//------------------------------// // The New Tenants // Story: Five Changelings In Equestria: The Monster Under The Bed // by Bucking Nonsense //------------------------------// "So... the Headless Horse is real?" Ladybird giggled at the question. When she'd walked into the dining room, undisguised, she'd been prepared for many things, but being invited to have a seat with Honey Darling and her foster father Brass Ring was not one of them. After introductions had been made, the two ponies and the changeling had been seated, and the three began chatting. Given recent events, it was no surprise that an unusual conversation topic came up... "That's a simple question," Lady answered, "But it has a complicated answer. Now, I'm not an expert on the topic, so I can't say I know everything on the subject. However, I suppose I know a bit more than most ponies. A lot of this has a to do with magic, and the nature of an idea. This might get a little complicated, but try and bear with me." Brass Ring and Honey Darling nodded, their attention focused on the changeling as they ate. While Lady thought that the food smelled delightful, being a changeling, she couldn't partake. Still, she was getting plenty of food from Honey: the little crystal pony was a practical dynamo of love energy. Clearing her throat, Ladybird began. "Let's say that you have an idea of a scary creature. That idea will sit in your head, and odds are, it will quickly vanish: after all, it's just in your mind, you don't have anything to base it off of, so you know it's not real. However, let's say you decide to tell a story about that monster to somepony else, somepony who doesn't realize it's just a story. Because that pony believes it might exist, the idea begins to take the first steps toward existing." Brass Ring, swallowing a mouthful of his salad, nodded, and said, "I think I can understand that. A lot of things start out as just an idea. It's like how a building starts out as just an idea in an architect's head, but once he starts sketching it on paper, it starts becoming real." "Exactly," Lady said, smiling and nodding, "But that's just the start: Just one pony's belief isn't enough. Now, let's say you tell two ponies about this creature, and they both buy into it. Now, your description was probably pretty abstract, but the two ponies you tell will start adding details in their own heads. Then, both of these ponies tell other ponies, who add more details, and those ponies tell other ponies who add even more details, and before you know it, dozens, potentially hundreds of ponies now have the same general idea in their heads, with all sorts of stuff added on. At this point, a nightmare will form in the realm of dreams." Honey Darling cocked her head to one side, and asked, "The realm of dreams?" Giggling, the changeling said, "It probably has a more complex name, but that's what I've always called it. Whenever you go to sleep, your mind touches upon it. There are a lot of things there, most of which are good, or at least neutral. That includes the nightmares, believe it or not. A nightmare is basically just a complex idea with a lot of ponies believing in it at once, and because ponies believe that those creatures do scary things, then that's what they do. It's like... I guess you could say that it's just a character in a book at this point: it's only doing what the author says it should." Brass Ring nodded in understanding, and asked, "Probably because it doesn't realize that it could do something else?" "Ha, you've got it exactly right," Lady said, with a grin. "At this point, the nightmare doesn't have the ability to think like you or I. That kind of ability takes time: years, at least. The longer a nightmare is shared by a large number of ponies, the greater the likelihood that it will start to think, to question why it's doing what it does. Sooner or later, it decides to do something outside of the usual scope of its role... and finds that it can. At that point, it starts to think for itself, and to believe in itself." Honey Darling raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Believe in itself?" "Well, that's the best way I can put it," the changeling said, nodding, "It's a bit more deep than that, though: a lot of it has to do with philosophy, which is not my expertise. Once a nightmare believes in itself, though, it starts becoming real. When it becomes real enough to pass through the threshold between real and unreal, it becomes a bogeymane." Turning back to Brass Ring, Lady said, "So, in answer to your original question, Brass, the Headless Horse is somewhat real, but mostly unreal. Of course, the Headless Horse you would meet outside of a dream would be far different from what you would imagine. Bogeymanes will often give their own actions a far different rationalization than most ponies would: the Headless Horse would tell you that she doesn't chase little ponies because she wants to cause them harm, but because she desperately wants to cuddle anything cute that she sees." Brass Ring raised an eyebrow and asked, "So you've met her?" The changeling shrugged and said, "Once or twice, we've crossed paths. She's pleasant company, but a bit of an airhead. Not surprising, really, given that her head IS air." Both Brass Ring and Honey Darling burst out laughing at that. After a moment, when the giggles died down, Honey asked, "So, first it's an idea, then a nightmare, then a bogeymane. What's next?" Surprised, and confused, the changeling asked, "Next?" "Well," Honey Darling began, a little more seriously than the changeling would have expected, "Once it gains the ability to pass through the threshold into what's real, what does it do next? When does it stop being unreally real, and becomes really real for real?" The crystal