It had taken a fair amount of trial and error but finally after an hour of practice and the loss of ten mugs and a glass Nigel was able to pour a drink.
He had never felt so awesome in his life.
Morrow had started to grow used to his presence over the time, the mare now only shying away when the changeling had a glass within ten hooves of her. She would have liked him to practice some more but the time hit five in the morning and the first customers for the day started to file into the tavern.
The mare had found that almost all of the patrons tonight opted to order from her as she walked the floor instead of going up to the bar themselves. A few of the braver stallions and mares engaged the changeling with their orders directly, Nigel thankfully not spilling any of the drinks he served. Morrow found herself rushed off her hooves as the small mare moved from table to bar constantly, the vastly increased amount of tips however more than made up for the extra work.
The changeling spent most of his time mixing drinks for her to serve, the nocturne surprised that he was able to without the use of wings or magic. Well, Nigel had a horn so she assumed that he could use magic like a unicorn, she would have asked him but it seemed to her like it would be impolite. It must be so difficult having to use his hooves for everything but he strangely seemed to have little trouble with standing upright against the bar without the aid of his wings, wings which he also never used in her presence.
“Waitress!”
Morrow veered around a table occupied by three mares drinking pear cider to head towards the call, the origin a table in the back corner. The table was devoid of proper lighting, the majority of it cloaked in shadow. As she drew closer she could see four nocturnes, all appearing to be stallions if the larger frames were anything to go off. Three of them were regular dark grey with blue manes of differing shades while the fourth was wearing a black cloak, a tuft of dark brown mane, two golden eyes and a blue muzzle the only visible features.
“What can I get for you?” she questioned, a tray of empty mugs balanced on her back. One of the stallions, the one closest to her on the left of the rectangle table flashed her a seductive grin.
“Anything from the looks of it,” he commented, Morrow rolling her eyes. Being the only waitress in the bar tended to harden one’s shell against flirting.
“I doubt the coffers of the entire city could pay me enough to fulfil that order with you wise guy.” The stallion’s two un-clothed friends burst out into laughter, the rejected nocturne soon joining in.
“Ah, I have to admit that you got me,” he chuckled before looking towards the two laughing stallions. “Ale guys?” he questioned, the two pausing to nod their heads as they calmed down. The stallion turned to the cloaked pony sitting at the very backend of the table, his grin fading a little. “What about you, Boss?”
“Whisky, a double,” the addressed stallion replied sullenly. Morrow thought it strange that the three stallions treated their fellow as a superior despite the cloak-wearing nocturne sounding younger than all three of them. She had little time to ponder this, she had an order to fill.
“I’ll be right back with your drinks sirs,” she replied with a small bow of her head. Morrow turned and headed for the bar, a hefty amount of tip money jingling in her blue apron’s front pocket. A group of bar-goers parted for her as she approached, her back to the table that she had just left. As such she was unable to see the cloaked stallion, who had been focused on her departing rump, notice the changeling bar-tender and freeze in shock.
Morrow made it to the bar, placing her tray down upon the counter and then started to off-load the empty mugs. Nigel finished up serving a lone mare a glass of cider before turning to face his co-worker.
“Three ales and a double whisky,” Morrow requested, the changeling nodding before as he prepped three wooden mugs and a glass. Putting all of the empty mugs in the sink, Morrow glanced over and found that Nigel was just finishing up, all three mugs on the tray with the changeling removing a bottle of whisky from a now-full glass. She quickly grabbed the glass with a wing, still uneasy about Chalmers moving glasses. He rolled his eyes at her actions; Morrow snorting in response as she carefully placed the tray on her back and trotted off to deliver the drinks.
Upon reaching her destination she was greeted with an empty table, the four stallions nowhere to be found.
“Oh come on,” Morrow huffed out, all that work for nothing.
“Excuse me miss,” Morrow turned to find a group of three mares and a stallion sitting at a table with empty mugs. The stallion gestured to the tray with the drinks, “we’ll be happy to take those off your hooves.” Morrow smiled at the four gratefully as she placed the tray down while four nocturnes, one in a cloak, checked the sign declaring the closing time before slinking out the door.
Nigel glanced up at the clock ticking away on the wall, the time two pm which meant it was time to close. The time had passed quickly that night, Chalmers actually finding that he enjoyed the work. It was probably the first time he had earned some pay without having to shoot someone, the feeling rather satisfying. He hadn’t dropped a single drink, there had been a few mishaps with empty mugs but nothing like the beginning of his bartender career.
“Okay everyone, closing time!” Morrow yelled out, Nigel noticing that she only seemed to be withdrawn around him. It was likely that she still hadn’t gotten used to him being a changeling, some time would be all she needed.
The remaining bar patrons left the tavern either trotting or stumbling, only a few left at this time of day. Nigel finished putting a final mug back on the self before the door leading into the main inn opened, two ponies walking in.
One was Nightwish, the Stallion shooting his newest employee a wide grin as he observed the bar. The second nocturne rushed up and hugged the changeling, Midnight’s wings fluttering as Nightwish chuckled.
“Well, it looks like you did a great job,” he commented as Morrow moved towards the group. “I didn’t get any complaints and there wasn’t a single brawl today either, good work. Did you find it all okay?”
