//------------------------------// // First Words // Story: My Son is a Changeling // by Draconian Soul //------------------------------// I don’t believe I slept well that night.  Most of the time was spent breaking into a cold sweat about the news that I received from Twilight. I eventually fell asleep, but it was an uncomfortable state I was in, very opposite to the feeling I had with Cadance.   When I woke up, I noticed my wife no longer lying on me, or the bed. Kilo wasn’t in his crib either. I rubbed my eyes and got out of the bed to see where they went off tot. To my delight, Cadance was in the kitchen, humming sweetly to Kilo while fixing breakfast.   “Well well well! Looks like the man of the house finally woke up,” Cadance happily chimed. “I didn’t tucker you out that much last night did I hon?”   She made sure I had a good view at her flank, as she wiggling it slowly to tease me. It was tempting, maybe a little too tempting.   “You’re going to if you keep provoking me like that,” I giggled. “I take it that you’re in a good mood this morning.”   “How can I not be!” Cadance responded wrapping her arms around me. “Ever since I got up this morning, Kilo has been welcoming me warmly. He even let me tickle his little tummy. You should have seen it; he let out the most adorable squeak I ever heard!”   Kilo was sitting in his booster seat, chewing on one of the toys that Cadance set out for him. He was making babbling sounds and tapping the little area he had playfully.   “Cute, but is he the only reason you’re happy?” I asked playfully. She played with my mane with her hooves and whispered in my ear.   “As much as I would love talking about that, we have young ears here.” She let out an almost drunken giggle and went back to the kitchen. She had a variety of food being prepared: cooked carrots, toast with strawberry jelly, fruit salad, and even one of her special omelets made just for me, which was crafted into a heart. It was a cute display, and it almost got my mind off of the issue that was running through my mind…almost.   “Though I will say, whatever got you to be so…well…active last night, I hope you keep it up,” she cooed.   “Yeah, I guess,” I said halfheartedly. I enjoyed what happened, just not the effect I had to inherit to get this. She seemed to have catch on that something was wrong.   “Shining, is something the matter?” she asked in her sweet concerned voice. “You seem, kind of upset about it. Was it something I did? I did go a little overboard with the…”   “No, it’s nothing you did,” I reassured sighing. I told her two lies in the past (one that is still sticking) and I don’t think there is much of a reason hiding this as well. She has already accepted Kilo, so she would certainly accept this.   For once since I found Kilo, I decided to tell the truth.   I explained the symptom I received from Kilo, causing my wife to frown slightly in concern.   “So, that was the reason you had the drive last night?”   I nodded sadly, as I noticed her giddy complexion sink from her face the more I talked about it.   “So, all of that was from the effect of the bite and not because…” “No, don’t get me wrong Cadance! There was nothing forced about last night,” I reassured her gazing lovingly into her eyes. “Everything we did was genuine.”   Cadance smiled warmly at me. Something about telling her about my condition just felt good, like I was finally doing something right for once.   “Still though, is there any way to cure this infection you have?” she asked worriedly.   “Don’t know. Twilight is supposed to be coming sometime today to talk to me about it, so maybe she’ll have some answers.”   Cadance sighed, her concern still displayed on her face. “Let’s hope so.”   This was becoming depressing. I wanted to alleviate the situation to something a little more pleasant.   “So, what have you and Kilo been doing since you’ve been up?”   Cadance’s mood seemed to perk up when I asked this. “Oh, how could I forget to mention it! Kilo tried to talk today!”   “Really?!” I knew that changelings advanced faster than ponies, but he’s only been with us for about three months. How was he able to learn to speak so fast?   “Yes. When I was feeding him his food, he started mumbling inaudibly. It sounded as if he was actually trying to say something.”   I went to see the little devil as he chewed on the plush unicorn Cadance let him play with. As soon as he saw me, he immediately spat the toy out and extended his arms.   “Icka!” he exclaimed. I could only assume that he wanted me to pick him up.   “Not now Kilo,” I denied. “I want to talk to Cadance for a little.” Kilo glared at me, obviously not too pleased with my refusal.   “Oh that’s okay,” my wife stated, putting on a set of earrings. “I’m going to have a day out with a few girlfriends of mine, and I want to be as early as possible.”   “Girlfriends?”   “I thought I told you about this.” She reminded me of the scheduled date she had with her friends while she prepared herself for her outing. She was putting on all the fixings: makeup, eye shadow, hoof polish, and all the works. She was absolutely glowing; her physique grew more enticing the more I looked at her. It took a lot for me to avoid thinking lewd things about my own wife (probably due to the changeling infection I had).   “I honestly forgot about that,” I admitted, scratching my head.   “It’s not that big of deal if you forgot,” Cadance smiled, pecking me on the lips teasingly. “I don’t expect you to remember every event you’re not involved in.”   “I guess. Plus, this allows for some quality man to man time with Kilo here!” That was putting it lightly. The last time I spent father-son time with the destructive changeling, he nearly killed himself. Additionally, there was more I needed to settle than just playing with Kilo.   “Yeah, that would be good for you two,” Cadance stated, kissing me once more before she headed for the door. “I’ll be late tonight, so don’t wait up okay?!”   “Will I get a late night gift when you get back?” I cooed, resulting in Cadance’s face having a small tint of red to show.   “That depends on how good you are,” she responded, wiggling her flanks slightly. “See ya, my knight in Shining Armor.”   She left the room with such grace. I almost wanted to chase after her, though I stopped after the revelation of us being married struck me. Now there was no one here, except me and the little spawn that put me in the situation I was in.   I returned to Kilo’s booster seat, still sporting a scowl on his face for my refusal of picking him up. I assume that this is another trait that runs in his bloodline: impatient and easily angered. Chrysalis would be proud of what we created.   Chrysalis…she’s the reason I was in the fix I was in in the first place. She was the reason I’m a ticking time bomb that’s just waiting to explode! I needed to have a word with her about this, and get the reason why she withheld vital information from me. Normally, seeing her at my doorstep would make me groan, but this time, I wanted….no, needed her to show up.   But if Twilight came by…the risk was too much. I could deal with Twilight’s backlash, but it was hard enough explaining why there were melted holes in our floor; I didn’t need to have to deal with another excuse for why our home was a wreck. I grabbed a quill and paper and began writing.   To whomever it concerns, I decided to take Kilo out for the day. We should be in the fields outside of the Crystal Empire, lazing around. If you need anything, look for us.   Sincerely,   Shining Armor   “That should be enough.” I left the letter vague enough so a certain someone didn’t get the wrong ideas. Kilo was still glaring at me, agitated that I refused his request.   “Sorry, champ,” I apologized smiling at him. “Want to go out for a bit?”   The reluctant child looked up at me and put his hooves out once more.   “I’ll take that as a yes.” I picked the little guy up and set him on my back. It was going to be our first day in a while with only the two of us around. *** It was another one of those calm, relaxing days, so I decided to take Kilo out into the open fields again to play. On our way, he would constantly try to say words, speaking in his babified language that was impossible to understand. “You’re awfully chatty today, Kilo,” I pointed out, smiling widely at the changeling riding my back. “Impi gogo,” he responded, which I could only assume was a joyous yes. The child was maturing quite rapidly. He started eating more solid food, learned where to go to the bathroom, and thankfully, stopped spitting up as much as he used to. Though after the last incident we had with that, I wasn’t going to take any risk. Once we reached the open fields, I lifted Kilo off my back with my magic, placing him on the soft grass. He rolled around in it playfully, giggling all the while. “So, Kilo, it seems like you’re learning how to talk.” Kilo responded by making bug-like clicks, beaming with happiness. “Well, lets practice your first words. Say, Daddy. Daddy!” “Pwaffa?” “No, not Pwaffa, Daddy.” What in the world was I doing? I couldn’t believe that I was trying to get Kilo to call me Daddy. Even though I was the technical father, I still wasn’t fully embracive of the title. Still, I couldn’t put the blame on the little changeling. What I could do however, was put all the blame on his wicked mother. Of all the rotten things she could have done, she left me in the dark about a potentially fatal ailment. I had a right mind to confront her and tell all the guards that she’s been invading the empire. And then she’d go blabbering on about our non-existent relationship. I couldn’t risk that happening, but Chrysalis was really becoming a problem. Which is why I needed to see her; to discuss this issue. “Why am I even thinking about her right now,” I said to myself, watching Kilo playfully frolic in the grass. “I should be relaxing, at least until Twi gets here.” With that, I decided to lay my head on the soft grass, watching Kilo play. It brought a warm smile to my face. “Heh, looks like you’re enjoying yourself, Kilo,” I pointed out. He ran towards me and jumped on my gut. It wasn’t the most pleasant