sneak out to go drinking.

>You turn over and look at Rarity, still asleep, snuggled up next to you on the bed.

>You frown as you look at her adorable face, smiling in some pleasant dream.

>You were doing something wrong.

>You carefully brush a hand through her mane as you think, frowning to yourself.

>It had never gone this way before.

>Back home, it was just...drink, talk, bang, and leave.

>That was love.

>This is...

>It doesn't make sense. You talk to her and she says things that are actually interesting to listen to.

>She engages you, she challenges you every day, every time she speaks.

>This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Not how you'd known it.

>You had to be doing something wrong.

>She was...well, not human, of course. Of course she'd be reluctant.

>Hell, YOU were reluctant.

>But still.

>That's how things were supposed to, right?

>Why were the pair of you sleeping together without, well, sleeping together?

>The answer was obvious. Rarity was a lady, after all!

>But what was a lady, really?

>Your mother always said a lady was just a whore with a higher class of john.

>You're shaken out of your depressing thoughts by Rarity shifting next to you.

>A pair of sapphire eyes open and stare into yours.

>"Good morning, Anonymous."

>You smile.

"Morning, marshmallow. How ya feeling?”

 

 

 

>She smiles and slides off your chest to the floor, her hooves making soft taps on the tiles.

>"I feel positively refreshed! Don't you? After the DREADFUL ending to that play, a fresh new day is just what we need."

>You sit up on the bed, yawning.

"Sure thing. A new day sounds great."

>"Of course! So many things to do around Canterlot. Perhaps we'll visit an art museum, or attend an auction, or watch a race."

"Sounds great."

>She looks over her shoulder, concerned.

>"Well what has you so melancholy?"

"I...nothing, just Blueblood. I'm just mad we had to deal with him on our...vacation."

>She sighs.

>"Oh I KNOW. He's such a...."

>She shivers for a moment, grimacing.

>"I refuse to let him ruin this morning, Anonymous. I'm going to go take a bath, and then we'll get some breakfast, alright?"

>You smile at her.

"Sure thing. Eggs?"

>She rolls her eyes.

>"Maybe."

>You drop your jaw in horror as she giggles and trots to the bathroom.

>You make your way to small refridgerator in the room's kitchen as Rarity bathes.

>You'd be damned if you weren't having eggs for breakfast in a world where they were readily available!

>To your shock, there was a little bit of food, eggs, some leafy greens you didn't recognize, and strips of something you most definitely did.

>Sweet mother of God they had bacon.

>TIME TO COOK.

>You grab appliances out of the cupboards, as well as eggs, some of those greens, and that holy Gift of the Gods.

>Bacon.

>You hear a set of hooves trotting behind you as you cook, as well as the distinct sound of magic.

>Rarity takes her seat at the kitchen table, humming to herself.

>"Well, I see SOMEpony couldn't wait for me to finish bathing."

 

 

>You turn and look at Rarity over your shoulder.

"You have bacon."

>She raises an eyebrow.

>"Anonymous, you still could have waited for-"

"Rarity. You. Have. BACON. I didn't think ponies ATE bacon."

>She furrows her brows a bit, confused, until what you're saying sinks in.

>"Ah. Anon, I don't thi-"

"Sssshhhh. Bacon."

>Rarity sighs, then giggles quietly to herself.

>She didn't rent a griffon-friendly suit, after all.

>She trots to the kitchen counter.

>Some coffee ought to go great with whatever food you're rustling up.

>Your grin splits your face as the smell of cooking bacon begins to fill your nose.

>It smelled...off, sort of, but still...the smell.

>You could die happy. You're pretty sure there's a tear in your eye right now.

>Rarity, for her part, fixes her cup of coffee and sits back to watch the fireworks.

>You notice the bacon is a little...lightly colored for being cooked, but it smells ready, and you don't want it to get crispy.

>Crispy bacon was okay, but soft bacon is best bacon.

>Especially with omelettes.

>You lower the delicious Gifts from God onto a plate and begin cooking an omelette.

>You recognized onions and cheese in the fridge, so you put that in there along with a few green things you think Rarity might like eating.

>You hope whatever the hell this is, it's edible, because memories of that disgusting hay shake made you shiver.

>You finish off the omelette, still grinning as you cut it in half and ladle two omelettes on the plate.

>Your grin stays fixed as you set the two plates on the table.