“It was rocky at the start,” Nigel answered as Midnight let go of him, “but I got the hang of it fairly quickly.” The changeling glanced at his co-worker as Morrow averted her eyes. “Morrow was really helpful, she seems to manage everything well and I’d probably have to admit that without her help you’d be looking at a lot of spilt drinks.” Nightwish grinned at the young mare, the stallion giving one last scan of the barroom.
“I’m pleased to hear that, I think it’s time for that raise we were discussing Morrow. It certainly sounds as if you earned it.” Morrow looked at her employer with surprise, Nightwish returning it with a beaming smile. The mare’s shocked look morphed into an elated grin, a grin that was soon directed at Nigel.
“Thank you sir!” she exclaimed as she shook Nightwish’s hoof.
“We better get going,” Nigel spoke up as Midnight bumped his side. Nightwish and Morrow both waved a hoof at the pair.
“Okay,” Nightwish replied, “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, have a safe trip home.” A final exchange of waves and goodbyes took place before Midnight and Nigel left the tavern, exiting outside into the empty streets. The pair turned towards the main road, beginning to head back to Midnight’s house. They hadn’t gotten far, Midnight walking alongside Nigel with a wing over his back, before the changeling slowed.
“What’s the matte…” Midnight trailed off as she also spotted the four nocturnes emerging from an alley to block their path. She pressed closer to the changeling as the four stopped a few metres away from them, the one wearing a cloak glaring at Nigel and her with a particular hatred that the other three didn’t possess. Midnight shuddered, she felt that she knew the cloaked stallion from somewhere.
“Can we help you?” Nigel inquired in a steady voice, Midnight however thought that it had a trace of danger that he had when he had been fighting Bass Drop. The cloaked Nocturne stepped forward, throwing off the hood to reveal himself as Captain Equinox.
“You’ve already done enough,” the stallion growled, his three lackeys not moving from their spots.
“Oh, you’re still alive,” Nigel observed, “I thought your voice sounded… higher.” Equinox narrowed his eyes and took a step forward.
“Laugh it up cockroach; if I wasn’t found by Princess Luna herself then I would be dead. Needless to say, you’re now wanted by the whole of Equestria for attempted murder of a guard captain.” Midnight stepped towards Equinox, the mare fuming as she stared at him.
“You deserved to die after what you did!” she yelled, Equinox chuckling as Nigel tried to calm her down by placing a hoof on her back.
“Speaking of differences, you’re looking a little fatter there Midnight.” The mare clenched her teeth as the Captain continued. “You should be thankful that a Captain and noble of my status even gave you a foal, what, did you think that a changeling would? You truly are a traitor to your species.” This proved too much for Midnight, despite Nigel’s attempts to keep her calm she stepped forward and smacked the surprised Equinox in the face with her hoof. The stallion stumbled before grinning at her.
“Well well well, it looks like someone actually might have some guard material in her; it’s a shame you’ll never get back in. Oh, and while on that subject…”
Equinox lashed out, dropping Midnight to the cobbled road as his hoof smashed into her muzzle. Chalmers darted forward, standing over her as Midnight moaned in pain and tried to stop her nose bleeding. The three stallion lackeys all looked towards Equinox in shock.
“What did you just do!?” One yelled as he looked at the downed mare. “You can’t hit a pregnant mare, what if she miscarries!?”
“Who cares?” Equinox replied to the disgust of the three as he looked eyes with a very pissed off changeling, “it’s only a bastard child anyway, it would only come out as weak as its whorse of a mother. My father doesn’t pay you to question me, shut up and watch for anyone.” Equinox withdrew a wing from his cloak, a short knife with the black handle held with the wingtip sliding out of a hidden sheath. “This changeling is mine; you can do what you want with the mare after.”
“Screw this,” the stallion who had questioned Equinox before said, “I may be a crook but this is just wrong, I’m out.” He turned and galloped back down the alley Equinox spitting on the ground in front of Nigel’s hooves as he pointed the knife at his opponent.
“Coward,” Equinox commented, “He better be careful, if he keeps on backing out of this sort of work he’ll-“
“Get the sack?” Nigel commented coldly, no humour in his voice. Equinox sighed and grinned maliciously at the changeling.
“I’ve been waiting weeks for this.” With that he darted forwards, a wing swinging a knife at Nigel. The changeling dodged and moved away from Midnight, Equinox following as he ignored the crying mare in his haste to kill his enemy. The two remaining crooks who had been escorting Equinox around the city at their boss’s request moved back as the changeling pulled back from another knife thrust.
Equinox continued on, thrusting and slicing as he tried to close on the nimble changeling. Suddenly he saw an opening and lunged forward, Nigel not moving fast enough to avoid the blow. The knife scoured a gash in the chitin of the changeling’s right foreleg, green blood coming away with the sharp blade as Nigel stumbled.
A follow-up trust sank the blade into Nigel’s chest, Midnight’s eyes widening as she watched on helplessly while Equinox twisted the blade. She tried to stand but failed, the mare crawling towards the fight with a desperate energy. She closed within a few hooves as Equinox pulled the knife free, a flow of changeling blood spurting from the ragged wound onto the road.
Nigel almost sank to his knees as life-fluid left his body, he wasn’t used to occupying a body that couldn’t cope with the level of punishment he was receiving. He looked up to see an on-coming blade stained green rush towards his face, managing to raise his right foreleg up in an attempt to block.
