“So you’re asking me to let you have one of my precious subjects.” Celestia began. “After bringing her to me with extensive hearing loss and asking me to fix it?”
“Pretty much yah.” I said shrugging. “I’ll admit the hearing loss was my bad, did not think Camden would give me that much power. But ask her, it's more her decision than ours isn't it?”
“Please Princess, I really want to stay here!” Vinyl begged. “You know better than anypony that this place is amazing and the people and ponies here are kept safe.”
“To be fair, we could probably help her hearing a little bit...but it would involve much more tech.” I defended. “But we figured we were gonna see you anyhow so why not ask if you could magic her up.”
“Well what you say is true Miss Scratch.” Celestia said. “I do know him pretty well. But whether that is good or bad in your case is yet to be seen.”
“Low blow Tia.” I said in mock hurt. “Well two of the three parties are in agreement here. So not to push it all on you buuuuut, it's all on you.”
“Princess please.” Vinyl said with a pout. “This place is like a dream come true.”
“Of course, it’s not like I’ve spent the last few millennia crafting a pony utopia and this fool comes along with some new technology and steals my subjects away or anything.” Tia said in good humor. “I understand where you’re coming from, but for the sake of diplomacy we can’t do it yet.”
“Darn, had a feeling that would get in the way.” I said shrugging to Vinyl. “If we made a special case for you, others would want in too. Leaving or staying, and that’s where it gets messy.”
“Precisely.” Tia agreed. “You are free to stay here until the time comes that Shawn opens his borders due to the agreement we have in place, but to make it official you will need to wait.”
“I guess that isn’t that bad.” Vinyl said a bit sadly. “I get to stay here after all. I just wanted to feel more like a citizen here than a workforce.”
“How about a business partner and friend?” I said smiling. “As a partner you won’t have to work all the time to prove your worth, and as a friend you can get away with more than the average Joe.”
“I think I can roll with that.” She replied with some spring back in her step. “Thanks for everything Princess, but looks like I’m gonna be hanging around here for a while.”
“Of course Vinyl, it’s been a pleasure.” Tia responded.
“I’m gonna go work on some new mixes, your music gave me so many ideas and I gotta get them out.” Vinyl said trotting back to the club. “Catch you later Shawn.”
“It's always Princess and honorifics with you, and I’m just Shawn…” I said sighing.
“You know you would hate being addressed so formally.” Tia giggled. “Just look at how you were when Chloris kept referring to you as her king.”
“You right.” I said laughing too. “I rather be a person than a high and mighty figure.”
“Just be careful with that.” Tia warned. “Equestria has your back and you’re on good terms with most races. But your lack of authority may be interpreted as weakness.”
“I understand.” I said. “But, if I were to be known as the friendly-king-until-you-fuck-up guy, it could work out right?”
“Indeed it could.” Tia said. “After all, that's what I wanted as well, but my position pushed me away from my subjects. And now I’m just viewed as the all powerful Princess to grovel before.”
“To be fair you move the damn sun.” I deadpanned. “Why any nation would want to challenge the person responsible for something so important is beyond me. Like what happens if they win? Now half the world is day and half is night. But you have some more land so that's nice.”
“I’m far from the only one that could move the sun.” Tia said. “I know some Zebrican shamans are capable. Sure it’s easier for me, but if needed they could keep Equis going.”
“By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask how big Equis is.” I asked. “We have maps but none of them really say how large each nation is and whatnot.”
“Well, the circumference of Equis is a little over sixty three thousand miles.” She said. “The Equestrian continent covers twenty five percent of the explored planet.”
“Explored?” I asked confused. “You haven't explored the whole planet yet?”
“No officially.” She said simply. “Why, was earth completely explored?”
“For the most part yes.” I said a little flabbergasted. “We haven't explored most of the ocean depths but land wise we had it all mapped out.”
“Well the explored part of Equis is surrounded by a large ocean, followed by a ring shaped mountain range with harsh weather.” Tia explained. “No pony or griffin has been able to fly over it and the terrain is to difficult to navigate. It’s believed that the mountain range is what makes this land so prosperous.”
“Wait, you said officially earlier.” I pointed out. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well as you know Luna was imprisoned on the moon for a thousand years.” She said. “As you could imagine she got bored. So she made a detailed map of all of Equis to help her take over when she escaped as Nightmare Moon. Fortunately she lost most of her memories of the time she spent there, but with that she also lost the mental map she had made. She tried to recreate it but there’s no guarantee it's correct.”
“Holly crap.” I said dumbfounded. “This is big news. With our tech we could explore the shit out of this planet.”
“Feel free, but remember you’re quite in dept to me.” Tia said smiling her nice looking but totally evil smile before taking on a more serious look. “Be sure to keep his between us though. Most nations don’t even know that over half the world is unknown. Not even my ponies know.”
“Well I’m gonna tell my crew about this.” I said simply. “But other than that I’ll keep it hush hush, and I’ll tell them to do the same.”
“Well, now that I’ve revealed another national secret to you, I believe I should go.” Tia said. “I’ll be back soon, can’t leave you alone for too long after all.”
