//------------------------------// // Cooperation // Story: My Son is a Changeling // by Draconian Soul //------------------------------// My original intention was to leave for the Crystal Empire early in the morning, but due to the previous night’s unfortunate events, I stayed and received medical attention from Twilight. How embarrassing that was - getting bandaged up by my little sister because a baby changeling spat on me. I’m supposed to be the one taking care of my little sister not the other way around! “So…how bad is it Twily?” I cringed writhing in pain. “Well…” Twilight said, using her horn to illuminate my wound, "The acid ate through some of your pelage, and most of your Epithelial tissue-". "Twilight..." I moaned, "English, please..." She waved her hoof in an annoyed manner, then rolled her eyes, "Frankly, you're lucky to be alive! If you wouldn't have thrown him off in time, you'd probably be dead!" She said, further examining my wound. "The acid singed the tips of your rib cage, but there wasn't enough to reach your organs. I'm no doctor, but I'll do my best! You'll have to trot with stitches for a while, though; which I can only imagine will be a very big pain in the flank!" Knowing that your son could burn through your vitals wasn't a pleasant experience, but a very informative one. You never forget how to deal with a child, especially when the consequence results in a gaping hole in your body. “Well, I guess that could be considered good news...” I grunted. Kilo was leaning on the edge of the couch. I could tell by his eyes that he was worried. If he could talk, I'm sure he would have apologized: "I'm sorry, daddy!". His eyes said it all. I mean, can you stay mad at a face like that? I patted his head to let him know that everything was alright. “Are you sure you don’t want me to handle him? I do have more experience with raising other species than you do" She said, quickly glancing at Spike, "so it shouldn't be a problem - adapting to Kilo’s behavior, I mean” I sat up, trying my best to ignore the pain, then gently placed m hoof on Twilight's back. “Twiley, I've had my tail bitten off and my love life diminished; I have publicly embarrassed myself trying to cover up for him, and now I have a...a hole in my chest! Still, I really enjoy having this kid around. Crazy, I know, but I’m not willing to give him up, even if he ends up killing me...which of course it might!" I could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't amused at all. “If you say so,” she sighed using her magic to stitch together my wound. As painful as it was, her magical aura left a soothing feeling. It always fascinated me how good she was with her magic, though she could have done a better job with closing my hole completely. “So, what are you going to do when you get back?” Being lectured by my little sister; I've really hit a low point. “I’m going to tell Cadance why I was acting so strange the other night. I’m going to be honest about Kilo, and pray she’ll understand.” By truth I meant telling her the same thing I told Twilight. “And she will understand!” she responded satisfied. “Almost done! Now, since you’re going to be here a few more hours, this is an opportunity for me to gather everything you might need in order to take care of the changeling. Can you think of anything we'll need?” I thought for a moment, trying to figure out if I really needed anything. Instantaneously, an idea came to me. I asked Twilight to bring me a few pictures of Cadence, even the framed ones. Maybe I could get Kilo to accept her?. “Okay, Kilo!" I said, levitating a framed photo of Cadance, "this is a picture of my wife! She’ll be helping me take care of you from now on.” I showed him the photo. (A rather cute photo, Cadance was giggling and winking). Kilo carefully approached to the image, sniffed it, trying to recognize who he was looking at. “What are you going to do when you meet her?” I asked, still levitating the photo next to his face. My answer came when he sunk his teeth into the frame, then mercilessly ripped it off, taking part of Cadance's face with it. Kilo happily chewed on the film as I slowly placed my hooves onto my face. “Hey, Twiley, you think he'd give my wife the same treatment as this photograph?” I asked, my hooves muffling my voice. “I wouldn't bet against it!” she giggled, staring at Kilo, who was still chewing on whatever he bit off. As cute as it was, this could very much be problematic. I couldn't have Kilo biting Cadance's head! “Okay, let’s try this again…” We spent two hours trying to get him to stop chomping on Cadance's photos, and went through around two hundred duplicates before we saw some results. He was still snarling, but as long as he wasn't trying to make my wife his dinner, I honestly didn't really care. It took about three more hours before I thought it was time for me to leave. It was the late afternoon, so I probably would come home quite late. As I strapped my saddlebag around my back, I received a warm hug from my sister. “Remember to write a letter if you need anything!” She stated, still embracing me, “Don’t be a stranger, okay?” “That’s something you won't have to worry about, Twiley,” I said, smiling. Spike was standing beside her, still thinking about the strange events that occured the previous night. And Spike, try not thinking about it! I bet you the pony who gave you that gem won’t mind replacing it with something else!” Spike’s expression changed to the better.