The knife impacted the leg, the blade sliding through one of the holes as it split the soft chitin within the hole as the grip slammed against the leg.
It was agonizing for the changeling, even with his heightened pain resistance the cuts in what must have been a very sensitive spot burned. Chalmers stifled a grunt and focused on turning the pain into anger like he had been trained, the agony dulling as a cold rage built up while Equinox tried to force the knife towards Nigel’s eye. Despite the changeling’s efforts the nocturne stallion was stronger, the tip of the knife closing until it was almost touching.
The knife in the Nocturne’s grip faltered as Equinox grunted, Nigel glancing down to find that Midnight was on the ground behind the stallion. With teary eyes the mare was desperately hitting the stallion’s hind knees with a forehoof, the two stallions aiding Equinox rushing to stop her. They halted in shock as Equinox struck out with a hind hoof, nailing Midnight on the shoulder and causing the mare to cease her attack. She curled up on the ground, all the fight beaten out of her as Equinox prepared to strike again.
Chalmers took advantage of the stallion’s distraction, his anger boiling over after witnessing Midnight get hit again. The two crooks were too focused on staring at the scene to do anything, after witnessing their boss’s son beat a pregnant mare they didn’t know what to do. As such they didn’t stop Nigel as with a growl he yanked the knife that was still stuck in his leg out of Equinox’s wing’s grasp.
Preoccupied with lining his hind leg up with Midnight’s head, the stallion was too slow, re-focusing on Nigel only to find two-inches of knife impact into his right cheek.
He roared in pain before the changeling tackled him to the ground, both fighters covering each other in their own blood for their wounds. Equinox was stronger but was still surprised by the knife wound, Nigel overpowering him as he lashed out in pain-fuelled rage. Shoving the Nocturne to the ground the changeling sat on his back and began to slam Equinox’s face onto the road as the two stallions watched in horror.
“Fuck you,” Nigel breathed out through clenched teeth as blood spurted out of his chest with every slam. “You’re nothing but a miserable,” another push, Equinox losing a few teeth, “piece of shit.” Another hit and the stallion’s nose broke, lights beginning to turn on in the buildings around the street as the beating continued. “I should kill you right now.” With a final crack Nigel stopped, Equinox moaning weakly as his ruined face rested in a pool of green and red blood. Chalmers shakily got to his hoofs, staring down at the broken pony.
“I would right now, all it would take would be a few more hits or a thrust with this knife,” Nigel looked down towards his leg, the blade still embedded in the hole. “But I’m not going to kill you now,” the changeling stumbled over to Midnight as green blood dribbled out of his chest. “No, when I kill you I want to spend hours doing it, you ever come near us again and I promise you that I will show you every single thing I’ve learnt about inflicting pain over the years. Remember this you piece of trash.”
Nigel finished, sinking down to his knees to help Midnight up. The two stallions who had accompanied Equinox stared at the changeling debating what to do as the creature put one of the mare’s forelegs across his back.
“The Fuck are you looking at?” Nigel spat as he pulled the sobbing Midnight up, the two Stallions deciding that the changeling had won this round. Both of them picked Equinox up off the ground and hastily left down the alley that their comrade had disappeared down earlier in the initial confrontation. Nigel turned around with Midnight and started to limp back towards the tavern, the changeling not sure if they could make it back home and he didn’t know where the hospital was.
Behind them doors and windows opened, the pair moving out of sight as ponies looked out onto the street. Trailing drops of green and red blood, the two managed to get back to the tavern. Every step caused a whimper from Midnight and Chalmers found himself growing weaker as they reached the door. Having a bleeding hole in his chest and pretty much carrying a mare didn’t do too well on his aching body.
Panting, Nigel lifted a forehoof and banged rapidly on the front door, the door opening a few seconds later.
“Who’s there?” a voice sleepily asked. Willow poked her head around the door, “I’m sorry but we’re closed, I was just shutting- Oh my, Nigel!” The mare quickly woke up as she saw the two bleeding on the threshold. Willow wasted no time and ushered them in, Midnight was bleeding heavily from her nose and Nigel had a large hole in his chest as well as many other small cuts including a knife wedged in his right leg.
“Come in, I have a first aid kit in the office!” the injured pair were directed to the back room, Willow directing them to two chairs in the room. Nigel set down Midnight who still whimpered before the changeling collapsed against the wall. Willow turned around from some shelving, a white bag with a red cross on the front held with a wing as she darted over to him. Nigel managed to pull himself up to sit against the wall, Willow holding a wad of gauze to the knife wound in his chest.
“What happened to you two!?” the mare questioned franticly as Nigel waved her away and held the gauze to his chest himself. Willow seemed to not like leaving him but she relented and turned her attention to Midnight sitting in her chair, fetching more gauze to dab at the still-bleeding muzzle.
“We got jumped by some muggers,” Nigel answered with a wheeze, “they got away but they didn’t get to take anything.” The changeling glanced down at the grey carpet he was sitting on. “Sorry about the mess.” Willow shook her head, finishing up with Midnight she checked the mare’s muzzle and found it to not be broken. The only other injuries the mare had were some minor scrapes and a nasty bruise on her shoulder. Moving back to the changeling she removed the blood-soaked gauze.
