United We Stand: Part III
Shining Armor walked out of his tent and stretched. The changeling camp felt deserted even with the amethyst changeling queen sitting on the bench resting her chin on a pyramid made of her hooves. Past interactions between Shadowstep and Shining had been peculiar at best but the appearance of Twilight earlier had set him on edge. Ready to jump away at any second, he approached the changeling.
"Where is everypony?"
"Starlight is working on a magic circle around the Golden Oaks library. Your sister went there as well to help before the reawakened Nightmare Moon appears. Six hasn't been seen in over a week-"
Shining Armor shifted uncomfortably.
"-and Cross is doing his business."
"What's with him anyway? He's been sort of secluded last few days."
"He hurt the feelings of one of the ponies supposed to watch us and he took it hard it seems."
"Feelings? He didn't tear off his legs or something?"
"Inner wounds are more difficult to heal. He turned into the other camp leader's coltfriend to drain love from him but he didn't know the one he turned into was dead already. Things happened, Cross needs to recover from it."
"I wouldn't think a changeling would have a problem with something this small."
"You still think we are just some immoral creatures set on devouring your race. I won't try to persuade you otherwise because I don't care enough about you to do so. Cross, though, isn't a changeling."
"What? He changes into stuff all the time."
"Have you seen him without a disguise?"
Shining stopped. It was true that the first time he'd met Cross in the camp he'd proved to him he was a changeling by turning his front leg into a changeling one but that was about it.
"What is he then?"
"An experiment. He was patched together from pieces of various creatures by a dragon sorcerer. I was a part of that experiment and he's partially a changeling just because of it. Do you want to hear the whole story?"
"I'd much rather go help Twilight in Ponyville."
"When Starlight finishes the spell we will roll out whether Cross is here or not. Going against the Nightmare host unprotected is suicide."
Shining sat down at the table as well, clearing a layer of snow from the bench.
"Fine, fire away."
"I'll keep it short. Technically, the story concerns you as well."
"How come?"
"Have you ever wondered why your wife is so young when love is a force strong enough and has existed for thousands of years?"
"No, I haven't. Is she older than she looks? Am I married to Equestria's hottest MILF?"
Somewhere, queen Chrysalis suffered a minor aneurism for no reason at all.
"No. I met the previous alicorn of Love. He was a pretty cool guy actually. Unfortunately for him, he got captured by the dragon sorcerer I was talking about. The dragon wanted to create some sort of new breed or something. They can live for millenia and this guy was pretty insane in the old teapot... or he was just bored. I didn't really ask him."
"How did you get into all that?"
"He saved me from dying in the desert saying he needed an assistant. I eventually found out that I was just another one of the species he wanted to mix into his supersoldier. While I was working with him he let me feed from the alicorn of Love as much as I wanted to. Honestly, he was a sweet pony and the nicest guy you could ever meet... and do other things with, heh."
"Awww. Can changelings even fall in love? Isn't it like ponies falling in cake?"
"I'll punch you, banshee."
"Okay okay," Shining muffled a laugh with his hoof.
"It started as me just feeding on him in various disguises but I couldn't fool him and realized my mind control didn't work on him at all. I think it's a trait your wife inherited. In the end the dragon finished preparing the mixing ritual but I found out enough about it to modify it a little. I made the affected area bigger and allowed it to absorb dragonkind as well. After escaping the holding cage I lured the dragon close enough to get him affected. Every creature still in the holding cells died the second the ritual activated and it ripped out a part of my and the dragon's souls and power as well. Not being in the cells, both of us survived and saw the final product of the spell."
"Cross."
"Yeah. I gave him the name afterwards as a joke. Unfortunately for the dragon, the fading minds of his victims filled Cross with enough rage to, with my help, kill the sorcerer," Shadowstep smiled to herself.
"What's so funny?"
"I just remembered his curious face when he looked at me for the first time. He was born from blood, treachery and insanity and yet he still is pure like a foal in some aspects."
