Kings Weep Not for Their People, But No King is He
The band of survivors walked up to the Temple dragging their spirits behind them. Ted gave the ponies he passed at the entrance the order to allow the canines to make use of the Temple as they needed, and to allow the injured access to the medical room, and walked past those who greeted him in the halls with dull eyes. He'd been so stupid, even knowing there were things out there that could rip this small band of survivors apart. He'd even appeared in full view at the port. If news reached the Mad Queen of his existence, there was nothing that would protect his ponies. Dropping his bags by the door, he climbed into bed, not even bothering with a shower despite the bloody field he'd traversed. He just didn't have the energy at the moment. It wasn't physical fatigue, he'd not felt that often since his release from the armor.
No, the alicorn was weary of every mistake he may have made so far. Had it been wise to invite the changelings in to the Temple? To date they'd caused no problems, but there was only five, including two children. Was wiping out the bandits truly necessary? Could he have driven them off without killing them? What about the trip to the port? Should he have put the expedition off, at least until he could properly disguise himself? Then there was the trip to find the missing ponies; there were a hundred ways that could have gone wrong. Honestly, Mirage had noticed his presence, even if she couldn't see him. Of course something running on instinct could pinpoint his location by the scent of his emotions.
Then there was something he'd realized when he saw the bodies outside the den. The bandits that had attacked him in the forest, and even the snake before that had been messy. He'd been covered in gore after fighting the snake and while it had been gross, it hadn't made him nauseous. Even ripping into the bandits at the beach he'd been unaffected by the death he'd dispensed upon the attackers. Why? It was the first time he'd killed a sapient being, the lead gnoll making it obvious by even speaking to him. So why had it not struck him?
'Because it wasn't her first time killing in self-defense.' He realized. Once more, Luna's memories had helped him, this time in a way he'd not even able to fathom at the time. They were so strong sometimes, so terrifying to his mortal mind, and yet they'd done so much for him. What would he have done if he'd not had them to fall back on? He'd never have made it out of the ritual room without falling on his face, first of all. The snake would have killed him and his ponies, dooming the rest of the Temple's residents to starvation. The gnolls would have either made off with his ponies for food or slaves, maybe him as well depending on how his assault against them went.
More and more he reflected on his situation, and so many ways things could have gone wrong. Further and further into the darkness his mind fell.
<-(0)->
The changeling caretaker had heard of it within a few moments of Father's return from the den. Spreading almost as quickly as news of His return was news of the dark cloud that seemed to hang over His head. She herself had tried getting close to the alicorn, but had started to feel nauseous even from the hallway outside his room. She wasn't sure what to do to help him, but she didn't seem to be alone.
Gleam was standing in the hall as well, looking at Father's door with a worried expression, one that couldn't even begin to match what the shape shifter could feel radiating off of the mare.
"Do you know what happened?" Mirage asked the unicorn. "All I've heard so far was he got back and he's upset. That, and if I get any closer than this, I'll get sick from the depression Father's radiating."
"You can sense that?" The mare asked. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Father returned from the den with a few more of the canines than He left with, some of them scratched up pretty badly. They were also sad, but Tulip managed to get one to talk while she was helping Trauma bandage them up. It seems the den was hit by a large group of armored griffons and ponies a day or so ago, leaving the place in shambles."
"So He feels it's His fault that a group of bandits got attacked in what was most likely a retributive strike, why?"
"I can only assume it's because He hoped to turn them around." Gleam responded. "He saved us, didn't He? Even you and the nymphs would either be dead or wandering the jungles still if not for His help. Instead your free to walk around the Temple, the only changelings on the planet that can do so in their birth form, as far as I know."
The changeling winced at the mention of her previous condition. "Fine, He wants to help everyone. But what can we do?"
"I don't know, Mirage." She said, shaking her head. "I think for now, we just need to give Him some time."
<-(0)->
'What about Mom and Dad?' The alicorn wondered drearily. 'Are they even still alive? Even if I manage to stabilize the area enough to put time into finding a way home, would it even be worth it? It felt like a few weeks at most, and it was forty years, but even then does time pass the same here as at home? If this worlds time flows differently, is the earth even still there? Or did the sun explode by now, wiping away the last traces of everything I knew?'
'My work, my home, my life, even my name isn't really the same here. What do I truly have anymore? At the end of the day, what is Theodore Fredson left with? Simple answer.'
