Theme:
As the night sky... Does whatever night skies do, you continue to look at the female changeling in shock and fear.
"At last, we have finally found you Drone 9001." the female changeling says to you.
"Errr... You're in the wrong shack, the changeling you're looking for is in... Sour Pear... Acres?" you lie in a pathetic attempt to get the changelings to leave.
"You're not going to fool me Drone 9001... Or should I say; The Hooded Offender?" she accuses.
"Errr... I am not the changeling you're looking for?" you say uncertainly as you wave a hoof in front of you like a Jedi.
"I see you're still as slow as when you were a Private, so I will put this in terms so simple that even you will know what is happening; The hive is coming agent 9001, we are regrouping." she says.
"And why do you think I want to come back? I have friends here, real friends that help me and support me, I have a house and a daughter... You want me? Try it!" you say defiantly as you take up a defensive stance.
The female changeling just sighs while the other two chuckle. You continue to hold your stance as the female changeling says,
"We are not here to fight 9001, we are simply here to talk."
You give her a doubting glare as you say,
"About what?"
The female changeling just gives you a blank stare as she says...
“I don't have time for this. Now come with us 9001,” says the shrouded female, “it’s time for us leave,”
“Uh yeah, no,” you say bluntly.
“Good, now let us... wait, what?” she stammers.
“Yeah, see the thing is I got work in the morning and I really need some shut eye.”
“B-but, you are coming with us,” she says, "We're regrouping so there's no more need for this menial labor charade."
“Enope.” you bluntly say.
She looks to the two others on the side and they shrug their shoulders. She looks back at you with hardened eyes as she commands,
“Stop fooling around! You are done here! Come with us now! That is an order!”
You glare back, “Listen lady, I ain't a part of your well oiled machine any more (bucking machines)... I don’t take orders from anyling... aside from my boss, but she ain't here right now.”
The female changeling glares at you as she says,
"You have a duty to your hive, drone! Don't you dare turn back on your pride!"
"Pride?" you scoff, "There's no pride in a hive that doesn't take after its own, especially to a 'failure' like me, isn't that right?" You defiantly say as you glare at your haunting ghosts of your past, "Besides, I'm oh so happy in this little ol' shack here. And there's nothing you can do about it!"
"No?" she says in shock and confusion.
Confused by by her confusion, you raise a brow at her. "Huh?"
"You will come back," she said in confidence. "Do you know what makes us a Hive?"
"Uhm..." You say as you put a hoof to your chin in thought, "Mind control?" You never really paid attention to social studies. And you are darn glad about that, too. Especially now.
She and the other two changelings facehoof before she says,
"No you moron, instinct. It's instinct that tells us who is in the higher power, what our role is, and what purpose and virtue we represent. Our blood permits- no, drives our union. You can't simply just disconnect from the Hive. It's in your blood since the moment you were born! You'll come back to us, whether you like it or not!"
"Aaaand that's bullspit." you counter. "It doesn't apply to me!"
Flabbergasted, the Pink-Maned one says, "What?!"
"I'm a changeling, yeah, that's true, but I'm also part pony! You could blame my Grandbuggy for that. So, hah!" you mocked childishly. "Your argument is invalid!"
"That old bug of a fool?!" she growls, "If weren't for how strong you were, we would've left you alone just by the tainted blood you contain, drone. You're lucky enough we made an exception."
You rolled your eyes so hard that the Changelings became shocked at such uncanny behavior from a drone such as yourself. "Too bad I don't believe in being 'lucky' anymore. Now, get out of my shack."
The female changeling gives a annoyed sigh as she barks out...
“In the name of the Queen, You Will Join Us!”
“Oh Buck the Queen!” you say harshly, to which all three of them gasp.
“Buck... the... Queen?” she says through gritted teeth as her eyes twitch in anger.
“Yeah, Buck her and the Hive she rode in on.”
“Why you little blaspheming bast-”
“Hey, watch your filthy bucking mouth! I don’t need a Queen alright? I got enough mares already trying to run my life,” you snark.
