> The Halfling Chronicles: The Changeling War > by theultimatebrony > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I love you, Twilight Sparkle." Twilight heard Midnight's voice. It was a whisper, but it meant he could be alive. She turned around and asked, "Did anypony else hear that?" Everypony looked at eachother and Celestia said, "I am sorry, but none of us did." Twilight put her head down by Midnight's muzzle and felt a very small current of air. "I think he's still alive!" she thought. Twilight touched her horn to Midnight's and felt her energy flow into him. Before she passed out from exaustion, she saw Midnight return to his unicorn form. ----------------------------------------- Midnight awoke back in the castle, an IV drip attached to his foreleg. He looked down at his body and found fur instead of chitin. "It worked!" he thought. "Good evening, Sleeping Beauty," a voice beside him said. Midnight looked and saw Shining Armor sitting on a chair beside the bed. "Did my plan work? Am I a full pony?" "Sorry, but no. You turned back to this after Twilight touched her horn to yours. Princess Celestia said that she used some sort of energy transfer spell." "She did what?" Midnight couldn't believe Twilight figured out the spell, he never even showed it to her, "Is Twilight okay?" Shining Armor nodded, "She woke up two days ago. She spent most of that time sitting at your bedside. I've had to force her to go to the kitchens for some food." "At least she's alright. Wait, you said she woke up two days ago. How long have I been out?" "About three days." Midnight counted up the days in his head, "Isn't today your anniversary?" "Yeah. Before I go and see Cadence I would like to apologize for my behavior." "What would you like to apologize for?" "There's nearly strangling you, yelling at you, forcing you to change forms in front of Twilight," Midnight smirked, "and you're having too much fun with this." "Maybe a little." "Anyways, let me say that I do not like you, but I will tolerate you as long as you're with Twilight." "Thank you Shining Armor. And I'm sorry for making you look like a giant muffin to Derpy." Shining Armor looked a little confused, "That explains why that mare was chewing on my tail. Anyways, before you get up I want you to know something. If you hurt my sister, you will die." "Understood," Midnight concentrated for a second, "Also, Derpy will no longer try to eat you." Midnight used his magic to remove the IV from his leg and got up. Before he could open the door Shining Armor spoke up again. "Just one more thing, do you feed on love?" "No," Midnight answered, "And I don't shape shift either, besides this form of course." In truth, Midnight was happy his similarities to the Changelings were minimal. "Is that all?" Shining Armor nodded and Midnight left the room. Almost immediately, Midnight ran into Twilight. "Midnight, you're alright!" Twilight said as she hugged him tight, causing Midnight to blush. "Thank you for saving me," Midnight replied, his ribs creaking, "though it might be for naught is you break my ribs." "Oh, sorry," Twilight broke the hug. "See you two in a few," Shining Armor said. Before he teleported in a red flash, Shining gave Midnight a "watch out" look. "So, I was wondering," Midnight began. "What?" Twilight asked "How did you know I was alive?" "At first I didn't because I couldn't feel your pulse." "Stupid shell," Midnight thought. "Then I heard you say that you loved me." "Wait," Midnight had no idea how to respond, "Whatnow?" Twilight took a step back, "Did you not say that?" "No. But I thought it and truly mean it.I just don't know how you could have heard it." That last part was a lie. Midnight had honed his abilities to the point that they were a reflex, a survival mechanism. "Did anyone else hear me," Midnight asked. "No, that's the weird part," Twilight replied with an inquisitive look, "You know something, don't you?" "Just ideas." "If she was the only one who heard it," Midnight thought, "then there was a mental link between us." Midnight could use his powers to alter his voice to many ponies, but making sound appear to only one pony required connecting his mind with the target's. Midnight didn't like to link with ponies because it messed with his thoughts a bit. Just making Shining Armor look like a muffin to only Derpy gave him a craving for the food. "Maybe we should get going," Twilight said, snapping Midnight out of his thoughts. "Sure thing." Midnight and Twiligt began to walk towards the ballroom. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Twilight walked down to the ballroom with Midnight, she was overjoyed that he was alive. When she thought he was dead, Twilight felt like her soul had been ripped in half. "Is that what love feels like?" she thought. Midnight snapped Twilight out of her thinking by asking, "Twilight, does the Princess know what I am?" "Oh, yes. She came to me as soon as I awoke and asked. I told her only what I know about what you are, and that's not much." Twilight had been thinking about this question for a couple days so she thought she should ask, "Midnight, when I came into the caverns I noticed that you seemed angry. Was that just from the situation or something else?" He hesitated before answering, almost as if he was choosing what to say, "Darkness, it offered me a deal. It said that if I worked for it, I could have anything. A cure, power, you." Twilight was a little insulted that that thing would use her a some sort of bargaining chip, yet she was sort of glad that she was important enough to Midnight that she would be used as one. Then Midnight continued, "I refused. Mainly because Darkness is responsible for so many deaths, but also because I want to be with you if you share the feelings and not from some sort of spell. Though when I made the decision I wasn't sure that would come true." "Now why would you think that?" "Well, you're a princess and I am the son of the Changeling that tried to take over Canterlot." "Well I might go out with you if you tried not to go on suicide missions." This made Midnight blush dark red, "Really." "Of cour-" Twilight felt a sharp pain on the side of her head as she ran into the door to the ballroom, "I guess we're here." As Twilight grabbed the door with magic, Midnight asked, "Does the princess know what I am?" "Uh, yes," she replied, "Celestia came in when I woke up and I told her what I know. But she understands that what happened then was not related to who you are." Midnight let out a sigh of relief, "Now I just have one pony who wants to kill me." As he was about to open the door it slammed open and Pinkie came out, "Oh, there you are Twilight. Where's Midnight at?" The door creaped shut and Midnight fell to the floor, "Here." "That explains the Pinkie sense. Well come on, there's a party going on." Twilight and Midnight entered behind a bouncing Pinkie. All there was in the room was a punch fountain and some buffet tables. "I don't understand Pinkie," Twilight said. Then she saw Midnight looking up at the ceiling, "What are you looking at?" Twilight looked up and saw a couple dozen ponies socializing on the ceiling, "How in Equestria...?" Then Twilight saw a very familiar statue, "Pinkie, you didn't." "Why hello Miss. Sparkle." Discord appeared in front of Twilight, "Did you miss me?" "Hello Discord. Are Shining Armor and Cadence up there?" "Yes. Though I want to speak with your friend in private. It is of the upmost importance." Midnight gave Twilight a questioning look and she said, "All I really have to say about Discord is to talk to Fluttershy if he gives you trouble." "Okay then," Midnight said nervously before leaving the room with Discord. Twilight looked up at the ceiling and thought, "How is anypony supposed to get up there?" She put one of her hooves on the wall closest to her and fell onto the wall. "I guess that's how." Twilight walked up the wall, hoping that Discord's power would last, and soon made it to the rounded ceiling. When she got there, she found Cadence. "Hi Twilight," Cadence said happily, "Are you and Midnight alright?" "I'm fine and I think Midnight will be too, so long as he doesn't get on Shining Armor's bad side," Twilight replied and both mares let out a small laugh. Twilight looked at Cadence's dress. It was a simple green dress with a diamond set in the chest. "The dress is beautiful." "Thank Rarity for that. It's also changes color with my mood. The green color means I'm happy. So, I'm going to get some punch and then I'm going to anounce you-know-what." "Okay, I'm going to go and talk to Shining Armor." "He's over near the center talking with some of his guard buddies." "Thanks." Twilight and and Cadence went their separate ways. As Twilight neared her brother, she remembered that she didn't bring her painting with her on the balloon. "Hey Twily!" Shining Armor yelled when he saw his sister. Twilight ran up and hugged her brother, "Hey Shining Armor. Um, I had a present for you and-" "Spike sent us a letter and Derpy went back to fetch it," Shining Armor interrupted, "It was beautiful." "Thank you! Um, one thing. Why did you let Discord help?" "It was Pinkie's idea. We just had to tell them no chocolate rain." Twilight laughed at the memory of Pinkie drinking so much that her cheeks sagged. "Okay," Cadence walked up to the siblings, "I'm back." "Is it time to