feeling having a growing changeling jump on my stomach, but I grinned and bore it. “Alright, can you say Daddy?” “Pwaffa?” “We’ll work on that later.” I chuckled and put my hooves at the back of my head, relaxing and letting the breeze flow against me. Kilo looked at me and gave me a cute little grin. “Pwaffa Waka!” I had no idea what he was saying, but it delighted me to no end to know that he was trying to speak. Kilo, my son, saying his first words. My son… It was starting roll off the tongue a lot easier now. I was getting used to Kilo’s company, and as much as I hated to admit it… “Kilo, I never told you this before, and I probably should have said this a lot sooner, but…” I looked around to make sure nopony was around. I pulled the little one close to me and planted a kiss on Kilo’s forehead, eliciting a small giggle from him. “...I love you Kilo.” The words slid out easily; they were no longer hesitations, no longer words I would never utter. They were truth, a truth I learned to accept. Kilo giggled and flailed around in my hooves,. I set him back down on the ground and allowed him to play in the open field. I just relaxed on the ground, and slowly closed my eyes, letting myself drift. “Kilo… don’t go too far off,” I muttered before drifting into my light nap. For some odd reason, I felt a little more tired and drained than I should have, and I needed to rest… *** “There, there. Isn’t my wittle one precious?” Giggles and motherly affectionate sounds were enough to wake me up from my nap. My vision was blurry, but I could make out two things. My little son, Kilo, giggling happily in the arms of… “Chrysalis!” My eyes widened once I could make out her features. She sat beside me, laughing at my shock. “Well, looks like the big sleepy head is finally awake,” she teased. “You seemed kind of tuckered out, so I didn’t want to bother you.” I didn’t greet her, or even give her a look of approval. I just glared at her, causing her to frown. “What’s wrong with you?” Chrysalis asked innocently, cradling Kilo in her arms. “You know good and well what’s wrong with me!” I shouted, showing her the bite mark on my hoof. “Nothing to worry about, right?” Chrysalis sat Kilo down and leaned towards my hoof. “Why, I have no idea what you are talking about,” she replied innocently. “Cut the crap, Chrysalis! I don’t have patience for this!” Chrysalis jolted back at my sharp comment. “You know good and damn well what I’m talking about!” Chrysalis covered Kilo’s ears and gasped in shock. “You still haven’t learned how to watch your language. Such a filthy mouth will get you in trouble one of these days!” She was starting to give me a headache. I really didn’t know what I was expecting when I was talking to her, but it still got on my nerves to no end. Just to add insult to injury, she patted my head like a little colt. “There there, Shiney,” she cooed, giving off a little duck face. “I know you’re slightly frustrated, but everything will be alright.” “Stop acting like you don’t know what I’m talking about! I could potentially die because of this bite!” Chrysalis giggled into her hooves, looking at me with a smug grin. “So that’s what this is all about.” “Yes! Why are you taking this so lightly?” “Well one, it doesn’t affect me in the slightest. Why should I worry about the ailments of somepony else when I don’t suffer from the symptoms?” Her lack of concern for my well being was harsh, but something I should have expected from her. “Also, I’m not going to let you die.” This statement surprised me; she leaned in closer and nudged against my chest. “You need love to keep you alive, and I can easily provide you that.” My cheeks started to warm up. This changeling, the queen no less, was nestling close to me. It felt uncomfortable, yet I didn’t try to push her away. “Um, you mean, through the same process as you do with Kilo, right?” I asked, praying that she wasn’t implying anything else. With a light giggle, she began nibbling lightly on my ear, teasing me and making me even more shaky than I already was. “I can feed you anyway you want. Can’t let my precious Shining Armor die from lack of love, can I?” “Well… I… umm…” She nestled back into me, and purred lightly. What kind of game was she trying to pull? Was this manipulation? Trying to soften me up for the kill? If that was the case, why was I starting to enjoy it? “You worry too much, you know that?” she replied. “Why don’t you just relax like little Kilo and I are?” “Marmfi Pwafa!” “What Kilo said.” Chrysalis smiled and kissed Kilo, which for some reason started to warm my heart. It was hard to stay mad at the changeling queen for too long, mainly because she wouldn’t let me stay mad for long before acting seductive around me. Easy way to make a stallion no longer angry: make him uncomfortable. “What the...” That voice sounded so familiar. In fact, I could have sworn it was… “Twilight?” She stood defensively in front of us, pointing her horn towards Chrysalis and lighting it up with magic. “Shining, what are you doing with her?” she asked as her magic intensified. “Does she have you