//------------------------------// // The Life of a Wanted Changeling Season 2 Epilogue // Story: The Life of a Wanted Changeling Season 2: Debt to a Doctor (Comment Driven Story) // by Down with Chrysalis //------------------------------// The scarred, bruised and battered Princess of Love looks over your dying body, panting as the destroyed world burns all around her. “I..I’ve finally done it. Shiny, Twilight, Aunties…I’ve ended it,” she says aloud. She suddenly gets a look in her eye of shock. “B-but did I do the right thing?” she asks aloud. Her eye twitches as she answers back. “Of course you did, he was the same!” “But he helped us. He was from another world,” she argues back. “He would’ve become HIM in that world, and everypony would’ve died AGAIN!” she shouts back to herself. “But he was a friend!” “HE COULDN’T BE TRUSTED!” “What if he could have?!” Cadance cries out. “He couldn’t!” she cries back. “I DON’T KNOW THAT!” yells as she breaks down and weeps. “I don’t know that…” she whispers, but she is suddenly surprised when your eyes open, glowing brightly with magic. “What?!” she says taken aback. Your mouth then moves, but it’s not your voice that comes out. “I WILL NOT LET YOU DIE! NEVER!!!” says the feminine voice. Suddenly your tails materialize, and Cadance backs up, taking the sword out of you in the process, making your wound bleed freely. The tails however do not attack her, rather they encase you in a shadow like cocoon which begins to radiate immense power. “Stay with me Bugze! You’re going to make it! PLEASE STAY WITH ME!” shouts the voice again as the wound’s bleeding slows. Far away, you hear Selena’s call, and though it’s hard, you focus on it. When you do, you blearily see through your own eyes and gasp weakly. Cadance can only look on in shock again. “I was right, he is going to turn into the Nightmare!” she says deranged, as the two opposing sides of her psyche agree. You can’t say a thing as much pain as you’re in, but you cling onto consciousness and life as Selena shouts for you. “Yes that’s it! THAT’S IT! Stay with me!” she yells with your mouth. You try to do as she says, but the sensation to sleep is so strong. “It’s going to happen all over again…” says the disheveled Princess as she raises the blade again. You hear a sound. That glorious wheezing sound. Why does it make you feel happy? You’re not quite sure. “You hear that?! The Doctor is coming! He can save you! Just hold on!” shouts Selena. “No! No No, NO! I won’t let you live!” shouts Cadance as she rushes forth and swings the blade at the cocoon surrounding you. The blade strikes the cocoon, but it holds it back from your body. “AAAAAHHHHH!!!!” shouts Selena in pain, but still the Blade holds in place, even as it burns the shadows around it. “Impossible…this is an Orichaclum Sword! It can’t be stopped!” shouts Cadance. You watch all of this, almost like a distant observer within your own body. “YOU…CAN’T…HAVE HIM!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” Selena cries in pain and strain as an exponential amount of energy is unleashed. You feel your wound stop bleeding momentarily as the blade breaks into several pieces. “Such…power…” Cadance whispers before she is launched backwards. The dark energy being released begins to dissipate as Selena’s voice begins to fade. The unconscious darkness tries to claim you again as you begin to bleed anew. Through your haze you see shade of brown and blue. And you hear distant voices, fading in and out. “Quickly Ditzy get…DIS. We migh…save him…ust can’t leave…bring her…” You feel your body move, but you aren’t the one moving it. As your view dips in and out, you hear Selena’s voice. It’s frail and weak and barely a whimper. “Bugze…Live…Please…For Nightshade…For Me…Live…” she says as her voice fades. You try to answer, but all you get out is “I…” with your limited breath. The Darkness begins to take your vision once again, but before it does, you see a blue light and a distant humming. Sometime later, you’re not sure how long. It could have been minutes, or a lifetime for all you know. All you know is that the Darkness leaves your vision You lie flat on your back, looking up at the ceiling of the TARDIS. There is a drip line running into your arm, along with a blood pack. You try to sit up, but your chest and lower abdomen feel sore, and you groan. “Bugze! You’re awake!” cries the voice of the Doctor as he rushes towards your bedside. “Doc…I’m…” you croak out. “Here, don’t speak too much, you’re still severely weakened,” he warns before turning around. “Ditzy, bring a glass of water and orange juice!” She nods her head and rushes