"He doesn't seem like a good soldier with that attitude. I know what we want from our guards and I'm not sure he would pass."
"And yet, he could easily shred your entire Crystal Guard to pieces. He does what I tell him to do even if he doesn't like it."
"So wait... is he somehow related to my wife?"
"Hm? Not at all. When alicorn of something dies completely for whatever reason then a new one will be born soon enough. Your wife is in no way related to him or the last alicorn of Love. It just explains why she's so young. Just imagine if she was a stallion. You'd be polishing something different from your guard chestplate."
"Celestia help me."
The crunching of snow revealed a batpony returning to the camp, head low.
"I take it the apology didn't go well," Shadowstep sighed.
"He... didn't want to talk to me at all. I can't blame him," Cross didn't even look up.
"Cheer up, sargeant. We've got some godslaying to do."
"Is Starlight ready?"
"Probably. The Nightmare's power suddenly weakened considerably. Banshee, are you coming?"
"Of course!" Shining Armor stood up, "I can't let Twilight face Nightmare Moon by herself."
"Good," Shadowstep stood up, "I'll give you a ride BUT you will obey my every order. You are temporarily under my command and you will do what I say no matter the circumstances. If I can't trust you then you can stay here."
Cross disappeared in his tent.
"All right," Shining agreed, "But-"
"No buts. I know you might be inclined to bodyblock for your sister or something stupid like that but that won't help us."
"Fine! I used to be a guard. I can obey orders."
"Good. Let's fly. Cross will catch up with us, he's faster than me. Especially with you on my back."
The blackfire explosion obliterated all tentacles, black smoke and other signs of Nightmare's power from the area.
Choking's knees gave out and she fell on the ground, eyes fixed on princess Luna lying on the ground with weak wisps of darkness swirling around her. Her mind stopped completely. She didn't care about the Nightguards attacking the rest of the group. She just watched the small pile of ash in front of Luna.
"DIE, YOU BUCKING BITCH! DIE!"
It wasn't Choking's scream, it was Guiding Light's who charged unmoving Luna. The black smoke thickned again and swatted her away. Nightmare Moon didn't reform though. It was still just princess Luna with living darkness dancing around her.
"Suppressing fire!" yelled somepony from above.
The black tendrils began moving again, slithering over Luna's coat. Bolts of violet energy began slowing the progress of the tentacles. Still firing salvo after salvo from her horn, Shadowtep landed and Shining Armor jumped off from her back. Cross landed a second later.
The barrage wasn't enough to stop anything though. Shadowstep's magic made small craters in the dark bubble rising around Luna but other than that the Nightmare seemed to grow stronger again.
"Cross," Shadowstep barked, "Help with the Nightguards-"
Cross looked at Luna slumped on the ground. Something felt familiar about her. She was in agony. Not physical but mental and the Nightmare was feeding from her. He tried to look into Luna's mind but he couldn't get far, he didn't have to. The image of a dead batpony was exactly the same he knew from Heavy Hoof.
"No, you do that, commander. I... think I can end this," said Cross.
Without a word, Shadowstep turned her head and began obliterating the opposition. The second she stopped focusing on suppressing the Nightmare it began growing again.
Cross trotted over to Luna. The blows from the black tendrils hurt but he was tough enough to take them for now.
He had promised Heavy Hoof and himself he would never again shapeshift into Sharp Biscuit and disgrace his memory. His chance to stop feeling the pain he'd felt since the hunt would be gone if he failed here or if Heavy ever found out about what he was going to do. He had to break the promise to the guard who had almost killed himself fighting against him just to stop him from using Sharp's form.
Green fire swirled around him and the black tentacles stopped right before hitting him again.
Luna looked up.
"Sharp?"
Shapeshifted Cross thought about what to say.
"It's over, princess," he said soothingly.