“Yeah, I guess you’re right!" he said happily, "Hope to see you soon!” I saluted to the purple dragon and started heading towards the station. Kilo poked his head outside of the bag and began nibbling on my ear. “Well, kiddo, we’re going home!” I laughed. The train ride back felt longer, mainly because I wasn't anticipating my wife to react too hard. Kilo had fallen asleep after feeding on me (though only a little, so I had enough emotion to actually seem like I cared about something) I had some time to gather my thoughts: “Things will go just fine,” I nervously muttered to myself, “I mean, it’s not like I’m telling her it’s my son! What’s the worst that could happen?!” Instantly, I imagined a possible scenario: Cadance is furious that I brought a changeling to our home. The balcony door swings open and, in a fit of rage, she throws me off the balcony! Yeah, I was being a bit melodramatic, but after having my life threatened by a certain changeling queen you could see why I was on edge. I needed a distraction from that thought! I reached into my saddlebag and scraped up the list which Twilight gave me. There were a few things there which Chrysalis already warned me about, so I skipped them in favor of the things I still hadn't heard about: Changeling babies hate other children. Do not leave him with anypony else on play days; things might get ugly. A noticeable sign of when a changeling baby is going to spit is if he is staring blankly at you. Changeling’s diets consist mainly of love and small mammals. I'm guessing you can't provide any animals, so here are a few alternatives: try feeding him fruits like grapes, bananas, apples, or other non-citrus fruits. Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT feed him grass or flowers! It’s nearly fatal to them! Another reason not to leave Kilo alone by himself. I peered inside the bag and watched Kilo’s movements while he slept. He constantly kicked and moved like he was in the middle of a big hunt squeaking while doing so. There was something about this kid; he was doing more than sucking out my love, he was also sucking out my worries. “Ah, I guess I can deal with getting thrown off a balcony if push comes to shove,” I giggled. After observing the train to make sure nopony was watching, I leaned into the bag and planted a kiss on top of Kilo’s forehead. The train ride felt painfully long, but we eventually made it home. I gulped as I saw the palace doors in the distance. I wondered again what Cadance might do to me. “W-well K-kilo, I guess it's time to introduce you to the f-family” I said shakily. I might as well have been talking to myself, since he was still fast asleep. There was no turning back at this point. I took a deep breath, stepped onto the platform, then trotted straight to the palace doors. The entrance was guarded, of course, to make sure no-pony got in uninvited. There have to be many precautions, to make sure no valuable information gets leaked out of the palace. The main halls don't contain too much security, since there's not much but janitor ponies, and the cooks that prepare and serve the meals. Around this time of day, there really isn't much activity on the floors. “So, you got injured too.” A gruff voice came from behind and I turned to see who it was. “So, I’m assuming you got a body full of that stuff too!” the Royal Guard who fell victim to Kilo’s acid vomit stated. His wings were pressed to his body with bandages, and he looked quite disgruntled. “Eh, yeah well accidents happen, I suppose!” I said, trying to keep myself calm. The guard didn't look too amused, though. “Well, maybe you can explain it to your wife better than I did. What is this stuff? I couldn't, I don't know what the heck did this to me” He said, while nudging his bandaged wings “Y-You talked to her!?” I asked, flabbergasted breaking into a cold sweat. “Of course I talked to her!" You weren't around and I needed to talk to somepony about what happened to me!" It put me out of commission for over a day." I nodded, and politely pushed past him. "Sorry to have disturbed you!" He said, his voice trailing after me, "but what were you doing up there anyways?” “Sorry, but I’ll explain later!” I said loudly, while cantering up to the staircase, leaving the bewildered guard standing in the hall. I picked up my pace. While racing towards the spiral stairs, I contemplated all the things that could go wrong when I reached my room. One thought was potential death, but I didn't want to get ahead of myself. Reaching the door to the bedroom, I entered to see an annoyed Cadance sitting the overstuffed chair by the fireplace, hooves crossed. It was as if she had been expecting me for quite some time. “Sorry I’m home so late, honey! Good to see you though,” I said going nervously, going in for a kiss. She put her hoof to my face, and forcefully shoved me away. “So, you were practicing magic, huh?” she said icily. My expression went from nervous to downright fearful of what might happen next. “I examined the holes in the ground after a guard said he got injured by some unknown substance, and they don't look like magic bursts…it looks like something melted through the floor!” This was anything but good. “Now that I think about it, your tail doesn't even look singed, nor cut, it looks torn!” She said firmly. Well, there was no escaping it now. There was only one other option I could do. Cadance,” I began rubbing my scalp trying to think what to say. “I’m sorry for lying to you, but I guarantee you - I can explain!” I said, trying to stay calm. ““An explanation! What was so dire that you had to lie to me in the first place!?” she snapped. “This” I placed my bag on the ground and opened it up, taking a deep breath before reaching in. Cadance was tapping her hoof the floor impatiently, waiting for another reason to scold me. If all