Low Blows and the Love of Children
Ted merely looked ahead for a few moments, absorbing what the princess had told him. It still didn't seem impossible, hell, humans did the impossible on a regular basis, it was why they started replacing the word with difficult or improbable. The problem was that it wasn't going to be something he could accomplish by studying magic for a while and taking off on his own. The word pipe-dream came to mind, in fact, as it seemed like something that would take a long time
"Maybe find a way to get gems to convert sunlight into magic? It works with electricity." He mumbled to himself, scratching his chin with a hoof. "Would need a lot of those, leave them every few worlds with a gem that holds a beacon spell, if I end up lost I could just follow the beacons home. Problem there would be doing the enchantments, which I have no clue about, and the materials, hell, maybe something holds spells and magic better than gems?"
A flash of ashen flames pulled him out of his musings, and his jaw dropped. Pandinus sat before him with a scowl, wearing the form of Blur.
"Are you forgetting something? Like the ponies that so desperately cling to you in the jungle?" She said, eyes narrowed with anger. "What happens to them once you get the knowledge and materials, will you leave them to the Mad Queen?" Suddenly she shifted once again, taking the form of Rose. "Or perhaps you could explain to the hatchlings why everyone is suddenly giving up, why the gnolls have turned on each other to decide the new alpha, and why the changelings have scattered to the far corners of the world?"
"Din, that's not fair. I'm not going to be doing this as soon as I get the information."
"Oh, here's my favorite!" She said, returning to her own form. "Explain to me how you are not making a liar out of yourself. You promised me a home, a place where I could build a hive among the other races you welcomed into your nest. Would it be your nest after you left? Would any ponies stay there? Would my hatchlings be safe from the Mad Queen?"
"I wont leave until she's dealt with." He answered.
"How long will that take? And will you leave right after? Because I will tell you right now, that will destroy this world." She said. "Mother told me all about the connections between races. It helps us avoid them, or pit them against each other if it becomes necessary. Do you think it is the Equestrian military that keeps its country safe? No! It is the fact that there are two, now one of the most powerful magic-wielders on the planet on the throne! Do you think you can leave the princesses in charge after her defeat? The other countries won't wait for them to recover. You leave after removing the threat of the Mad Queen, those ponies will be slaughtered and their lands divided amongst the other countries. What of this city, this country you seek to build? Did you not days ago tell your followers you hoped to build it into a country? They follow you because alicorns are not just powerful, they are enduring."
"The power vacuum alone would destroy all semblance of peace, Cimmerian." Celestia interjected. "You will be removing the most powerful ruler on the planet, leaving yourself at the top of the ladder, and then you will leave as well. Luna and I will take years, if not decades to recover our full strength, especially since I believe our ponies faith in us has been shaken."
"It will be worse if he leaves, sister." Luna said. "The public will see two alicorns engaged in combat, just to see the victor abandon them to their fate." She turned to Ted. "Would you trust two weakened members of a race to keep you safe, after two others destroyed all semblance of stability?" She shook her head. "Even these questions are assuming you can match her strength, and she has years of study and growth on her side, as well as an army sworn to her service. You have, what, less than one hundred followers in the middle of the jungle?"
Pandinus nodded. "We just recently started farming our own food, well, the ponies did, and the gnolls hunt with the griffon and thestrals for their meat. The only thing we have in excess at the moment is emotion, and that is because we only have five changelings feeding at the moment. We don't even gather enough to warrant a trade caravan from the nearby port town. We need to make the trip ourselves."
Ted stomped a hoof on the ground, fuming. "So what, I'm supposed to just give up on my family?"
Celestia and Luna both looked uncomfortable at the outburst, but it was Pandinus who had the answer.
"No, you fool. I expect you to take care of it."
Seeing the confusion in his eyes, she explained. "Do you think your followers refer to you as Father because it is your title? Truly, I believe most started out that way, but many call you that because they have no family besides those who work beside them. By accepting you as their father, they feel safer, they know someone is watching out for them. I've even asked some of them why they do it. One stallion, Carver, told me he did it because everypony else did, but eventually it just felt right, as you truly felt like a father figure."
