—(Two days later)—
I sit down in my throne, and place my coffee in the cup holder I installed. I unfurl my newspaper and read the current news, “New Equestrian royalty: Princess Twilight Sparkle. Many towns near the Everfree forest attacked by the forest, as Princesses go missing for a day. Elements of Harmony no longer accessible. Daring Doo’s author is reviled to be Daring Doo herself. Minotaurian city devastated after a ball of building-hungry parasprites rolls into town. Starlightgrad pronounced fastest growing city ever as population reaches two thousand. Oh, what’s this? Adolf Hoofler appointed leader of Germaney.”
I look up to see Cross standing at the door, “Send an emissary to wish Hoofler goodwill and support for his time as leader!”
She smiles, “Already done, Sir.”
I continue to read, “Reports of unidentified ponies bursting through walls reaches a new high. Pony bursts through wall in order to delever a letter to Hoofler. Reports say Hoofler was ‘happy about the message, wich was an expression of goodwill by the Bananaramma Corporation, but scared by the fact that the pony had burst through his wall, when it was on the second story of a building and was an outer wall.’ Direct quote says from Hoofler is, “He wasn’t a pegasus, how did he get up that high? I will definitely contact Emperor McBad in order to figure out what his guards are on to do that.” I look over at Cross, “Give whoever did that a raise.”
Cross nods, “Of course.”
I flip through, to the weather section, “Let’s see, todays forecast is: Changelings!”
I hear a distant scream, “Ahhhhhhh!”
*Thud!*
And whatever was screaming has crashed into the BubbleTM.
I grab my coffee, and down it all in one go, “Right, I’m gonna go find who was screaming. Chances are, they’re already dead.”
I walk through my city, and see various different citizens noding at me as I pass. I always nod back, because that’s what you do. If someone nods at you with respect like that, it is your job to nod back. If you don’t nod back, then you should not have that respect they are giving you.
Various other thuds are heard as things crash into the BubbleTM. It ripples a bit, but nothing that bad.
I arrive, and see a bug pony with holes in her legs. She looks fine, despite crashing into something at high speeds, “Hello there.”
She looks up, and quickly stands, “Who are you?”
I take off my monocle to rub my eyes for a second, “You are the one that’s the visitor to my city, so you should go ahead and introduce yourself first.”
She straightens herself to look more regal, “I am Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings, creature. Now, you should identify what you are.”
I smile calmly, obviously setting her off more, “I, Chrysalis, am Emperor Eric McBad, Emperor of the Bananaramma Corporation, which you are now in.”
She stares at me a bit more. Actually, more past me, “What is all of that!?”
I glance back to see some guards patrolling the streets in their new steam mechs. I look back at her, “That is the Steam Mech, created within a few weeks by our scientist Lightning’s Arc.” I smile cockily, “You like?”
She glances between me and them, “You made those in a few weeks?!”
I smile, “Not me, but Lightning did. I can only be credited with our teleporters.”
I can see thoughts racing through her head, “You said Emperor, right? Tell me, Emperor, have you ever had children?”
I shake my head, “Can’t say I have. Why, you offering something?”
That snaps her out of her thoughts, “Shut up.” She fixes me with a pleading look, “You are still an Emperor, you know what it’s like to care about your subjects, right?”
I nod, “Considering I risked my skin on multiple occasions to save them, it would be hard for me not to.”
She nods, “Then you can understand the situation I am placed into!”
I meet her pleading look with a curious one, “Can’t say I do, no. If you were to say what your situation is, then I might.”
I can see hundreds of crumpled up Changelings pick themselves off the ground. She makes sure I see this, “We are suffering, we suffer so much that what is here is the last of our race.” She shows me her leg, pointing out the holes, “We feed off of love, but cannot get a steady supply of it. We starve so much that our bodies have holes in them! My race, my children die every day of starvation! We failed an invasion of Canterlot out of desperation for food, our already numbered days dropped in half because of that.”
I nod at all this information, “I think I know of a solution.”
She smiles a tiny bit, “Please, whatever you can do! This generation might be our last if we cannot get a steady supply of love.”
I pull out a treaty from my pocket, “I can build a machine that will replicate love, and I can supply it to your entire race.”
I think I can almost see tears at the corners of her eyes, “Thank you, Emperor, thank you!”
I hold up a hand before I pass her the paper, “But, your kingdom will have to join mine. You will still be a leader of the changlings, but you will have to follow my commands. I will treat you like an equal, but politically, you will be my inferior. Your changlings will become citizens on the same level of all other citizens.”
She looks at the paper I hand her. I can see her struggle in her mind. After some hesitation, she signs the paper. As soon as she signs it, her eyes go from being green to being blue. I guess that signals some kind of redemption or something. She hands the paper back to me, “Thank you so much, Emperor. You have saved us.”
I smile, and take the paper, “Call me McBad. Now, come on in, and we can talk about building new houses for your changlings.”