//------------------------------// // Dull, Then Dangerous // Story: Cheesecake and Changelings // by Dropbear //------------------------------// Midnight yawned as she awoke, a grin blossoming on her face as she stretched her neck. She had slept very well, the previous night’s activities wearing her out but it was well worth it. It had been slow at first, she was eager but she had learned a lot from the one time. Her wings fluttered while she gently nuzzled the still-sleeping changeling beside her, if last night felt that good then she couldn’t wait for the final steps with someone who actually loved her. She laid down next to him and sighed, it would be a long wait until that happened. Midnight could understand his hesitance about it, she had to remind herself that he was probably thinking about allowing her to approach it rationally as well. A glance down towards her stomach also was a reminder as to why he was apprehensive, Midnight guessing that she would just have to make do with simple stuff. Tucking her wings in, she rolled towards the edge of the bed and carefully left it. While she would have wanted to shower with him again, their activities hadn’t exactly been of the cleanest in nature and she still smelled of sweat and passion. The sooner she was clean the better. The sheets would also have to be washed, Midnight hoping that they would be able to do it without her parents finding out. She did not want her mother to know, Starbright would tease her about it or worse, recount her own experiences for the first time. No son or daughter desired that information from their parents. Walking into her bathroom, Midnight neglected to bother with the lights and just relied on her own eyes. It was fine, her small shower, toilet, towel rack and sink was all she needed in here anyway so there wasn’t a lot of space to navigate. Wary of waking Nigel, Midnight closed the door behind so her hooves clacking on the grey tiles wouldn’t disturb him. She turned the shower taps on with a wing while rubbing her eyes with the other, before stepping under the warm water. Midnight groaned lightly as the soothing drops pelted her coat and mane. A shower after waking up always felt so good, Midnight happy to just stand underneath it and let it massage her back. Water wasn’t an issue, the city was situated over a wealth of natural springs that were theorised to be able to last thousands of years. The heating system was all done with magic, Equestrian unicorns having been hired to set it up for the entire city decades ago. Some of the unicorns had stayed in the city to live, the prospect of repeat business too good to pass up. All that mattered to Midnight was that she had warm water to stand under. Grabbing a brush with a wing, she began to scrub herself clean. Her fur was a little matted in places but luckily everything came off with relative ease, Midnight already feeling cleaner. It took a few minutes but soon she was all done, finishing it off with a quick brush of her mane and tail. The water was turned off and the steam began to escape through the vents in the roof, Midnight stepping out and drying herself with a blue towel. The drying took only a few moments, her short-cut mane easily drying and going back into its usual shape. After dumping the towel in the wash basket, Midnight opened the door and walked over to the side of the bed. “Nigel,” she called while bumping his left with her head. “You have to get up and have a shower.” “Hrffpt,” Nigel spluttered as he woke, Midnight giggling as she continued to head-butt his side. A set of blue eyes looked at her as Nigel turned his head, the changeling brushing her away with his hoof. “Wake up already,” Midnight teased. “It’s not that hard.” Nigel groaned as he rolled off the bed but missed his hoofing, crashing down onto the floor in front of her. Midnight laughed as Nigel sighed before rising to his hooves. He got it this time, standing up in time to have Midnight kiss him on the cheek. “You’re chirpy this evening,” Nigel observed as he stretched his legs, Midnight nuzzling his neck. “I take it that last night was like you had hoped?” “It was amazing,” Midnight mumbled lovingly into his neck. “I can tell that you enjoyed it as well.” Nigel shifted uncomfortably as she continued to shower him with affection. Last night was filled with discoveries centred around his new form, discoveries that Midnight was all too happy to help him find. Thankfully everything worked pretty much the same, Nigel guessing that changelings were more mammal-like then they first appeared. He was happy that she also had fun, the nocturne proved to be very enthusiastic in bed. “You were pretty good yourself,” he complemented back, receiving a happy giggle in return. “I’m glad I was,” Midnight replied before pulling away from him. “Still, you need a shower and we then need to wash the sheets. I don’t really want Starbright to find out that we…” “I can understand that,” Nigel reassured as he moved to the bathroom. “I’ll be back out in a few minutes, we’ll wash the sheets and I’ll cook you breakfast.” Midnight’s wings fluttered in anticipation, she wondered what he would make for her. She paced around the room as he left, a bounce in her step as she went over her plan for the day. After breakfast they were going to go and look at houses, Midnight barely able to contain her excitement. They were going to get their own house, and with the amount of money they had been given it was going to be a good one. Her luck was finally beginning to turn, hopefully by the end of today she’d be in her own house with the love of her life. She couldn’t wait. She heard the shower turn off after only a minute, Midnight brimming with joy as the bathroom door opened. Nigel walked out, his chitin sparkling clean. Midnight guessed that since he didn’t have hair apart from the short black tail, the cleaning process for him was a lot easier. “Let’s get this over with then,” Nigel commented as he began to clumsily strip the sheets from the bed with his hooves. Midnight laughed at his failed attempt and moved to help him, her wings much more precise with their movements. With her help it was quickly finished, the two carefully carrying the linens out of the room and towards the laundry. “Are you almost done?” Midnight called out from the dining room. She sipped her tea and wrinkled her nose, the aroma of food flooding in from the kitchen. “Almost, calm down,” Nigel replied over the sound of sizzling. “You cannot rush art.” “But it smells so good,” Midnight complained while tapping her hooves on the table. Her stomach rumbled, Midnight glancing down at it as she remembered that she was also feeding another. She hoped that he would make enough, although from the quantity of ingredients she had seen it looked like that wasn’t going to be an issue. She waited impatiently for another minute before her hopes were answered, the changeling walking out of the kitchen with two plates balanced on his back. Midnight grabbed them from him, one loaded with a pile of piping-hot pancakes drizzled with honey while the other had some strange pieces of toast heaped upon it. “Back in a second,” he informed her before going back to the kitchen. Midnight’s mouth was watering as she looked over the food, the mare only just refraining from digging in right then. She moved her nose over the toast slices, detecting the hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. She was just about to have a taste when a cough caused her to jerk her head back, Chalmers standing beside her with a smug smile on his face. “I couldn’t help it,” Midnight explained with a light blush at getting caught. “What is it?” Nigel used his mouth to place a tray on the table, the tray holding some plates, jars of condiments and a tub of butter. “Something from Terra called ‘French Toast’,” he replied as he sat down on a cushion next to her. “I think it’s from a country called ‘France’, a place that was famous for food and cigarettes.” Midnight furrowed her brows as Nigel grabbed a plate and put a few pieces of the toast on it. “What do you mean by, ‘was famous’?” “Pretty much all of Terra is completely militarised,” Nigel answered as he passed the plate over to her. “The entire planet reached the point where pollution was a big issue, so the ruling body at that time decided to just move everyone to different planets. Each country got their own spot and brought their landmarks, culture and wildlife with them and started anew. Terra had its atmosphere destroyed and then fortifications and bases were built on the remains. This was millennia ago, nowadays we can just artificially eliminate pollution much more efficiently.” Midnight looked down at the three slices of toast, some of her appetite gone at hearing about the death of a planet. “Don’t worry about it,” Nigel reassured as he noticed her look. “It was a long time ago and everything’s fine. Now go on and try a piece.” Midnight lifted a slice up to her mouth and paused, the smell re-igniting her appetite. With a large bite she delved into it, her eye’s lighting up at the flavour. She greedily devoured the rest of the piece, licking her lips as she swallowed the last remains. “That was absolutely delicious,” she complimented as she reached for another. “You’ve got to teach me how to make it.” “It’s pretty simple, I’ll have to show you sometime,” Nigel replied as he took a drink of tea. Midnight nodded as she chewed, a content hum sounding out as she finished off another slice. She received a look from her companion, Midnight blushing as she looked down at the last piece on her plate. “It’s not going to go