>You pick up a piece of glorious, glorious bacon.

>And you take a bite.

>Hay. The disgusting taste of hay.

>You flip the table.

 

 

"WHY GOD!? TELL ME WHY!?"

>Rarity nonchalantly catches the plates of food in her horn's magic, laughing uncontrollably as you sob on your seat.

>"Don't be...don't be such a baby Anon!"

"Why WASN'T I WARNED!?"

>"I tried to tell you, but you...pffffhahaha!"

"Why do ponies make everything with hay!?"

>She shrugs.

>"It tastes delicious."

"It REALLY doesn't."

>She gives you a sardonic glance, and you sigh and flip the table back over.

>Rarity sets the plates back down, still giggling.

>You wordlessly giving your bacon, a single tear of loss making it's way down your face.

>If God was up there lookin' down at you, he was a cruel bastard.

>You cut at your omelette with a fork, feeling depressed and horrified.

>One bite's enough to tell you that whatever the greens were, they weren't terrible.

>But that omelette can't fill the hole that hay bacon had drilled into your heart.

>Rarity finishes off her omelette with gusto, washing it down with a dainty sip of coffee.

>Then she slowly eats a goodly portion of her bacon, grinning at your expression while she does it.

"This is the worst breakfast."

>"It's not so bad, really. The omelette was excellent, and this hay bacon is divine."

>You glare at her from across the table.

"You've got bacon in your teeth."

>She squeaks and leaps away from the table, covering her mouth with a hoof.

>You grin and toss the plates in the dishwasher, laughing to yourself at the sigh of Rarity hoofing it to the bathroom.

>Time to polish off this disaster with a glass of milk.

 

 

>"That was NOT funny!"

"It really was."

>She glares at you as the pair of you walk through the streets of Canterlot.

>"If that was just petty revenge over your hay bacon misfortune, I'd say you were being incredibly childish."

>You raise an eyebrow and look at her.

"And spending two hours searching desperately for a bacon bit and then spending another hour crying on the bed asking me if I thought you were ugly WASN'T childish?"

>Rarity sniffs and looks straight ahead of herself.

>"It was not."

>You raise your eyebrow higher.

>"It was...maybe...a LITTLE overdramatic."

"A little?"

>"I say we switch to another discussion."

"Uh huh, you would. So what are we going to do today?"

>Rarity's eyes immediately light up.

>"The Wonderbolts are hosting a show today, perhaps you'd like to see that?"

"Who are the..."

>"Racing ponies, darling, they put on shows of speed and skill for the rest of us. They absolutely fantastic to watch, let me tell you!"

>Darling.

>That almost pulled back your thoughts from the morning, but you let it drop for the moment.

"That sounds...kind of amazing, actually. Sure, let's go to that!"

>She grins at you.

>"Oh and we MUST visit a wine tasting tonight-"

"Wine tasting? As in a bar?"

>She laughs at your question.

>"Anon, no! You don't actually SWALLOW the wine."

"Then what's the point?"

>Rarity rolls her eyes at you.

>"You'll see. It will be fun, just trust me!"

"Okay, where's this air show and how do we get there?"

>Rarity smiles at you.

 

 

 

>You cover your head as the suited up pegasi race around the ring, the speed of their passing leaving a great thunderclap in your ears.

>Ponies stomp and cheer at the sight of them, and you feel a stirring of adrenaline yourself.

>But mostly it was fear.

>You'd been too busy rolling around on the floor of the train to realize it at the time, but Canterlot was built into the side of a mountain.

>Very high up on the side of a mountain.

>VERY HIGH up.

>Rarity cheers politely from next to you, grinning at your awestruck expression.

>"Isn't this amazing!?"

"Terrifying is the word I'd use!"

>She pouts.

>"Oh come on! Stop being afraid, Anonymous! You'd be having so much fun if you just stopped being so afraid!"

"You act like that's even possible!"

>She smiles at you, and you feel her horn tug on your shirt, pulling you up a little straighter.

>"Look! Just look! Forget the view and watch the race!"

>You sit up a little straighter, grimacing.

>The suited showponies come back around for another pass, and you can FEEL the wind slam into you as you go.

>Their speed was...well, it was exhilarating.

>You'd never seen anything that fast before.

>Before you know it, you let out a loud whoop, urging them to come back around, to fly faster.