filly shook her head, then said, "Sorry, that made more sense in my head." Chuckling, Brass Ring said, "I think what you mean is, is there a point where it stops being an idea completely, and becomes real?" Ladybird rubbed her chin in thought and said, "That's a really good question, and one I don't have the answer to. What I can tell you is that a bogeymane has to absorb fear to maintain it's ability to cross the threshold, and it has to return back to the land of dreams regularly to maintain it's own existence. They also can't step out into the sun: artificial light, they can handle, but it weakens them. The sun is a completely different story: a nightmare can't exist in the light of day, and a bogeymane is just a stronger kind of nightmare. Too long in the sun, and the bogeymane kind of just... comes undone. Ceasing to be a nightmare completely is something I've never heard of, but like I said, I'm no expert." Finishing the last bite of his food, Brass Ring nodded, and said, "Well, as fascinating as this has been, I think it's time for Honey to start getting ready for bed." Turning towards his daughter, he said, "Honey, be a doll and go get changed into your pajamas. Miss Bird and I will take care of the dishes. I'll come and tuck you in when we've finished." The filly nodded enthusiastically, and headed off to her room. "So," Brass Ring said, turning back towards the changeling, and said, "Now that it's just you and me, it's time we talked." --------------- "Now," Brass Ring said, as the two of them washed dishes, "I can honestly say I appreciate what you've done so far for my daughter." He handed Lady a suds-covered plate to rinse off, then continued, "I've been worried about her, and while I didn't know there was a real monster in her closet, I did know that she's had a lot of problems lately." Ladybird rinsed off the dish, then placed it on the drying rack. "She told me about the divorce," the changeling admitted with a sad nod. "Those are never fun, from what I've heard." Brass sighed, and said, regretfully, "Yeah. And it's worse when it turns as ugly as ours did. The fact that my ex had admitted, in front of both myself and Honey, that she'd only stayed with the two of us as long as she had so she could wait out the pre-nup made it worse." The changeling tilted her head to one side, then asked, confused, "Pre-nup?" The earth pony shook his head, then said, "A prenuptial agreement. Basically, it's a contract: if a divorce does occur, it sets very specific conditions on who gets what. The pre-nup was my father's idea. I had just made my first million a few weeks before Sugar Withers and I met, and my dad insisted: he didn't like my ex, and was certain that she was only marrying me for my money. Turned out he was right." Handing the changeling another dish, Brass continued, "Sugar hadn't liked the idea, but she went along with it. She'd raised a few objections, but I'd taken them as just being upset about how nopony seemed to believe that..." The earth pony stopped, then sighed, and said, "I guess there were signs, but I was just too blind to see them." Taking the clean dish from Brass, Lady said, "Don't be too hard on yourself. Hindsight is always 20/20." Brass chuckled, then, moving on to a large pot, said, "Thanks. Anyways, long story short, I owe you for helping my daughter, so... Honey said she made a deal with you, about letting you stay here?" Lady shrugged, then said, "She said she had plenty of room under her bed, and I've slept in stranger places when the situation demanded it. With winter coming on, I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, as the old saying goes." Brass nodded, and said, "Well, that will do for tonight, but tomorrow, I'll see about arranging something a little better for you. Like I said, I owe you, and I like to think I'm a pony who pays back his debts, no matter how large or small... and making my daughter happy is no small thing for me." Lady rinsed out the pot after Brass handed it to her, and said, "Thanks. Look... I really don't want to cause you or your daughter any problems. She's a sweet kid, and you're a pretty nice guy yourself. There are things that I can do to keep what I look like, and what I am, under wraps, but... well, accidents can happen. I don't know what might happen if word gets out that I'm here, but I could get you in serious trouble if folks find out you were willingly harboring me, given what I am. So... what I'm saying is, if me being here becomes too much trouble, let me know. I'll take off." Brass Ring sighed, then said, "As far as I know, there's no actual law against being a changeling. Given recent events, I admit, there might be a few problems if word got out that you're here, but legally, I don't think there would be a problem, even if you get found out. But I do appreciate you saying that." Smiling, the changeling put the last dish on the rack and said, "Well, that's the dishes. Let's go tuck Honey in." ----------------------- Honey Darling looked adorable in her little pink hoofie pajamas. Mind you, her facial expression was a lot fiercer than expected, but that was to be expected, given that she was holding a bogeymane at teddybear-point... "Claws where I can see them," the filly said, holding her bear in front of her like a weapon... which in this case, it was. The bogeymane was cowering in the corner, it's forelimbs held up high. Brass Ring stared at the little creature in shock, as did Lady, but for different reasons. For Brass Ring, it was simply because it was the second time in the last hour he'd seen a creature that he was certain, sixty-one minutes ago, didn't exist. For Ladybird, on the other hoof, it was because, well... It was no larger than a colt Honey's age. In fact, it almost was a colt: It was ash