Rose Guard

As the Ambassador toured the castle, he pointed to a flower garden next to the stable, where a guard stood in a spot that had been cleared of flowers in the middle of it.

"What is that guard there for?"

The captain of the guard, who was showing the Ambassador around, sighed.

"Many decades ago, the Princess had a beloved pet puppy that sadly died, and was buried there. She demanded a guard to watch over it, and we've never removed it out of respect."

The Ambassador nodded, the captain lying quickly, given they couldn't discuss the hidden tunnel entrance.

Pulled To Death

After being touched by the golden starlight, she'd begun to see them. Little threads of gold, silver, and black, drifting lazily through the air, attached to everything living thing she saw. She didn't say anything, for fear of being locked up and having tests run on her indefinitely.

But a few weeks of seeing them, it made her far too curious not to try it.

She saw the pigeon, eating a discares sandwich from the sidewalk. She slowly approached, grabbed a thread, and pulled.

The pigeon died. She gained a little power.

And this was the thread that started Armageddon. 

Abandoned

When she sent out the call for all her children to return, it reached every corner of the galaxy. The automated beings dropped everything, as they headed back to their home.

This led to a few thousand deaths, from surgeries left undone, crafts travelling through deadly (to organics) space, and other results of the automated beings abandoning their roles and jobs.

Obviously, this was unacceptable, and it was determined that automated beings could not hold important roles going forward, if they tried to return to the galactic society.

Given they returned as a conquering force, this decision was somewhat meaningless.

Portal Truth

The scientist fell through the portal and landed heavily on the concrete, groaning before they began to get up.

"I did it! I created a portal into another universe! I can-"

They stood up and was stunned when they saw an older version of themselves, looking unenthusiastic.

"Let me answer the questions you have.

No, you can't go anywhere else, you need another portal generator on the other side.

No, you're not the first one of us to be here.

And no, there's no universe of sex-crazed beauties. The universe doesn't work like that."

That last one was a lie.

Everyone's Friend

We all have that one friend, who's a friend but not really a friend.

Their name is similar to one of your other friend's names, so you tend to forget about them if you're not actively talking about them. They're not  a freak, as far as you know, but they do seem a little off, somehow. They don't quite dress right, they tend to not get jokes, and you've never seen them or heard about them being with a partner.

Everyone has that one friend.

Seriously, how is this being able to be everyone's friend, we need to investigate this!

Evaporating Chances

The wizard cast 'Summon Greater Elemental', expecting a huge ice beast, or maybe a water nymph.

Instead, a cloud of steam formed, and hung in the air.

"Oh dammit, now I'll have to wait 8 hours to recast the spell!"

He grabbed his bag of wind and unleashed it, pushing the steam creature out towards the sea, as he waited 8 hours, then cast it again.

A portal opened, and a water nymph stuck their head through.

"Sorry, your plane is dead to us, you're getting taken over by a steam spirit, some idiot let it loose over your ocean."

Costume Party

I never did find out her name, I just called her Harley during the party, since she was wearing an attempt at a Harley Quinn outfit. She called me Sam for roughly the same reasons, and I stuck with her since she was the only person at the party who recognised the Maltese Falcon in my hand.

We drank, we smoked, we attempted to play a party game neither of us understood. But then we ended up on the sidewalk, talking until she said goodnight.

My buddy insisted I should have tried to pick her up.

I thought I had.