'Nothing.'
<-(0)->
Buster, a large gnoll, his hunched form easily hanging over the ponies, pondered his current situation. He was by no means the most intelligent of his den, nor was he the dumbest. He knew that the den was gone, that it would probably never be used again, that in such a case, the survivors would be left to wander the jungles until they were picked off by the local fauna or fell to starvation, injury, or old age. The fall of a packs den was the fall of a pack.
But the big pony, the pony's Alpha, he didn't like that. He told Buster to follow, and follow the gnoll did. The canine didn't have anything else to do anyway. Buster was, by law, Alpha of what was left of the pack, but he had no idea what he would do with such a position. There were no elders to ask for advice, there were no hunting packs to set up or lead. Why was he still here? Why did he and the others cling to a life that had no purpose?
'Because pony Alpha say so.' He thought. 'Pony Alpha know what he doing, so Buster follow. Buster supposed to be Alpha, but follow pony Alpha.'
"Buster not Alpha." He mumbled sadly to himself, looking around the medical room at his patched up pack mates. Ponies had helped them, even after pack attacked them, because pony Alpha said so. Now ponies were sad because Alpha was sad. They didn't line up to challenge the Alpha, they didn't pack up and leave with others to make a new den. Some waited for their Alpha to feel better, some tried finding things to cheer Alpha up, others just did what they were supposed to, because Alpha needed them to do good work.
'Alpha is strong.' Rust had told some of them what the Pony Alpha had done, how he had torn through the pack's hunters like a claw through a layer of leaves. 'Alpha leads pack.' The big pony lead the smaller ponies, he told them where to go and what to do, and they did it. Even the not-ponies listened to him, because he was Alpha. In the end, even Buster had followed the Alpha, because he didn't know what to do. But Alpha knew. Alpha always knew what to do.
'Pack trusts Alpha, follows Alpha through life to death.' He would help Alpha. He'd tell the others, too. If they didn't like it, they could leave. Big pony already said pack-mates can go if want, so Buster give them same choice. Alpha would find something for Buster to do, and Buster would follow Alpha. Just like Buster had always done. Nothing would distract him from his duty.
'Hope Eve stay. She pretty.'
Ok, almost nothing. Buster was sure Alpha would forgive thinking about her.
Auto's eyes tracked every movement in the medical room, watching as the ponies finished working on the last injured gnoll.
'Stupid ponies. Why we still here, why we not take them yet?' he thought to himself. He watched as his larger pack mate, Buster, relaxed against a wall, dozing off as if he were back in the den.
'This not den, he stupid? Maybe catch stupid from pony, but Auto not. Too much brains. All pony's fault. If not fight back, not lose so many of pack. Then not lose to what attack den. Bet big pony knew about attack, that why ask send Auto away, so not be there to help den.' The little gnoll was seething with anger, looking around the medical area. It was against everything he knew. The ponies healed the sick, not kicked them out. The ponies knew nothing of fighting, and were only good as slaves and meat. Why did Buster follow big pony? Looking around at the remains of the pack, he made his decision. He'd challenge Buster for position of Alpha, then lead the pack away from stupid ponies. Find new den, become strong again. Maybe take some ponies with as slaves.
His attention was dragged to a mad giggling, seeing crazy pony trotting happily to his desk with a blood bug attached to his nose.
"Maybe not take slave, not have place to keep anyway." The gnoll muttered to himself.
<-(0)->
Even as lunch passed, a unicorn worked feverishly in the war room. There were buildings to design, crops to plan, resources to allocate, not to mention figuring out where to put all of the things still sitting in the courtyard before the storm struck. Looking out the window, he could see the rumbling clouds in the distance. They awoke a fear in the unicorns heart for a grand total of three seconds, before he smothered it, remembered the Nightmare's words.
'If a race of magic-deficient creatures can learn to live with no control of the weather, so can I. Let no one say that Shadow Weaver was shown up by a creature with not a single mote of mana.'
He went back to his work, scribbling out a few lists before rushing out into the hallway and hoofing it on to a passing pony, ordering them to deliver it to Gleam. Wondering how he would seal the war room and the library against the rain, his question was answered by a buzzing noise, as a changeling flew about the outside of the room, rubbing a strange goop into the cracks in the temple before blasting them solid with its fiery magic. The creature worked quickly, sealing the cracks and attaching wooden boards held in place by pegasi over the holes.