Willow winced as she looked at the hole in the black chitin. Morbidly she noticed that Nigel’s flesh was green as well, the changeling staying still as she checked the wound for dirt. With a wing she pulled a bottle of disinfectant from the bag and with the other wing some fresh gauze and bandages, Chalmers nodding at her to go ahead. Quickly disinfecting the injury Willow applied the bandages, Nigel clenching his teeth as the wound stung. It only lasted a few seconds, with fresh bandages the bleeding was halted for the time being. Willow looked to his battered right leg and grimaced.
Again receiving approval, she grasped the bloody grip of the knife with both wings and pulled. Nigel cursed under his breath as the knife left his leg with a squelch, more blood dripping onto the carpet. Willow gazed at the blade for a few moments, noticing the red blood mixed in with the green but it was put aside. She had also observed that the changeling was covered in red gore as well as his own, Willow attributing it to Midnight. There would be time for questions later.
A few minutes later and Nigel’s leg was covered in wrapping, a lot of wounds for a simple mugging. Midnight shifted on the chair, the mare having not said a single word during the procedure. Willow packed up what little remained of the kit, making a note to buy another one later. She had just finished putting it back on the shelf when the sounds of something getting off the floor alerted her.
“Nigel, sit back down!” she ordered as she saw the changeling stand up shakily.
“No, I should probably get Midnight home,” he replied weakly, Willow shaking her head.
“You’re far too weak at the moment to move anywhere; you should be at the hospital right now.”
“I’ve had worse,” the changeling responded as he walked over to Midnight, the mare curled up on the chair with her wings around her protectively. Willow shook her head again at his stubbornness, the changeling nudging one of Midnight’s wings gently with his muzzle. The mare poked an eye out from behind the purple membrane and slowly got off the chair with difficulty, Midnight pressing up against Nigel as the two moved for the door.
“Hang on,” Willow sighed as she ducked out and returned with a key held in a wing, “you might as well stay here for the day, we’ll talk about this in the evening when Nightwish is awake.” All three glanced up above, now that it had all calmed down a slight snoring could be heard. “Of course he sleeps through this doesn’t he,” Willow muttered, directing the pair towards the stairs.
Stumbling up, the two were followed by Willow as she guided them to the closest room. The door was unlocked and Nigel immediately helped Midnight onto the bed, the mare collapsing down in a heap. Chalmers turned around and stood in front of Willow, the bandage strapped to his chest turning a slight green.
“Thanks for all of this,” he started, “I’m sorry for causing so much trouble for you.”
“Forget about it,” Willow reassured, “I couldn’t just refuse you, we’ll go over what happened in the evening like I said before. Get some rest and if you need anything don’t hesitate to ask.” With that she left for her own bedroom, confident that the two would just need some sleep and time alone. Nigel shut the door after the mare had left, pausing slightly as pain flared up in his chest before he went back to the bed.
He clambered up and laid down next to Midnight, the mare sniffling as she crawled next to him, carefully avoiding touching his chest as she put her forelegs around him. Nigel returned the gesture, briefly running a hoof over the large hoof-shaped bruise that Midnight bore before rubbing her back to calm her down. The nocturne moved forwards and rested her head on his neck, her sniffles stopping. Nigel felt his aches fade as he received a large amount of love from the mare, his wounds numbing and he found it easier to breathe.
The two soon fell asleep, not a word said between them as they drifted off due to their exhaustion.
Midnight opened her eyes, her face aching with a throbbing pain. She shifted on the soft blue covers, smooth limbs around her as someone breathed steadily next to her. She looked and saw that it was Nigel, the changeling still sleeping deeply. Midnight noticed that his chest looked like it had stopped bleeding, the gauze only lightly tinged with green. They were both still covered in blood however, Midnight noticing that some of his was also caked on her from the day before, the details of the fight still fuzzy to her.
Midnight wriggled out of the changeling’s grasp, taking care not to wake him as she shakily got off the bed. As her hooves touched the floor she winced, the bruise on her shoulder flaring with pain. She stumbled to the bathroom, opening the door quietly and closing it behind her. Walking up to the mirror she grimaced, her muzzle was bruised and a thick crust of blood covered her nostrils. Numerous small cuts around her body had already started to heal and her coat was caked with a layer of dirt, blood and grime.
Sighing, Midnight stepped into the small shower and turned the water on, the cold flow turning warm as the soothing water washed the muck off of her. She made sure to get the blood off of her nose, the coppery smell fading away as the water going down the drain was tinged a pale red. As she continued to wash she found her memories returning vividly, the events of the previous day clear.
Midnight still was lamenting over the fact that she had hit Equinox, with her loss of control she had started a bloody brawl that involved Nigel getting stabbed. She felt terrible for him; she was so certain that he was going to die as she watched from the ground. It seemed like that no matter how far they ran the past still caught up with them, Midnight could only hope that Equinox would leave them alone from now on. Midnight didn’t want to have to go through the fear of almost seeing the one closet to her die again.
After ten minutes of standing under the shower reflecting on the fight Midnight finally moved, the water cutting off as she turned the taps and stepped out onto the cyan floor-mat. Quickly drying herself with a large blue towel she opened the door and walked out, heading towards the side of the bed. Taking care to not touch the dirty sheets she stroked the sleeping changeling’s head with a hoof, Nigel mumbling in his sleep as Midnight looked at him apologetically.