away and I’m not going to eat it,” Nigel joked as he tutted. “I know,” Midnight responded before grabbing it anyway. She took another bite and grinned at him while Nigel shook his head. “It’s your own fault for making them taste so good.” She bumped her side against his, giggling at the sigh that she received in return. “If you keep this up, there won’t be any left for your parents,” he advised, Midnight pausing her eating before shrugging and finishing her last piece. “It’s a day off for dad, so they’ll both sleep in. Besides,” Midnight’s eyes locked onto the plate of pancakes. “I have all of these pancakes to go through before I even begin to think of taking theirs.” Never taking her eyes off the honey-covered food, Midnight pulled the plate towards her and just took a large bite from the stack. She groaned happily and continued to eat, Nigel wondering how she stayed in shape with an appetite like that. He’d never voice that thought out loud though, he wasn’t that suicidal. As she ate, he just continued to sip his tea while waiting for her to finish. He was not hungry in the slightest, last night having provided ample food. The steady flow of positive emption from her was more than enough anyway, the bond getting stronger still. Nigel glanced down at his chest as it itched, the knife wound slowly closing overnight. Some of the soft, green tissue was now covered with fresh chitin, a large patch in the centre was still without protection however. Going off the rate of healing, he guess that it should be all gone by tomorrow and then he’d be as good as new. His theory regarding his accelerated healing rate thanks to the large amounts of love seemed to be gaining evidence, Nigel wondering if it worked the same with other changelings. “Midnight,” he started as the mare looked up from her plate with a muzzle dripping with honey. “Do you know what happened to the rest of the changelings?” Midnight chewed, her face set in a thoughtful expression. “I heard that they went back to where they came from, the Badlands,” she answered after swallowing. “I don’t really know, us Nocturnes haven’t had any contact with them at all apart from the Lunar guard. I don’t think the Equestrians really know either.” Midnight finished her tea, cleaning her left wing on a napkin before she rubbed his shoulders with it. “Why do you want to know?” “Just curious,” Nigel answered, Midnight nodding before going back to her food. Her wing didn’t stop as she was eating, Nigel finding it quite relaxing. He leaned back and cricked his neck, eliciting a satisfying pop. Midnight stopped for a second, her head tilted as she tried to see if he had hurt himself. Finding him okay she continued eating. She was so lost in her food that she even react when a hoof began to rub her back in return, soon she finished it all and sat back on her cushion with a final hum of satisfaction. “Thanks for cooking,” she surprised Nigel with a hug. “That was one of the best breakfasts I’ve had, if I could eat that any day-“ “It’ll no longer be special,” Nigel replied as he returned the embrace. Midnight didn’t call him out for interrupting, instead she turned her body and snuggled in closer. She was still surprised at how soft changeling chitin was, looking at it she had expected it to be hard and cold. It was actually the opposite, while it no doubt provided better protection than a fur coat it was quite warm to be against, something she was grateful for. “You want to go look at houses this morning?” Midnight asked. “There’s a really nice mare in town who owns a real estate business. We could even move into one today if we find one that’s good enough!” Her wings fluttered with excitement, Nigel chuckling as he got up and started to clean the plates away. “Okay, okay. Calm down, let’s get this cleaned up and we’ll go. Are they even open this early?” Midnight glanced up to the round clock on the wall, the mare happily nodding her head. “It’s seven forty-three and they open at eight. As soon as we clean up and walk there we’ll be right on time!” “Well we better get going-“ Nigel was cut off as Midnight rushed past him, having used her wings to grab all of the plates from the table. He winced as the sounds of falling items came from the kitchen, Midnight came back into view with her joyful expression strained. “Everything okay?” Nigel asked as he moved to glance into the kitchen. Midnight moved forward and covered his eyes with a wing while she head-butted him towards the hallway. “Yep,” she answered with obvious falseness. “Everything is fine and we really should be going to look at houses.” She didn’t give him a chance to complain as she guided him out of the house as quickly as possible. Only when they were outside was when she let him go, Nigel deciding to just let the issue drop as Midnight burst ahead of him. He rolled his eyes and galloped to catch up, Midnight speedily heading towards the town. As he caught up he wondered just what he was in for with the house shopping. “So this house here has three bedrooms, including a master which has its own bathroom.” Nigel ideally kicked a pebble with his hoof as he stood on the cobbled path, Midnight and the real estate agent eagerly talking about the fifth house they had visited. Fast Sell was nice, the mare not outwardly treating him any differently, but after four times of listening to her attempts to get them to buy a house today it was starting to get boring for Nigel. Midnight hadn’t lost her upbeat attitude, having started off by asking Fast Sell what pink hair dye she used and then transitioning into discussions about jewellery. The ‘mare-talk’, as the two had called it, and the house information had failed to hold Nigel’s attention. He had tried to keep his mind from wandering by analysing possible defensive advantages of each dwelling but that had grown stale. All of the townhouses were the same in his eyes, with the exception of different ‘polished stone counter-tops’ and ‘revolutionary triple-circulating heat distribution systems’. Midnight was enjoying it though, the mare nodding enthusiastically as Fast Sell listed off the features. Nigel guessed that he could endure it for her, as it wasn’t that much of a sacrifice to be honest. Nigel refocused on the conversation just in time to catch the price. “So it’s going for three-thousand and twenty at the moment, a limited time offer.” Fast Sell brushed her maroon vest with a hoof while Midnight bit her bottom lip. “It used to be four-thousand and five-hundred, but the owner wants to sell it quickly.” Midnight glanced at Nigel, the changeling returning it with a shrug. Midnight rolled her eyes and turned back to the agent. “Well, three bedrooms seem a bit much,” she commented, Fast Sell quickly raising a forehoof into the air to make a point. “It’s perfect for a family home…” Fast Sell trailed off with a glance towards Nigel. Midnight noticed that the mare seemed a little unsure as to how to continue, Nigel not reacting as he peered in the window. Midnight scanned over the house again, she did have to admit that it was a very nice house and she would have bought it in a heartbeat if it wasn’t for the price. Both mares missed Nigel look at Midnight before staring back at the window. “This bedroom doesn’t appear to be furnished,” he commented. Fast Sell quickly moved to look into the window before glancing down at the clipboard she held in a wing. “Oh, I could have sworn that it was,” she mumbled as she used the other wing to flip through the pages. Nigel glanced at Midnight with a wink, the changeling moving beside her and turning towards the white wooden fence surrounding the property. “I guess this house just won’t do,” he commented. “We were just about to purchase it as well, a shame about the bedroom-“ “Wait, hold on a second!” Fast Sell called out as Midnight furrowed her brows at Nigel. “It says here that the master bedroom was unfurnished, I must have missed it.” Fast Sell chuckled nervously, the corners of Nigel’s mouth curling into a slight smile. He knew that the mare was a little shady, granted, that may be because he distrusted all real-estate agents but his plan was rewarded. “I can take it down to two-thousand, nine-hundred and fifty.” Nigel shot Midnight a victorious grin before he looked back towards the waiting estate agent. “Please excuse us for a second,” Nigel asked as he guided Midnight over to the side. He turned to her and lowered his voice, Midnight leaning in to hear what he was about to say. “You want this one?” “It is a nice house,” she answered with another glance at the building. “You didn’t have to act like that though. I was probably going to choose it anyway,” she scolded with little effect. “She knew that the master bedroom was unfurnished and I suspect that it was so we wouldn’t ask for a lower price. What does a good bed and dressers go for?” Midnight crunched the numbers in her head, going off the little that she knew. “A few hundred at least,” she answered. “See? We still will have to pay for a new bed and all the other furniture. At least we save some money this way.” Midnight had to agree with him there, looking back at the house for a final time. “Do you think it’s a good choice?” she asked as she scuffed a hoof. “It’s a bit big and we’re not going to use half of the rooms. The price is good though, and it’s only a short walk from the town centre.” “It’s not up to me,” Nigel reminded her. “I think it’s a good choice though, plus it’s in a quiet street but still close to everything in town. It’s going to be harder for you to move around for a while, the shorter the distance the better.” Midnight nodded with