went well, then she wouldn't have another reason. If things went not so well…you know what might happen. I gently lifted Kilo out and showed her the changeling. My wife’s expression quickly changed from disappointment to shock. “Shining, what is this thing? Is it a changeling” she asked, rather bemused. I didn’t know how she would react to what I would say next, but it was either telling her I found him or telling her that this was my actual son. And I did not feel like dying at the moment, so the later surely wasn't going to be said. “Well, you see, on one of my shifts around the Empire, I left the boundaries for a moment to impede any dangerous forces that might do us any harm.” She was listening carefully, and had he ears cocked towards me. “While I was out, I found this guy on the ground with his parents nowhere to be found. Now, I know we have a bad history with changelings, but he is just a child! I couldn't leave him out there with Celestia knows what! I’m sorry for lying to you - I didn't want to share the burden with you, I know how busy you are. That’s why I went to Twilight; could you forgive me for my dishonesty?" I thought that went rather well. It felt like I should have gotten an award for my acting! Though I would have to wait for the judgment from my wife to know whether she was sold on it or not. Her reaction was a hefty slap to the face leaving a rather noticeable hoof-print. “I want you to listen to me well…” she began, her words sharper than her hooves. “…if you ever make me that worried again, you will have to deal with something worse than a hoof in your face!” “So…a hoof in my flank?” I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. She glared at me, but I could tell from the twinkling in here eyes that she was giggling on the inside. “This isn’t funny Shining. I want you to promise to me that you won't lie to me ever again, OK?" She said, cupping my face in her hooves. Well, sadly enough, I would be lying to her again. In fact, I was lying by saying I wouldn't lie anymore! I didn’t really have much of a choice. “I promise. Sorry for making you worry” I apologized. Her face began to lighten up soon after my promise. “Good!" She said happily, "So, now to take care of...um…what's his name?” “Well, I thought Kilo would be a nice name for him.” I answered. The baby changeling yawned, showing his tiny fangs and opened his eyelids. He flinched when he saw her face, then hissed slightly to let her know to stay away. “Well, doesn't look like Kilo likes me too much,” Cadance said with a smile on her face, looking at the baby. “I hope we can change that eventually.” “So, you’re okay with us having a changeling in the house? Even after the-" she cut me off by pressing her hoof against my mouth. ““Yes, we have had issues with changelings in the past, but a child is still a child. I’m not going to abandon anyone in need” She said softly. I was honestly shocked at how well she was taking the situation, but I guess I shouldn't have expected any less from the "element of love" (as I liked to call her). “Besides, he’s kind of cute” she said in a sweet tone of voice, “Do you mind if I hold him?” Kilo didn't seem too keen with the idea of being held by a stranger, but I had to get him used to her somehow. “Sure! Just be careful; he tends to get aggressive with others sometimes...” I passed him to Cadance, much to Kilo’s dissatisfaction. He didn't want to bite her head off, that's a big plus, yet he still seemed quite displeased. “He is a fussy little fella isn't he?” Cadance said, while Kilo tried to squirm out of her hands. “I hope he gets used to me!” She continued to smile at Kilo as I stood there in awe. I couldn’t believe how well everything turned out! “Well, looks like he wore himself out now,” she replied still looking at Kilo. “Now he’s just staring at me blankly.” She muttered. “And, his cheeks are bulging up!” What do you feed this guy?" She asked. Oh Buck! “Cadance, give him back to me! Quick!” I yelled, grabbing him from her before he could seal the deal. Cadance was safe and Kilo spat…on one of my legs. Another injury, courtesy of my own son! The rest of the evening went well. I told Cadance about everything Twilight and I discussed, then showed her the list of things we needed to take care of Kilo. It took a while, but Kilo slowly started to warm up to Cadance to the point where he no longer hissed (though he still squirmed every now and then when she held him). Things for once were going well with Kilo around. The only thing that I was still getting used to was his feeding. “So, he feeds off of your love?” she asked, watching me as Kilo sucked on my hoof. “Unfortunately yes,” I replied nonchalantly. The effect of the feeding had already taken its toll. “He’s been doing this practically every day since I found him.” “Is that why you were uninterested the other night?” Cadance stated, relieved realizing that I wasn't getting uninterested in her. “To be honest with you, I thought you were acting like that because you had started seeing somepony else” She laughed. “Well, how would that explain the tail and floor situation?” I replied, a hint of laughter in my voice. “Well,” she began fiddling with her hooves, “I was having thoughts that you were letting somepony tug your tail! And she bit it off. As for the floor, I couldn’t begin to tell you what I thought of that. I’m embarrassed just thinking about it!” After Kilo had his fill, I leaned into my wife and gave her the most affectionate hug I could give her. “Babe, there isn't any-pony in the world that is more beautiful, loving, and downright sexy as you are. For me to cheat would be unthinkable, and