"Have I... protected my subjects?" Luna's exhausted voice was just more than a whisper.
"Almost. You have to let me go, princess. I," Cross hesitated. The gambit began, "will be by your side but you have to look forward, not dwell in the past."
"Am I a good... princess?"
"The one and only."
Luna slowly breathed out.
The black aura around her withered away and the Nightguards wavered in their attack. Their movements slowed down and eventually they slumped on the ground.
"Phew," Cross wiped his forehead, "Scary."
Luna's eyes opened and looked straight at him.
"Thank you... whoever you are," she said and began snoring quietly.
"She won't escape this time!" growled Guiding and, fangs bared, jumped towards Luna again.
This time she stopped in mid-air, surrounded by black shadow.
In a burst of purple flames, Void appeared and lowered Guiding Light on the ground.
"You were given a chance at a high price. Do not waste it pointlessly, others need you," said his deep voice.
Guiding stopped growling. The alicorn was right. She was a leader now, she had her hive to protect, whatever little remained of it after the skirmish with Nightguards. Sending a mental command, she looked sternly at Void one last time before leaving, followed by other Nightmare changelings.
"I KNEW you wouldn't resist," Discord clapped slowly, standing up from his folding chair.
Void took a step back and flared his wings.
"Remember," Discord narrowed his eyes, "You owe me one."
A little flash of light and the god of chaos was gone. In a black flame burning itself into vapor, so was Void.
Choking, drenched in sweat and tears, ignored everypony and just went home. There was no reason to stay in Ponyville anymore. Somepony would eventually take care of Luna or they might let her freeze during the night. Choking was not so secretly hoping for the second.
A week later.
Choking had stolen the money the mercenary left in the library before he could return for it and she'd returned to Canterlot as a fairly wealthy pony.
The days had passed but sometimes she hadn't even bothered to get out of bed. In the end she'd decided to fill the emptiness inside by alcohol... a lot of it.
Here she was, in the bar called The Lucky Horseshoe, washing away the foul taste in her mouth by an even fouler concoction made by Archie Bald, the bartender.
Two wibbly ponies approached her table.
"Good evening, commander," said Heavy Hoof, a statuesque white earthpony.
"Wuzz gud 'bout it?" Choking mumbled.
"Miss Darkness," said the second pony whom Choking identified after a while as princess Luna, "I wish to speak with you."
"I wush Blaze wuz 'ere."
"I can't help with that. I wish to apologize."
"Go 'pologize yurself."
"I want you to take Sharp Biscuit's place as my bodyguard."
"Buck off."
"Sharp was there for me when I needed a friend. I don't need somepony to take care of me anymore. I need somepony who will not hesitate to slit my throat if I go wrong again."
Choking threw her mug at Luna, gaining the attention of everypony in the bar.
"Buck yoo! Buck yer job! Buck e'rything! 'NOTHER DRINK!" she waved her hoof.
Heavy shook his head and poked the princess. Their prolonged presence would do more harm than good.
Minutes passed and a hooded stranger sat down at the table.
"Wuddya want?"
"A drink," Void, in his incognito form, drew back his hood and waved at the bartender.
"Why didya save her? Why not let her rot?" Choking looked at who was basically a smaller version of the blackfire alicorn pleadingly.
"Nightmare Moon destroyed Scream's mind. She does not recognize me. She cannot talk and does not move by herself," Void rolled his lips bitterly, "I did what I thought was best."
That got through Choking's drunked haze. Void was in exactly the same situation as her... almost.
"Dun wanna be alone. Hurts too mush."
Void levitated something from his robe. It was a black feather burning weakly with purple-black fire.
"You are my friend as much as Blazing Light was and I want to help."
"Piss off wit' plumes. Can't fly 'nymore."
"If you choose to take my feather you will forget everything about Blazing. You will know what you went through but the pain of losing him will go away. I remember him telling me about your love for flight and this will give you back your wings. It is only fair since you lost yours because of him."