his observations, taking a deep breath before they walked back over to Fast Sell. “We are interested in it,” Midnight announced, Fast Sell’s eyes lighting up. “But is it okay if we looked inside it?” Fast Sell’s smile faltered a little but she nodded her head while grabbing a key ring from her vest pocket. “Of course, please follow me.” She unlocked the door and allowed the pair to follow her in. Midnight looked down at the timber floor, her hooves clacking on the treated pine. A glance around the entrance way revealed that the walls were made from polished stone, plain with no decorations up at all. Moving inside, the three were greeted with a central hallway, four doors on the right while the left side lead into a huge living room. “Look at this!” Midnight exclaimed as she immediately rushed into the living room. Nigel and Fast Sell watched on as the young mare dashed around examining all the items in the room. From the dark-blue oval rug on the floor, to the two grey couches and then to the brick fireplace in the centre of the back wall. “It’s so large I can fly in here, this space is amazing!” She laughed as she fluttered around the room. Nigel watched her curiously, it was the first time he had seen her fly and her extra weight didn’t seem to stop her. “Let’s look at the kitchen,” Nigel suggested. Midnight landed next to him, staggering a little as she compensated for the weight. She was brimming with energy, a steady flow of energy feeding out from her as she nuzzled his face. “We’re going to get this one,” she whispered into his ear. After casting a quick glance towards the waiting Fast Sell Nigel nuzzled her back to cover his response. “Wait until we see all the rooms first,” he replied softly. Midnight nodded and they broke apart, Nigel turning to Fast Sell and gesturing with a hoof. “Shall we continue?” Fast Sell was obviously keen to make the sale, the mare flashing the pair a wide grin and walking through an archway into the kitchen. Midnight and Nigel followed, Midnight struggling to control her enthusiasm. Upon entering they were met with a decent sized kitchen with glass countertops and granite cabinets arranged in a rectangular area. A grey oven and stove was set against the back wall and a basin was set into one of the countertops. A polished metal fridge was standing against the left wall. “You have a stove, oven, sink, fridge and numerous draws and cupboards,” Fast Sell informed as she hurriedly swept a wing around. “Any questions you’d like to ask?” Midnight and Nigel shared a glance, Nigel shaking his head. He thought that the kitchen was quite decent as it was. “No thank you,” Midnight answered for the pair. “It seems perfect like it is. Can we see the bedrooms?” “Of course,” Fast Sell replied as she moved to the right wall where the kitchen ran back into the hallway. Once again the two followed her to the other rooms, keen to see what could be found. “And this here is the master bedroom,” Fast Sell informed as the oak door swung inwards. After viewing the normal bedrooms with their single beds and dressers, it was a little underwhelming to be met with an empty room. However, Midnight was still overtaken by excitement and was able to find a positive comment to voice. “At least we have space to work with,” she observed, more to Nigel than Fast Sell. The changeling nodded as he scanned to room, the stone walls bare and the wooden floor lacking anything upon it. “We sure do,” he replied before turning to Fast Sell. “Please excuse us.” With a nudge he directed Midnight to the neighbouring bedroom, fixing her with a slight smile as soon as they had privacy. “So, I think I already know what you want to do?” Midnight nodded as her wings fluttered. “I love this place, it’s more than I imagined.” Midnight calmed down a little. “What about you? I know you don’t like some things about it.” Nigel sighed as Midnight’s wings dropped down to her sides. She scuffed a hoof on the floor as she waited for his answer. “I like it,” Nigel answered as he put a foreleg around her neck. “Sure, it isn’t completely furnished but that just means that we can go out and pick our own bed today.” Midnight’s face lit up at this, her wings fluttering again at the reminder. “Besides, it’s your money after all,” Nigel continued. “No it’s not,” Midnight responded while playfully swatting his ear with a wing. “It’s our money and we both went through this together. I doubt I would even be here now if it wasn’t for you, so you have just as much say as I do.” “Well then,” Nigel replied as he removed his leg from her neck. “It’s all fine with me, but I think the estate agent is getting a little impatient though.” Midnight winked an eye and strode past him, her voice laden with joy. “Miss Fast Sell, we’ve made a decision.” Nigel and Midnight walked down the street together, a new set of keys jingling in Midnight’s brown saddlebag. The bag Nigel was carrying contained a hefty sum of five-hundred Luninmars to pay for any furniture or items they needed, the two having gone back to Midnight’s parent’s house to pay Fast Sell. Starbright and Darklight hadn’t been home, however not a scrap of the breakfast Nigel had cooked remained. Midnight’s silver necklace bounced against her chest as they trotted along, the pair now in the middle of the city. Passers-by still gave them curious looks but no one stopped them, both leaning up against each other as they walked. Nigel was mulling over his own thoughts regarding his future with Midnight before a wing wrapped over his back and down his left side. “There’s a store!” Midnight pointed out with glee as she directed his attention to a shop with multiple pieces of furniture ranging from draws to chairs to beds in its four display windows. Without waiting for a reply, she steered him towards the glass double doors. Nigel didn’t resist, her good mood was doing wonders for him and he swore that the ratio of scar-tissue to chitin on his chest was shrinking as his wound healed. A bell tinkled as they walked through the shop doors and they were immediately met with the scent of treated wood and fresh pine. All around was an assortment of hard chairs, soft chairs, tables, cabinets, sinks, rugs and beds. Midnight didn’t wait for a sales assistant, the mare dragging Nigel straight to the large king-size beds. Her target was constructed of a red wood, the varnished surface shimmering in the light. The mattress and covers were a deep blue, contrasting very well with the bed frame. The large headboard was stylised to look like a rising moon, Midnight leaning in the examine the design while Nigel mentally questioned whether they needed a bed this large. “I want this one!” Midnight announced with glee as she ran a hoof over the covers. Nigel didn’t want to upset her and he glanced towards the price set beside it. He was pleasantly surprised that it was listed as only one-hundred and fifty luninmars, a large cross through the original price of three-hundred with the words ‘Floor model only’ written below it. “You know it’s only the floor model they’re selling?” Nigel asked her. He himself didn’t mind and Midnight obviously didn’t either as she nodded her head. “That’s okay, it’s cheap and the second largest bed here,” she looked around and spotted a stallion wearing a name tag that read ‘Lumen’ on his blue vest. “Excuse me!” As she called out the sales assistant glanced over and approached. He slowed a little when he spotted Nigel but quickly recovered and smiled at the two. “What can I help you with?” he asked with a nervous voice. Midnight pointed to the bed with a wing and beamed at him. “We’d like to purchase this bed, please,” Midnight announced, the sales pony glancing to it before straightening his grey tie. “The listed price does not include the mattress or sheets,” Lumen informed. “There’s also a packaging fee on top of that.” Nigel grinned a little, he expected the price to be not as simple as it seemed. “How much for the mattress, sheets and fee then?” he asked, Lumen to his credit only flinching slightly at the question. “Two-hundred and twenty,” he answered with another tie adjustment. Midnight’s head drooped, evidently convinced that Nigel would refuse or argue that point. “That seems reasonable,” Nigel replied, much to the delight of Midnight who shot him a thankful smile. Lumen also seemed surprised that the changeling was willing to accept that price. Some of the stallion’s nervousness disappeared and he slicked back his black mane with a blue hoof. “There is also a delivery option for an extra twenty luninmars, but delivery is free if you make a purchase over three-hundred.” Nigel and Midnight shared a look, Nigel nodding for her to go ahead. Midnight chewed her bottom lip as she surveyed the store, her eyes roaming past other shoppers. She stopped at a set of draws and cabinets, the red wood the same as the bed. “What about these?” she asked Nigel while pointing to the two bedside cabinets and the large dresser. “They look good,” Nigel agreed as he walked up to run a hoof over the smooth edges. “I still fail to see why a society that wears little to no clothing needs so many dressers but they’ll look good.” Midnight playfully hit him in the side with a hoof at his sarcastic remark. “Stop picking at things,” she advised with a smile before giving him a peck on the cheek. Lumen looked away at the sign of affection between the two and coughed into a hoof. “Well,” he started. “The set of two cabinets and the dresser is priced at ninety Luminaires. That will bring your total up to three-hundred and ten.” Midnight glanced to Nigel, the changeling shrugging once again. Midnight