'Maybe the Nightmare was onto something when He kept the bugs.' He absentmindedly thought, watching as within minutes, the war-room's walls were sealed against the coming storm. The Nightmare did so much for him, He vindicated Weaver's existence. The Nightmare's resurrection proved to him that he wasn't just following some fairytale, that change was possible. The Nightmare confused him, it was true, but he realized why he had so many problems trying to understand his ruler's ways. Weaver was attempting to understand the mind of a God. As if a mortal could ever hope to understand that!
'Not only that, His Darkness even explained to me why He helped us, and I brushed it aside like the heathen I was.' He thought, shaking his head. 'Truly He could have struck me down for my stupidity right then and there, speaking against His will. But once again He knew better, as He always does. I will not let my Lord down again.' The nightmare was in His room resting, recovering from whatever ailed Him, but His wishes were clear. The Nightmare wanted this place to be a refuge for ponies, thestrals, griffins, changelings and the, ugh, gnolls, or whatever else showed up at the temple, then fine.
Shadow Weaver would make this place the best Celestia-damned paradise he could.
<-(0)->
Everything you know is gone. Everything you cherish has withered away. Everything you love has long since crumbled to dust...
<-(0)->
She spread another layer of wax over another patch exposed dirt, before igniting her horn, leaving only the sealed substance that would keep the chamber warm and dry. The entrance was also rounded now. If water rushed into the basement, much of it would be directed away from her nest. She took another look around, observing her progress so far, and smiled. Food was plentiful, she had a nest she didn't have to actively defend, and all-
*throb*
The changeling winced, clutching her head with a hoof. Shaking off the pain, she snarled, storming up to the second floor. She pushed through the nauseating field of depression, and bucked open the door to the room Safe/Warm/Food was staying. His current mood was driving her mad, well, mad again, this time with the pain the waves of depression were causing her. She'd begun relying on the large kind of/not really prey. He offered everything she needed, and asked only that she not hurt his hatchlings. She even saw the hatchlings of other queens in the halls, not just ponies and cat-birds. He would treat her hatchlings the same, right? So she'd made a passive link to him, allowing her to taste his emotions no matter where he was, and funnel just a little of it into herself, allowing her to feed whenever she was hungry.
Now that link was the cause of her pain. His depression was rolling off of him in waves, driving the changeling hatchlings away, causing the pony hatchlings to emit bitter sadness, and worst of all was funneling depression right into her, giving her indigestion. Slowly, the alicorn turned to look at who had just kicked his door, and she swung at him.
*Crack*
Ted could only stare in confusion as the proto-queen glared at him, hoof still raised from where she'd back-hoofed him across the face. Slowly he raised his left hoof, touching the now-tender spot on his cheek and pulling the hoof away, checking for any blood.
"Disgusting, bitter. Giving me headache and scaring hatchlings away. Stop it." She hissed at him. It was all Ted could do to just nod along, wondering where the hell she'd come from. Finally, she rubbed her own muzzle with a hoof, before speaking again. "Say want to learn of us? Learn of changelings? We taste emotion, each different to us. What you feel before? Bitter, disgusting, almost make me sick. Had to push through to reach you, room still spinning. Do again, I do more than hit. You scare all hatchlings in Nest." Finishing her rant, the changeling turned for the door, unsteadily making her way to the hallways.
'Oh my god, I can't even be depressed without hurting someone here, how messed up is that?' Shaking his head, he rubbed his temple with his right hoof, wanting to avoid rubbing the tender spot. 'God dammit, just leave me to my mise-'
There was a flash of black and grey from the doorway, a painful impact near his eye, and Ted's world spun as he was thrown from the bed.
Moral of the story? Female on Male violence = funny, Male on Female violence = assault.
Yes, the proto-queen's part was fun to write. Yes, leaving you guys to call her the not-quite-queen makes me happy. No, I will not be happy for too much longer. 
Oh, and I just watched the trailer for Fallout 4. *Random Fanboy noises* 
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Poor Ted. Not even aloud to spiral into depression.
Sounds like the proto queens in for an ass kicking or 2. Not because shes upset that his misery makes her feel bad but because she feels so entitled to it already. Maybe a talk to instill some fear for what she could go back to in an instant. Knock some sense into that uppity bitch.
Poor sap can't even wallow properly
Nice to see shadow weaver again.