Hey! I don't run your life, I merely... guide it.
You get a blank look as you mentally deadpanned,
Three words: Assuming direct control.
There's a silence in your head before Selena says,
...Shut up.
Before you can mock her back over you winning one of your arguments with her, the female changeling suddenly glares into you with glowing green eyes as she commands,
Suddenly, you feel something; a connection. You then remember that officers in the Hive had the ability to invoke the "Mind meld" on those of lower rank to force obedience and keep the grunts in line, but it used to have a much larger presence in you. What she is trying to force on you now is weak and pitiful by comparison, but it's still someth-
CEASE THIS MENTAL USURPATION AT ONCE!!!
Suddenly, the female changeling stumbles back as if somepony just punched her. She looks taken aback as her eyes unglow and she questions in surprise,
“H...how are you refusing the Mind Link?”
“I've got powerful friends who make sure my mind is my own,” you declare cryptically.
What little there is to call your own... Selena snarks.
Hey!
“B-but that’s impossible,” she stammers.
“Lady, I've found out that practically anything is possible when it comes to my life, now would you kindly get out of my shed?”
“No,” says the male on the right.
“We have matters to discuss with you,” says the one on the left.
“And we do it now,” they both say at the same time.
“Whoa, that’s creepy... also, still gonna go with no.”
“Oh for,” the female facehooves. She seems familiar to you, but you can’t quite place it...
“Listen, you are going to come with us alright?”
“Ugh... Lady, I have had a stressful day. I have had my lunch stolen, had to act like a bad guy in a smelly cloak, inadvertently won and lost 300 bits, got punched in the nads by a Roid-Raged Pegasus, and had to participate in another all out brawl all because of a bunch of misunderstandings between the most chaotic group of friends I've ever met, so I really, REALLY! Don’t have time for any of your Bullspit right now!”
She and the others look tensely at you, before she sighs.
“It never is easy with you is it?”
“I get that a lot. Now, if you wish to speak with me, let’s set up an appointment, how about after work tomorrow? I’ll be in a much better mood, and I won’t have the urge to squash you all for ambushing me.”
The two males snicker at this, but the Pink maned one actually looks like she is considering it.
“We weren't ambushing you per se, we were...”
And she is cut off as you hear two yelps from outside.
The three changelings rush past you and out your door and you see that two of your traps have been set.
“A spike pit? Who the Buck has a Spike Pit in their front yard?!” yells another female voice. You see a cloaked figure hovering above your spike pit with the familiar changeling wing buzz.
“Dang, didn't think about wings, note to self, add drop net in conjunction with pit,” you mutter.
Speaking of nets, you hear your spring trap go off and see a larger figure dangling by his hoof in the darkness.
“Oh you have got to be kidding me!” a deep and slightly dumb voice sounds
You glare at the Pink Maned changeling and say,
“Not an ambush eh? I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow! Now would you kindly GET OFF MY LAWN!"
“Listen, loser, you don’t want to buck with-” the large dangling changeling says before you interrupt,
“Did you hear me? I said get off my lawn now!”
“No, we need to discuss this now!” the lead female changeling declares.
“Not right now I don’t, but I’ll tell you this; If you don’t buzz off,” you pull out your Power Glove and make flames appear, “I'll burn you all alive and then go back in my shack and sleep like a foal. You can count on that...”
Everyling seems to growl or chuckle at that, but the Pink one actually looks hectic,
“Fine! We’ll see you tomorrow 9001, YOU can count on that.”
With that said, the changelings fly off (they freed the big one while you and their leader were talking).
As soon as you're sure the changelings are out of sight, you go back to your shed in an annoyed huff and commence eating a large dinner of 1/2 a Box of Whole-Wheat Crackers, 1 Can of Broccoli Cheese soup, 1 Instant Noodle Bowl, 1 Large Bag of "Sour Cream & Onion" Potato Chips, 4 Boxes of Filly Scout Cookies, and some leftover creamed corn and a pitcher of carrot juice from the Apples (missing lunch, being the center of a free-for-all, and the stress of being visited by your past really builds up the appetite) and before going to bed.