“Yah yah.” I said smiling. “Come down whenever you need a break. O, and next time you come, can you bring me that map?”
“I’ll talk it over with Luna.” Tia replied. “It’s hers after all.”
“The ever thoughtful Tia.” I said smiling. “Thanks, see you later.”
She was gone in a flash, quite literally. Maybe I should learn how to teleport...if I even can. It seems that changeling magic differs from unicorn magic, but it’s something to look into.
“Chloris.” I said over our link. “Can I teleport?”
“Not sure.” She replied. “The only Changelings with that ability are Queens. You being the first King I know of may possess that trait.”
“But I’m also human and that could throw all sorts of wrenches into that.” I said ignoring her King comment. “Just thought I’d ask. Thanks.”
“No problem.” She replied, shutting the link again.
“Well, I’d like to tell Camden and them about the whole planet thing…” I pondered outloud. “But that would distract them from the club and I really want to get that going. Maybe I’ll go bother Chloris on the other island.”
“Yo.” I said over the link once more. “What you up to? “
“You must be really bored.” She replied. “I’m working on the new accomodations over here like you asked.”
“I can’t see how my favorite changeling is doing?” I said in mock hurt. I think that kind of stuff transfers over the link. Actually I think it’s even better because it’s strait from the source, skipping the whole talking part. “I think I may come visit.”
“Whatever you like o great king.” She said, confirming that the link was in fact better at conveying feelings than face to face communication. I could picture her doing an exaggerated bow whilst wearing the shit eating grin in a way only a changeling queen could. “I eagerly await your arrival.”
“Yah yah ya goof.” I said as I started my way over to the water that separated the islands. “I’ll be over in a bit, I expect the red carpet treatment.”
She didn't reply but I knew she was up to something. The whole link thing was really useful. Once you got past the whole mind reading thing, it was actually pretty great. Sure, it was severely altered for my usage of it...but that's not the point.
Once I made it to the water I spread my chitinous wings and started my flight to the bigger of the tw islands. It had been a while since I had been over there. Last I heard the small housing units I had the changelings make were just about done. So all I needed to do was have someone outfit the and we could move a few human...err, people over here? Whomever wanted to go over, regardless of race.
That was another thing to keep on the radar, Celestia's mass UN-transformation. For all of those who prefer their original, human forms. There would be a few, I’ve already had some people come up to me asking when they will get to turn back. And really I don't blame them. If I weren't a changeling, I would have taken my human form back too. It was just...familiar, and useful, and...normal.
I was approaching the island now, my musings making the flight go by in a flash. I noticed that there were many changelings on the beach. To be honest, I think they were all on the beach. All but one, one very important one.
“How’s it going guys.” I said as I landed. “It’s been a while huh.”
Instead of a friendly reply, I got a seemingly choreographed bow. Every changeling bowed at the same time, low and long, then once they rose, they surrounded me.
“Whats up.” I said a little nervous. “You guys know you don't need to bow.”
Again, silence reigned as they collectively picked me up and carried me down a path to what I assumed was the housing or their hive. Or both, they were close together after all.
“I do have legs” I said. “Sure only three, but this prosthetic works like a champ.”
I had a feeling this was because of my comment earlier about the red carpet treatment. But you never know with these guys. Changelings have a deep ingrained history and rituals. Sure they are trying to change (pun intended) to accommodate to their new life, but it’s a big step. And I definitely don't want them to lose their cultural identity completely.
“Wheres Chloris?” I asked, hoping for at least one of them to throw me a bone. “I told her I was coming, would have thought she would have been excited to see me.”
That's right, I resorted to playing dirty. It almost worked too, I got a reaction from some. I saw a few smirks, the buzzing of wings was also present. So I was onto something. Time to really hit it home.
“I mean, I thought we really hit it off” I said to myself, but loudly enough that just about all of them could hear me. “And I was gonna ask her…I guess she doesn't want to...That's a shame, cuz I really wanted for us to…”
The group was just about to come unglued at this point. Without actually saying anything I had them literally abuzz. A few of them actually scampered off, apparently unable to hold their composure any longer.
“Well I guess that's what I get for assuming.” I said sighing and slouching down. One more to really get em. “Some king I am.”
That was it, the final straw. The ones carrying me just about dropped me, the rest whirled around so fast it made my head spin. There faces a mess with emotions that, I’ll admit, I couldn’t read to well. I may have overdone that last bit.
“You-” One changeling began, but that's all she got out before a black and green blur shot from the bushes.
“Oof” I involuntarily let out as I was carried off into the brush by the assailant. In a vary nostalgic way might I add. After my tumble I found myself pinned to the dirt, a weight on my chest. I blinked a few times to clear my vision.
“You were saying.” Chloris said in a half growl. The other half however sounded almost like a purr. Quite an interesting combination, aggressive happiness?
“Hey Chloris, whats up?” I said innocently.
“Me right now.” She said proudly, before leaning in close to my ear and continuing. “And soon, you.”