rolled her eyes at his response and turned back to Lumen. “We’ll take the set, the bed, and the free delivery,” Midnight decided. Lumen brightened at the sale. “Of course, if you just come to the front then I’ll ring it up for you and get it ready for you straight for you,” Lumen replied as he trotted off to the counter. Midnight and Nigel followed him, both smiling at each other. Midnight opened Nigel’s saddlebag with a wing and started to withdraw individual coin bags containing one-hundred luminaires. She placed three in the table and began to empty a forth. Ten coins fell onto the wooden counter, along with the three bags to make up the full payment. Other nocturnes browsing the wares in the store stopped and stared as Midnight giggled with joy and pulled Nigel into a kiss. Lumen paused for a second before continuing to count out the money, shaking his head and raising his eyebrows at the display. “This is great,” Midnight muttered as she pulled away with a grin. “Our own house, our own furniture,” Midnight leaned in towards his ear. “Our own bed…” She flashed her fangs in a grin, Lumen overhearing and his wings almost dropping one of the coin purses. “People are watching,” Nigel said back as Midnight nuzzled him. “Do you really care?” she replied with a smirk as Nigel grinned. “Not really,” he answered before moving forwards again, Midnight closing her eyes and opening her mouth in anticipation. “Well, that’s the whole payment.” Midnight and Nigel jerked back and whirled around to the counter as Lumen interrupted their moment. Midnight shot him an unamused glare and flicked her head with a huff. The rest of the shoppers went back to their business while Nigel looked down at the floor and whistled. “Great,” Midnight replied, her voice carrying a tone of annoyance. Lumen shifted on his hooves nervously and tried to smile at her. “We can have everything delivered to you this afternoon.” Lumen used a grey wing to hold a pencil to a notepad. “Your address is?” “Three-oh-one Ferrous Lane,” Nigel answered. Midnight put a wing over Nigel’s back as they waited for Lumen to write down the information. Nigel’s ears pricked up and he turned towards the shop door as he caught a faint droning sound. Midnight also looked back and Lumen paused, everyone in the shop halting to stare as the sound grew and was echoed around the entire city. “That sounds… ominous,” Nigel observed dryly as Midnight pressed her side into his. “It’s an emergency siren,” she informed with a worried shiver. “It could be anything from a mining accident to an attack.” Nigel nodded, now that the sound was louder he could identify it as sounding like old air-raid sirens used in cities on Terra. Shop assistants wearing vests and ties moved to the front doors and locked them, ushering nocturnes to the front counter as the sirens continued. “Everyone please get behind the counter,” one of the sales assistants, an elderly stallion, instructed. Nigel assumed that it was some kind of emergency measure, Midnight and himself being joined by another five mares and four stallions as they moved behind the solid wooden counter. Midnight sat down and pressed her back up against the wall, Nigel joining her on the floor. Midnight wrapped her wings around him while other couples did the same. “So,” Nigel began to break the silence as everyone took shelter. “Does this stuff happen a lot around here or is it just me that it follows?” He was met with confused stares and a giggle from Midnight, the mare used to his antics. “I think it’s just us,” she replied, some of her nervousness gone at the humour. “We do seem to have a knack for getting into trouble.” Midnight glanced down at her stomach, her smile fading as she recalled just how much trouble they had run into. “I bet it’s just some cruel god who feels the need to torment us because of his own inadequacies,” Nigel joked after he noticed her mood change. His efforts were rewarded with Midnight’s smile returning, Nigel chuckling as he imagined a fat man with disgusting facial hair on his neck glaring down at them from the heavens. “I hope it’s nothing major,” Lumen wondered aloud, breaking Midnight and Nigel out from their own world. “Is it Grimskulls again?” A middle-aged mare questioned with fear in her voice. “Hopefully not,” the old stallion employee replied. Nigel assumed that he was the manager, judging from his ornate red-and-blue checked vest, his age and the sapphire-encrusted golden watch around a foreleg. “Even if it is though, the city protection officers will stop them like before. Grimskulls have never made it into the city centre since the founding days.” “I’m sorry,” Nigel spoke up, all eyes turning to him with curious looks. “But who or what are these ‘Grimskulls’?” “You don’t know who the Grimskulls are?” a young stallion asked with disbelief. Nigel shrugged before Midnight cleared her throat. “Grimskulls are a tribe of Diamond Dogs,” Midnight began as the sirens continued to blare outside. “Diamond Dogs mostly keep to themselves and mine jewels, sometimes they trade with other races and they are very good with smelting things out of metal ore. The Grimskulls are different though,” Midnight shuddered at the name. “The Grimskulls were around before Nocturnes even settled here in the old days,” the store manager continued. “Our ancestors moved from an unknown country across the sea and settled here, founding this city. The Grimskulls always were trying to expand their mines however, meaning that we’ve had a constant border conflict with them for as long as we can remember.” “Every time they invade they get pushed back by the local guards,” Lumen chipped in from his spot on the floor. “They haven’t attacked for a few months, so this one might be a big assault.” “Don’t say that,” a young mare with a teal mane and tail spoke up from the far left end of the counter. “They’ll fight with the guards and then retreat like always.” The mare looked at Nigel fidgeted with her wings. “They’re good with metal and mining but not that smart. The guards will be able to stop them, so you don’t have to worry.” Nigel was about to inform her that it would take more than ‘Diamond Dogs’ to worry him, but he was distracted when Midnight put her hoof on his. He sighed, remembering that he wasn’t the only one trapped in the store. “Just wait here with me,” Midnight asked. “I know you want to go out but can you just wait until it’s over?” Nigel regretfully nodded at her request. He was bred and trained to fight, sitting down while waiting for others to do it for him was irritating. Still, Midnight was now his number one priority so he’d have to start showing some responsibility. “I will,” he answered, Midnight nuzzling him in thanks. The show of affection prompted varying reactions from the surrounding nocturnes. Some shifted uncomfortably, some watched on with smiles while a mare and a stallion in the back corner whispered to each other. “When’s it due?” The store manager asked, evidently keen to keep the conversation away from the sirens outside. Midnight lowered her head and a light blush covered her face. “About ten months,” she answered. The manager turned to Nigel and raised a hoof, about to ask a question. “It’s not his,” Midnight pre-empted, the manager lowering his hoof and looking away uncomfortably. Midnight bowed her head as the atmosphere in the store soured, muttering starting up as no more conversation was held. Midnight jolted as she felt a hoof rub her stomach. She looked down and saw a hole-covered limb, Midnight’s smile returning as she looked back up to find a Nigel with a reassuring expression. “Hey, I still see it as mine,” he told her, most of the muttering stopping at that. The disapproving looks turned into ones of approval at the revelation. While bastard children were looked down upon, treating one as your own was seen as an admirable trait. “I know,” Midnight muttered back. The two leaned towards each other, aiming to finish the kiss that had been interrupted before. “There’s one of them outside.” Midnight and Nigel pulled back, interrupted again, as Lumen uttered the warning. Midnight gripped Nigel closer as he uttered a sigh. A few of the shoppers peered over the counter, Nigel and Midnight unable to see from their spot. “There’s only one,” a stallion whispered back. “He’s got a mace and he’s covered with armour.” “What’s he doing?” Midnight asked. “Nothing,” the stallion answered, a little confused. “He’s just standing there and sniffing the air.” “Everyone just relax,” the store manager advised. “The doors are locked and he can’t get in. As long as we all stay put then nothing will happen and the guards will arrive to sort him out.” Everyone ducked behind the counter as a loud thump came from the front doors, the store manager wincing as the sound of breaking glass rang out. “You just had to tempt fate,” Nigel muttered as a second thump accompanied the first. Lumen poked his head around the side and the counter before quickly pulling it back. “There’s another one now!” he hissed while trembling. “Both of them are trying to get in and the door’s about to break!” “Calm down Lumen!” the manager whispered back as the thumping continued, with his voice not full of confidence. “The guards are surely just around the corner.” Everyone winced and huddled lower as the front doors gave way, smashing inwards to allow the Diamond Dogs access to the store. The store manager, to his credit, recovered quickly and raised a hoof in front of his mouth in a signal for silence. Stallions and Mares alike held their breaths at the sounds of sniffing and crunching glass. A harsh, guttural laugh froze