6053205 Changlings feed on emotions and Ted offered food, shelter and safety. Suddenly spewing out so much negativity is I imagine quite similar to offering food and then suddenly only offering moldy poisoned food.
Y'know... There's a whole recovery process and, sure, wallowing endlessly is very bad, but denying it altogether is only going to make things worse as well.
Male on Female violence may be seen as worse than Female on Male, but after that scene I would fully support Ted clocking her back. Her understanding is badly incomplete and she needs to back off. The problem is that words will only go so far with an underdeveloped mind. He doesn't actually have to hurt her, just show her that he could and that pushing too much in the wrong way is a bad idea. Once she gets that, then all he has to do in the future is look threatening and she'll reconsider.
There's also the emotional link she slipped in there.
Methinks Ted needs a Very Large Rolled Up Newspaper. At least until she can better communicate.
Actually, it's more of an instinctual reaction to difference in size and build.
For instance, if you saw a midget or a kid slapping a grown woman for similar reasons, it would be surprising and kind of funny, but if you saw a grown woman hitting a child or a midget, even for the same reasons, it would be disturbing. If the grown up did it only in an admonishing way and not with force be cause the smaller person did something terrible, it wouldn't be disturbing or funny. It's only funny because the smaller/younger person is admonishing the larger/older person, which is unexpected.
Besides, in this scenario, Ted needed some sense slapped into him, and not just because he's hurting his changelings. Wallowing in depression doesn't help anyone. Doing something about it, on the other hand, does help.
So, you actually managed to survive the OP character trap, like a boss. Anyways. This does help us relate tot he character more and quite frankly i still enjoy this story quite a lot. The proto queen seems like an excellent source of comedic relief and the story actually seems to be progressing plot wise.
BUT BE WARNED! Do not get caught up in the multi viewpoint trap. It might be enticing to switch viewpoints to other characters but it will only cause your readers to develop their own favorite viewpoint and ten skip or skim the rest. Stick to maybe 2 or 3 viewpoints overall, or quickies when neccessary. If you had larger chapters you could probably pull it off, but for right now please stay away from that. I've seen a couple stories go that route and it got hate...
i love this story
You know, I was in a terrible mood up until this point. Then I saw that you updated... Now I am feeling better. This is just what I needed, thanks for being awesome and updating as much as you do.
Probably good she stopped that. The nightmare may be gone but he still inhabits a body that was overtaken by a parasite that fed on depression and jealousy. I don't really think we wanna experiment on what the body will do when it receives it's old diet again, for all we know it encourages the downward spiral.
My favorite bit was seeing how the proto-queen is thinking, how she sees things. Very interesting.
Its like she doesnt have a concept of names, or doesnt know of it. Maybe the whole "changeling naming" thing runs way deeper than that? Maybe its what unlock their (full) intelligence? Maybe the proto-queen had to run away from the nest before she got her own name..
I dislike this chapter. I don't want to read characters wallowing in self pity for thousand of words. That happens enough in real life, not having it is an acceptable break from reality.
His 'escape' from the spiral is contrived at best. It's just adding to his problems that he has to deal with, since nothing has been solved since this began.
Wonderful
6053322
What makes you think her understanding is incomplete to the point that she's acting incorrectly?
Sure, all she knows is that he's depressed and that it's hurting the changelings, but why does she need to know more? And you also have to consider the culture she came from along with her biology and whether her actions were acceptable from there. Dogs often nip their young when they've done something bad, but this can be a lot more dangerous to humans. It is likely that the proto-queen's actions are also not harmful at all to Ted.
Moar Please.
BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORAL IMPROVES!
Nitpicks!
you're
pack's
unicorn's
Nightmare
(capitalize for consistency)
6053328
This here? Write it down, memorize it, write it down again and then tape it on the inside of your eyelids. Both of them. There is really nothing more annoying than a story that spends half its wordcount on the POV of secondary characters that nobody likes, nobody cares about and that contribute nothing to the overall plot. It's a nice stylistic thing once in a while, but if you spend substantial amounts of screentime on POVs that aren't Ted's, I'm gonna skip over them until interesting things start happening again.
Haven't seen any scripture in the comments lately
6053379 Up to you, but there are folks who enjoy it. Some even need it. I, myself, need the occasional reminder that other people are... real. That you're not just cardboard cut-outs in the Glorious Technicolor movie of my life.