“Where are they!?”
Midnight’s head shot turned towards the door as the voice of her father rang out from below. She heard hurried hoofsteps a few seconds later race up the stairs, soon stopping outside the door.
“Midnight, it’s me, Darklight. Let me inside.” Midnight shot a nervous glance at Nigel who was still sleeping before she hesitantly approached the door, unlatching the lock and stepping back as it opened. Darklight, wearing his police hat, stood in the doorway with two other officers behind him.
“What happened?” he asked with concern as he raised a purple wing to lightly caress his daughter’s injured muzzle. Midnight glanced at the two officer behind her father, the older stallion getting the hint. “Wait downstairs you two, I’ll be back down in a minute.” The two officers nodded and left, Darklight stepping into the room as he closed the door behind him.
Midnight didn’t say a word as her father walked over to the slumbering changeling, the experienced officer not flinching as he examined the wounds with an expert eye. He took note of the numerous shades of blood on the covers as well as on the changeling’s body, Darklight concerned as to where the red blood came from. He turned to face his daughter who was still near the door, Midnight staring down at the wooden floor.
“Go on Midnight, tell me what happened,” Darklight questioned softly, trying to avoid waking his daughter’s friend. “I was told by the tavern owner that you and Nigel were mugged.” Midnight grimaced and sat down as her father awaited a response.
“We lied about the mugging,” she admitted, Darklight narrowing his eyes as he found out that his daughter had lied. “We weren’t mugged, Captain Equinox found us and with three other stallions cut us off in the street when we were walking home yesterday.”
Midnight looked up with teary eyes, describing the memory only dredged up the feeling of fear that she had felt that day. “He tried to kill Nigel and he almost did! He hit me and when Nigel tried to stop him Equinox stabbed him! I thought that he was going to die and leave me alone with Equinox again.” Midnight’s ears drooped as she mumbled the last part, the mare folding her wings around her as Darklight stared at the changeling again.
“Did Equinox say why he was going to kill Nigel?” Darklight asked, he already had an inkling as to why but he wanted to hear if Midnight had anything to say.
“He only said that he’d been looking forward to it for a long time, I think it’s because of what Nigel did to him after Equinox… you know.” Midnight sniffled, her father nodding in understanding. “Equinox said some terrible things after he first hit me, he really seems out to get us for what happened.”
“He is a nasty piece of work,” Darklight agreed, moving towards Midnight to rub her shoulders with his wings. “Come on, I’ll escort you two home so nothing happens. Your mother is worried sick over you and I have to work on this investigation. Officers will come and question you two and I think it’ll be better if it was done at home, not in an office or inn room.”
“But what about the mess and Nigel?” Midnight asked as she got up off the floor. Darklight gestured towards the changeling as he replied.
“Everything is taken care of, I’ve talked to the owners about the trouble and they’ve given Nigel the day off today for him to recover. Everyone thinks it’s for the best if you come back home.”
Midnight sighed and nodded, moving over to wake her companion as Darklight waited outside.
The front door shut behind Midnight and Nigel as the pair limped into the house, Darklight leaving to head back to work. The stallion had mentioned that it was unlikely for anything to happen to Equinox considering that his father, Radiant Eclipse, was on the city council. Darklight would need some serious proof, however with none apart from a few blood spatters and a knife which could have come from a countless number of places the case was already dead.
The two entered the living room, both of them wearily getting up onto the couch and resting against each other. Midnight wrapped her wings around them, the mare still shaken up over the attack. Nigel was managing a little better, the changeling already over the shock of the incident and instead focusing on trying to figure out what to do to ward off any future confrontations with the Captain.
He was tempted to actually hunt the stallion down after he was healed; however he knew that Midnight needed him so any revenge could wait. His wounds thankfully were seeming to heal at an increased rate, his chest almost closed up completely and already the smaller cuts and gashes were fading. Nigel put it down to the affection from Midnight, it seemed that not only did changelings feed on love but given a large amount regularly it also energised and healed.
Nigel glanced over towards her, his brows furrowing as he looked over her injuries. There was still a large blotchy bruise on her shoulder and some small cuts that were closing up. Midnight didn’t benefit from any healing energy and the attack had taken a large mental toll on her. She sat and stared blankly at the stone wall in front of them, Nigel unsure if it was the actual attack or Equinox’s reminder of what he did to her that had such a devastating effect on her.
Leaning over he gave her a quick peck on the cheek, there wasn’t really much else he could do at the moment. He had taken a very brief shower back at the hotel so that the blood that had covered his body wouldn’t scare any nocturnes as they walked home. The changeling looked down at his right foreleg, bandages still covering most of the limb. A wet feeling on his left cheek brought his mind back into focus, Midnight returning the affection as she tightened her wings around him.
She lingered for longer than Nigel had, Starbright entering the room and immediately rushing over to them.
“Oh thank Luna you’re all right!” the mare exclaimed as she went between the two and hugged them while taking care to avoid their injuries. “Darklight said that something had happened but I didn’t believe it. Why would anyone attack you two?” Starbright had clearly not been informed as to who was responsible for the pair’s injuries, Nigel preparing to explain everything. He was beaten by Midnight though.