off. “Doc…I was stabbed…” “Yes, I know. But you’re still with us…” he says with a smile. Derpy comes back with the water and OJ, and the Doctor lifts your head enough to drink it. “Come on, easy does it. The water’s to hydrate you, the OJ is to help with the blood loss…” the Doctor tells you. After downing both, you still feel weak and sore, but you sit up anyway. You look down around you and see you are in a very big bed, and there are bandages across your lower body. You go to touch them, but the Doctor pulls your hoof back. “Careful now, we don’t want to risk opening that, not after all the trouble we took closing you up” The Doctor warns. “Okay…wait…” your thoughts start to clear. “I was stabbed by an Orichalcum blade!” you shout out loud. “Yes, yes you were,” the Doctor says as he rests his hoof on your shoulder. "The blade pierced clean through you, no vitals were hit, but you lost a lot of blood. I was able to close your wounds before it was too late…but sadly, the scar upon your chest will never go away…” the Doctor says. You rub the scar below your eye, “Just like my eye…” you mutter. “Indeed. Even still, we only succeeded because of the courage and sacrifice of somepony close to you…” the Doctor says with sadness. “Sacrifice?” you ask aloud, as two words spark from your memory. “Bugze…Live…” “OH NO! Selena!” you cry aloud as you immediately close your eyes and concentrate, even as The Doctor shouts, “Bugze, Wait!” You ignore his pleas and enter your mindscape…and it looks empty. You start calling out, “Selena! Selena where are you?!” but you hear no response. You gallop around looking for her, but all you see is emptiness. “No, No NO!” you cry out, before the Doctor’s voice suddenly comes from within your mind. “Concentrate Bugze. Focus on nothing but her. Think of her without fear or panic in your heart…” he says. You do as he says, and begin doing a breathing exercise Grandbuggy taught you to help fall asleep faster. After you do so, you look behind you and see her lying on the floor with her eyes closed. “Selena!” you cry out as you rush to her. When you get close to her, you can see that she is different. Where before she was as tall as Celestia, with an ethereal mane and adorned with her armor. Now, she is slightly smaller than you, her hair a non wavy deep bule, and her armor lies cracked and broken around her. Upon her chest is a red scar. You get that good of a look on it, but you feel that yours will look the same once the bandages come off. You kneel down next to her, fearing the worst, but as you place your hoof on her chest, you can feel that she is still breathing. “Oh thank goodness…” you sigh in relief. “Selly, come on, wake up…” you say as you jostle her. But still her eyes remain closed. “Doc…what’s happened to her?” you say aloud, and the Doctor’s voice comes from behind you. You turn around and see him looking at you. You don’t question how he got there, he’s the Doctor after all. “She expended nearly all of her power to keep you alive,” the Doctor explains. You turn back to her weakened form. “She kept you alive long enough for Ditzy and I to get there. Stopping the effects of Orichalcum, even for a moment takes a lot of energy,” he says. You hold her hoof, “But why won’t she wake up?” you ask. The Doctor looks away and sighs, “The closest I can guess is that she’s in a coma, or as close to one as a disembodied soul can be in.” “A coma?” you say in shock. “She not only stopped your bleeding Bugze, she shattered an Orichaclum blade to protect you. That in itself is something Four Alicorns combined would have difficulty doing, but she did it anyway…and this is the result” he explains. A tear slips out of your eye. “Will she wake up?” you ask. “…It’s hard to tell. Magic is fickle, and relies upon life force. She’s come back from the brink before after being hit with the Elements of Harmony, thanks in no small part to you hosting her, so she does have a chance…but there’s no way to be certain.” You look upon her as she lies helpless on the empty floor. “Isn’t there something I can do Doc? I mean, she’s just lying there…” you say sadly. “All you can do is make sure she is comfortable and safe. Beyond that, only time will tell.” You nod and conjure up a comfy looking bed underneath her and tuck her in. You stroke her now non-flowing mane as she breathes weakly. “I’m sorry...I’ll make this right…I swear…Thank you…” you say with tears in your eyes. The Doctor places a hoof on your shoulder. You exit the dreamscape and see that he is still holding your shoulder in the real world, and Derpy is hugging you. “She’ll wake. I have to believe