blood and sent shivers down spines as the footsteps grew closer to the counter. “We can smell you, ponies!” A rough voice declared, soon joined by another, higher-pitched voice with an equal tone of malice. “Come out, come out! We promise not to hurt you!” Two laughs rang out at the no doubt false assurance. The nocturnes and changeling didn’t say a word, their silence was not enough however. The Diamond Dogs followed their noses, the two leaning over the counter and grinning at the twelve beings sheltering behind it. “Found you,” the largest dog announced with a toothy grin. His fur was a dull tan and his shoulders were armoured with heavy iron plates. His chest was unarmoured but the thick fur coat and sheer mass gave the appearance that he didn’t need any. He stared down with beady yellow eyes at his find, another set of eyes soon joining his. “What do you want to do with them?” The smaller dog asked, his grey jaw jutting out while he clutched a crossbow in his forepaws. He was wearing a chainmail shirt and a domed iron head cap. The first dog scanned over the ponies before freezing, his gaze settling on Nigel. “You’re not a bat-pony,” the leader dog growled. “What are you?” “Annoyed,” Nigel retorted, wrinkling his nose as the stench of the dog’s breath. The leader narrowed his eyes, deciding whether to push the issue or not. Something, either Nigel’s appearance or the death glare he was sending towards the dogs made him think better, the bipedal canine snorting before he smashed open the till and began to shovel the silver coins into bags on his belt. The nocturnes all scooted away from the looter, Midnight jumping in Nigel’s embrace as the smaller dog leaned in towards her. “Leave her alone,” a mare with a pink mane and wings spoke up from the far corner. “She’s expecting a foal.” The smaller dog paused at the information, almost looking remorseful. This didn’t last long, his eyes narrowing as they settled on midnight’s chest, or rather the diamond necklace hanging from around her neck. “Give me the necklace pony,” he ordered with an outstretched paw. The larger dog turned at this and spotted the item before Midnight used a wing to cover it. He left the almost-empty till alone and waked around the counter, bumping the smaller dog aside. “Hey!” “It’s mine Scruffs!” The larger dog barked at his companion, the dog named Scruffs backing off to loot the remains of the till with a grumble. “Everything always is, Bluto.” Bluto ignored his whining companion and leaned down to a crouch in front of Midnight and Nigel. He grinned at them, Midnight clutching Nigel tightly as Bluto extended a forepaw. “Give it here,” the dog commanded, Nigel glaring at him while Midnight pressed her back against the wall. Nigel didn’t want to risk Midnight’s safety by attacking the dog, even if the urge to kill the canine was almost overtaking him. Midnight’s wingtip moved to take the necklace off, however she stopped and glanced at the dog. “Can you please just let me keep it? It was a gift from someone and it means a lot to me.” Scruffs looked over from the till and the rest of the nocturnes flinched as Bluto laughed. “Haha, no,” Bluto stated bluntly as his laughter cut off. “Give me the necklace or I’ll take from you. You wouldn’t want me to have to hurt you now, do you? You never know what an injury may do to an unborn child.” The dog’s threat caused chills to run through the nocturnes watching with baited breath, even Bluto’s partner in crime looked a little disturbed at the implications. “Bluto, just leave her alone,” Scruffs spoke up. He was quickly silenced by a glare, Bluto facing Midnight again. “Last chance pony,” Bluto restated. Midnight glanced to the necklace, to her stomach and then to Nigel next to her. The changeling wasn’t looking at her, Midnight noticing the dangerous look that Nigel was levelling at the dog threatening her. Bluto was likewise oblivious to the changeling’s glare, Midnight refacing him and swallowing a lump in her throat. “No,” she answered while tightening her grip with a wing, the watching nocturnes’ eyes widening in fear. Bluto smirked and reached out with his paws, having dropped his mace to grab the glittering diamond attached to the silver chain. Midnight desperately tried to use her forelegs to beat the approaching paws away, Bluto grapping her left forehoof and squeezing as his other paw wrapped around the silver chain. Nigel, who had been trying to think of a plan of how to take the two dogs down without Midnight or any of the other bat-ponies getting hurt, burst into action as Midnight whimpered at the pain of her squeezed hoof. Something in his mind snapped, whether it was part of his compulsory military mental conditioning or his own rage at seeing the dog hurt Midnight he couldn’t tell. All he knew was that he wanted his enemy dead. Throwing all caution and plans to the wind, Nigel went with his gut and used his legs to propel himself forward. He lowered his head and braced for impact, hoping his head-butt would unbalance the dog long enough for a follow up attack. Midnight gasped and Bluto howled as Nigel made contact with his opponent’s chest. A sickening squelch followed by a coppery smell caused everyone to stop still. Everything seemed to slow down for Midnight, Bluto toppling over onto his back with Nigel falling on top of him. The paw around her hoof slackened and slipped off. Scruffs had stopped his looting of the till at the attack on his comrade, silver coins dropping onto the floor as he fumbled for his crossbow. Midnight breathed out in relief when Nigel moved, the changeling appearing to be unharmed. Her relief soon turned to confusion when she realised that Nigel’s head seemed stuck, and that Bluto was surprisingly still from a single head-butt. The nocturnes all had to struggle to hold in their stomach contents as Nigel jerked his head back and stood up, his gore-covered horn leaving Bluto’s bleeding chest with small pieces of flesh still impaled on the hard surface. “Huh,” Nigel causally stated as he touched his horn with a forehoof, looking at the blood that came away on the hoof. “I forgot that I had one of those.” Midnight was terrified, not of the remaining dog who had dropped his crossbow in shock, but of the creature that stood over the dead body of Bluto. Blood no longer pumped from the chest wound, the punctured heart having ceased to beat. Nigel stared down at the motionless corpse of the dog, a fang-filled grin on his face and a dangerous glint in his eyes. “That’s what you deserve, filth.” Nigel spat at the dead dog, before looking back up to Scruffs and exposing his fangs menacingly. “You better run, runt.” Scruffs did not run, possible the stupidest mistake of his short life. Instead of fleeing from the blood-covered changeling snarling at him, Scruff picked up his crossbow and with shaking paws raised it towards Nigel with the intent to shoot him. Nigel didn’t give him the chance, leaping forward over the counter to tackle the small dog to the ground. Midnight and the other nocturnes flinched as an iron bolt shot out and smacked into the wooden roof. The scene of the fight was obscured by the counter, Scruffs’ yelping causing all to fold their ears down. Midnight started to scramble to the side of the counter, hoping to help Nigel before the dog killed him. Her fears were unfounded, a final howl that cut off suddenly filling the air. A spurt of crimson blood painted the counter top a deep red, Midnight freezing as all went quiet with the exception of a weak gurgling. Slowly she got up and hesitantly walked around the counter, the rest of the nocturnes watching her in shock. The scene that Midnight saw shook her to her core, the mare falling down onto her rump. Nigel was standing over the body of Scruffs, blood dripping from his mouth with his fangs slick with the life fluid. A steady pool of gore was growing around Scruffs, the dog still convulsing as blood gushed out of two ragged wounds in his throat. His chainmail and helmet had been ineffective in protecting his neck, Nigel having sunk his fangs into the carotid artery and ripped it open. Midnight remained stock still as Nigel turned to face her, his blood-stained head looking like something that would haunt foals’ nightmares. She shuddered as the… thing approached her, a clean hoof resting upon her shoulder. “Midnight, are you hurt?” The voice snapped Midnight out of her horror, the face in front of her wearing a concerned expression. She shook her head, the monstrous visage fading to be replaced with the caring face of her lover. She glanced down at the chitin covered hoof before back at him, her stomach churning at the blood covering his face. “I’m… I’m okay,” Midnight managed out, a wing moving out to brush Nigel’s side. She gazed into his eyes, all of the prior rage replaced with compassion for her. She didn’t know what to think, he had just killed two people without a second thought and then goes right back to the creature that she fell in love with. “That’s good,” Nigel replied, taking care not to get any blood on her coat as he pulled her back around the counter. He noticed that her necklace was gone, Nigel looking around on the wooden floor for the jewellery. He ignored the stares of the other ponies and continued looking around as Midnight sat down on the ground. A glint of sliver caught his eye, the chain caught around on of Bluto’s fingers. “Excuse me sir,” Nigel muttered as he used one of the holes in his hoof to pick up the chain. He noticed that the silver links were broken, luckily though the diamond still seemed intact. Walking on three legs, Nigel returned to