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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
The Note
Cricket shifted uncomfortably as his fellow drones crowded in around him, the buzzing of wings and chittering of changelings filling the air in the great chamber. Craning his neck, he could see Queen Chrysalis approaching, striding up towards the podium in the decaying amphitheater as the crowd parted before her. Cricket glanced down at the rolled-up scrap of parchment he had stuck through one of the holes in his leg, then back up at his queen before he screwed up his confidence and raised his hoof to wave at her.
Chrysalis blinked. “Yes? What is it, six-ninety-four?”
Cricket winced at the use of the nickname she had given him as a child, but rallied quickly. “I have a not for you. From my mother.”
“From your mother.” Chrysalis stared.
Cricket bobbed his head.
“Oh, I have to see this.” Chryaslis’s horn glowed with sickly green light as she snatched the small piece of paper away from him, reading it out loud.
[i]Dear Queen Chrysalis,
Please excuse my son Cricket from the invasion of Canterlot. He isn’t feeling well today. I’m sure he would be happy to make up the work he missed next week.
Chrysalis trailed off, staring at the bottom of the paper.
“Cricket.”
“Yes, your majesty?”
“What is your mother’s name?”
“Uh… Queen Chrysalis?” Cricket said cautiously.
“And what is my name?”
“Queen… Chrysalis?”
“Actually, it is just Chrysalis. Queen is my title.” She cleared her throat, glancing at Cricket before looking back at the note once more. “Did you forge my signature?”
Cricket rubbed at the back of his neck with his hoof.
“This is really good!” she said, smiling toothily. “Very convincing. Except, of course, that I never signed it.” She lowered the paper to stare at Cricket as the amphitheater fell deathly quiet.
Cricket rubbed his hindlegs together. “So, uhm, may I please be excused?”
“No.”
Cricket hung his head.
“Oh, don’t look so down. I’m sure that I can find a special task for such an enterprising son of mine who is so good at using his head.”
Cricket looked up hopefully. “Really?”
“Really.”
Cricket gazed down at the vast azure force field and sighed. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time.
“There’s the signal,” Katydid shouted, his fellow drone hovering in the air beside him. Cricket had never told him, but Katydid was really more of a girl’s name. “Well?”
Cricket sighed, his wings buzzing as he slammed down face-first into the magical shield surrounding Canterlot. Shaking his head, he rose back up into the air, only to slam himself back down into the shield.
On the bright side, he reflected silently, at least today couldn’t get any worse.
Chrysalis blinked. “Yes? What is it, six-ninety-four?”
Cricket winced at the use of the nickname she had given him as a child, but rallied quickly. “I have a not for you. From my mother.”
“From your mother.” Chrysalis stared.
Cricket bobbed his head.
“Oh, I have to see this.” Chryaslis’s horn glowed with sickly green light as she snatched the small piece of paper away from him, reading it out loud.
[i]Dear Queen Chrysalis,
Please excuse my son Cricket from the invasion of Canterlot. He isn’t feeling well today. I’m sure he would be happy to make up the work he missed next week.
Signed,
Cricket’s Mother
[/i]Cricket’s Mother
Chrysalis trailed off, staring at the bottom of the paper.
“Cricket.”
“Yes, your majesty?”
“What is your mother’s name?”
“Uh… Queen Chrysalis?” Cricket said cautiously.
“And what is my name?”
“Queen… Chrysalis?”
“Actually, it is just Chrysalis. Queen is my title.” She cleared her throat, glancing at Cricket before looking back at the note once more. “Did you forge my signature?”
Cricket rubbed at the back of his neck with his hoof.
“This is really good!” she said, smiling toothily. “Very convincing. Except, of course, that I never signed it.” She lowered the paper to stare at Cricket as the amphitheater fell deathly quiet.
Cricket rubbed his hindlegs together. “So, uhm, may I please be excused?”
“No.”
Cricket hung his head.
“Oh, don’t look so down. I’m sure that I can find a special task for such an enterprising son of mine who is so good at using his head.”
Cricket looked up hopefully. “Really?”
“Really.”
Cricket gazed down at the vast azure force field and sighed. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time.
“There’s the signal,” Katydid shouted, his fellow drone hovering in the air beside him. Cricket had never told him, but Katydid was really more of a girl’s name. “Well?”
Cricket sighed, his wings buzzing as he slammed down face-first into the magical shield surrounding Canterlot. Shaking his head, he rose back up into the air, only to slam himself back down into the shield.
On the bright side, he reflected silently, at least today couldn’t get any worse.