announce it," Shining Armor asked. Cadence nodded, "Attention everypony! I have an announcement!" everypony went silent, "I am having a foal!" Shining Arnor and Cadence were swarmed by ponies who wanted to wish congradulations upon the couple. Twilight walked to the edge of the crowd where she saw Midnight running towards her. "Twilight," he panted, "We. Have. A. MAJOR. Problem" > Chapter 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Discord led Midnight to the hall, he wasn't sure if he could trust him. Twilight said that Discord was reformed, yet Discord was the god of CHAOS. "I guess I don't have it much better off family-wise," Midnight thought. "I know your secret, young Halfling," Discord said with a sly smile. "H-how did you know?" Midnight asked, wondering if Discord knew about Chrysalis. "Because, I can sniff out those horrid creatures my brother created. And you also smell of unicorn, so I figured you were some sort of hybrid." "What do you want Discord?" "Tut tut. Straight to business. There is a force of Changelings coming to Canterlot." "Wait," Midnight's mind reeled with questions, so he picked the most likely to save everypony, "How long?" Tomorrow. Noon," Discord materialized a nail file and began to file his talons, "I would turn them into a swarm of flies but Celestia has bound my powers so I cannot harm or transform others." "Why haven't you told the princesses?" "Because I would like to tell my plan to someone who would actually listen." After maybe five seconds of total silence Midnight said, "So, what's the plan?" "Oh, the plan." Discord whispered his plan into Midnight's ear. It was crazy, yet it could work. The only part that Midnight didn't like was that the entire thing rode on him. "You go tell the princesses and I'll get the others," Midnight said once explaining was done. Midnight ran back into the ballroom. After a few tries he managed to stand up on the wall and ran up it. He saw Twilight at the edge of the crowd and ran over to her. "Twilight," he said, panting, "We. Have. A. Major. Problem. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once everyppny was assembled in Princess Celestia's room, she began to speak, "You said there was a major problem, what is it?" Midnight stepped forward and bowed, "I am sorry that I disrupted the party. Discord told me that there will be a Changeling invasion at noon tomorrow." "How would Discord know? He is not allowed to leave the city." "He says that he can smell them, as strange as that sounds. He has a plan to beat them," then Midnight yelled, "Discord!" Discord appeared above Fluttershy's head and said, "Yep, I have a plan. Shining Armor will use his protection spell to keep the Changelings out of the city. Midnight here will then leave the city and get purposly caught with me as a fly in his ear. Once we're taken back to the hive, I return here and give Luna instructions on how to dream travel there. Midnight will give her any battle tactics he happens to overhear. Once the Changelings are gone, we can lead an invasion on the hive." After Discord finished there was such a silence that one could hear a flea pass gas. Eventually, Celestia cleared her throat and said, "How do we know the Changelings will not simply drain you?" "That is a risk I'm willing to take," Midnight replied, "I am the son of Queen Chrysalis and I'm willing to bet she'll want to see me." Celestia shot a beam of light from her horn and it passed over Midnight without any visible effect. "So you are not a Changeling." Midnight shook his head, "I'm a hybrid, a Halfling. My transformation is more physical than theirs. Midnight transformed to demonstrate. He felt pain whenever he transformed, but he did not mind. When Midnight was done, he could see Luna's eyes widen for a second before returning to normal. As Midnight transformed back, Celestia was saying, "If Discord is being truthful, then we have no choice but to go with the plan. I will not see Canterlot overrun a second time. You are all dismissed." Midnight and Twilight walked back down to their rooms. All the way, Midnight was thinking about what could happen tomorrow. "I've found somepony who will accept me for me and now I'm returning to a place I have no memory of. Why does the universe hate me?" When they got back to their rooms, they said goodnight and parted. When Midnight was about to walk through the door to his room, Twilight said, "Wait a second." He turned around and Twilight wrapped her forelegs around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. Midnight's cheeks were beat red and he was unable to move as Twilight returned to her room. Once she was gone, Midnight entered his room and went to sleep.