THE NEXT MORNING
When you wake up to the roosters caw the next morning, you check the Inventory to see Nightshade sleeping there as normal. Remembering your cereal (and surprised that Nightshade hasn't eaten it all), you gently wake her up and ask her to perform her Replication spell (that she's learning from Twilight) on it. After a few painful attempts (meaning she keeps accidentally zapping you with no effect) she successfully clones the box (in spite of you telling her it's bad for ponies Nightshade still tries to puppy-dog-eyes you, but you manage to resist by shoving the box of "Lucky Oats" cereal in her face). But before you could dig in...
“Ow... My Tummy hurts daddy, and eating didn't make it better...” she whines.
“Oh don’t worry baby, daddy will help you, here, drink this,” you say as you hoof her a can of Ginger ale. She quickly chugs it down, but she still holds her tummy in discomfort before collapsing onto the shed floor.
"Nightshade! Luna, this is serious." you say in concern as you hug your baby, "I better take you to the Doc... A REAL one."
1 Cloned Box of "Orange-Frosted Buffo-Bombs" cereal added to The Inventory
You gently pick up the sickly Nightshade and place her on her back before putting the cereal boxes back in the Inventory. You then proceed to find Applejack (who's with Apple Bloom) and you ask her,
"Hey Boss, can I have some bits to take Nightshade to the doctor's?"
Applejack and Apple Bloom become concerned as Applejack asks,
"Oh no, is she hurt?"
Apple Bloom nods her head as she says,
"Yeah, did she over exca... over excua... over use her magic or something in her lessons?"
You shake your head as you say,
"Thankfully nothing like that. Somehow the 'Bottomless Stomach' here got a tummey ache. My home cure of alot of Ginger Ale isn't working, so I'm hoping a quick trip to the doc's will help."
As Apple Bloom nods her head, Applejack gives you a slight glare a she says,
"Ginger Ale... really Mista Tennant?"
You chuckle nervously as you say,
"Well...it worked for me and my Grandbu-er pappy in the past, and he said it worked for my parents. So I thought it runs in the family and that it'll work for her as well. Obviously I was wrong."
Applejack sighs at this as she says,
"Okay, fine. Take your daughter over for a check-up. You can have the day off too to watch over her. Apple Bloom, mind telling Miss Cheerlie that Nightshade won't be at school today?"
Apple Bloom nods her head as she says,
"Sure thing!"
"By the way, can I have some bits to pay the doc?" you ask.
Applejack gives you a weird look and says,
"Uh... y'all are aware we have universal health care, right?"
"You mean the medical technology is made on spaceships?" you ask obliviously.
Applejack facehooves before saying, "No sugercube, I meant that our taxes pay for health care so you don't need bits for a check-up."
"Ohhhh..." you reply before mentally adding,
Universal or not, Quacksalver's still the only "doc" who will keep the fact that I'm a changeling secret.
You nod your head at this before you turn around and begin to head to town as you say,
"Thanks boss, and you too Apple Bloom!"
They smile as they both say,
"Get well soon Nightshade!"
As you walk away, Applejack suddenly remembers something and tells Apple Bloom,
"Oh, I forgot to mention; I'm heading out with mah friends to watch the dragon migration, so ah need you to tell Mistah Tennant that when he get's back."
Before Apple Bloom could respond, Applejack suddenly shivers as she suddenly looks at your distant form worriedly. Apple Bloom notices this as she asks,
"What's wrong big sis?"
Applejack sighs as she says,
"Nothing Bloom, I just got ta feeling that something really bads gonna happen to him..."
Nightshade asks you about the "Granny Smith/Doctor photo" and the "Granny Smith/Bowler Hat Pony photo" that she found in the Apple's attic.
As you walk to the Hospital with Nightshade on your back, you hear her rummaging through her saddle bag. When the rummaging stops, you suddenly have two pictures in your face. You stop walking to take a closer look as Nightshade asks,
"Do you have any idea what these mean, daddy? I found them up in the Apple's attic."