Midnight and held out the broken necklace. “It broke,” Midnight said, her heart almost breaking at the sight of the ruined necklace that meant so much to here. She picked it up with her wings and cradled it to her chest, Nigel leaning in to give her a hug. “We’ll get it fixed,” Nigel comforted while keeping his head away from her. “At least you’re okay.” Midnight nodded, moving her head to rest against his neck despite the blood that got in her mane. Nigel sat down with her as they put their forelegs around each other, the stench of blood overwhelming. “Are you okay?” Midnight asked as the two sat together, the other ponies not game enough to interrupt. “I am,” Nigel answered back. “I scared you didn’t I? I could see it in your eyes.” “You killed two creatures right in front of me and you’re covered in their blood,” Midnight replied as she ran her hooves over his back. “You turned into something I couldn’t recognise, a monster that wasn’t you.” Nigel felt a wet trail run down his back, Midnight beginning to sob into his shoulder. “And it’s all because of me.” “Don’t say that,” Nigel comforted as Midnight began to fully cry. “It’s true!” she continued to wail. “If I had just given him the necklace then he wouldn’t have attacked me and you wouldn’t have had to fight him!” Nigel sighed and pulled away, forcing Midnight to look into his face. “Midnight,” he started to reply. “If you had given him the necklace then he would have tried to take things from other people as well,” Nigel tilted his head towards the ten ponies watching them. “It’s not in my nature to just stand by and let things happen, I would have done something anyway. It wasn’t your fault, it was his.” Midnight blinked the tears out of her eyes and sniffled. “You mean it?” she asked hopefully, seeking reassurance that she wasn’t to blame. Nigel nodded and embraced her again, Midnight collapsing into his grasp. “I’d do it over and over again as well,” he informed her. “If anyone hurts you then I’ll deal with them. I’m sorry if I terrified you, but that’s how it is sometimes. You have to understand that what you saw back there was the norm for me, all this behaviour with you is what’s different.” Midnight didn’t know what to think, the blunt truth in the statement shaking her perceptions of who he really was. “Thanks,” she replied after a few moments. Nigel didn’t reply and just continued to rub her back, Midnight putting the broken necklace in her bag before wrapping her wings around him in return. His attitude towards her convinced her that he really meant what he said, and Midnight already knew that he would never hurt her. Remembering when they had first met, she recalled about what he had told her about him home, a place built upon war and loyalty. It made sense that he could be so indifferent to killing, Midnight shivering at what it must be like to grow up in a place like that. The room fell into silence, no one speaking in the aftermath of the fighting. The sirens played for hours, Midnight and Nigel hugging each other while everyone waited for the signal that everything was safe. The nocturnes had at first watched the embracing couple warily, however as time passed their terror ebbed with the realisation that the changeling was not about to gore them as well. A few even felt sorry for him, not having overheard the conversation between the two but still pitied the creature for the actions he had taken. It seemed like forever, the blood having dried on Nigel’s chitin and Midnight’s mane, before more sounds of activity came from the broken doors. Everyone held their breath as glass crunched, a pause of sound before a male voice called out into the store. “Hello? We’re City Guard, anyone in here?” The store manager peeked over the counter, the stallion visibly relaxing before he stood up and waved a hoof. “Over here officer!” Hoofsteps crunched on glass, Nocturnes armoured in silver metal and hefting spears circling the counter. Nigel and Midnight looked up from their spot, counting eight of the officers in the store as the guards stared down at the two bodies. “Who killed these dogs?” one of them asked, the leader if the larger badge on his breastplate was any indication. As one, a multitude of hooves pointed at Nigel, the guards so preoccupied with the corpses that they had failed to notice the blood-covered changeling. The lead officer winced at the sight of the jagged horn, the officers behind him carefully removing the crossbow and mace from the shop. “I killed them,” Nigel spoke up, the officer stepping back at the calm answer. “Both of them?” he asked, glancing down at the hole in the larger dog’s chest. He guessed that the horn was as dangerous as it looked. He looked back at the creature hugging a young mare, the officer swearing that he had heard of creatures like him before. “They attacked me,” the mare spoke up as she shifted, the officer catching a brief glimpse of a swollen stomach and a bruise forming around a foreleg. “The large one threatened me so Nigel fought him of.” The guard raised an eyebrow at the information, the strange name fitting such an unusual being. “Are you hurt?” he asked, the mare glancing down at her leg before shaking her head. “No, I’ve only got a bruise but I’m alright.” The guard nodded, glancing out behind him as the emergency sirens stopped. The other guards moved forward and began to escort nocturnes out of the store, ponies flooding onto the streets in the aftermath of the attack. “The danger has passed,” the officer informed before looking back at the creature he was questioning. “However, due to the circumstances I’m going to have to take you to police station for some more questions. Don’t worry though, we can understand that everything was in defence of others so you’re not in trouble, we just have to follow protocol.” The creature nodded and stood up, helping his companion to her hooves. “You don’t have to come miss,” the officer advised. “You should go home and wash that blood out of your mane. Your…friend will only be questioned, not arrested.” “No,” the mare answered as she flung a wing over the creature’s back. “I’ll stay with him.” The guard rolled his eyes at the resistance, but let it go as it made no difference to him. “Fine then,” he relented as he gestured for the pair to follow him. The three stepped around the bodies and followed the rest of the civilians out onto the street, the officer escorting Midnight and Nigel to the police station. “So you think you’ll avoid getting in trouble?” Nigel placed his hoof on hers as they sat in the plain interrogation room. Midnight shifted her wooden chair closer to him until she was pressed up against his side. “Yes, I should be fine,” Nigel replied. “The guard himself said that it was in self-defence and from the sounds of it Grimskulls aren’t exactly good neighbours. We’ll just have to wait to hear what the police say.” Midnight’s wings fidgeted as she wondered how she’d cope with Nigel being sent to prison. It was unlikely but the idea still pulled at her mind. “I just hope the officer we get is nice,” she added, Nigel nodding his head before the door to the room opened. In walked a squat, hard-faced Nocturne mare followed by none other than Darklight. Midnight’s father froze as he saw just who he was interviewing, the stallion’s professional character the only thing stopping him from rushing over to check on his daughter’s safety. “Something wrong, Chief?” the mare asked, Darklight nodding his head as Nigel gave a polite wave. “There is, Nightwatch. I can’t do this interview.” Darklight pointed to Midnight and Nigel with his wing. “That’s my youngest daughter and her coltfriend, I have a personal attachment.” The mare looked towards the two sitting at the table, both having been cleaned of the blood that they came in with. “They’re not under arrest Chief,” Nightwatch reminded as she sat down and adjusted her blue police hat, brushing her black mane out of her eyes. “Besides, at least if you sit in then you can skip having to ask them what happened when they get back home.” Darklight sighed and sat down next to Nightwatch, the two officers separated from Nigel and Midnight by the square metal table. Darklight grumbled under his breath, today was supposed to be a day off for him but the Grimskull attack had changed that. “Now you two,” Nightwatch continued as she placed her light-purple forelegs on the table. “Can you please explain why you were escorted into the station covered in blood, with the city guard that brought you leaving right away without telling us why?” Nigel looked towards Darklight, winced and raised a hoof in the air. “That’s my fault,” he started, Darklight leaning forward and narrowing his eyes. “I killed two Grimskulls.” Both the police ponies froze in shock, Midnight squeezing Nigel’s hoof. “What?” Darklight questioned again after a pause, Midnight jumping in to defend Nigel. “It wasn’t actually his fault,” she explained hastily. “We were just buying some things for our new house and we were trapped inside when the attack happened.” Nightwatch recovered from her shock first and gestured for Midnight to continue, Darklight still process what Nigel had admitted. “Two of them broke in and started to rob the tills while threatening us,” Midnight’s wing went down to her bag. “They wanted my necklace, but I was an idiot and refused to give it to them.” “Don’t say that,” Nigel went to comfort her but Midnight pushed him away with a wing. “It's true.” Midnight looked apologetically at her father and breathed deeply. “One of them, the larger one, said that if I didn’t give him it then he’d take it from me. He also