you know that.” I said softly. “So, any chance that we can…you know…try for our own child tonight?” Cadance hinted. Unfortunately, once again, I was not in the mood and shook my head. “Oh, well maybe we can try when Kilo doesn't feed on you then.” She sighed. “If he doesn't feed on me, that is,” I corrected her, lying on the bed with Kilo, who had just fallen asleep. I gently picked him up and placed him in a cradle next to our bed, which Cadance had prepared for him. “Well, we can always try again,” she said, smiling, before giving me a short peck on the cheek. “Good night, Shining!” She said sleepily. “Sleep tight, my princess.” I replied, slowly closing my eyes, letting sleep take over my aching body. Even after the exhausting events of the day, I somehow managed to wake up in the middle of the night. Cadance had fallen asleep and Kilo was comfortably nestled in his cradle. For some odd reason I couldn’t fall asleep again. I felt like taking a stroll around the castle. I slowly slipped out of bed, then headed to the door to our bedroom. It was pitch black, and I tried not to step on anything as it would surely wake everypony up. As I carefully pushed open the door to our bedroom, I came across a familiar face. “Oh good timing! I was just about to knock!" Before she could finish, I pinned her to the other side of the wall and closed the door, covering her mouth so nopony could hear her. This was a very bad time for the Queen to show up. Heck, I’m still trying to figure out how she managed to get past the guards. “What are you doing here?” I whispered, agitated at her for appearing so late at night. All I could hear were her muffled sounds as she tried to tell me to remove my hoof. I removed it hoping to receive an answer and then have her leave. “Oh, I didn’t think you’d be that happy to see me that you would pin me against a wall like this,” she cooed deviously. Realizing the awkward position I was in, I swiftly stepped away from her, a bit embarrassed. “Like I said,” I stammered, much to Chrysalis’s amusement, “what are you doing here at this time of night!?” “Well, if you must know, we had a successful hunt, and wanted to give little Kilo a small gift. It’s in this bag right here.” “No!” I snapped. “You aren't even supposed to be here now! Give it to him tomorrow.” Chrysalis didn’t respond too well: “You have the gall to tell me what to do!? I have every right to give my son a present! In fact, I could march in there right now if I wanted!” “No, please!” I pleaded (yes pleaded) to her. “If Cadance were to see you she’d be enraged!” “Enraged huh? And she isn’t about Kilo?” She said, rather annoyed. “No, she’s fine with him but…” “Wait, she accepts that Kilo is our child?” She gasped. “Well I-” “That’s a relief!” she interrupted. “I was worried that I might have to go through the trouble of attacking her for rejecting the child, but she’s really okay with it, even if it is ours. Hmm, maybe Cadance is better than I thought. This is such good news for both me and you, Shiny!” I wanted to tell her that she wasn't exactly correct, but since she was happy with how she thought things were (which was why she embraced me in a crushing hug) I decided to go along with it. Besides I didn’t really want to risk anything; these creatures kill you for not taking care of their child. I didn't want to see how she would react if she found out I told Cadance Kilo wasn’t my baby. “Yeah, sure” I responded, trying to break out of her hold. “but remember, she still can’t stand you, so I’d suggest you don’t come around too often, especially when she’s here.” “So, how am I supposed to tell when she’s not around?” she asked. That was a good question; Chrysalis did have an uneven pattern of showing up, and if the two ever met, the conflict would spiral out of control. I needed to make sure that never happens. “Wait here a moment,” I sighed, and headed back inside my room. Cadance was fortunately still asleep, so I could rummage around a bit without catching her attention, though I would have to do it silently and quickly. After a brief search, I managed to find a schedule of meetings, events, and important maintenance for both me and Cadance. I used a spell to make a duplicate of both and went back out into the hallway. “Okay, here’s a schedule for me and Cadance. I’ll be here when she's out working, so please come to see Kilo around these times.” I said, pointing at the appropriate times for visits from her, though she still looked at me slightly perplexed. “But…” But what?” I said, a bit irritated. “But what if I want to come and see you.” She whispered. A small blush (as much as I hated to admit it) started forming on my face. Her flirtatious behavior had overstayed it's welcome. .“Well then I guess you’re just out of luck.” I said sternly. "Humph! You didn’t have to be rude about it!” She seemed like she was legitimately hurt by my comment, though in my mind I dismissed it as deception. “But if you say so, Shiny, I’ll come back another day and visit you.” “You mean Kilo.” I said, as she walked down the hallway before briefly stopping and looking back at me. A sultry smile formed on her face and she winked at me. “Maybe.” was all she said before snickering, and leaving the vicinity. She was starting to give me a migraine, and now I was wrapped up in two lies. Cadance thinks Kilo was found, and Chrysalis thinks she knows of it being our child. The truth being discovered by either one of them would be disastrous. “Oh man, this is heavy” I sighed, leaning against the wall outside out bedroom. “What the hell did you get yourself into?” Well one thing was for sure: I wasn't going for a stroll anymore.