that,” you say to the Doctor and Derpy. “Of course she will, she’s a fighter,” says Derpy. The Doctor nods before saying, “Yes she is, but I’d avoid using your powers until she does. She is the source of them, and right now she needs all the magic she can get.” The Doctor’s words make you realize that if you use your Nightmare powers, Selena might… You shake your head from these thoughts. You don’t really feel like fighting for a long time anyway. Not after what you just went through and what it cost. “I still can’t believe Cadance stabbed me…” you lament. “But as long as everything’s fixed then I guess she never actually…” your speech is cut short when you look around and see that not too far away, strapped to another bed with a magic cancelling ring on her horn is Cadance. Your eyes bug out as you remember the deranged look in her eyes. You try to shift further away from her, but the Doctor holds you still. “What is she doing here?!” you shout. “Bugze calm down!” The Doctor orders. “Calm down? CALM DOWN?! She’s the one who stabbed me! It’s her fault that Selena is in a coma!” you shout. That realization hits you harder now that you can think clearly. “Cadance…she stabbed me. Why? Why did she do that?” you ask the Doctor. The Doctor’s face turns solemn at this as he says, “She wasn’t in her right mind Bugze, you can’t blame her entirely.” “But we helped her! We set everything right!” you say. “Bugze,” Derpy says as she places a hoof on your shoulder. “She witnessed everyone she’s ever loved murdered by someone who looks just like you. Seeing more than one Nightmare Cloaked changeling drove her over the edge…” Derpy says sadly. You look over at the unconscious Princess. “But…we saved the day…didn’t we?” you ask. The Doctor and Derpy look down in sadness before another thought hits you. “Wait! Why is she even here? Weren’t we going to stop past me from becoming the Nightmare! Shouldn’t she be normal!” you cry out. The Doctor closes his eyes. “Doc?” you ask, afraid of the answer. He opens his eyes and stares at you. “Bugze…I couldn’t leave her there. I just couldn’t.” “But-“ “She was quite literally the only living thing left in all of Equis, I wasn’t about to leave her there in solitude!” he laments. “But, what about going back and…” you start before noticing the Doctor closing his eyes and wincing. “You didn’t go back did you?” you say in realization. The Doctor just shakes his head no. “W-w-why the Buck not?!” you cry out. He sighs, “By the time we closed your wounds and stabilized you it was too late. With the Nightmare’s death, his rage and hatred were gone. The Universal boundaries began to solidify once more…” he laments. “But we promised them Doctor! We promised them we would fix everything! They trusted us! We have to go back!” you shout out in anger. “It’s too late Bugze. That reality is sealed from us…I had no choice.” You can’t believe it. After all that’s happened. It didn’t matter. Your anger builds up. “So we did it all for nothing?! I stopped my other self, Selena’s in a coma, and the world still burns?!” you cry out getting off your bed. “I tried, don’t you think I…” he begins, but you cut him off. “Oh Blah Blah Blah! You tried? Well guess what Doc, you still failed! That world still bucking burning!” you shout out as all your guilt comes pouring out, lashing at the Doctor. “Bugze, please calm down or you’ll,” Derpy begins. “Shut up Derpy!” you shout, causing her to recoil and tears begin to form in her eyes. The Doctor’s face immediately turns angry. “OI! You don’t snap at her!” he yells as he steps between the two of you. “You’re right, maybe I should snap you you bucking failure!” you cry out as you shove the Doctor backwards. “Bugze!” Derpy shouts. “Why didn’t you save them?! Why didn’t you stop this!” you yell as tears spill out. “I did stop this! I did! I stopped you from becoming him.” he yells back but you see the sadness in his face. “You think I wanted that? I didn't do that! All that death, all that destruction, that, that wasn't me!” “And it will never be you Bugze! It won’t! I failed that other world, but it’s because I had to save you. Everything I’ve ever done is to protect you!” “Oh great job with that Doc, dragging me out of my peaceful existence in Appleloosa and making me stay in a town populated by my enemies where I constantly had to hide and lie while caring for my big eater daughter who still managed to get in more danger than she ever did back home! Trying to protect me? Who are you kidding? You can't protect anyling! You sure as buck couldn't protect that world! Like I said, GREAT job!” you lament all your anger and