“It was Equinox,” she mumbled, Starbright gasping in shock as she recalled that Equinox was the pony who had hurt Midnight in the first place. She stepped back from the two, glancing over their cuts and scrapes once more.
“Why did he attack you again, didn’t he already get what he wanted?” Starbright questioned, Midnight preparing to answer but Nigel got in first.
“He wasn’t after Midnight, he was after me,” Nigel informed, Starbright looking at him with confusion.
“Why?”
“Oh,” Nigel started to reply sourly, “I think he was still a little upset over the fact that I cut his balls off during our first meeting.”
Starbright and Midnight stared at the changeling in shock, Nigel going back to staring at his injured leg. Midnight had already been fairly certain that Nigel had done such a thing but this was the first time she had heard him mention it. Starbright however had no prior warning or idea that the changeling that her daughter was dating had castrated her rapist and father of her unborn child.
“You made him a gelding?” Starbright inquired, Nigel nodding his head.
“I did,” he replied with conviction as he looked at her. “Where I come from rape is looked down upon as one of the worst crimes someone can commit, most rapists caught by military or police forces rarely make it to the courtroom alive.” Midnight looked down at the floor; she had gotten the impression that Nigel was hiding some of the more darker aspects of his peoples’ culture from her. She did admit however that being a victim of rape didn’t exactly cause her to have any sympathy for the rapists.
“Oh,” was all Starbright could say to that, Chalmers however continued on.
“I actually had expected him to die,” he admitted, the two mares staring at him with renewed surprise. “That sort of trauma tends to cause a lot of blood loss, luckily for him he was saved in time.” The changeling ceased speaking, an uneasy silence settling over the room at his blunt explanation. Starbright nodded in understanding after a while, while she didn’t encourage Nigel’s actions she could accept that he was probably feeling a lot of anger at what had happened to Midnight. She was actually a little relieved that her daughter had found someone willing to go to such extremes to protect her.
“I’ll go fetch some tea, I think we all need it,” Starbright announced, trotting off to the kitchen to prepare the beverage. Midnight waited until her mother had left before she turned to the changeling that she held with her wings and forelegs.
“Was what you said true?” she asked, the mare already knowing the answer as her lover turned to look at her. The changeling had one of the most honest looks she had even seen in his eyes, Nigel’s deadly promise to Equinox still playing in her mind.
“It was,” Nigel answered as he looked into Midnight’s concerned eyes, “I would kill to protect you, if he tries anything again I will not hesitate like yesterday. Does that bother you, knowing that I am capable of taking the life of another without regret?” Midnight held his gaze, her right hind leg rubbing against his right.
“It does a little,” she admitted softly before her voice strengthened, “but I still love you with all of my heart, I know that inside you’re a good person despite what you have done and will probably still do. You’ve stood by me and helped me through all of this,” Midnight glanced down at her slightly swollen belly as she said this, “and I don’t want to change that for anything.”
She felt a smooth hoof lift her chin up before a set of lips touched her own. Midnight melted into the kiss, her aches forgotten as she indulged in the affectionate contact. She found herself caressing the changeling she was embracing with her wings, the purple membrane running over his body as she poured her heart into the kiss. Midnight felt all of her troubles disappear as she relished the experience between her and Nigel, the fact that for once he had initiated secured the thought in her mind that he did love her like he said he did.
Midnight moaned lightly as she found herself lightly pushed back into the couch, the changeling atop her intensifying his affection as he wrestled her tongue with his own. She could feel hooves running along her sides with vigour, Midnight closing her eyes and just enjoying the moment as she and Nigel were belly-to-belly on the comfortable couch.
“Tea’s ready.”
The two quickly broke apart at Starbright’s voice; Chalmers posed guiltily over Midnight with his hind legs upon either side of hers he smiled awkwardly at Starbright who was acting as if she hadn’t just walked in on the two furiously making out. Midnight watched her mother from under Nigel with a blush on her face and saliva on her lips, the older mare humming as she arranged a tea set on the small wooden table.
The two quickly pulled apart, Midnight getting up and sitting back next to Nigel as both calmly tried to forget the incident. Both sat there questioning just how far it would have gone if Starbright hadn’t walked in, the previous day had really seen their emotions go off in a whirlwind. To say the sharing of affection affected them was an understatement; Midnight crossed her hind legs and fidgeted while Nigel was reminded of why he considered pants a major advantage. One strategic pillow placement later and the problem was solved, not before Midnight caught a glance however which only increased her blush and fidgeting.
Starbright either didn’t notice these ‘problems’ or just didn’t acknowledge them as she poured three cups of tea, already knowledgeable to Midnight’s and Nigel’s preferences. The two on the couch shakily took their cups from Starbright, the mare lying down in a chair opposite them with her own cup. Midnight and Nigel were still close together, their hips and shoulders touching as they tried to drink their tea and forget their desire. It didn’t work too well, both knew that the other was just as ‘troubled’ and Nigel found himself dining on a large amount of lust from Midnight which ‘tasted’ incredibly spicy and addicting.
The three sipped their tea and sat there quietly. An advantage of the lust between the two lovers was that they soon forgot the reason that they were essentially confined to the house, Starbright was just enjoying the two awkwardly trying to hide their feelings from her. She found it hilarious that the two assumed that she didn’t catch the way they were acting, she normally would drop little hints to tease them but she had decided that for once she should let them be.