Ted's anger faded at that, but he pushed forward "What about you? You're supposed to be a leader changeling, what if I put you in charge after I left?"
The changeling barked with laughter. "A changeling queen, on the Equestrian throne, finally in the hooves of our species not through war, but because it was given to us!" She laughed even harder, earning scowls from the alicorn princesses. "They do not follow me, nor would they, even by your orders. They tolerate us because you tell them to. And star's forbid you leave before the Mad Queen is dealt with. My hive's link would bring her forces to our doorstep within a week, a month tops, and I will most likely be captured by her, if not killed." She said, her gaze turning venomous. "Because I will never stand to abandon my nymphs."
The dark alicorn went to retort, but his mouth clicked shut a moment later, realization in his eyes.
'I spent so much time avoiding her propositions and flirts to avoid blood-related children I didn't even realize I'd basically adopted the entirety of the Temple.'
"Fuck."
"It finally sets in." The queen said, circling him. "He so adamantly refuses to abandon hatchlings, and yet there he goes, making plans to do exactly that. Did you truly not make the connection, even with almost the entirety of the Temple's population calling you Father?"
"They what?" Celestia finally asked, eyes wide with confusion.
"It's true." Pandinus said, coming to a halt to his left. "From what I've heard it started with a single mare, the one who holds sermons in his name every fourth day." Turning from the princesses, she stared Ted right in the eyes. "Tell me, oh Father of the shadows, where will the poor dear turn to when the only one she has left in the world leaves her?"
The male alicorn had no answer.
"I do not expect you to give up on your family." The shape shifter said much more softly. "Once I can do so safely, I will be looking for news on my mother. Until I can, however, I will live my life as fully as I can. I will not harm myself to find news of her. She would beat me with my own shell if I did so. As I'm certain yours would, or at least with something similarly based on your own body." Her gaze hardened slightly once more. "And should I hear of you attempting to make a one-way trip to your old home, I will bring your children to you, so that you may explain to them why you are making a suicidal gambit to attempt to find family members that may not even exist anymore."
Ted's eyes lit with rage at the threat. "You wouldn't dare. That isn't fair, it would crush them."
"So would your departure." The changeling said, meeting his glare with an even stare, "Besides, I am a changeling. If there's one thing mother emphasized, it was that if we are playing by the rules, we've lost."
<-(0)->
Ted's mood didn't improve much the following morning. He ate his breakfast in silence before returning to the war room. After spending several hours getting more and more frustrated as he replayed the previous nights conversations in his head, he finally launched a ledger across the room, where it lodged into a wall.
'I need to get out of here, need to find something to vent on.' He thought to himself, before his eyes settled upon a recent report. The gnolls had found an old mine nearby to the north-west while hunting, abandoned due to the inaccessibility of the area. There wasn't much there, as the miners hadn't dug more than a weeks worth of dirt and ore before it was abandoned, but he was planning on grabbing it once the forge was finished. As it stood, the place was overgrown with vegetation like most of the jungle, and would need to be cleared out.
Double checking the location, he headed for the exit, his mood slightly lifted at the prospect of annihilating everything in that area. Taking off as soon as he was clear of the temple, he slowly made his way to the approximate location of the mine. He found it fairly quickly, the hill it was set into given away by the rising of the trees in the area.
Taking a deep breath, and focusing on the few spells he had personally studied, not those he borrowed from Luna, he dove back into the jungle with a roar. The second he struck the ground, he threw a pulse of magic, dispelling the force of his landing into the surrounding area, sending several smaller trees tumbling from the impact. Snarling, he unleashed the flame spell at the highest intensity he could muster, vaporizing the vegetation in a cone before him, before sweeping the spell for greater effect. He held the spell until he felt his horn start to actually heat up, almost as odd a sensation as when he'd tried removing the book, before switching to shadow blades, throwing them haphazardly into the underbrush, delighting in the constant detonations that rang in his ears. As he'd expected, the blades were now larger than a pony, and some were even cutting through entire trees before destabilizing, shredding plant matter into so much mulch.