You look at the "Granny Smith/Doctor photo" and chuckle as you say,
"Well that proves something, you see sweetie this is the Doctor in his 4th regeneration (at least according to the serial which even the Doc himself says takes liberties with his life). That's him and a younger Granny Smith outside the TARDIS. This one is-urk!"
Your eyes widen in terror as you see Grandbuggy in disguise... kissing Granny Smith. As you continue to stare in horror you hear laughter in your head,
MWAHAHAHAHHAHAH! HAHAHAH OH SWEET AHAHAHHAHAH! This is hilarious! Thine art related to the Hick because of a fling your Grandbuggy had! And what makes it even better, is that she wants to be your mate and has no clue! BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!
Your eye twitch's in annoyance as you think,
Quit it! I can make you watch all the episodes of "My Little Human" I've been forced to seen on repeat if I wanted to... probably... maybe... shut up!
Sighing as you try to ignore the laughter in your head, you tell Nightshade,
"That's... your great Grandbuggy kissing Granny Smi-"
"ZzzzzzzzZ"
"Huh?"
You look on your back to see Nightshade fast asleep. Sighing at this stroke of luck and putting the pictures into The Inventory as you think,
Oh thank Luna I don't need to tell her yet. Bad enough that I have indisputable proof that I'm related to one of my Stalkers, but now I know for certain that a huge branch of my family wants to kill me... not much of a change from my situation back at the Hive to be honest. Oh well... my family reunion is going to be soooo awkward...
With that thought you continue your quest to the doctors...
When you reach the Doctor's office, you're told that it’ll be about an hour as they run tests, so you go to get some food for her for when she feels better.
When you return to the Doctor's office with some "Get Well Soon" cupcakes ("6 Carrot Cupcakes" added to Inventory, 24 Bits Remaining), you notice the Doctor carrying Nightshade out the front door. You walk back inside and see the secretary, nurse, and real doctor all knocked out. On the doctor is a note that reads,
Follow
*snap* “OH YOU SLIMY MOTHER BUCKERS!!!” both you and Selena cry at the same time as you rush out the door and see the “Doctor” waving with a smirk on his face before galloping into town.
“GET BACK HERE YOU BUCKING BUG!” you scream.
UNLEASH ME NOW! Selena screams.
As you run you counter,
“I can’t, there're too many witnesse-”
BUCK YOUR WITNESSES! IF YOU DON'T UNLEASH ME RIGHT NOW, I WILL ASSUME DIRECT CONTROL AND BUTCHER EVERY WORTHLESS PEASANT BETWEEN ME AN-
"If you do that, we'll hurt Nightshade!" you say as you leap over a trash can the "doctor" knocked over to slow you down.
I... FINE, JUST SAVE MY BABY BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!!! she screams in panic and anger.
"Right!" You says as you chase the Changeling, who keeps taking on different disguises as you have a Benny Hill-type chase through the town.
Eventually Flash flies down alongside you.
“Tennant, what’s going on?” he asks.
“A CHANGELING STOLE MY DAUGHTER!” you yell back.
His eyes widen, “A CHANGELING? But I thought that was just a prank by Gabby Gums!”
“Well it’s not a very good one is it!” you yell back.
"I'll cut him off!" Flash says as he flies on ahead.
As you and Flash tear after the changeling, you suddenly realize something. Nightshade's sickness; it perfectly matches the symptoms of a shot of changeling venom! (*) The fact that Nightshade is showing it's symptoms means...
Those foal-nappers drugged my daughter!
I WILL TEAR THEIR ENTRAILS OUT AND FEED THEIR SCREAMING CARCASSES TO THE GIANT SPIDERS!
You increase your speed as you and Flash chase after the foal-napper. As Flash is just inches away from the "Doctor" he suddenly...
The changelings play a form of "keep-away" with Nightshade where they constantly join, transform, fly, split up, etc. which makes it more difficult to chase them even with the assistance of your friends, (Flash, Comic Book Joe), stalkers (Aloe, Octavia, Vinyl), and Nightshade's friends/stalkers (Button Mash, Rumble, Pip).
