The13thOctober

"Stop him, now. Catch him under your foot, like that. Don't let him get away. Grab his head." I could feel the dove's beak thrashing in my half-hearted grip, an odd slick scraping just beyond the soft ruffled feathers. "Hold him tight, don't let him get away. You're gonna have to give it a good yank." I could feel my lips shaping the echo of a question, but I was transfixed by a dark red smear on the side of my shoe, barely big enough to fit across the bird's back, barely big enough to hold it in place. "Yes, pull it off. He's in pain. We shot him, but we don't let him suffer if we can help it." I could feel the dove's neck, fragile but

Aha, you're finally awake. Good, I was getting so tired of the waiting. I do hope you're comfortable. They may call me wicked - and they may be right - but I am not cruel, after all. Oh? Yes, well, it does take a bit of time to adjust, I'm afraid, but you'll soon grow used to it. Now, where are my manners? I am Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings. Well, of course you already knew that. And of course I already know who you are, but it's always best to be polite, I find. Now, why don't you introduce yourself? No? Ah, what a pretty name for such a pretty filly. I am ever so sorry for having to resort to such measures, but I'm sure they won't

Let the earth take my name with my body, let it be spoken no more. Let me join the forgotten, the misremembered, the unloved. Let me be in good company.

She sniffled, and straightened, nose buried in the crook of her arm as she turned her head to watch him expectantly. "Well?" she prompted in a muffled rebuke when her patience had fled. "Well what?" She dropped her arm. "Aren't you going to say 'bless you?'" "I never do," he answered simply, and was compelled to continue a moment later. "Don't you know how it started? Back during the bubonic plague, people thought saying that would prevent it from spreading when someone sneezed. It doesn't mean anything." "So?" she furrowed. "The world could use a few more 'bless you's.'"