Refilling her tea she almost had made it back to her chair before some knocks sounded at the front door. Starbright put her cup down on the table as she shot a glance at the pair on the couch, receiving shrugs in reply.
“Coming!” she called as with a final look she left down the hall to answer the door, Nigel and Midnight remaining on the couch as they shared worried looks.
A few moments later and Starbright returned, the older mare warily approaching the two.
“Um… Midnight and Nigel, Councilstallion Radiant Eclipse is here to see you.”
Nigel and Midnight looked at Starbright with puzzlement before a large nocturne stallion dressed in a ornate blue robe walked into the room flanked by two stallions wearing saddlebags on them.
“Greetings,” Eclipse spoke with a smooth voice that betrayed his occupation as a politician, “I hope I’m not interrupting anything but I believe there are some matters between us that need to be settled.”
“Let me guess,” Nigel cut in, always having had distaste for smarmy bureaucrats, “those matters wouldn’t happen to be related to me almost killing your son during his assault would it?” Eclipse chuckled at this, a laugh filled with genuine mirth that instantly clued Nigel into the fact that the stallion was likely a sociopath. He made a note to be careful what he said around him.
“Ah, straight to the point which is a nice change!” Eclipse replied heartedly. “In answer to your guess I’m going to say yes, however, could you please refrain from referring to Equinox as my son as he is no longer to be associated with my name.”
“You disowned your son?” Starbright asked shocked, the two attendants accompanying Eclipse shifting uncomfortably as Eclipse’s look hardened.
“My former son essentially raped a mare, gave her a bastard child, threw her out of a honoured job while forever tarnishing her reputation with our beloved Luna and then was stupid enough to beat her in a public street while she was carrying his child and by extension my grandchild. There are certain rumours around that I am not the upstanding, selfless citizen that I am but even if, and that is a big if, I engaged in such questionable activities then his actions would still be looked down upon heavily.
I want no association with a rapist and he is no-longer welcome in my house.” Eclipse looked towards Nigel with a questioning stare. “Changeling, do you happen to be the same changeling that gelded Equinox and yesterday hospitalised him with a severe case of a broken face and fracture skull?” Despite the serious circumstances Nigel couldn’t resist the chance to word his reply with the same evasiveness as the stallion.
“If I was that said changeling, and that is quite an assumption, what would your reaction be if I told you that I did indeed take revenge for the frankly vile acts that were perpetrated by a certain Stallion who helped said changeling test the structural foundations of the cobbled city infrastructures?” Eclipse let out another peal of laughter, his coldness to his own son confirming Nigel’s opinion of him.
“I’d buy him a drink and offer him a job of course! That sounds like a creature that knows how the real world works!”
“I’m afraid that said changeling probably has prior commitments,” Nigel replied, Eclipse calming down as he nodded his head.
“Understandable, back to the topic at hoof however,” a nod of his head and one stallion attendant withdrew a large, jingling brown-cloth sack from a saddlebag and placed it down on the ground. “You can understand how a bastard grandchild might look on my esteemed family record, Luna knows that I already have enough black spots,” Eclipse muttered the last part before composing himself. “Considering this, and what I am proposing is cold but please bear with it, I am offering you monetary compensation in return for agreement to cut all ties to my family.” Eclipse looked at Midnight with an almost sympathetic expression. “The child will never be linked to my household, for all intents and purposes it will be dead to me and I will never speak of the foal again.”
Nigel and Midnight gazed at each other for a while, Chalmers turning back around to face the three stallions as Starbright watched on from the side.
“How much are we talking here?” he questioned. He was fairly certain that Midnight would not want her foal to be associated with Equinox or Eclipse ever again and the money could really get them going on building a new life. He stopped as he considered this, realising that with that thought he had sealed his fate with Midnight. He was in far too deep to back out now, both in regards to her feelings and his own.
“Four-thousand Luninmars,” Eclipse informed as he gestured to the heavy sack of money. “Enough for you to buy a nice house and pay for any costs in regards to the child for the first few years, I owe you that much for the trouble that my former son has caused.”
Starbright was frozen from the amount of money offered; Midnight was also shocked at the large sum. Nigel nudged her and looked into her wide golden eyes; the foal was hers so it was only fair that Midnight made the decision. The mare took a few moments to think, breathing deeply before she refaced Eclipse with determination.
“We’ll take the money, I just want to forget everything that happened,” she glanced again at Nigel. “Okay, maybe not everything.”
“Understandable,” replied Eclipse, “as of now I don’t know you and you don’t know me except as your friendly local councillor.” The stallion shot a respecting smile at Nigel as the changeling continued to watch him. “I would offer to solve any problems involving the stallion known as Equinox but from what I have heard you’ve already made it clear that you wish to sort any trouble out yourself. That is something I admire and I hope that everything works out for you two. Come along Gentlecolts.” With that Eclipse turned and left,
Starbright and Midnight left staring at the large bag that contained a glittering pile of silver coin. Nigel smirked as the front door closed leaving him and the mares alone with the money.
‘Huh, he reminds me of my old boss.’
“So do you want to look for a house tomorrow night?”
Nigel thought about Midnight’s query, the suggestion was tempting and the idea of owning her own home really seemed to perk Midnight up.
