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A Princess and Her Queen

by kildeez

Chapter 30: Chapter XXX: Quick Fluff with Flutters and Switch

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Switch ushered his charge back through the hallways, along past the nursery and the daycare. By now, the moonlight pouring through the windows had a green tint to it from the goop completely encasing them, but Fluttershy didn’t even seem to notice, keeping her attention on him, helping him along while offering as much support as she could.

“Does it still hurt?” She asked for the eleventh time, still looking over his head even as they walked.

“Again, Flutters, it’s just a little ache!” It was odd: he would be grinding his teeth at anyone else acting this way, shouting at them to just leave him alone and baring his fangs, but not Fluttershy. Instead, he couldn’t stop looking at her as the moon’s glow filtered through the green gunk and sparkled in her mane, casting her dandelion-cream coat in an almost-otherworldly hue. And maybe that’s why her constant pestering wasn’t annoying him: he was too utterly transfixed by the way she looked right then to even care.

“Oohhh…I know, it’s just you were on the ground for so long and you were barely coherent when they first got you up, I just…” she bit her lip, visibly stopping, and that’s when Switch’s heart leapt in his chest.

She cares about me… he realized. Not just pretending, not just forcing herself to give a damn to trick him into a false sense of security, but an honest bit of caring. To be cared for by someone so loving…

If it hadn’t been for the immense self-control that allowed him to carry out his missions with the success he’d known time and time again, he might have swept her up in his hooves and kissed her right then and there. It was more than enough to just keep trotting along and hope he could make it out of there with his sanity intact.

“Fluttershy, really,” he said, taking her hooves in his (and ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat as he did). “That wasn’t the first hit to the head I’ve ever taken, and it’ll be far from the last. A night of rest will do me good, and tomorrow, I’ll be ready and raring!”

Biting her lip, Fluttershy nodded, a slight mist shimmering over those deep, gorgeous eyes. Repressing the urge to kiss those tears away, Switch looked away, gazing up at the moon through the glistening layers of gunk layered over the windows, and trying not to think how amazing that angelic voice sounded while those moonbeams bounced off that luxuriously soft mane. He bit his lip so hard his fangs nearly drew blood. He had to distract himself, at least until they reached her cocoon and he could secure her for the night. He thought back over the last few days, his mind glancing over her talking about her animals, like that manticore who was supposedly waiting for a tea party back in Ponyville…

It hit him like a bolt, bringing a massive grin to his fangs. No, they couldn’t share in something intimate, but maybe they could share something just as special.

“Hey Flutters, hold up,” he said quickly.

She paused and turned to him, curious. “Hmm? Switch?”

Smiling, he lifted a wing, followed by a small section of carapace that unfolded by itself, much like a beetle’s. “You won’t believe how useful this little chunk of chitin can be,” he explained as he reached into it, feeling around the soft chitin beneath. “I can use it to hide knives, bolas, potions, just about anything you can think of. Of course, it’s the first spot royal guardsponies know to check on a captured changeling, so getting by them takes a little more creativity…”

He noticed the wide, glazed-over look in her eyes, and cursed himself. Just had to go and remind her that he was an enemy operative, and a professional at that. “Right, well,” he coughed. “The point is, it’s a great little spot for lots of things, even something alive.”

That wide-eyed look turned into cockeyed confusion, followed by an actual adorable squee of delight as his leg returned with a small, leathery bundle clutching to his fetlock. “Oh my goodness!” She gasped, eliciting a shiver from the bundle. “What is this!?”

A warm smile crossed Switch’s face as two humongous, brown eyes peered out from under the bundle. “This is Mr. Sprinkles,” he replied. “I found him back in the Hive, all alone.”

The massive eyes turned around, facing Switch with wide-eyed confusion, then turned to see the bright-yellow shock of color standing in front of him and immediately retreated. “Oh, it’s okay, little one,” Fluttershy cooed, inching forward ever-so-slightly with her voice low and soft. “I’m a friend.”

The eyes peered out again, and turned to face Switch, who nodded confidently. At that, the wings unfurled to reveal a tiny bat, no more than a few inches from wingtip to wingtip. “I figured he was the runt of his litter,” Switch said. “I…made a big mistake underestimating a little guy before, and it cost me big time, so I figured I better…you know…”

He trailed off as she smiled up at him, the mist gone from her eyes, replaced with cheerful glee that practically danced in her gaze. Once again, Switch had to summon all his self-control just to keep from hngh-ing right then and there. “Bat families are usually more tight-knit than that,” she whispered. “This one must have been left behind, or perhaps…something happened to his family.”

“Well, he’s not much of a talker,” he replied, turning his hoof to cradle the bat in a massive foreleg. “But he's been pretty loyal to me so far.”

“You must have been very kind to him for that loyalty. Bats are very fickle creatures.”

“Y-you're right, they are,” he stammered. “I wasn't sure you'd know that much about them, considering they're not exactly...you know...”

“...traditionally cute and cuddly?” She asked with a small, knowing smile.

He swallowed and nodded.

“Well, neither are bears. Or giant spiders. Or changeling nymphs. But they all still get hurt, and somepony has to care for them.” She nodded, so sure of herself, but then her face fell.

He didn't even have to ask. “You're worried about the ones back at your home. The ones you're not around for.”

She nodded again, biting her lip as the tears welled up. A tattered, insect wing wrapped around her whithers, and to both of their surprise, she embraced it.

“Don't worry, you'll get back there, I promise,” he whispered. “We're not gonna be here forever. Once we move out, everypony will be free to go.”

“How do you know that?” She whispered.

He bit his lip. “I wish I could tell you,” he sighed. “But just know if I have to carry you back there myself, you're going to make it to your home again, and you're going to help all of those little creatures.”

She smiled up at him. “You're acting like it's the most important thing in the world.”

He started to say: it is to me, but opted to just stroke her back instead, running a hoof against her soft coat.

“And maybe...when this all happens...you can visit sometime?” She whispered tentatively.

It was a testament to Switch's ability as an actor that he maintained the hoof rubbing her back at a steady pace, even as he fought to restart his heartbeat. Again, he wanted to say a lot of things. He wanted to tell her that nothing would make him happier. He wanted to tell her he would count every second of every hour until that time. He wanted to tell her he could already picture a fine tea party in his mind, with him sitting across from her sipping at tea while she wore a gorgeous sundress, bathing in the sunlight as he slowly reached across to her, their eyes locking, muzzles closing together, and that it didn't matter if immediately after a dozen royal guardstallions showed up to haul him to the dungeons because that one moment would make it all worth it, and living the rest of his life without that moment would just wind up being one of his greatest regrets, something that he knew would weigh on his shoulders until the day he died.

Instead, he said: “We should get you back in your pod. It's been a long night.”

“Oh!” She gasped. “I'm sorry, you should be resting!”

“I'll be fine,” he mumbled as he ushered her back to her room, basking in the continued contact he had with her warm, lithe body. “I'll be just fine.”

Next Chapter: Chapter XXXI: The Setup Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours
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