>To just GO.

>You glance down at Rarity smiling at you.

"Not a word."

>"I wouldn't dream of it."

>You both cheer as a yellow-red pegasus pulls into the lead, spinning around and leaving a cloud of smoke behind her as she crosses the finish line.

>The crowd seems to explode, ponies raising their hooves and screaming as the Pegasus comes to a halt.

"Okay, I'll admit. This is pretty awesome."

 

 

"This is pretty crappy."

>Rarity grimaces at you and shushes you as a few ponies look over at you in distaste.

>"Anon!"

"I'm just telling the truth. What's the point in tasting wine if you can't drink it?"

>She sighs and puts a hoof to her forehead.

>"Anon, it's a pastime of certain classy ponies. I do not expect you to-"

>You bristle as your mother's remembered words from the morning come to you.

"Am I not classy enough for you?"

>Rarity eyes you strangely, a little hurt.

>"That's not what I meant at a-"

>"Ahem."

>You both jump, Rarity's face coloring red in embarrassment.

>You feel a little embarrassed yourself. And then your nose twitches.

>"I, oh, do excuse me, Anon and I were just-"

>"So this must be the wonderful couple I've heard so much about."

>You turn around to view a smiling, black-coated mare.

>She's wearing a fanciful dress, like most of the ponies at this whole wine-tasting thing, but she's different...

>She smells awful, for one. Like chemicals and death.

>Rarity doesn't seem to notice.

>"What...exactly, have you heard?"

>The mare giggles.

>"Nothing but rumors, darling."

>She glances up at you before leaning in and whispering.

>"What is he...like? In the bedroom, I mean. I'd imagine those fingers..."

>Rarity's face goes a shade of crimson.

>"I...why I...how rude! That is NONE of your business!"

>The mare chuckles.

>"Excuse me dear, excuse me. I was just SO curious."

>Rarity sniffs, affronted.

>"The relationship I have with Anonymous is nop0ny's business but mine."

>The mare smiles.

>"So you've never done it, then?"

 

 

>You casually drink the wine bottle you'd snagged from the wine tasting when they'd kicked you out.

>Not that you were complaining, watching Rarity buck a mare in the face was worth it.

>"Of all the uncouth, rude, DISGUSTING things to ask a pony! And then to make snide insinuations in the middle of-"

>You interrupt her, taking another drink.

"She wasn't lying, you know."

>Rarity turns her eyes up at you, sniffing.

>"How much of that bottle have you had, Anon?"

>You smile and shrug.

"Not enough. Want some?"

>She crinkles her snout.

>"No thank you. But really, it's the PRINCIPLE of the thing."

"What, pointing out that we havn't done it?"

>"Is it THAT important to you?"

>She stops and stamps a hoof on the cobblestone Canterlot street.

>You pull up short, surprised at the anger in her voice.

"Well...I mean...no, I guess? Shouldn't it be?"

>Rarity gives a tired sigh.

>"I...I'm not ready for that, Anon. I don't think WE'RE ready for that."

>You sigh and take another drink.

"When WILL we be? I've known you for HOW long, now?"

>Rarity's face grows red.

>"Is THAT the only reason you've...that we've..."

>You sigh and close your eyes.

"No. God, no. I'm...that's not what I meant. I just...that's all I know to do, marshmallow. That's the only way it's...the only way it's ever been."

>Rarity closes her eyes and lets out a frustrated sigh.

>"You're drunk."

"M'not."

>"Give me the bottle, Anon."

>You sigh and hand it over.

>Then you start walking away from her.

>"Where are you going."

"I'm gonna take a walk. I need to think."

>"About what?"

"I'll meet you back at the room."

 

 

>WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU.

>You scowl as you take another drink.

>You were currently slumped against a tree on a green hill, in some fancy Canterlot park.

>You'd stolen two wine bottles, but Rarity only had to know about the one you had kept in your hand.

>It wasn't fixing the problem.

>Booze ALWAYS fixed the problem!

>It's what you used when you...after you'd...when your Mother died.

>You scowl as your thoughts go back to her.

>This was her fault. Her stupid as fuck advice, that's what it was.

>IT WASN'T JUST THAT.

>Oh no, not you. You were the last thing you needed to hear right now.

>You take another drink, determined to drown the dark half in wine.

>You didn't want to hear what it had to say. You already knew what it would tell you.