And yeah, I do have that problem. Tends to pop up a bit in my former profession. It's easier to pull a trigger if you can make yourself see just a uniform, not a person.
hell ya Fallout 4
6053339
This.
Fluffing this!
It needs to be true!
I also propose that she gets a silly @ss name!
Who's with me?
the proto queens reaction is exactly what every human male would be subject too if women could do this.....
YOU HEAR THAT?
CLICKETY CLACK DOWN THE TRACK?
IT'S THE HYPE TRAIN MOTHERFUCKERS AND IT IS ROLLIN' HARDER THAN EVER
CHOOO CHOOOOOOOOO!!
*cough* *cough*
Chapter was great...
Wait a sec- that's depression.
Fallout 4 wooo
6053354
The story has made a big point about her developing sapience as she matures. She's getting there, but she's not there yet.
That's exactly what I'm talking about. How do you get a dog to stop nipping you when you can't explain to it why nipping is bad? You have to take other forms of communication.
Similarly, hitting Ted every time the proto-queen is upset with his emotional state is not a good way to communicate with Ted (for Ted). Ted clearly has to teach her that hitting is wrong, and simply telling her that isn't likely to be effective given her under-developed mind.
6053327 so then would it still be funny if a 90 pound wimp dude slapped a female weightlifter or boxer or something? personally my view is that it's only funny till someone gets hurt, then it's hilarious and that poor little wimpy dude would wake up hanging from a flagpole so it's incredibly funny, right?
6053435
Hitty McChitin-Face! Calling it now!
6053327 Ted may just bottle it up now.
6053390 Let's change that, shall we?
*clears his throat*
Upon His arrival at the Gnolls' Den, He wept. For before Him were innocents, bitches and pups, slain and burnt in high piles. The few gnolls that had escaped the slaughter came to Him and He looked to them with Pain and Guilt, asking them to follow Him.
When He arrived back at His temple, He ordered for the gnolls to be cared for and given a place to Rest. Then He went to His room, a Cloud blacker than the deepest Shadows hovering over Him.
Later the Changing Princess had enough of His Sadness and slapped Him, saying there would be more if He continued.
6053548 I'm not sure he can. Maybe a spell to cloak his emotions could make that possible but very unsure of it's existence... For now.
Looks like one of the Stupid dogs managed to survive, which will be Very messy
Not only that, Ted is being swallowed by Cerberus older and nastier brother, the Black Dog.
6053349 just because he got slapped doesn't mean he's dealt with his depression., it was clearly just a good place for a cliffhanger. If, however the next chapter in he's suddenly a lot better off then yeah I'd be really disappointed with the author as well.
You know the best part about this story? The comments. Half of them are peopld telling you what Ted should do next. Such as, 'He should teach the proto-queen not to hit'. Some of them are people critizing what Ted did or critizing another person, and the other part is either random stuff, or people feeling bad for Ted.
Also...
6053358 You spelled more wrong
Back off, Bug-horse.
When the dog dies is totally on the short list of times it's acceptable for a man to cry.
6053519 There is a certain behavior that dogs have. They communicate pain and short term discomfort via a quick and noticeable yip. Accidentally step on a dog and you will hear it, you will also feel bad. They do the same with each other to the point where it is a built in instinct that puppies have and use when they are being hurt while playing. They also have apologetic behaviors, usually in the form of submissive behavior. Humans can do an approximation of a yip. Ours is usually spelled with two letters or four, both with the same meaning. If they are playing, they will apologize, if they don't, you were the one who messed up badly, so you should leave.
6053817 Rule #1 of DMing. Let the party write half the campaign with their paranoid conjecture. It applies here as well i think.
6053849
Her emotion link may actually help with that. When he goes from depressed to furious with her, I'm sure the nausea she's experiencing will change into something much worse. She'd probably learn really quick from a slap directly to the psyche.
Good chapter. Very in-between-action, but still good.
I haven't checked out anything related to Fallout 4 yet. I don't want to get too hyped up, because I've always been disappointed when I have.
Still happy with it sometimes, but still disappointed. (Halo, Fallout 3.)
Sometimes just disappointed. (Diablo 3. WHY BLIZZARD? WHY?! FOR GOD'S SAKE, WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO US? *descends into blubbering sobs*)
So I will reserve judgement until after I've tried it.
All the talk about Ted accidentally leaking his existence got me thinking. I think intentionally building up a reputation might be the key to beating Twilight.