Choking sat there, watching the burning feather.
"Archibald's coctails are amazing. I should come here more often," Void finished his drink and stood up.
"Tell Scream she's hot," Choking smiled.
"Every single day," Void hid his face under the hood again and left.
Choking kept watching the feather.
"I shuss' want the pain to stop..."
She put her head on the table, feeling the soft and warm texture of Void's flame on her cheek. Relishing the heat penetrating her head, she drifted to sleep on the bar table.
Archibald, or Archie Bald, nudged his regular customer when it was closing time.
"Yo, Darky, wake up!"
"Hmm?" Choking shook her head.
"Time to go home."
"Oh. Thanks, Archie."
"No problem. Come again soon!"
"Sure thing."
Choking walked out of the door, ready to walk home. Her back twitched and something brushed her sides.
She looked left. A purple, almost black, pegasus wing with blackfire shimmer was where her bat wing used to be what felt like ages ago.
She looked right. A red-gold phoenix wing was there, responding to her muscle memory perfectly.
Both wings felt incredibly warm, like a pleasant, steamy bath, making her relax. She flapped them experimentally and with a jump took to Canterlot sky.
"I should apologize to the princess, there was no reason for me acting like that. Maybe the bodyguard offer still stands."
Screeching happily as wind rushed around her body once again, she sparked through the night sky.
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Okay... This looks like a dusty old book. *takes it off the shelf* *a literal tidal wave of dust floods the library*
...
...
...
*swims to the top, gasping for air and opens the book*
Awww... most of the pages are missing! Oh well. *looks around* *mutters to self* hopefully that crazy looking janitor can clean up this mess *swims out of the Nameless library, book in tow, ready to read*
9231354
Well, there is only one chapter missing (or planned, to be honest, with how much I messed this up), and that one should cover Cross and Heavy actually giving each other a chance, which becomes a basis for their relationship from now on.
*Picks up a broom*
*Sighs*
"Ready to work."
"Zug zug."
9231663
I genuinely can't recall, but it's definitely set after Sharp Biscuit dies. Maybe it just happened to be a warmer day or two during the same winter?
EDIT: changed to "no snow yet today" Hopefully it'll be enough for now.
9232080
Okay, perhaps you should eventually get around to finishing that last chapter, for the sake of OCD if nothing else...
And good luck cleaning that up. These books really shouldn't sit for so long, but with how nobody really has checked them out, especially this one with only one comment before I stopped by... it's no wonder that so much dust was collected...
9232970
I admit it's a bit confusing.
"A queen-tier changeling." - a female changeling with the same characteristics as Chrysalis - additional plating around belly, fully developed horn, real mane and tail, about alicorn sized. Power-wise a changeling who could be/become a queen. This basically means a separation from a normal black changeling template. Shadowstep being referred to as the "amethyst queen" means simply a purple queen-tier changeling. (Well, Shadowstep is basically a real queen of her own small hive/unit but the explanation still stands).
You gotta remember that at the time when I was writing this, we literally had only 1 changeling episode and nothing further to go on.
A changeling queen/king meaning an official ruler refers to Chrysalis, Guiding, the Boss, Anthrax (I actually can't recall the glitterbug king name atm and can't be arsed to look it up). BUT I use the term queen usually for queen tier changelings as well as actual rulers, because it sounds better. My bad, I guess, but it's easy to work out from the context.
Also, every hive can have its own king/queen, but in my lore there are basically Chryssie's lings, Shadowstep's unit, Guiding's dreamlings, and the Boss' group at the moment.
9233064
Derpy is a Pinkie-grade enigma.
9233197
...then what was with the whole bit implying that there can only be two (at the moment, I thought it was just one, then I found out Chrysalis was still alive) royal changelings at a time? Couldn't the Hive pile just have declared One or Eight the queen of a separate hive, instead of insisting on King/Boss's death?