Tosses Nightshade to an earth pony with a yellow/brown mane and glasses who runs perpendicular to him out of an alley. You and Flash start chasing him down only for him to run into a trash heap and bolt out in one direction... But you both notice that he isn't carrying Nightshade!
You and Flash screech to a halt and do a 180 before running back to where the garbage heap was before Flash shouts,
"Up there!"
You look to where he's pointing and see a hippogriff flying off with Nightshade.
You growl at what they're doing to Nightshade before you tell Flash,
"There's gotta be someway to catch up too them! Maybe if we had more ponies..."
Flash salutes as he says,
"I got it!"
With that he shouts...
"EVERYPONY! THERE ARE CHANGELINGS IN TOWN! AND THEY'RE FOALNAPPERS!!!"
Ponyville is silent for a few seconds as everyling stares at you two, before Ponyville once again freaks out. Ponies scream incoherently and run away from nothing, all while you glare silently at Flash.
"Uh... oops? I thought that would help." Flash says, grinning nervously at you. Before you can reply, you spot the hippogriff you'd been chasing before with a bundle on his back.
"After him!" you cry, and you and Flash give chase as the hippogriff dashes into an alley, with the two of you hot in pursuit. You keep chasing as Flash flies over you, landing in front of the hippogriff and cutting his escape off. He backs away, only to see you approaching.
"Alright," you growl with your eyes glowing orange, "You have one chance; Let go of my daughter or your brains will be leaking out of your ears as I pound your head against the hardest and sharpest objects I can find."
The hippogriff's expression is blank as he glances between you and Flash, trying to decide what to do. Suddenly, he grabs the swaddled up foal that must be Nightshade and tosses her up into the air. Before you and Flash can do anything, another pony (an aqua pegasus with a brown and yellow mane) swoops down from the sky and catches the bundled filly, before darting off. Flash flies after her while you stop briefly to Falcon Punch the hippogriff-changeling's head into the alley wall, before returning to the chase.
Flash takes the air route, zooming after the pegasus, who is unfortunately fast enough to keep ahead. You glance around for some way to catch the pegasus from the ground, before you spot the Crusaders' wagon lying next to Scootaloo. You rush up to it and hop in, taking off down the Ponyville streets.
"Hey!" Scootaloo shouts from behind. "That's my wagon!"
In response you toss back 2 boxes of filly scout cookies as you continue down the street, slowly gaining on Flash and the pegasus.
MEANWHILE UP THE STREET
"Aww, this is gonna be sick!" some teens grin as they admire their ramp. "Dare Dervish is gonna come down that hill and make a sweet jump off this ramp!"
"And we'll have it all on film!" another teen finished, holding up a camera.
Suddenly, a screaming comes from up the street, and the teens look to see blurs of aqua and orange streak by overhead, followed by you on the wagon. You let out a shout of terror as your wagon hits the ramp and soars through the air, landing on the rooftops of some houses and continuing to race after the changeling. "Did you get that?" one teen asks.
"Sure did!" the camera holding one, replies.
You continue to ride the wagon as it bumps and bounces across the ponyville rooftops, knocking rooftiles loose and drawing all the closer to the aqua pegasus. Struggling to line up a shot with the Power Glove in spite of all the shuddering the wagon is doing, you manage to cry out,
"Would you kindly LET GO OF MY DAUGHTER MOTHERBUCKER!!?" before blasting the pegasus with a bolt of lightning. The pegasus lets go of Nightshade with a cry of pain as she falls away and Nightshade drops like a rock, but Flash zooms down to catch her.
"Yes! *CRASH* Ow, ow!" you say as the wagon finally tumbles of the roofs and crashes to the ground with you.
"Celestia," Flash says as you pick yourself up, "What have you been feeding this foal? She's heavy as a rock."
"Hey! Don't call my baby fat!" You snap as you snatch the bundle from Flash and tear off the blankets to reveal... a vaguely foal-shaped rock. Both you and Flash turn to see the pegasus giggling on the ground.