“Sure, we might as well use some of that money,” Chalmers replied merrily as he climbed onto her blue-quilted bed, day having arrived hours ago. Darklight had returned home from a fruitless investigation to find a large sack of money sitting on the floor of his living room. The stallion at first had been disproving of what he saw initially as a bribe but after the exact details of the arrangement were explained he let it slide, it seemed like a fair trade that was more in favour of Midnight and Nigel. He had encouraged the idea of the two buying a house together, believing it to be a good activity for the both of them after the hectic week.
Midnight clambered up onto the quilt to join him, the mare eyeing him with a hungry look. Nigel caught this too late, a giggling nocturne pouncing on top of him as she buried her face into his neck and planted multiple small kisses down the chitin.
“Easy there,” Chalmers warned, Midnight looking down to the green scar that was near the centre of the changeling’s chest. The bandages had been removed an hour earlier, leaving fresh green tissue with replacement chitin possibly on the way. Everyone including Nigel had been surprised at the healing rate, the changeling sharing his theory that love increased his body’s natural healing. Darklight had started to ask why Nigel hadn’t known this before but luckily for the changeling Starbright un-knowingly saved him from trying to lie his way out when she made the comment that if love healed Nigel then she was surprised that after the earlier couch session he wasn’t already fully rejuvenated.
“I know,” she sighed as she slid off him to lay at his right side, “I just thought that after today you’d be willing for some more romantic things like before.” Midnight kept her right hind leg over his as she rested against him, still nuzzling his neck as she talked. “I think we both know how that would have ended up if we had kept on going.” The changeling rubbed Midnight’s larger belly with a hoof, the mare glancing down as the black hoof traced her stomach.
“It just doesn’t feel right at the moment,” he answered much to Midnight’s disappointment. “I’d much prefer to wait until after the foal is born if that’s okay with you, even if you look cuter with that chubby belly.” He quickly darted his head down and landed a sloppy kiss on her navel, Midnight giggling as she playfully battered him with her hooves.
“St-stop!” she giggled as Nigel continued, getting dangerously low to the two growing mounds below the belly with Midnight only stopping him by flicking his ears with her wings. He returned beside her, hugging her from the side as he kissed her quickly before drawing back with a silly grin on his face. Midnight moved her head forward and got him this time, pushing her tongue into his mouth as she started to once again use her wings to rub his body. She was only just starting to feel a little damp before Chalmers broke the kiss and pulled away.
“No, I already said that it’s not going to happen and if we continue I think we’ll both not be able to stop.” Midnight shifted uncomfortably, she wasn’t sure about him but she was already past that point as her crotch heated up. She resigned herself to having to deal with it, Chalmers was firm in his goal to refrain from intercourse until her pregnancy was over. Her ears perked up and her eyes widened as an idea popped into her head that could solve the problem without breaking the changeling’s wish.
“Um, Nigel,” she began as her face heated up, the changeling removing his face from nuzzling her neck to look at her.
“Yes?” he asked as Midnight moved her wing to lower down his back in the hopes of making him more susceptible to her idea.
“I was thinking,” Midnight continued as Chalmers glanced down at his own behind as the nocturne’s wing caressed his left flank, “I know you don’t want to go all the way yet but I really, really feel uncomfortable here.” Midnight was hoping to appeal to the changeling’s protective nature as her hind legs fidgeted, Nigel looking down for a brief second to catch the sight of her crotch with a heavy sheen before he looked away.
“I’m not going to budge,” he responded with obvious difficulty, Midnight closing her trap as she quickly moved to atop him again. Her golden eyes stared into his blue ones, Midnight’s fangs revealed in a sultry smile as she placed her hind legs on either side of his while she rested her damp groin on his.
Nigel stared back up at her pleading for mercy, finding that his resistance was quickly breaking down as his new body started to betray him. He could feel himself growing, his back legs kicking as Midnight playfully nipped at his ear. He hated to admit it but the mare was surprisingly dominating in the bedroom and for an in-experienced young mare she certainly seemed to know a few tricks. He could only hope that she would give up before he found himself breaking his own rule.
“You don’t need to worry about my intentions,” Midnight murmured into his ear as she moved her wings to stroke the inside of the changeling’s thighs. “I’ve actually got an idea that I think both of us will appreciate.”
“What is it then?” Nigel asked as a very faint blush covered his face at the repeated stimulation. The fact that the normally timid Midnight was taking charge also increased the excitement level, he grudgingly admitted that he may also have a thing for the bat wings that she seemed able to use with great skill.
“Well my sisters often talked about their coltfriends and some stuff that they got up to, sometimes I’d overhear things and I remembered some things that they’d talk about.” She leaned in and drew her tongue up the side of Nigel’s cheek and nibbled an ear again. “I suspect you already know about some of the stuff I’m talking about; both of us can solve our problems and not have to resort to anything too major.”
Chalmers’s eyes widened as he realised just what Midnight was alluding too, she was correct in assuming that he was knowledgeable in such techniques often referred to as ‘second base’ back home. He considered the proposal and almost declined, however the mare’s efforts and behaviour had already taken its toll and he found himself unable to refuse. It couldn't hurt and after yesterday he guessed that it would provide quite the distraction...
“Ah, screw it.” He said and to Midnight’s surprise quickly rolled her over so that he was on top and she was below him.
“You only live once after all.”