Giggling madly, the alicorn unleashed yet another torrent of flames on the surrounding area, the smell of burning wood and plant matter stinging his nostrils.
'What happens if I burn something that's hallucinogenic?' He idly pondered. Shrugging the worry off, he continued wreaking havoc to the landscape. Finally, he focused the flames upon several rocks. A vicious grin split his face as the rocks started melting under the absurd heat, quickly reduced to a molten goop. Dropping the spell, he started pulling at the liquefied rock with his telekinesis, even as it began to cool and harden. A tug here, hold the cooling rock there. Eventually he'd created a shoddy facsimile of what he assumed the nightmare would look like. Grabbing it with his magic, he hefted the statue up into the air with him, flying west until he approached the ocean.
Flying well above the trees, the alicorn took a long look at the ocean, breathing in the salty air. It was always a treat to visit the beach. Maybe he could get his followers to set up here sooner rather than later? Plenty of important people back home had beach-side getaways, right? Taking one last look at his work of art, the alicorn rose a bit higher, before planting his forehooves on the statue. With a wicked spin, enhanced by slinging the statue with his magic, he launched the statue skyward and seaward. Stabilizing from his spin, he fired off five shadow blades, launching them on an intercept course with the flying target. His grin started to fade as the first three missed, then the forth chipped a section of the Nightmare's smug face. The final blade connected, however, detonating and sending shards of the statue splashing down all over ocean. Upon seeing the statues destruction, Ted unleashed a shout of triumph, both hooves raised awkwardly in the air even as he compensated for the awkward movement with his wings. Feeling a genuine smile grace his lips for the first time in a while, Ted turned and followed the beach north, hoping to use the abandoned port town as a landmark back to the Temple. It felt great to cut loose and let out that pent up anger, and blowing up the statue was just icing on the cake. Maybe he could do this every other week or so? Not the entire vaporization of a section of the jungle, but some kind of skeet shooting challenge over the waters.
"Wreaking destruction is way more fun than building up a town." He chuckled to himself, angling east as soon as he reached the rotted docks of the abandoned port. "Definitely feel better after that." Sure it didn't change the fact that he still had his problems, but venting his frustration on the jungle, jungle that would have to be cleared anyway, had left him feeling slightly more relaxed. Finally coming into view of the Temple of the Shadows, the alicorn landed lightly, a slight pulse of magic allowing him to land without so much as a sound.
'And he sticks the landing!'
Walking to the entrance, however, his attention was drawn to a crowd, shouting originating from the center. Followers rushed to and from the crowd, some pegasi flitting over the crowd to the center before rushing off again. Finally close enough to make out what was going on, he was shocked by the sight.
On a raised pedestal stood Gleam and Pandinus, the unicorn reading off her list to the queen, the queen directing the crowds with an authority he'd yet to see from her. What surprised him most, however, was that even as beings came and went, and the unicorn spoke, her concentration never faltered. As a queen for an entire hive, though, it was likely the changeling was literally made for this kind of role. Walking closer, he listened and watched, seeing the two on the raised platform easily directing the entirety of the workflow around the temple. Eventually her eyes rolled over his position, and she slowed for a split second before scowling in his direction and returning to her work. Ignoring the glare, he approached Gleam, the unicorn finishing her recitation of priority jobs to the queen and turning to face him.
"Gleam, I'd like you to make a note that the area around the mine discovered by the gnolls is cleared of vegetation. The area should be cool by tomorrow."
The unicorn's eyes widened for a moment and she muttered something about smoke and explosions before making a few scribbles in her notebook. Certain there was nothing he could add here, he headed into the temple, stretching his wings several times before he entered the halls. That was the farthest and the fastest he'd flown to date, and the strain was both painful and, oddly enough, refreshing.