said that it might hurt the baby. I still said no, and then he grabbed my leg and the necklace.” Midnight put her leg on the table, Darklight wincing as he saw the paw-shaped bruise on his daughter’s limb. “What happened then?” Nightwatch asked while she used a pencil to write notes down on a notepad. “I saw the Diamond Dog grab Midnight,” Nigel answered while Midnight shuddered at the memory. “So I went to head-butt him in the chest to force him away.” Darklight and Nightwatch glanced at Nigel’s horn, the changeling sucking air through his teeth and forcing an awkward smile. “With your horn?” Nightwatch questioned, wincing as Nigel nodded in confirmation. “I forgot that I had it,” he informed, Nightwatch furrowing her brows. “You… forgot that you had a horn?” she asked with disbelief. “Don’t worry about that,” Darklight whispered to his colleague as he regained his wits. “He’s kind of… strange.” Nightwatch bit her lip and nodded, both of them turning back to face Nigel. “I see,” she continued. “What about the second Grimskull?” “After I took care of his fellow he tried to shoot me with a crossbow.” Both officers noticed the changeling’s use of words when he described killing the first Dog, Darklight recalling that he apparently was some kind of intelligence agent. The stallion narrowed his eyes, the claim seemed to gain more credibility with today’s incident and Nigel’s guilt-free answer. “And how did you avoid getting shot?” Nightwatch continued, Nigel shifting in his seat. “I was… not thinking clearly and I tackled him. He shot but it flew up into the roof and by that time it was too late for him.” Both police officers waited for him to continue. “I ripped his carotid artery open with my teeth after a brief struggle, he bled out.” Darklight and Nightwatch didn’t respond for a while, the pencil having stopped moving on the paper. “Well Chief,” Nightwatch spoke up with a head shake as she resumed jotting down notes. “Your daughters all seem to have picked up bad-boys, this one however takes the cake.” Darklight glanced to his subordinate with surprise, Midnight’s mouth open at the mare’s casual statement. Nightwatch paused writing once more and peered at Nigel, her eyes lighting up in realisation. “Hey, are you that stallion that hospitalised Eclipse’s son?” Nigel glanced at Midnight before nodding. “I am,” he answered hesitantly. Nightwatch lit up with a grin, Darklight watching the officer with confusion. “Brilliant, we have had no end of trouble with that moron. It only got worse once his father secured him the Captain of the Lunar Guard job.” “Nightwatch,” Darklight warned as the mare leaned back in her seat. “Don’t continue to spread that rumour, it’ll only come back to bite us.” Nightwatch waved a dismissive hoof at her boss. “Relax Chief, I doubt your daughter and her friend is going to tell anyone. It’s not like the entire city doesn’t know.” Darklight sighed, about to explain his reasoning to Nightwatch. The mare didn’t let him however, her eyes straying to Midnight’s belly. “How far in?” she asked, Midnight looking down as she rubbed it with a hoof. “Only a month,” Midnight answered, Nightwatch beaming with joy at the news. “Congratulations!” she announced to the pair, not catching the depressive change in the room. “I can remember when I had my first, trust me when I say that the wait is more than worth it. I didn’t know that changelings could have children with ponies.” Nigel was still trying to figure out if this was some kind of ‘Good Cop, Excessively-Happy-and-Inquisitive-About-Everything-Not-Related-To-The Case-Cop’ routine. “Uh, you see,” Midnight began, looking for her father for support. “Constable Nightwatch, you are to not repeat this to anyone, do you understand?” Darklight commanded, Nightwatch for once not joking around. The mare gave a solemn nod, crossing a hoof over her heart. “I promise,” she replied, Darklight nodding at Midnight to continue. “The child’s not Nigel’s,” Midnight revealed. Nightwatch furrowed her brows and waited for Midnight to continue. The pregnant mare wrapped a wing around Nigel’s head and pulled him in close. “He does treat it like his though, something I’m incredibly grateful for.” Nightwatch nodded and Darklight had a small grin on his face despite the circumstances. “Whose is it?” Nightwatch inquired. “If you don’t mind me asking that is, I can understand if it’s a touchy issue.” Midnight was about to answer, Nigel however beat her to it. “There’s more than one reason why I hospitalised Equinox,” he informed. Nightwish’s eyes widened in realisation as Darklight scowled at the reminder. Midnight didn’t react, having put the incident behind her. “That explains that,” Nightwish muttered with a curious glance at the Chief. “Is he also the one that cut off-“ “So, we were discussing what happened in the shop,” Darklight cut in with a warning glare towards Nightwatch. The stallion did not want to continue down that line of conversation, Nightwatch had side-tracked too far already. “Yes, that,” Nightwatch grumbled before placing her pencil back on the note pad. “So you had just killed the two dogs, then what?” Nigel looked at Midnight, wondering if they should tell the whole story. “I went out to see if Nigel was okay,” Midnight replied. “He was, he picked up my necklace from the ground and then we hugged. We stayed behind the counter with everyone else and waited. The guards found us, we explained what happened and then one of them took us here.” “What happened in the attack?” Nigel asked, Darklight sighing at the deviation from the questioning before answering. “The Grimskulls got beaten back, again,” he informed before grimacing. “Two city guards were killed, twelve were injured and three of my officers were also sent to the hospital.” Midnight and Nightwatch lowered their heads, Nigel not reacting in the slightest to the news of the casualties. “The Grimskulls themselves?” “Thirty-five dead so far, including your two,” Darklight replied with only a slight frown. “I don’t know how many were injured, but they’ll be back. Those Diamond Dogs seem to bred like rabbits, no matter how many die they just keep coming back.” He leaned back in his chair and cricked his neck. “This time was one of the worst attacks, second to the one three years ago. Word is that Princess Luna is coming with a detachment of Lunar Guards to help find the main den and drive them out for good.” Nigel winced internally, from the sounds of that it meant the Nocturnes were in for some subterranean warfare. That was one of the most gruelling forms of war he himself had experienced. Judging from their weapons, he doubted that they had flamethrowers and chemical gas to help them out. Oh, and there was also the small matter of an Equestrian Princess possibly coming to the city with a bunch of soldiers. An Equestrian Princess who’s Captain Nigel had castrated and then beaten up. Suffice to say, the news was no comfort to Nigel. Midnight was also concerned, her forehooves wrapping around his. The two Police officers payed their behaviour no attention, believing it to be because of the day they had gone through. “Well, I think that’s it,” Nightwatch commented as she looked back through her notes. “From the sounds of it you acted in self-defence against an invading foe. You put the lives of others ahead of your own, protecting them against armed foes and you took some of the most regrettable actions to achieve that.” Nightwatch looked up and smiled at Midnight. “Damn girl, you picked an exciting one.” Darklight shook his head again and Midnight blushed, Nigel still wondering if Nightwatch was a real police officer or not. “Thanks,” Midnight mumbled out. Nightwatch grinned and got off her seat, moving to the door and holding it open. “Come on, I think it’s safe to say that you’re good to go home and recover.” “No.” Midnight, Nigel and Nightwatch stared at Darklight as the stallion halted them. The Chief was staring at Nigel, the stallion waving a hoof at Nightwatch. “Leave us and write your report up, Constable,” Darklight ordered. “I need to have a private conversation with these two.” Nightwatch hesitantly left the room and used her wing to shut the door, Darklight leaning across the table and gazing at Nigel. “Okay Nigel,” Darklight started with a ‘Do not jerk me around’ tone. “It’s evident that you’re going to be with my daughter for the foreseeable future. It’s also evident that you’re not all that you seem to be.” Midnight was about to protest but Darklight stopped her with a hoof. “No Midnight, stop trying to hide it. I’ve noticed the verbal slipups, the strange mannerisms and the fact that Nigel doesn’t even seem to know anything about his own race.” “He’s different because he’s a changeling,” Midnight tried, Darklight shaking his head with a small smirk. “That’s what I thought at first,” Darklight shared. “After today I question that though.” Darklight looked at Nigel again. “You killed two living, thinking creatures and you don’t even seem affected by it. I’ve known soldiers who’ve killed Grimskulls before and they still get eaten up by the guilt. From what you told me, you charged at one, impaled him on your horn and then ripped the throat out of the other.” “Actually I only punctured-“ “I don’t care,” Darklight interrupted sternly. “Those are not the actions of a normal being, changeling, pony, whatever. I suspect that I’ll have to soon start referring to you as my son if you continue on with my daughter.” Darklight leaned forward further as Nigel furrowed his brows in confusion. A father? He hadn’t had to experience that before. A hoof banging on the table shook him from