I declare this a plot hole! *puts up sign, warning you to watch your step around the hole*
9233862
I think it's still more a terminology problem than a logical one. Or maybe I'm just not seeing it.
Groups of changelings form a hive mind on instict (let's say as a storage space for knowledge and means of communication), and even solo changelings can have a "slot" like that. The hive memories/old rulers represented the biggest surviving hive mind and the line of rulers leading all the way back to Wistful (speaking of which, it is stated that Shadowstep had removed herself from the hive mind not to drain more power.) They copied her into the hive mind when things started to go south just before the kaboom, abandoned Chrysalis who they thought was dead (lost contact after she got knocked out and paralyzed by the explosion), and created a new king hidden far away from someone malleable and weak they could control, which took a lot of energy and effort. At first, they couldn't simply have Eight kill the Boss, and proclaim her a new ruler due to the power needed to make her ascend. Later, to make a different king, they would still need the Boss dead, which they eventually tried to do and failed.
It is also explicitly stated that Shadowstep returned as a general ranked under Chrysalis. I'm sorry, just don't see the hole nor the sign, I really don't. But hey, that means I'm not underrated, and that what little recognition I'm actually getting is exactly as much as I deserve.
9234141
Yeah, this story was supposed to be a happy joke, then plot happened.
9233943
Enter Tirek the Molested And Seeing A Therapist.
9234231
Why though? That's the plot hole I'm seeing.
•Boss (the king) needs to be dead for a new ruler to be crowned.
This implies a limit on how many rulers there can be.
—Yet at the same time, you imply there is no limit by saying that each hive can have its own ruler, meaning the Hive pile could have just taken One or Eight and declared her the ruler of a new hive.
So why does the Boss need to be dead for a new ruler to be crowned? Or why couldn't they just make One/Eight the ruler of a new hive?
That is the plot hole I see.
...welp, I guess I will check back later then. Off to the next story!
9234708
I had to check, and the first story you're supposed to read from this trio is Diplomatic Relations, but in the end it actually doesn't matter. There are links between the three final chapters.
9234713
Okay...
I guess off to Diplomatic relations.
9234713
...so? Any news on that plot hole?
the one from
9234705
9234803
Alright, I did something I swore never to do because it hurts both my eyes and my brain, and makes me facepalm at what I wrote - I read through the forty pages of my notes and the earlier parts of Management to get an idea what I was thinking over a year ago when it all started. I normally just shoot from the hip when answering comments, but holes with signs by them are serious business.
So, I was wrong on this before before:
There is no physical reason there can't be more than one changeling ruler within one hive. A ruler can give birth to another ruler. The reason why it hasn't been done unless the old ruler was in grave danger is that there was always a good chance of rebellion, splitting of the hive in two, and subsequent war.
The reason why the hive memories couldn't/didn't turn anyone else into a ruler was a matter of required power, timing, and no good targets (I'll get to that).
1) The story starts right before the invasion. When Three and the Boss meet, the invasion is failing, the hive memories are threatened by Chrysalis' failure, copy her mind right as the explosion is about to hit, and are finding a safe host in whom they can hide and whom they can use.
2) The changelings are paralyzed and stunned by the magical blast, the hive memories lose contact with hosts as the explosion spreads. They need hive changelings, not randoms who have been away from the hive for so long that they could barely influence them, especially those who escaped from the hive on their own.
3) The memories jump from changeling to changeling looking for someone at least not dying. Unfortunately, everyone not in Canterlot is either dead or about to be, making them jump from near-corpse to near-corpse, draining a lot of them to sustain themselves with whatever little drops of energy they can. This way, they follow the corpse trail (the only changelings they can reach) back to the hive where they find two alive candidates.