'Probably because it's the first time I've felt any physical exhaustion lately.' Even then, it was more of a case of running an underused muscle group into the ground than actual exhaustion. Still, the burn was something he recognized from any workouts or runs he did back home, and the familiarity was welcome. Grabbing himself a late lunch, the alicorn made his way back to the war room, continuing his earlier work with a much better attitude. After a quiet dinner, the alicorn grabbed a few spell books from the library and returned to his seat in the war room, it serving as his office in a way; if anything came up, it was the first place his followers would look for him. Shadow Weaver came and went a few times, grabbing notes or double checking his calculations, but otherwise the unicorn was busy implementing his large-scale wards, designed to repel pests and predators alike. At Ted's question of if it would impact the gnolls, the pony responded with a negative, citing his time spent with Buster. Apparently he'd spent a full day scanning the gnoll, making sure that the wards wouldn't impact the slower, more predatory species.
"It surprised me, Father, but it seems that the gnolls may not be as stupid as I once thought They register at about the same level as a pony in sapience, despite their more feral ways." Shadow Weaver told the alicorn.
Ted nodded. "It's most likely the education available to them. Everything they know has been taught by word of mouth or by example, I think. I'd have to ask Buster, of course, but I don't think they had any official forms of education." The dark alicorn smiled. "Speaking of education, has anyone volunteered for teaching the children?"
"Miss Goodhooves seems to be interested, though she admits she doesn't have a formal education in schooling. She's already working on getting a list of materials for a classroom together. Books will be hard to get out here, but maybe we can put an order in at the port. Otherwise, she said she can start of basic mathematics in a few days, even if it's just to find out where they are."
Ted nodded. "We'll make the trip soon enough, and I'll see about getting a few books for her to study as well. Thanks, Shadow. How are your wards coming along?"
"Well enough, I've finished the planning stages, which unfortunately take a long time with spells and array's of this scale. I've also had to keep the power output low, so it doesn't draw too much attention. I know your power seems to guard, but there's no reason to push my luck." The unicorn explained. "I'm actually headed back out there in a moment, I think I've grabbed everything I needed this time, I should have the northern ward up by tonight. Just have to grab some guards on the way out, as the area's still overgrown."
Ted watched the mage leave with a grin, happy with the new information. With any luck, the children would be well taken care of. Maybe he'd stop by the nursery again after he was done studying. They always seemed ecstatic to see him. The alicorn chuckled at the thought, one would almost think they saw him as a-
"Fuck. Again." The alicorn buried his head in his hooves. The damned nag was right. He was so busy trying to avoid blood children he'd not noticed he'd adopted the entire temple. In fact, he'd made his choice the moment he let a pony rely on him, the moment he'd let that mare seek him for comfort. Blur was the first to call him Father, and with his constant ministrations to their well being, it was probably a matter of time before the rest of the temple started understanding what she was talking about and agreed with her.
"How the hell do you accidentally adopt an entire town?" He muttered. "Even worse, how do you do that without noticing?"
It bothered him, but what bothered him more was how unavoidable this all seemed. The ponies had put everything into pulling him free of the armor, what was he supposed to do? 'Ha ha, you guys screwed up, I'm not the one you want. See ya!' Then take off through the doors into a world he had no clue about? He couldn't stand the thought, it would be like finding a small, shivering, lost child on your doorstep, with tears in it's eyes. He couldn't turn them away, it would kill him inside.
Unable to continue with his studies, and the night fast approaching, he stepped out and walked across the path to the nursery, quietly opening the door which had finally replaced the improvised gate that had separated the room from the rest of the temple a short time ago. Mirage was tending to a few scratches on a hoof courtesy of one of three pups in the room, most of the others sticking to one of the female gnolls since they were too young to be separated just yet. As he entered the room, all eyes were on him, energy returning to sleepy eyes if only for a moment. The children bounced around him, all looking for his attention, the more adventurous seeking it by climbing higher on his body than their others, as if height would increase his likelihood to notice them. There was one thing that kept bothering him while in their presence though.
