//------------------------------// // Chapter 23: Sex sells // Story: Itinerant Kingdom // by Istaran //------------------------------// We gathered into a large circle in the cavern. The nine former prisoners sat directly across from me, while Midnight Oil and Fog Dancer flanked me. Wind Chaser sat behind me, her true form revealed, while Stud Muffin and Mirage snuggled off to the left and the Prince watched from the right. The remaining changelings formed an outer ring around us all, while null wandered the cave, continuing to break off crystals and toss them down into the pit, where Cherry Blossom consumed them, dissolving them into raw materials with her kingsblood. Dill quickly distributed plates of simple fresh made salads he had managed to smuggle from the restaurant, and everypony ate in silence for a few minutes before anypony spoke up. "So, my first question is.. what are these bug pony things?" Sunbeam, one of the pegasus mares, asked. "These are changelings. They're shapeshifting ponies that need to absorb the love of other ponies to survive. Their former ruler, Queen Chrysalis, just attempted a daring assault on Canterlot that didn't end well for them, and now anypony that hasn't been locked in a cave for the past few weeks knows they exist. These ones have chosen to serve me, which makes it my responsibility to see to it that they get enough love, and if possible I'd like to avoid them using their old techniques of stealing it from unsuspecting ponies. It's a lot better for everypony involved if they get it from volunteers." Top Flight, the pegasus stallion, smirked. "They feed off 'love'? So, what do they need to come over and you know.. give 'it' a good suck?" There were some offended comments from some of the mares and a snicker from one of the other stallions before I explained. "Sex is not love. There are a lot of different flavors of love, but generally they just need someone to appreciate them. That said, sex is usually helpful for getting the love flowing, and most changelings rarely say no, so I don't want to discourage any of you from taking a changeling-" Top Flight cut me off, shifting his weight back and revealing himself lewdly. "So which one of you wants to come get some?" he asked, looking at one of the changelings on the far side of the circle. The changelings exchanged glances before the one sitting behind him came around front and immediately went down on him. "I can't believe you!" Shining Star, one of the unicorn mares began. "We're here to discuss very important life decisions and you! You couldn't wait until the meeting was over?!" A low grunt announced Top Flight finishing the first round already, but after a quick exchange of glances the changeling continued. "For two years now I've been stuck in this hole, surrounded by mares and too afraid to even so much as touch myself. Well, those damned black crystals are gone now, and I'm not waiting any longer! And look at her! She loves it! Who am I to deny her?" "Umm, dearie, from this end we can all see that that's a stallion," the other unicorn, Painted Vista, pointed out. "Oh, really?" Top Flight questioned without emotion. "I can change if you want," the changeling pointed out as he came up for breath. Top Flight shrugged before pushing him back into place. "Maybe later." Peach Seed, one of the earth pony mares, drew her eyes off the lewd scene to settle them on me instead. "I have a question! Is it true that you personally have sex with every mare in the kingdom?" [Just what have you been telling them?!] I asked Wind Chaser and the others. With a quick glance, I could see that some of the other mares were already turned off in advance. "That is technically true, but not a matter of policy. Not counting changelings, these two are the only mares in my kingdom so far, and both chose to be with me in that way. I don't intend to sleep with every mare that joins me." Out of the corner of my eye I caught Midnight Oil wave her over with her head, and Fog Dancer pulling a bit away from me to make room. Soon Peach Seed strolled over and snuggled against my side, and I had to stop her from reaching in to give me the same treatment Top Flight was getting. "Not now.. as Shining Star pointed out, we're having an important discussion. Speaking of which.. any questions that don't involve sex?" Wind Chaser raised a hoof. "Maybe we should just have an orgy first, so everypony can clear their head before making important lifelong decisions." Top Flight shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. I'm happy to help feed the changelings for you. So sign me up." "So you really are going to sign your whole life over just for a bit of sex?" Shining Star asked accusingly. Top Flight sighed in annoyance, "no, I'm going to sign my life over to the group that just rescued us from a short and painful life of fear, pain, and hard labor, where everypony you know is destined to be unceremoniously shoved into a big hole. The group that needs me to feel something pleasant like love instead of nonstop crippling fear. The group that has shown they're more than capable of defending us from any assholes that try to do something like that to us again. And the group that offered to let a bunch of sad excuses for ponies like us join up, rather than be cast aside to fend for ourselves with no friends, no living family, and not a bit between us. I really don't see why any of you are even discussing this. We owe them our lives, and they're nice enough to ask politely. And have you done the math? Excluding the little foal here, if we all join that's one pony for every changeling. I don't know how much 'love' these changelings can eat, but I'm guessing they're better off if they have more than one pony sustaining a changeling rather than the other way around." There was stunned silence for a minute, as everyone realized the 'thoughtless horndog' had actually thought everything through already. Finally I spoke up, "you're right, of course. We were in bad shape with about four changelings per pony not too long ago. And while Wind Chaser and Mirage are in good shape now, all them were nearly starved to death not too long ago, and most are still quite hungry. You can see by the holes in their carapace and the protruding ribs. If you all join, at this point I will assign each of you a changeling partner to stay with you and work with you. As long as you keep an open mind and an open heart, you should be able to provide them with all the love they need without much trouble, and as King I have the power to redistribute it between them to make sure they all get enough. Having sex with your changeling partner is up to you. But as they're shapeshifters, they should be able to fit whatever you consider physically attractive." Top Flight gestured down to the changeling before him. "Look, you can see some of the holes closing up already!" he said triumphantly before finally pulling the 'ling off of himself and snuggling a bit tiredly. "Top Flight is right," said Moonbeam, the one lunar pegasus in the group. The mare continued, "so what do we have to do to join your 'kingdom'? Just say we want in?" "There is a blood oath you need to take to be fully inducted. You swear your loyalty to me, and lick a drop of my blood, the 'kingsblood'. After a few hours, a fever will set in, and when you awaken from it the kingsblood will be in you as well, empowering you as a member of my kingdom," I explained. "Finally!" Shining Star said. "Now then, let's get down to the real questions!" I did my best to explain exactly what the 'kingsblood' did, though I couldn't really explain what it was very well. Their culture simply didn't have the concepts to explain it. But in the end, for one reason or another, each of them decided to give the oath. And then, after that was done, before the fever overtook them.. we finally had that changeling orgy everypony wouldn't shut up about.