>The problem wasn't your mothers advice, not totally.

>The problem was you. You, who'd tried to compare HER to every other one-night stand in your life.

>You, who'd been confronted with something new and been too scared to change.

>You, who was too afraid to admit you knew jack shit about real love.

>Dancing and drinking and sleeping with loose women wasn't love.

>You didn't plan on leaving her the next morning, so why insist on it?

"What the fuck was I thinking?"

>You hear a quiet gasp from somewhere behind you, and jump.

>You'd come here at night, thinking no one would see you.

"Shit! Sorry, don't mean to startle you..."

>You trail off as the source of the gasp comes trotting around the tree, a smile on her face.

>You raise a confused eyebrow as she speaks.

>"No, no, don't apologize. I'm...surprised to see you out and about, is all."

"Fleur de lis?"

 

 

>She smiles.

>"Hello Anonymous."

>You sit back against the tree and take another drink, still confused as hell.

"Fleur. What are you...I mean, what?"

>She giggles at your confusion.

>"I should be the one confused at your presence, not the other way around. I love this park, Anonymous. I come here to think quite frequently. Which begs the question..."

>She trots up to you, grinning wryly.

>"Why are you out here?"

>You shrug, taking another drink and scowling.

"Thinking. I think."

>Punishing yourself for being a dumb ass was more like it.

>She smiles at you response and points a hoof at the wine bottle.

>"I can see that. Where is Miss Rarity?"

>You sigh and put your head in your palm.

"Home, the room, I mean. Probably."

>Fleur raises an eyebrow.

>"Such an imprecise answer."

>You grunt.

"It's been an imprecise type of day."

>You look up from your eyes as you feel something warm next to you.

>Fleur's sat down next to you, her back against the tree.

>"Lover's quarrel?"

"No...not really?"

>She hmmphs, before her horn glows.

>Your wine bottle POOFS out of your hand and next to her snout, and she takes a quick drink.

>"Tell me about it?"

>You snort.

"Why?"

>She smiles.

>"Perhaps I'm bored. Anon, come now, it's not every night a bored, beautiful rich mare falls into your lap."

"How...arrogant."

>She smiles.

>"Just being truthful. Now..."

>You feel a hot breath on your ear.

>"Tell Madame Fleur all about you problems, and let's see what I can do to make them go away."

 

 

>You jump, looking at her in surprise and tipsy anger.

"Wait a sec. Whoa, what the-"

>Fleur draws back, smiling demurely.

>"Calm down, Anon. We're just talking. Nop0ny ever got hurt by talking, did they?"

>She takes another drink of your stolen wine.

>You stare at her for a second, and then sit back down.

"Give me back my wine."

>She magics you the bottle, still smiling.

>You take a drink.

"I don't know what I'm doing."

>"What do you mean?"

"I feel...lost. I love her. I know I love her, but she and I..."

>Fleur frowns at you, moving her face in close.

>"I heard what happened at that wine tasting earlier today. It's the talk of the town. Are things not...working...in the bedroom?"

>You chuckle.

"That's one way to put it. Maybe what's not working is me trying to get it working at all."

>You lean your head back against a tree.

"She's right. We aren't...we aren't ready for that. Not yet. I'm too fucked up."

>Fleur clucks her tongue in dissapproval."

>"Anonymous, come now. You're a stallion. Well, a male. It's only natural you should want that kind of...relationship, is it not?"

>She leans in closer, and you get a whiff of that strange chemical smell, along with her perfume.

>"Why don't you come with me, Anon?"

"What?"

>"Let's you and I take a moonlit stroll. No more sad thoughts. I'll show you the Canterlot night life."

>She reaches a hoof out to you.

>"Take my hoof. Let Lady Fleur take the pain away."

>Why not?

>Why the fuck not?

>You'd been looking to do a barcrawl anyway.

>And Fleur....

>Fleur was beautiful.

>You raise your hand...

 

 

>NO.

>Your head bursts into a sudden headache, and you wince as your sense of smell sharpens.

>You raised hand comes to your nose as pain explodes in your head.

>NO. YOU WILL NOT DO THIS, WEAKLING.

>You growl and back away from Fleur, astounded and in sudden agony.

>It shouldn't be strong enough to...the potion should...

>IT WILL NOT LAST FOREVER. IT CANNOT.