They all, without fail, called him Father. There was no use of Cimmerian, or Theodore, or Mr. Nightmare in this room. Hearing that coming from the adults, it felt more like a title, and he'd ignored the possibilities because of his assumption. But this was different. These were children, most separated from their parents with no idea of how to return home, if they even knew where home was. They had no connections to the outside world, and were completely dependent on the rest of the Temple's residents for their care. A Slight prick at his rear leg brought his attention from the rest of the children, his gaze finding the giggling form of Gem, her teeth still latched onto his cannon. He picked the nymph up, giving her a light nuzzle, and prompting her to latch once again onto his muzzle. She chittered and buzzed for a few moments before speaking, and Ted's eyes went wide in shock.
Mirage tended to the whimpering pony hatchling, the young under her care having quickly gotten over the squeamishness of her spreading her organic sealant over their cuts to prevent infections. As a Clutch Nurse, hers was specifically potent as a healing salve, serving to prevent infections, whereas a soldiers would be more adapt at securing prisoners, or an infiltrators would be more accurate, able to strike a pony with a launched wad of the mucus-like material. Such specialization required careful monitoring of the changeling during a molt, allowing minute injections of various chemicals as they were needed, but both the staffing and resources of the Temple were currently much too low to allow such changes here.
Looking over to the dark alicorn, having easily sensed him as he walked into the room, she huffed in an annoyed fashion, the hatchlings gaining a burst of energy at his presence despite the rigorous play-schedule she'd subjected them to. Luckily, it would be short lived, and they'd all sleep even more deeply afterwards. She continued her ministrations, soon releasing the filly back to the clutch, before she sensed a playful joy reaching her through the link.
Before she could place the origin, she saw Gem sneak up on the alicorn, before latching her fangs into his cannon, to his apparent discomfort. Still, the alicorn took the attack in stride, merely picking the nymph up, giving her an affectionate nuzzle, though Gem capitalized on the contact by latching her hooves onto his muzzle before he could retreat. The foal then proceeded to giggle and chirp happily from its perch, before it tried communicating in Equish.
"Dzz-chee!" Gem giggled a bit, nibbling on the alicorn before trying again.
"Deed!"
The alicorn stopped, focusing directly on the nymph, even as she worked her jaw, and Mirage could feel the shock and confusion from him.
"Dad!"
The alicorn just stared at the nymph, before a small smile formed on his face, and the mare could feel the intense rush of familial love pour out from Father. At first the intensity shocked her, but soon she started trotting over to the group, worried that the influx would be too intense for the nymph. After a while, he lowered the nymph to the ground, before giving her a light kiss on the head, right between her horn and ear. He then went through the entire line of hatchlings, wishing them all a good night, and even nuzzling the nervous pup that had approached him. Soon he'd finished his rounds, and was turning for the exit when he focused on her. The changeling stifled a gasp, simultaneously feeling as though she were being wrapped in the fuzziest blanket in the world and tasting the richest cream in existence.
"Keep them out of trouble, Mirage. We're looking into getting them some schooling before too long, so you'll have someone else assigned to help you with them. You should get some free time when that starts."
Not trusting her voice as her vision swam and the world took on a pink tint, she went to check on the nymphs, specifically Gem. The foal was giggling in an almost drunken manner, her eyes glowing with a pink light due to the massive amount of love her small form had been subjected to. Mirage pulled the excess from the hatchling, who quickly settled down amongst the others. She went to use the extra to make sure Adamant was properly fed, but even for him she had to pull a small amount of extra energy, lest he become bloated from the extra love while sleeping. Returning to her bed, she pulled out several small containers, one having just a trace amount of mixed emotions from when she'd begun teaching Adamant to give up excess emotion for storage. Feeling the emotions being pulled into a special second stomach and mixing with a plethora of chemicals that could actually hold the emotions in a physical state, she began spitting the excess love into one of the empty jars. She wouldn't taint something this pure with the other emotions already in the first jar. This was what her kind sought, what they cherished. Even as she topped off the jar, a part of her was furious with herself, demanding she hold onto it for herself. It was enough to keep her literally running for a year.
Shaking the thoughts off, she made sure the children were all asleep, before making her way to the dining halls. She needed to replenish her fluids, and possibly enlist Grift's help with the processing. If she didn't get rid of the excess emotion soon, she'd become too bloated to walk. If push came to shove, she may even need to visit the queen. As much as she didn't like the mare, the queen could hold and process more emotion than any other changeling present.