"Sorry about your daughter," she chuckles. "But she wouldn't have been so scared if she was a little boulder. Aha ha!"
"There!" Flash cries, spotting another pony dashing away, this one a red unicorn with a yellow mane and another swaddled bundle in his telekinetic grip. The two of you race after him as he runs into the town square, disappearing into the chaotic crowd of panicking ponies.
Before you can race after the foal-napper, you see the other one try to sneak off. You growl slightly as you turn around to her and say,
Bugze used Sand Attack!
Bugze Ran Away!
"Pocket sand!" as you throw some sand in her face, causing her to cry out in pain as she grabs her sandy eyes.
You smirk cruelly at the pegasus-bug's pain, before you turn around and continue to chase after the foal-napper. You catch up with Flash as you continue to chase after the foal-napper. As you chase after him, a sudden green and grey blur try to tackle her, but they miss by a inch. As you and Flash briefly stop where they landed you see that they are...
Octavia and Lyra who are in the middle of getting back up,
“Don’t worry Tennant, we’ll catch this slimy Bug.”
“And we will get your daughter back!” Octavia adds.
“Thanks guys, Flash, where are the Deadly 6? We could use their changeling hunting skills!” you say as the four of you start chasing the unicorn-changeling.
“Umm... I'm not too sure, Twilight told me they were going to watch the Great Dragon Migration.”
“Great Dragon wha- There he is!” you shout as you spot him darting into an alley way.
As you continue to chase after the foal-napper, more ponies begin to join the chase. Vinyl and some other unicorns trying to grab onto the foal-napper with their magic as Thunderlane, Flash, and some other pegasus try dive bomb him, but he keeps dodging them because members of these groups would reveal themselves as changelings and knock some away before changing into another pony and diving into another group, causing even more confusion.
As you notice Aloe, Octavia and some other earth ponies are holding pitchforks and torches in an angry mob you can't help but think,
Huh, weird being part of one of these things for once. Plus I'm really glad they don't know I'm one. Now how do I slow them down...
*ding*
You get a great idea when you spot...
Punt Angel Bunny at one of the changelings (yes, he's Fluttershy's pet rabbit, but something tells you he REALLY deserves it... Maybe the "Kill the Waifu Stealer" voices found a new target?)
A grumpy-looking rabbit stomping down the street holding a recipe book. Suddenly you hear voices in your head scream,
KILL THE DEVIL BUNNY! HE'S MEAN AND ABUSES FLUTTERSHY-SENPAI!
I thought I got rid of these pests! Selena comments in annoyance.
You gain a deadpanned look as you think,
I guess the voices found a new target. But considering the circumstances AND he's apparently been mean to FLuttershy...
With that thought you smirk evilly as you charge at the bunny and yell,
The rabbit looks up with a look of shock and terror on his face that is replaced with a Falcon Kick to the face that's so hard that if this were a visual format instead of a typed fanfic, we'd replay the impact three times.
The bunny zooms forward like a furry screaming missile before it just misses the unicorn, bounces off a wall, slams into and bounces off Crafty Crate's face with enough force to knock him through the back of his stall, nails an orange-manged unicorn in the side of her face with enough force to break her glasses, repeatedly and painfully ricocheting between the empty heads of two vapid mares who were babbling some nonsense about boys or whatever, before he hits a trampoline and ends off flying off into the distance.
"OH SURE! HIT EVERYTHING BUT THE BUCKING TARGET!" you yell in annoyance, "WHAT ARE YOU, PART STORM TROOPER YOU STUPID FUZZBALL?!"
"I think that was Miss Fluttershy's pet rabbit, Angel-" Flash comments before you just grunt in anger and shout,
"I DON'T BUCKING CARE! I'LL WORRY ABOUT IT AFTER I SAVE MY DAUGHTER AND BREAK EVERY BUCKING BONE IN THAT BUG'S BODY TILL IT'S NOTHING BUT SLIME! Besides, the voices in my head that normally tell me to hurt you tell me that he was abusing FLuttershy!"