frustration. “Bugze, you don’t mean that, you’re just taking your frustrations out on the Doctor!” “So what if I am? It’s all I’m good for right?!” you yell as your eyes glow orange. “Bugze, STOP! Selena might get hurt!” The Doctor shouts. You look in a nearby mirror and see your eyes glowing. You immediately power them down and fall to the ground, covering them as you cry. After a few moments of wailing, you start to get yourself under control. But the anguish is still there. The Doctor and Derpy stand around you as you quietly speak between sobs. “I idolized you… I was a big fan of you since I was a hatchling. I thought you were this cool fun hero who can save the world with a joke and a wave of your sonic screwdriver.” you shake your head and look up to the Doctor with your wet eyes. “But you keep secrets…you lie…and you don’t save everyling…” you mutter. The Doctor kneels in front of you with a sad look. “I never claimed to be perfect Bugze, and I’m not. And no…I can’t save everypony, but I can save some” he says with a glance at Cadance. He puts his hoof on your shoulder once more and you don’t shrug it off. “And you’re right. I did fail that world. And I will never, NEVER forget the creatures I let die. By the time I finished stabilizing you, the walls of reality were nearly mended. There was only so much time. We’re all faced with hard decisions, myself more than others…but I made the choice to save you Bugze. So please…please let me keep saving you…” You sniffle and look him in the eye. “Okay…” He smiles and pulls you up before giving a pat on the back. You look to Derpy and hug her too. “I’m sorry for snapping at you guys…” you mutter. “It’s okay” they answer. After parting from their embrace, you look over to what started the argument. “What’s going to happen to her Doctor?” He walks over to the prone Alicorn. “She is going to get what many don’t get, a second chance in life,” he says. “But, we already have a Cadance in our world. How the heck are we going to have two Cadances, especially when this one might still want me dead?” “If all goes according to plan, this one won’t even remember you, or the other world” the Doctor explains. “Huh?” you ask. “She can forget about all the horrible things she’s witnessed and done. It will be my gift to her. A new life, a new identity.” “But won’t ponies kind of notice another Alicorn like her running around?” Derpy asks. The Doctor smiles. “I’m sure old Jack can help with that.” “You’re going to leave her with Torchwood?” you ask. “They’ll have the resources to help her. She may be someone else after it’s all said and done…but she’ll still be alive. “B-but it won’t be her. Not exactly” you say. The Doctor sighs, “I know, but I can’t live with the alternative.” You look at Cadance and can’t help but rub your hoof over your bandages. You know she deserves a chance after all that happened to her, but you know you don’t want to be around her again if you can avoid it. “Anyway, there’s still so much for me to do. But let’s get you home” he says aloud. You groan as you realize you’ll have to go back to Ponyville where they think BST is dead. “Oh don’t fret Bugze, I meant home home.” the Doctor says. You look at him in surprise as the TARDIS lands. You immediately run out the door and see a glorious site. “Appleloosa,” you say in happiness. You are on a hill overlooking it. In the south are the Apple Orchards. The Town Proper is busy, and you can even see your house. You smile happily, before an image flashes in your mind. You see the whole town on fire and destroyed with bodies everywhere. Your breath hitches and you close your eyes, shake your head and open them again. The town is fine. Everything is fine. You begin breathing in and out erratically as you tell yourself that. “It’s fine…It’s fine…” you breathe. “It is fine Bugze,” you whirl around at the Doctor’s voice and see him standing in the doorway of the TARDIS, “It won’t ever become that,” he says. “I-I know, but…” you trail off trying to shake the images from your mind. “You’re still traumatized Bugze. But believe me when I say, Appleloosa will never come to that.” “That’s good to know,” you murmur as the Doctor nods. “In fact, it’s great to know…” you trail off and the Doctor loses his smile. “There’s other things I want to know Doctor. No more secrets. I want you to tell me the truth about everything.” “I…well. Bugze, you are no longer in my debt. There’s no need. It was a false debt anyway,” he bumbles. “Yeah, but there’s still more about me that you’re not telling,” you accuse. “I well…” “Doc, after everything we’ve gone through, you owe me. Please, tell me!” you beg. He