Just before she reached the stairs, she stopped, before walking just a little further down the hallway to Cimmerian's room. She snuck in, seeing the alicorn in the bath being scrubbed down by the two serving ponies. He just sat there as they worked, eyes closed with a serene smile upon his face. What had happened, she wondered. What was so different between everyone else in the temple calling him Father, and the hatchlings doing it? Shaking her head, she returned to her journey, wondering what the buzz was wrong with the alicorn this time.
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Multiple heart implosions imminent.
Sooo... How's Ted gonna react to finding out he got a nymph drunk?
Like a sugar high dialed up to 11? Okay, maybe not quite that silly. We don't need a hive full of Pinkies.
On that note... I'm wondering about Twilight's friends now. Pinkie can't be in good shape given when Twilight's done to "friendship." I'm half-expecting her to pop up given the vagaries of Pinkie Sense.
P.S. Don't hurt yourself now, pushing all this story out through your fingers.
huggle buzz is good for the new alicorn, who knew?
It is rich on details and makes sense. I like it!
The truth is painful, but I'm glad he can find some comfort from the little ones and perhaps in time they can help heal him completely.
Pandinus, luna and Celestia owe him big time!
Ted's starting to get it, and he's breaking. At least he's breaking in a good way, one that seems as if it would work out for the benefit of all, include himself.
6157249 Last we heard of the others was they they had been petrified and, via some array work and abusing the effects of the elements, being used as some sort of magic batteries.
So, ate dinner, came back looked at my number of unread favorites and decided to refresh the page... The number went up by one... I got excited... I clicked on it. Now, I am here about to start reading and happier than a squirrel on a peanut plantation.
Yup. Loved it.
6157284 Agreed
6157220 Sure let's go with that.
It would be comical if it wasn't also kind of contemptible: Between Luna, Celestia and Buggysnatch telling Conan the Gender-Confused how selfish he is being by wanting to go home, not one of them realizes (or cares) that they are selfishly pressuring him into being the person to fix their messes at the expense of his own happiness; more so because he isn't even a native, never wanted to be there and really has no moral obligation of any sort whatsoever to any of them. It's enough to make me wish he would finally grow a spine and just tell them off for it.
Also, Pandinus is starting to become utterly unbearable. I really hope this doesn't turn into one of those awful, clichéd situations where he just takes all the degradation and petty abuse without complaint because she's the designated love interest and he just can't shut her up, or however it is those awful anime tropes work.
6157197
Just shut up and bugger off already, you're being a giant annoying creepjob.
It's sweet, to see that he finally accepted his children, because the major difference between an adult and child is that the adult can easily say it with some trust. But a child? When they say it, it shows how much love, trust, and awing they see before him, it shows how much they trust him as their parent. In other words they play his heartstrings.
6157220 he's dead doc.
No shit. his entire chest cavity collapsed. Considering the amount of 'D'aaaaawwwww' we found at the scene it really isn't surprising.
Yeah, had to wear full body suits just to get near the source.
Time of death... 23:29.
Yep, that is a classic. Doomie was more of the 'dumb' Love Drunk type which isn't as funny as some of the sillier tips of drunk. Been awhile since I've seen a good 'silly' drunk.
6157313 Pretty much this.
6157313
Considering we are on the same side concerning Teds lack of balls, and the princesses manipulations, I find it confusing as all hell that you would try to silence me
6157345
I don't care what your opinions are, just that you're being annoying.
6157353 we have the same opinion genius.
6157249 Ever heard of the term 'love drunk'?
So I guess this means that ted won't see his real family again? Well, that really sucks. I was looking forward to a happy ending with them. So now he is stuck there due to circumstances beyond his control, it would really suck to be Ted.
6157368
And I don't care.
6157353 forgive me if I'm wrong but isn't the whole point of the comment section to be about showing our opinions, admittedly the positives come with the negative and quite frankly there is not much you can do to make someone stop commenting ( I'm looking at you 'fornication nation' you sexist pig
) the best thing you can do if there is an objectifiable comment is for you to ignore it, please don't insult anyone as it doesn't do anything.