"Good p- Wait what?!"
Ignoring Flash, you boost forward with a shout of anger as you charge ahead of the group after the foalnapper who's heading into the Everfree forest when somepony yells...
"DRAGONS!!!"
At this, the Ponyville mob looks up and sees about a thousand dragons blanketing the sky. Many of the ponies start diving for cover to avoid dragon fire while others watch in awe, but you don't notice any of this as you're too focused on rescuing your daughter from your past. You might have heard Flash and some of the others call after you, but you don't notice their warnings get fainter and fainter as you charge even deeper into the Everfree forest, Psycho Crushing through any trees and creatures dumb enough to get in your way...
As you run deeper into the Everfree, everything got darker and eventually you lose sight of the changelings in the dark foliage of the Everfree forest that you began to get panic-y and frustrated.
"Buck! Where the buck are they?!" you yell in panic and frustration as you look around wildly while continuing to run forward with no clear destination in mind. Eventually, you got lost in the middle of nowhere.
"Guaah! I don't have time to get lost! Selena, can you pinpoint Nightshade?"
I would if I could! But she's not asleep!
"BUCK!" you cry as you punch a dying tree so hard that it breaks in half and topples over, "YOU'RE BUCKING DEAD!!!" you roar in the Royal Canterlot Voice to the darkness around you, "YOU ARE ALL SO BUCKING DEAD!!!"
Eheheeh... I see you've got yourself into another bind. you hear a voice say in your head before you realize... It's your shadow!
"Oh, come on!" you cry out. "I don't want to bucking deal with you right now!"
GET OUT!!! Selena screams.
Tch. You are indeed a terrible changeling. Pathetic, you can't even use the senses that's instilled into you!
Senses? Ah!
That word triggers a memory... About Scouting. Detecting. Finding. Tracking- Grandbuggy!
FLASHBACK
"Alright, @#$%, you wanna know how I get all the ladies?"
"Erm, no, Grandbuggy, I don't wanna kno-"
"It all starts in here," he pointed a hoof to where the mind is. "Mares are a delicate and complicated bunch. You gotta know what goes in their mind to even earn a single base. If you don't, then they'll turn into Brain Ninjas and assassinate your sanity into pieces. And I speak from experience."
"But, Grandbuggy, I-!"
"So here's what you must understand! When you first meet a pony, some sort of bond forms! You'll know when you see it, trust me. It's in you changeling blood! You could call it friendship, acknowledgement, hay, maybe love at first sight, if you know what I mean..." He wraggled his brows.
"Uhm, actually I don't-"
"Well, you'll soon know!" he interrupts. "Whenever there's a bond, take it, and keep it close. And when you got a tight hold into it...
FLASHBACK OVER
Your grandsire's hold meaning. I can feel a connection to her, but it's faint... like a gem shining in the distant darkness...
Suddenly, there's a burning sensation on your chest as this symbol glows midnight blue on your chest, (See Season 1, Episode 27: DON'T GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT And Rhyming!?) but you don't notice this as you're focusing on invoking your grandbuggy's advice,
"...Find the string, and home in on it; watch it intently..." you mutter as you closed your eyes to focus. Soon you do feel this "string", but it is faint, almost lost into the distance around you...
"Pull it into a loving hug, and feel the tug..."
The 'tug' was like a press into your mind, and it pulls you towards a direction. However, it was still too vague. Thankfully, you're still not done,
"Stare into the eyes as it stares back..." A familiar presence washes across you from that direction, as though eyes were on you. You stare back as your eyes shoot open and you declare,
"...and you then kiss the mare!"
Your daddy senses are a tinglin'! All at once, you felt it: your daughters emotions! Fear and hope. Scared. Your baby girl is afraid!
"Nightshade! I'm coming! Daddy is coming to the rescue!"
With that said, you run even deeper into the dark woods that have been nothing but trouble to you. Farther and farther you go, but you don't care. Your daughter needs you!
Outro:
What do you do?