4) One of the candidates is a mentally crippled drone easy to control, but without any potential because it wouldn't be too useful without too much invested energy. Likely it would die even if instructed what to do. The second candidate is a little older drone spawned shortly before the massive burst of suicide drones for the invasion. He isn't that mentally damaged, and has already managed to gain a follower and instinctively form a miniature hive mind of their own. They possess him. Considering most changelings start as drones and then evolve into a further role based on the hive's needs (they don't have to, but it's a complete and safe growing process), drones have the most potential for biological metamrphosis.
5) Using whatever little love they can spare without killing themselves, they start the changing process inside the drone, using all his shapeshifting potential to make the tranformation as thorough as they can, thus blocking his normal changeling transformations. The goal is either to make a new king who would be the next in the long line of rulers, or if he proves inadequate he would be easy enough to take control of. Drones aren't the most mentally capable.
6) The two drones find a nearly dead warrior, and for a reason beyond the rulers' understanding they save her instead of devouring her for more power and knowledge. Now the rulers do have a new target they could make into a queen, but no energy. The group finally make it into a small settlement where the warrior helps the other two survive and regain small amount of power. The rulers start recuperating, but the transformation process from the drone to the king is already running on its own and can't be stopped. However, at this point the drone isn't resisting the rulers too much, and what he's doing is gathering followers and gaining power. Things are going according to the rulers' plan, no reason to change strategy.
7) The three changelings find a real infiltrator with whose help they manage to solidify their position within the small town. The hive rulers feel the presence of another vastly powerful changeling into whom they can't get, someone who seems to know how everything they do works better than they themselves. That changeling is hiding, observing, and recovering from the invasion as well. Do what they might, they can't reach One who has been Wistful's friend for a very long time, talking to him about the old times where things were different, and learning far more about how changelings work internally than the other queens who despised him as the original failure.
8) While the drone is reluctant to part with the energy the group gathered, he's still growing the new hive, and can't resist. Besides, the new potential targets are problematic, so they use them as a verbal threat to scare the drone. The other drone is unusable despite gradually getting a little smarter. The warrior, while subservient and tus perfect for control, is for some reason highly resistant to any influence other than from the drone the rulers are already "controlling". The newly rescued infiltrator would be the perfect target, but he's wounded and, as stated before, the rulers are still alright with how their plan is going, so there's no reason to change their strategy.
9) The group move to Canterlot where they start actively resisting the rulers' influence. However, they are still failing. The plan changes from making a new king to draining this one and using the body. At this point, wasting a massive amount of energy on making a new king from Ten, the only usable candidate, becomes risky as it would leave the rulers weak to possible counterattack by the boss and Eight. Four is a non-factor, because she's a crippled specimen.
10) One joins, and gets to know about what the rulers have been doing ot the boss. They try to negotiate with One, but she sees the difference between what the rulers did with lost changelings (and the history of the hives throughout ages) from her being good friends with Wistful (leave lings for dead, try to save themselves), and what the Boss tried (2 alive cripples in his group, trying to save prisoners, a high-rank loyal to the death for some reason). She damages Boss' brain to put him to the test of willpower. After all, a bad leader would have been left by his subordinates. She even starts teaching Four, partly to kill time, and partly to make another changeling choose between a weak leader and her own destiny. Four refuses to leave the boss even after she becomes fairly capable very quickly.
11) Paladins attack, and the boss refuses to leave anyone behind, even the defects Four and Three, earning a lot of One's respect as well as facehoofing, and the same now goes for Ten. The hive rulers now suspect, that making another king or queen wouldn't result in their victory. The changelings are either useless (prisoners, Three, Four), loyal beyond influence (Eight), an unsure risk (One), or too easy to kill if discovered as a traitor (Ten, Nine), especially after what Eight did to the traitor changelings who drained Three. In the meantime, the Boss' Kingly capabilities grow, as the process is now automated even without his shapeshifting ability, like regenerating a cut or growing hair.