Also...
6157279 "cheeky dick waffle"? Heh, learn something new everyday.
I'm pretty sure nymph ling didn't just bit his d. Does "cannon" means something specific with equines?
I don't get this part, words looks messed up.
6157404
Cheeky Dick Waffle
Blame TFS Hellsing Ultimate Abridged
6157390
Love and Tolerate man.
The feels are real
6157385 Yes it is sad, but he needs to let go of the past no matter how much it hurts him because he has a responsibility to protect what is essentially a budding nation.
Can we get to alicon changelings hatchlings abominations already?
6157313
Words like selfish and fair can be way too black and white for reality.
Consider this: The place you live has gone to shit. There's a diseases and animals killing people around you by the ton. Finally, some random guy comes out of the woodwork with a truck load of medical supplies and military technology and the know-how to use it. Now he's the only reason why you can go a week without someone close to you dying. Whether or not his personality is great, his presence is a godsend.
Now he's talking about how he wants to go back home as soon as possible or convenient.
So what, you agree with him? Are you happy to let him leave, to let him go back home because he's more than earned it, and go back to counting the seconds before you die? Hell no you aren't! I know for a fact that no one except the suicidal would accept that person leaving because their presence directly relates to their survival!
It is this simple: If Ted leaves, the people who have come to depend on him start to die. It would be like an only father, surrogate or not, leaving his kids alone indefinitely before they could take care of themselves, all because he wanted to visit his parents. I don't think anyone would react to someone doing such a thing with anything other than disbelief and horror.
Hmmmm... I wonder... Does love go bad? Or does stored love stay good forever? Because if so...
___ 500 years in the future____
"And now on the auction block, a jar of 'Familial Love,' circa 0 AT (After Ted). As we all know, love was far scarcer in that era, so there are very few jars of this vintage in existence."
"Additionally, this vintage is verified to have originated from Lord Ted Cimmerian himself! Shall we start the bidding at one million bits?"
Really want to see how Din reacts when he finally gives in. For the betterment of future children of course.
6157533
What does agreeing or disagreeing have to do with it? I am just pointing out the hypocrisy of their arguments. He owes them nothing. They are screwed by their own actions, or inaction. Anything he does for them is out of the goodness of his own heart. It would be admirable, yes, but it wouldn't be his duty. They have no right to act as if they aren't asking him for more than they have any entitlement to. It's kind of revolting.
6157534
6157249
I'd have to re-read but i think there all trapped in stone being used as some kind of magical power array.
Loved this chapter. Ted needs to take some time to truly break down and mourn the loss of his old family. And then celibate the gain of another. Preferably in bed w sexy sexy changeling shenanigans.
Pandinus should definitely apologize to Ted of she wants his sweet alicorn bug babies. It doesn't matter if she's right, she's looking for a relationship with someone who has some pretty strong reservations, and too much negativity can create a feedback loop (albeit usually a decaying one).
I think TED could eventually, create a link to Earth, so he can travel and return any time, because he is already part of equestria, and have a family now, he can't just no leave, I wouldn't, at most, he have two homes wich he could travel at any moment, but his place is with his own family, the one he created without knowing, leave forever is not an option to him.
6157545
What I'm saying is that whether he owes them anything and whether or not the situation is their fault doesn't matter at all.
You have no obligation to feed homeless people, but it's kind of a dick move to wave food in front of their face and then take it away. You also don't have any obligation to help someone that's on the verge of death in the middle of the desert when you happen to be right by them and are holding a bunch of food, but what kind of asshole would just let that person die? And going to a tent city with food for long enough that the normal food providers disappear, and then leaving abruptly, causing a few people to starve, is something I would consider pretty close to murder, or at least criminal negligence. Lastly, parents don't really owe their children anything.
And would seeing those people begging for basic right be revolting to you? If so, I hope you don't have children. I wouldn't wish that sort of death from negligence on anyone.