under some sort of spell? What did you do to him?” “Why, aren’t you quick to accuse others,” Chrysalis replied haughtily. “I’ll have you know that Kilo, Shining Armor, and I are just enjoying our little time together.” “Wait…. why is Kilo here?” Twilight asked, causing beads of sweat to form down my face. Don’t say anything that could get me busted, Twi. Please! “You act as if it’s odd for a changeling to see their own son,” Chrysalis huffed. “He’s our child, and I have every right to see him!” Twilight’s mouth dropped instantly. “Your son! Wait… Shining, you’re the changeling’s fa….” Before she could finish her sentence, I used a magic spell to remove her lips. I couldn’t have her finishing what I thought she was about to say. Chrysalis gave me a confused and agitated look. “Shining, what was she about to say?” she inquired. “Oh.. uh… nothing really!” I lied. “She’s still not too comfortable with a changeling queen coming around family! Takes some time to get used to you being apart of our lives.” Twilight’s mumbles were impossible to understand, but I knew exactly what she was saying. The confusion on her face made that perfectly clear. “I just need to talk to her, get her to calm down. Just give us a moment, okay Chrsy?” I noticed Twilight rolling her eyes at my statement, and simply chose to ignore the gesture. My concerns were more on Chrysalis tearing me apart if she didn’t believe me. “I suppose,” she agreed, much to my relief. “If you can, calm your sister down. I’ll just sit over here and keep our baby company.” “Great! I’ll be back in a minute!” I trotted over to Twilight and began shoving her a good distance from Chrysalis. Once we were in safe range, I used my magic to replace my sister’s mouth; of course, she had a huge scowl on it as soon as I did. “So, I see you got the letter, too,” I began, trying to ease the subject in. “Don’t even try small talking your way out of this!” she exclaimed. There went my plan of easing her into it. “Tell me what are you and Chrysalis doing together?” “Look, it’s not what it looks like! I can explain everything.” Twilight crossed her hooves and raised her eyebrow. “I’m listening.” “Well… you see… before the wedding fiasco, I kind of… well… had relations with the one who I thought was my wife. Turns out that was far from the truth. Months later, she comes up on my doorsteps and claims the baby is mine. So…. yeah!” I rubbed my mane, smiling awkwardly. The explanation surely wasn’t the best, but it was the only way I could spit the information out. “Wait, you mean… Kilo is…” I just nodded my head, watching my sister go into a flurry of mixed emotions. “Oh sweet Celestia! No wonder you came to me before Cadance!” “Listen, it’s not that big of a deal…” “Not that big of a deal? You help birth a changeling from a queen that tried to overthrow Equestria! How is that not a big deal?” “Look, I didn’t take this well when I first heard it, but this isn’t my fault! I couldn’t have known…” “You might not have known. I’m not blaming his birth on you. What bothers me is that you’re so comfortable about it!” While I was obviously going to argue that fact with her, she had a point. Ever since she appeared into my life, I’ve become more embracive of Chrysalis, even at her worst of times. This wouldn’t sit well with Cadance if she found out. Heck, it was barely sitting well with my sister. “I know this seems bad, but I am not involved with her. She just comes by to visit her son. That’s it.” Twilight was struggling to take the news at all, so I stepped towards her and smiled softly. “I promise you, there is nothing going on between us. We’re just… we’re just enjoying our time with our son.” “What about you and Cadance’s plan on having children?” “We’re still working on that. Nothing has changed. I just need you to understand that, and keep this between you and me, okay?” I pleaded to Twilight, giving her wide, mournful eyes in hopes she would take the news easier. Her face of disappointment soon melted into pity and small annoyance. “Okay, Big Brother,” she replied. “I don’t like the decision you’ve made, but I’m not going to tell Cadance about it.” With that, I grabbed her and gave a tight hug. “Thank you, sis! You have no idea how much this helps me!” “I got a good idea,” Twilight droned. “Now, with that out of the way, we should talk about… your condition.” “Right, the lethal transformation into a changeling.” Twilight nodded. “Since Kilo bit into and spread some changeling DNA into your bloodstream, you will suffer some of the some effects.” “Holes in my hooves isn’t one is it?” I quipped, receiving a jab in the stomach. “This is serious!” Twilight snapped. “If you aren’t satiated, you run the risk of dying!” Still didn’t like the dying concept much. Something just didn’t sit right with keeling over because of a baby. “So, how do I avoid an untimely death?” I asked. “Well, in order to stay alive at this point, you’ll have to have a steady supply of love.” “Heh, well that won’t be too hard,” I chuckled. “I already get a steady supply of that from Cadance.” “Shining, that’s not entirely