12) From this point onward they have to fight for every bit of energy they can steal. Wasting any on the only potential target - One, could prove fatal. Four slowly becomes an option as her power grows extremely fast, but One expects it, and the first thing Four learns is mental defense, and One's commands. On top of that, One being constantly close to Four allows her to monitor the small infiltrator.
13) One, however, has to keep the plan going, otherwise the rulers would think of something else, if they knew they were against a group completely and firmly behind the Boss, which is why she pretends to be evil, to mess around, and to be more interested in her own survival, intrigue, and possible ascension to queenhood. They want to offer it to her, but they can't get into her head. She's too powerful to use force against, and knows too many mental tricks thanks to Wistful.
14) The last resort of the rulers becomes direct fight against the Boss' mind, and he proves to be controllable during the fight with Star Trail and later Celestia when they borrow him power and in turn gain some control over him. One knows about this, and after taking control of Luna, she learns some details about the isolation spell from her as they travel to Ponyville.
15) The rulers succeed in taking over the body they have been preparing for so long. Luckily, the Boss overdoses on cocaine, and his body shuts down. The rulers panic, and retreat back to the depths of the hive mind. One uses it to set up the isolation, and along with Eight and the Boss himself kill the old rulers.
I think this covers the opprotunities rulers had, and their thinking. Hopefully. If I strayed completely from your actual point, I'm sorry. Thinking is for smart people, me head hurts now.
9235241
I consider this explanation... satisfactory!
So basically, it wasn't that the Hive Pile couldn't make a new royal changeling as was implied, just that doing so would be practically suicide for them.
In other words, in the tense of a game of chess, it is like moving your king... directly horizontally to an enemy rook. It's not that such a move can't be done, just that doing so would pretty much mean forfeiting the game, and should be avoided no matter what.
The problem I saw was that it was implied to be impossible to create a new ruler when it really wasn't. It would just be suicidal for the Hive Pile to make such a move at every point in time throughout the story.
Anyways...
*yells out, signaling a construction crew to start rolling in, whom then proceed to fill in the p(l)ot hole.*
*picks up sign, leaves*
9235345
*Picks up the mop when he hears sudden noises.*
*Looks up and notices a construction truck INSIDE the library*
"What the-?"
*Turns around and walks away.*
"I'm gonna read this in the bathroom."
Okay, all three pieces of that, but the story is still far from over.
9239881
I'm pretty sure this one's done. It looks like I have to send the poor kids another bowl of rice to start working on the right sleeve of the T-Shirt.
On the other hole/hand/hoof/tentacle, the next story is supposed to be the best one I've ever written, or at least the best one from Imbalanced storyline. (Not my words, obviously. My words are usually much less friendly and inviting, often revolving about burning the entire library down along with the janitor.)
9239926
Meh. There's still the epilogue in HaW, but close 'nuff.
9245209
If your erection lasts more than 4 hours, please contact your nearest changeling.
9245231
It's time to do a 360 turn and walk "away".
9245923
9245926
Oh right, I slapped them all together and made up a sensible reason in the end. Well now you've made me look stupid.
On the other hand, that's not too difficult.
Not bad. Trying to juggle an anthology of background asides in the world and a proper storyline (up to and including who the hell are these people anyway) was probably not the best move though.
Also apparently Changeling Queens have so much power they can handle a font or dark magic so powerful Tirek gourged himself and couldn't make a dent. Maybe the love power had something to do with it, I think it has the type advantage over dark types.
9504325
Yeeeah. As I said, this set of stories is made for the eventual chopping block.
9534352
Nah... it goes from fun to the usual dark story way too fast. Just read the one story chapter for the full ending of Horn and Wings (Together we stand, part whatever), and move on.
Dun dun duuuuuun
This chapter really shouldn't be here tacked onto the end of a dead abandoned fic but whatevs.
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I know, I keep apologizing to literally every person who reads this but I don't have the time for a 3-story rewrite.
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old comment I know.
But chat gpt is powerful tool