6157583
Go fuck yourself. Going from talking about the motivations of a bunch of fanfic characters to insulting my capability to take care of my own children was beyond uncalled for.
6157545
...so I say that and you tell me to shut up and bugger off but you say it and its okay?
Not cool.
6157598
It's logically the same scenario. Going from one thing to the other like that is part of abstract reasoning.
I'm outright stating that, based on your logic, I don't think you would be good at taking care of children. This is because you are ignoring negligence in your arguments.
6157610
And I outright restate the same thing I said before: Go fuck yourself. If you can't talk about petty things like fanfiction without stooping to personal attacks on someone's character, you need to grow up a little.
6157623
It wasn't really a personal attack as much as something that logically followed from your argument that I thought you would care about.
I could be tactful and not mention it, but if I did things like that just to appear nice and left those things to nature, nature would take much, much more brutal advantage of when people were incorrect.
6157632
The ability to see and point out the hypocrisy of lecturing Ted about selfishness while selfishly demanding from him that he fix all their problems for them has nothing to do with my ability to take care of my own family. It's beyond arrogant of you to pretend that this is some kind of "logical conclusion" and not just some kind of petty personal jab.
hmmmmmmmmmm....
6157643
The inability to understand negligence, on the other hand, does.
Also, logic doesn't take care to avoid things that you care about or things that are close to you. Life can seriously suck sometimes if you get the logic wrong.
This chapter does a great job showcasing that moment when the young adult becomes the Parent, not because of a night of fun a few months ago and tada! you have a child, but a real Parent. Not every parent has this moment, the moment you begin to realize that you've taken up life's most sacred responsibility: to love, care for, teach, discipline, and really BE there for a young life. When your dreams are sometimes put aside for someone else. Some dreams can still be followed, but others have to be shelved and admired later for their beauty.
Some of your other readers seem upset that you're having Cimmerian be manipulated by the Princesses for their own gain, but it seems less like cold manipulation and more like impassioned speech showing him that his desire to go home (could be subbed with a regret of "leaving the nest") is in direct conflict with his much older desire to be a stable Parent himself. What they said to Cimmerian wouldn't work if he hadn't already set himself up with that desire to be a Parent. He hasn't lost his balls or had his spine broken because he's deciding to stay, he's actually much stronger for staying the course to a dream he has always wanted, just not the way he imagined.
Honestly, Bravo Reykan. I love your story and its depths. The love drunk lovebugs are a hilarious concept and I hope Din can be overloaded as well. I eagerly await MOAR!
TLDR: Ted's awesome for growing up and deciding to be a real parent.
I think i'm quite liking how you're taking this. You're bringing this in a very logical direction, not just jumping into things with your characters which does put a lot of stress on them, but we will be able to sympathize and empathize with them better.
Keep chugging!
looks like ted just hit that legendary state of mind of 'I have a job to do' the same state that every video game hero has, this story just keeps getting better
Woah, I think I am going to stop bugging wlam.
Things are getting pretty heavy between wlam and ArtichokeLust.
Normally wlam is much more chill. I noticed them on many of the fics I read and they never really freak out. Wlam must be pissed today to have such a short fuse.
As a side note. Yesssss, give me your thumbs down on all my comments. Your hatred feeds me. *chuckle*
I'll gladly take all the flak if it means people can get the venting out of the way and continue enjoying Reykan-sempai's fic.
6157623 hypocrisy? Stooping to personal jabs? Was it not you who was insulting a fellow commentor before for being, and I quote
.
You speak as though to reprimand those who would personally insult others yet you do such an act yourself, you talk of fictitious characters as though they are not worth debating about, and yet here you, myself and everyone are talking about the chapters that come out and discussing the story from our own DIFERRING view points. Yes the comment about the your own capabilities as a parent were rather harsh in my opinion, however that does not mean you are an innocent party in this apparent argument. If you want others to respect you then I suggest offering atleast the same amount you would wish to be given, anyone with sense would reciprocate, but do not insult others and expect to come out smelling of roses.
Only thing I got to say now is that "what the buzz" is pure undiluted genius XD