good.” “It’s not?” “We don’t want to push the urges too far in. We want to keep it fed at the minimum without you dying from it so we can get rid of it for good! There isn’t a known remedy for your condition; however, with some research on your condition, I’m sure we can find a way to at least stabilize it.” I sighed in relief, smiling widely. “Thank Celestia. I nearly had a heart attack when you wrote me that letter last night!” “I can imagine,” she giggled. At least she was lightening up a bit. She looked back towards Chrysalis and Kilo, her happy mood dying slightly with the thought of the queen being there. “So, about her…” “Don’t worry about her, Twiley. If she wanted to attack us, she would have done that weeks ago. She just wants to spend time with me and Kilo.” I could easily tell Twilight wasn’t too happy with my involvement in her life. “But why you?” “Trust me, I’ve been trying to figure that out myself.” Though some ideas have popped into my head, I still don’t quite understand why Chrysalis is so Tartarus-bent on seeing both me and Kilo. My sister of course had her objections to the idea of her being around; I’m just glad she’s more understanding than most. “Well, if you promise you aren’t in any relationship with her…” “Absolutely none!” I reassured. “Good.” She smiled softly at me and gave me a light hug. “Well, I’ll see you back at the castle. I’d rather not talk around you know who. We can discuss your situation more later.” She turned towards the castle and began trotting off. “Oh, and Shining, don’t do anything too stupid again.” “Not going to hold any promises!” We both shared a small laugh and she left the field. I returned to Chrysalis and Kilo, watching as the queen tickled the little changeling. “Well, look who’s back,” Chrysalis greeted. “And I assume your sister didn’t want to come back?” I shook my head. “She’s still getting used to… um… this.” “I see. Well, I suppose I don’t blame her; I did try to overthrow her home.” Her light giggles normally would make me shake my head in annoyance. But for some reason, I found myself laughing a little with her; it was an odd sense of dry humor that I kind of enjoyed about her. “You know… your kind intrigues me. I’ve always wanted to explore your culture a bit.” “Oh?” Once again, Chrysalis leaned against me, something that was both disturbing and comforting at the same time. “It would be nice to roam around your type without being ridiculed for being a… well… you know.” “Yeah, I know your situation,” I replied. I looked down at her, noticing a small hint of sadness coming from her. Curse her ability to make me feel sympathy on her. “You really that saddened by the fact that you can’t visit without being chased out?” She just simply nodded. I was really starting to hate having sympathy for her, because what came out of my mouth next was going to make my situation even more hectic. “So, why don’t I just give you a tour of the Empire?” Her ears perked up in disbelief. “Wait, are you serious?” Am I serious? Why the buck am I offering this? “Well, as long as you disguise yourself well, I could always just be an escort. Royal Guards have the free range to show travelers around. If you request me, I can…” I couldn’t finish my sentence before being tackled my her, and receiving a bone crushing hug. “Thank you!” she nearly shouted. “I knew there was a nice little Shining Armor under that big, masculine facade you try to pull. This means a lot to me.” “Um… yeah…” My face went red from her embrace. “So, how about sometime tonight? Maybe, around seven?” “It’s a date, Shiney!” She winked at me and gave me a small kiss on the cheeks. She sure wasn’t helping me feel easier. “Yeah… a date…” Kilo began giggling at our display. “Dw…. Dw…..” It appeared that Kilo wanted to say something. “So, little champ, what’s on your mind?” “Dwaddy!” My eyes widened. Did he just say… “...Dwaddy!” Chrysalis smiled warmly and looked at Kilo with much pride. “Oh, Kilo, your very first word, and it’s directed towards Daddy! Shining, you should be proud!” In a sense, I was. My son, uttering his first words. The moment that makes every mother and father the happiest in the world… “Bwuck et Dwaddy!” ...was ruined by his first sentence. Chrysalis coldly glared at me, causing me to cringe and sweat nervously. “Heh, guess the kid picks up on words pretty well, huh?” I tried to make light of the situation, but it appeared that I had already made my own grave. Oddly enough, Chrysalis planted her hooves on my shoulder and giggled, giving me a half lidded grin. “Shining, have you ever experienced being drained of all your love?” “No, why?” “Would you like to find out?” “Not rea…” She didn’t give me a choice. Her eyes began glowing as she opened her mouth, hissing and sticking her tongue out. I was drawn into her haunting eyes, unable to move, not willing to move. I didn’t even know they were capable of draining love without physical contact. Guess I had to find out the hard way. My vision went blurry; I started feeling woozy… And all because I said buck in front of my kid one too many times.