gray, with a black mane. Red eyes, currently filled with abject terror, stared at the teddy bear, while a long, whiplike tail swished back and forth behind it. It's legs ended, instead of hooves, but instead with almost draconic talons. A pair of red, leathery wings flapped on it's back, but when at rest, they almost looked like a cape. From it's forehead there was a red horn, sharp and fierce-looking. While it's torso was pony-ish enough, just about everything else, including the shape of it's head, had a saurian aspect to it. All in all, it looked as though somepony had merged King Sombra with a dragon, then shrank the result to pint size... Lady put two and two together... "Young lady," Lady said, "Put that teddybear down this instant, and explain to me what one of YOUR nightmares is doing on this side of the closet." Honey put down the teddybear, but kept it in easy reach if needed, then said, "That's what I'd like to know. I was in the middle of getting dressed when this... thing walked out of my closet. I remembered what you did with Slendermane, so I grabbed my Bobo Bear..." It had walked out of her closet? Lady walked over to the door of the closet in question, then waved her hoof through the threshold. There was nothing there, not even the tell-tale feeling of wrongness associated with an imaginary space... Brass Ring, looking at the little creature, said, "I think it might have followed that Slendermane character here, then got lost in the closet." Lady nodded, then turned over to the two ponies, and said, "That's what I'm thinking. The problem is, the big bogey has already shut the door behind him: there's no way back to where this little guy belongs here. The closet is just a closet now. But there's no way that thing could..." Wait... Placing a hoof against her forehead, Ladybird thought about this problem unrealistically... King Sombra was real once. However, after his spectacular defeat, the evil monarch was gone... but not forgotten. Hundreds of ponies were still afraid of the villain, and were no doubt having nightmares about the dreaded wizard. All that fear had to go somewhere, so it ended up going to those nightmares instead. Fear granted the power to cross the threshold... So, potentially any nightmare of Sombra could, under the right circumstances, enter the real world, in spite of not being old enough to believe in itself. As it had with Exhibit A... "Lady, hit it with the big fluffy bunny!" Ladybird looked at the filly, who was glaring angrily at the little proto-nightmare. The creature was obviously terrified. After a moment, she said, "No." Honey's head whipped around to look back at the changeling, and said, "But... but it's Sombra!" Brass Ring shook his head and said, "No, it just looks like him. Its not any more like King Sombra than a picture of him is. And this isn't even a very good picture of him." Turning back to the mini-bogey, Honey admitted, "Yeah, I guess I see your point. But what do we do with him?" Ladybird had an idea... "Well," the changeling said, a smile starting to form on her face, "He'll need a place to stay until we can find a way to send him back... and there's plenty of room in your closet." At Honey's shocked expression, Lady shrugged, and said, "Think of it like having a dog." Looking at the creature again, Honey said, "Well, if he's a dog, he needs a name..." Brass Ring, a smile forming on his face (likely from the absurdity of all this), said, "Well, how about Timor?" Chuckling, Ladybird asked, "'Fear'? Seriously? Well, I guess it kinda works." Tossing the teddybear onto her bed, Honey Darling crouched down a bit, then gestured to the micro-bogey and said, "Come here, Timmy." Surprisingly, the nightmare did so, then sat down in front of the filly. Honey Darling pointed at the closet and said, "Now, go into the closet like a good little monster, and go to sleep." Again, the nightmare did so, and promptly went to sleep, snoring loudly and enthusiastically. Brass Ring sighed, then asked, in a theatrically loud voice, "Is there anything else that's planning on sleeping in my daughter's room? Anything else? Is there a monster in the hall closet that would like to join us? Feel free, we can have a big slumber party tonight." There was a voice from the hallway that said, "No thanks, sir. I'm perfectly fine right here. I appreciate the offer, though." Brass looked up at the ceiling, as if searching for some sort of sanity in a world now utterly devoid of reason, then sighed again, and said, "You know what, I could go in there and see what that is, but I don't think I could take any more shocks tonight. Honey, get in bed so I can tuck you in." Giggling, Honey jumped on her bed, and was promptly tucked. Ladybird crawled under the bed, and, grabbing the blanket and pillow provided earlier, along with the book, and got herself comfortable. After a moment, Brass brought his head down to the changeling's level, then asked, "Would bunk beds be alright with you? I can have one brought in and put together tomorrow." Rubbing her chin in thought, Lady considered, then nodded her head and said, "Sure. That could work." --------------------- As Brass Ring walked down the hallway to his room, he stopped by the hall closet, considered opening it, then decided against it. Instead, he asked, "Do you eat fear or love?" After a moment, the voice said, "Nope. Roaches, sir." Brass raised an eyebrow, then said, "But... we don't have any roaches." Cheerfully, the voice said, "You're welcome, sir." "Right," Brass said, then paused for a moment. "Keep up the good work. Umm, would you mind if the two of us talked tomorrow? I mean, I would tonight, but with all that's happened..." "I understand completely," the voice said, it's tone surprisingly chipper. "I'll pencil you in, sir."