his thoughts, Midnight gripping him tighter as Darklight stared into Nigel’s eyes. “I want the truth,” Darklight demanded. “The truth or you’ll never receive my blessing to be with my daughter. I will shun you from my home and I will take every step to ensure that you never see her again. I will not have my daughter endangered. I can tell that you would never hurt her, but if I don’t know who you really then that fear will eat at me forever.” Darklight increased his gaze, Nigel staring right back into his eyes. “You want the truth?” Nigel asked, his voice expressionless and flat. Darklight nodded, Midnight worried as she knew what was coming. “Okay then,” Nigel continued while maintaining his stare. “I’m an alien from another planet.” Darklight didn’t move for a few moments before he rocked back in his chair and let out a peal of laughter. Midnight glanced at the unresponsive Nigel as Darklight continued to laugh, almost falling off his chair. Soon he calmed down, wiping a tear from his eye with a wing tip. As he let out the last few chuckles he glanced back at Nigel to congratulate him regarding the joke. The changeling’s expression stopped all humour dead however, Darklight not finding any trace of deceit. He glanced to his daughter, Midnight meeting his gaze and nodding her head. “You’re not serious,” Darklight stated, neither Midnight nor Nigel moving. Darklight went back over all the information in his head as he tried to make sense of the situation. “Aliens don’t exist, that’s just a story for foals’ bedtime stories.” “Commander Nigel M Chalmers of the United Imperium of Planets, Internal Security Agency.” Darklight’s jaw almost dropped as the changeling rattled off the title with practiced ease, the stallion staring at the creature with disbelief. “It’s true father,” Midnight added in. “He’s told me so much about it that it has to be true. He didn’t even know how to walk on four legs when I met him.” Darklight’s mind started again at the information. “Couldn’t walk on four legs?” “I used to be a biped,” Nigel explained. “That means that I-“ “I know what a biped is,” Darklight interrupted. “What are you and how did you even get here? Do you have a flying saucer hidden somewhere?” Nigel laughed at the strange idea. “Not at all, don’t be ridiculous,” he replied with a grin. “I was pulled though a portal that was in the back of my fridge.” Darklight didn’t even question it, wondering if the station had a magic leak that was affecting everyone. “What are you then?” he continued while trying to keep a straight face. “Human,” Nigel answered before mumbling under his breath. “Or close to one anyway.” Darklight had no idea what a human was, but he guess that it didn’t really matter now. “So, what does a ‘Commander’ in the ‘Internal Security Agency’ do?” Darklight watched the changeling’s face closely, aiming to determine how much of a threat he could be. “Black Operations. Spying, sabotage,” Nigel glanced at Midnight apprehensively, “problem solving.” Darklight’s eyes narrowed, understanding what the changeling was alluding to. Midnight did as well, her eyes widening as she looked at Nigel pleadingly. “Please tell me you haven’t-“ “You saw what I did back in the store,” Nigel cut her off bluntly. “I’m no stranger to violence. If a threat exists then I eliminate it, simple as that.” Midnight struggled to find words, Nigel’s harsh gaze and tone softening before he pulled her into a hug and rested his head against her neck. “Don’t worry, despite my profession I’ve never lied about my love for you. So I’m sorry but that’s how it is. Does it change anything between us?” Darklight stayed silent as the two had their moment, the stallion wise enough to stay out of it. “I…”Midnight struggled for an answer, before sighing and resting her head against his. “No. It doesn’t change a thing. I just wish you told me about this earlier.” “I’m sorry,” Nigel apologised as he started to rub her back, Darklight looking away as the changeling-alien comforted his daughter. “I can’t tell you that much, even what I’ve already said is coming close to the line of treason. Believe me, that is one thing you do not want to be convicted of.” Darklight cleared his throat to get their attention. While he was interested to learn about Nigel’s origins, he had a lot of paperwork to do and injured officers to visit, and he wanted to get home to his wife at a reasonable hour. “So, I take it that you’ll be leaving in the future to return to your duties,” Darklight guessed. His voice hardened as he considered a problem with that. “Which means that you’ll leave Midnight behind when you do.” Nigel winced at this, Midnight looking at her father with trepidation. “Um,” she began. “I was actually planning to go with him when he does leave.” Darklight didn’t react with an objection like expected, instead the stallion rubbed his temples with his wings. “When will that be?” Darklight asked. “Will you be able to visit often? Despite my grandchild’s father, I still wish to see my daughter’s child.” For once during the conversation Nigel was genially surprised. “You’re not worried about me taking your daughter to live far away in an alien empire?” “Oh I am,” Darklight chuckled dryly. “I just know that nothing I say will stop her. Children grow up and move on, and I can tell that Midnight wants to do that. At the very least I can rest easy knowing that someone she loves is protecting her.” Midnight left her seat and Nigel’s embrace to move to her father, hugging him with a smile on her face. “Thanks dad,” she breathed out. “Now only if mom will feel the same.” Darklight chuckled, internally wincing as he imagined that conversation. “Leave that for the future,” Darklight advised before looking back at Nigel. “You still haven’t answered my questions.” Nigel shifted in his seat, Midnight returning to him. Instead of getting into her seat, she flapped her wings and flew up to sit on his lap, throwing her forelegs around his neck. “I don’t know when I’ll leave,” Nigel replied. “Normally a lost agent would be found in a few days, however I was on leave for a while so that could delay a search. I must admit that I’m prone to wandering off If I’m not needed, but I’m certain that my department will find me.” Nigel perked up a little bit, partially helped by the quick peck that Midnight planted on his cheek. “As for the visits,” he continued. “As soon as I’m found and this planet is discovered then we should have no issue coming back whenever I have leave. My rank and department comes with a number of privileges that will assist us with that. You can count on seeing us fairly often.” Darklight nodded, satisfied with the answers. He had learnt far more than he ever wanted to but he was reassured that Midnight would come out of it happy. He doubted anything he could say would change their minds, so he just would have to live with the fact that his youngest daughter was in love with an alien. Well, Nigel may be an alien intelligence agent working for an intergalactic empire that sounded a little evil from the information given and had killed people before… But at least he wasn’t a DJ, and that was something that Darklight found oddly comforting. “Come on,” he offered to the two lovers as he got off his seat and moved to the door. “I’ll walk you home. You’ve got to show me your new house anyway.” Midnight and Nigel obeyed, keen to leave and return home. The evening had been tiring, both wishing for no more incidents to happen. Even Nigel was content to live in boredom for the rest of his stay on the planet. They left the room and Darklight escorted them through the station’s corridors, police in uniform nodding at their Chief and gazing at Nigel. Word had spread quickly about the arrival of the bloodstained changeling earlier that night, the rumours already flying in regards to why he was brought in with the Chief’s daughter by an armed city guard. The trio's hooves clacked on the polished granite floor, passing offices and break rooms as they headed towards the exit. Reaching the reception, they passed between two desks staffed by four axillary officers and moved towards the double set of glass doors that was the main exit. Nigel paused and turned towards Midnight, opening the door and backing out in reverse as he held it open. “Ma’am,” he stated while bowing his head, waiting for Midnight to exit. After a few moments with no movement he looked up, finding Midnight and Darklight staring at him with shock and surprise. No, not at him, Nigel realised, they were staring at something behind him. Ever so slowly he turned his head around, his new neck enabling him to look fully behind him without having to move the rest of his body. Standing behind him, evidently surprised to be met with the raised rump of a changeling while about to walk into the police station, was Princess Luna. Nigel didn’t move as Luna stared at him in shock, the Princess flanked by ten armed and armoured guards on either side with twenty more forming a perimeter in the street. The Princess was just about as surprised as he was, her mouth open and a light blush on her face. It was then that Nigel remembered that he still had little control over his short black tail, the appendage hanging to the side and exposing the staring Princess of the moon to the full glory of his own moon. Time itself seemed to be frozen, no-one moving at all as the standoff continued. Sparing a brief second to add ‘In case of an unexpected Princess encounter,’ to his mental list of why pants were awesome, Nigel concentrated and moved his tail back into place before blurting out his thoughts. “Well, this is awkward.”