>What the fuck does IT care who you-

>SMELL HER.

>The thing's compulsion, sharp and furious, makes your eyes widen as you take a sniff.

>That smell, that chemical smell, invades your senses, so thick and cloying it makes you want to cough.

>Like chemicals and death and mold and rot, all mixed up in one.

>And something...something else...

>PHEREMONES.

>Fair a what?

>You feel the dark half snarl in your head, refusing to answer.

>Fleur, for her part, moves towards you, her eyes screwed up in concern.

>"Anon? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute Fleur. Think I drank too much..."

>You cough, struggling with the monster in your head.

>LOOK...AT...HER...HORN.

>You turn away from mentally beating the dark half back into submission.

>Her horn was glowing.

>You glance at the wine bottle in the grass.

>What the fuck was she doing?

>DECIEVER. TRICKSTER. GREENLING.

>You feel the dark half twist something in your face, and you cry out in pain, getting up and backing away from Fleur.

>That smell, the second smell...it had INVERTED somehow. She stank!

>And your head...it felt like you were about to fall asleep, and you were wide awake again.

>You stand straight up.

"Listen...Fleur, I've...I've gotta go."

>Her eyes widen in shock as you turn and start to jog away.

>"Anon! Wait! Where are you going?"

 

 

>You gagged and coughed as you ran, heedless of your environment, feeling drunk with terror.

>That smell...

>You could smell it coming from her as she followed you.

>"Anonymous? Wait! Wait for me!"

>No.

>Not just no, but fuck no.

>Whatever Fleur was, you wanted nothing to do with it.

>She'd been fucking with your head.

>The dark half had tried to warn you.

>The smell...

>You should have picked up on the goddamn smell.

>It had started when you met her, at the play...

>And that one mare at the wine tasting...

>You needed to get the hell out.

>You needed to get back to her.

>Back to the mare you loved.

>Back to Rarity.

>You keep running, heedless of Fleur panting as she runs after you.

>The smell increases in intensity, and your nose twitches.

>Whatever she's doing she's trying to do it harder.

>You run at the nearest building, grabbing hold of the ridges of the alabaster towers.

>No, fuck this. Fuck Fleur, fuck Blueblood, fuck this whole city.

>There was something wrong here.

>Now that the other half was awake, you could smell it all around you.

>That sharp, chemical stink.

>You needed to get back to her, right now.

>You scramble up the side of the building like a spider, ignoring the fierce temptation to just CHANGE and get it over with.

>The howling in the back of your mind makes you stumble as you claw your way to the rooftops.

>You can't hear Fleur anymore.

>But the smell still follows you.

>You start running, jumping over purple spires and leaping across roofs as you run.

>You see the tower in the distance, and you dare not look behind you for the smell.

>You had to make it before whatever it was caught up.

 

 

>Where WAS he?

>You idly take another sip of the stolen wine, cursing to yourself for the thousandth time.

>You shouldn't have let him go.

>He was CLEARLY drunk, or on the verge of it.

>But after..after what he said...

>Did he think you were some kind of harlot?

>HAD you been taking things too slow?

>You take another drink.

>Just to calm your nerves, of course.

>You hear a rapping on the chamber door.

>You sigh, and turn to the door, pulling it open with your magic.

>"Anon?"

ANON'S PERSPECTIVE

>There she was.

>Your bottle of wine, nearly empty, sat on a nearby table.

>You'd caught her mid-pace, one hoof raised, and a red blush on her cheeks.

>You run over to her, gasping and confused and more than a little scared.

>You grab her in your arms, shaking.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

>She freezes up, confused.

>"Anon, no. I should be sorry. I didn't stop to consider how humans..."

>You shake your head.

"No. No. That was me being stupid. That's...you were right. We aren't ready. And it doesn't matter if we ever are. I don't need to fuck you to know I love you."

>You hear her take in a sharp breath.

"I shouldn't have left."

>"What...Anon, what happened?"

"We need to go. Back home, somewhere else, I don't know, but we should get the fuck out of Canterlot."

>"Anonymous?"

>You close your eyes and take a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

>You feel a pair of hooves curl around you in a hug.

>"Anon, shhh. Shhh, it's okay. Talk to me. What happened?"

>You don't respond. How could you, after what you had almost done?

"I...we just have to go. Ponyville. Back to Ponyville."