Get her worked up enough to personally go looking for him. Deliberately leak a location to her, to lure her away from her seat of power. Then sneak in, while she's gone, and free the element bearers, princesses, and changeling queens. Yank her whole power base out from under her, and turn everyone against her, at once.
6051195 I am not saying he has to lay the smack down on anyone. I actually thought Twilight would be too powerful and instead Ted would have to find a way to get Luna her powers back. Then while she keeps Twilight busy, he could get Celestia's powers back, and the three together find a way to free the other elements of Harmony. Then all together they rid Twilight of the parasite.
My assumptions aside, I was just hoping for life at the Temple to progress without you killing everyone every other chapter. I know Ted is still new to this, but come on, your nerfing him at every single turn. Even the ONE power he had going for him, his shadow cloaking, you nerfed that too so the Proto Queen could go Dracula on him.
Cut the guy some slack.
6053877 Agreed
I too saw the trailer for FO4
My body wasn't ready
6054006 If she sends somepony else, they're screwed. If she doesn't go for any reason, they're screwed. Hell, if she sits there and puts up spells to warn her that somepony is trying to free a EoH, Princess, or changeling, they're screwed. They need more power and more information first- there's too many assumptions to go with a plan like that.
Can't wait for more! Also, FALLOUT 4 HYPE = REAL!!!!
Back to this, I really wish I was in Ted's place right now. High school sucks. It's all work and work and work.
At least I'd be a pony in Ted's place.
Anyways, I really feel that this Prtoto-Queen/Nightmare cuteness should go on. And I really with this could become a fanfic that gets updated daily. But who am I to judge? Still haven't updated my own, 3 months later.
6054123 Considering Twilight's personality, doesn't seem like a huge problem.
She can't live without her checklists, and schedules. She's like a watch, tightly wound, and predictable. Ted doesn't even have to directly observe her. He can continue gathering stories about how she's dealt with every other potential rival in the last 40 years, until he knows how best to provoke her.
She's an incredibly linear thinker. Look at every time she's tried to fix something, with magic. Attacks the problem in the most straightforward manner possible. Never considers the consequences.
She never delegates, if she can help it. With her it's always Princess Celestia is counting on ME. Celestia had to risk the whole Crystal Empire on another of her tests, to try to cure Twilight of that habit. Also, she seems to have been busy eliminating or imprisoning everything powerful enough to rival an alicorn.
Unless the Nightmare made her way more flexible in her thought patterns. Then they're screwed.
Wow, I wasn't ready for the depression part, but whatever. I've fought some small amounts of depression in my time, but came back kicking. All in all, he really needs to remember to remind himself of the things he has been blessed with, he doesn't have it too bad really. He is surrounded by people who love him, and while he isn't with his family on earth, he has gained a family in the world he has become a part of.
With the Male/female violence, I see it more as a elder child speaking out to a parent in order to help the younger children, and while I don't agree with the Proto-queen's course of action, I see where queeny (Imma call her this until you give me an actual name) is coming from.
As a side note, I noticed that someone in the comments mentioned a thing about an adult admonishing or being admonished by a child (or midget) and one incident being disturbing while the other being funny. I grew up in a household that "wouldn't withhold the rod" (or belt in most cases) as a punishment for disobedience or bad behavior. I think I turned out pretty good because of this method of disciple. My parents wouldn't be able to get away with this method of punishment now days because of people accusing them of child abuse. Heck my dad remembers a time when his mother would tell him to get a large stick from a tree so she could actually give him 5. The incident here with queeny reminds me of some of the young people today. Most people in my generation would never have slapped or otherwise struck a parent figure because that is how we were raised. Kids now days seem to do it with very little consequence, at lease in the eye of the public. Tis a strange world anymore.
Eh, my rant is over, back to work people... Nothin' to see here.
6053519
But in this case, you can communicate normally. And it's easier to get people to trust you if you can explain things instead of only dominating. If ted tried to dominate the group with the dragon instead of controlling dreams the way the dragon wanted and saying that he could change them in a negative way, his group could have easily been crushed, and it would have been harder to gain trust afterwards.
Why wouldn't telling her not to hit him be a bad idea. Are you saying that because she can't speak English well, she deserves beatings? She didn't have much of a use for English until now, but that doesn't mean she's stupid.
6053741 Quite right
Good-natured tyranny