closes his eyes and sighs. “Bugze, I promise you, no I Pinkie Promise you that I will tell you everything you want to know,” he says as he goes through the motions. He then opens his eyes and says with sad eyes, “But now is not the time for that.” He then slams the TARDIS doors as it begins to whir. “NO!” you cry as you rush forth and start slamming on the door. “Doctor, you can’t do this! DOCTOR!” you yell. From the other side of the fading door, you hear his muffled voice. “I’m sorry Bugze, I’m so so sorry. But I can’t tell you at this time! Please, just go and live in peace for now” he yells. “Why can’t you tell me?! WHY NOT?!” you yell back with a strike to the door. “Because it’s still too dangerous for you to know the whole truth! I made a promise to your Grandfather, and I intend to keep it!” he yells. “What?...” you say in shock as the TARDIS fully disappears. You stand there for a good five minutes processing what the Doctor said. “Grandbuggy? What did he promise you?” After another few minutes, you realize the Doctor isn’t coming back, and you sigh in frustration, as you have even more questions. “You are going to answer me one day Doctor…one day…” you mutter bitterly as you look back down on your old home. You shrug and start to take a step towards it, when you are hit by the image of the devastation and you stop. You hyperventilate again, but you eventually get it under control. You want to go down there, you want to go home and see all your old friends that accepted you as a changeling. To see Braeburn, Little Strongheart, Old Man Muffin, and the rest. To live the rest of your days in peace. But you know that you can’t. You can’t just run away from your problems. That’s what the other you did, and that only caused death and misery. You know you’ll never become him, but you decide not to tempt fate. You can’t go back to Appleloosa. There’s still evil in this world. The Crimson Knights are still running around trying to spread Flag Burner’s dark gospel. Until they are stopped, the death and devastation of the Nightmare can still occur, even if it’s not you doing it. They will still look for you, and will hurt anyling that gets in their way. Until you bring them all to justice, you can’t call anywhere your home, less it be destroyed. Your chest still hurts, and you feel tired, but you know that if you go down there, you won’t want to leave. You close your eyes and sigh. “Goodbye Appleloosa…” Before you turn around and head North with no clear destination in mind. You don’t look back until the hill blocks your view from the town. You can almost believe that it’s just another hill. Almost. You walk towards where desert shrubs meet forest growth and sit down beside a pond for a drink. As you do, you suddenly hear a loud yawn as your inventory opens. “Yaaahhhh…Hey daddy, what’s-whoa!” Nightshade cries as you pull her out and begin hugging her tightly. “Oh My Sweet Sweet Baby! I’ve missed you so much!” you cry as you hold her close. She hugs you back. “Well jeez Daddy, I was only out for like three days. I know I haven’t slept that long in awhile, but still…” she says. You open your eyes. Three days. Three days since she was kidnapped by your old hive mates. Three days since you saved Spike and got picked up by the Doctor and witnessed a world burning. “Dear Luna…has it only been three days?” you ask. “Well that’s what my clock says, so what was making my tummy hurt? Did the doctor’s know?” she asks. “Wait, you don’t remember?” “Remember what? The trip to the hospital?” she asks. She has no idea… you think to yourself. “No…never mind. Yeah you’re ok, you just ate something bad. I’m just glad you’re OK.” You then set her down. “So where are we? Where’s Ponyville? Where’s my friends?” she asks before seeing your bandages. “Daddy, you’re hurt!” she cries out. “Oh don’t worry honey, it’s nothing,” you lie. She looks at your bandages then at the surrounding wilderness. She puts two and two together and sighs. “We’re on the run again aren’t we?” she asks. You sigh, “We’re always on the run Nightshade…” She looks down sadly, “Will we ever be able to go back to Ponyville and see my friends?” she asks. You hug her again. “I don’t know honey, we’re going to be travelling for awhile. But who knows what the future holds…” You feel a tear fall on your chest from her. “Hey honey, why don’t you go get a drink and daddy will make you something to eat?” “Okay…” she says unenthusiastically. You begin getting out a pot to boil some water in, when Nightshade turns back around. “Oh and Daddy, where’s Mommy at?” she asks causing your body to stiffen. “She kept me company while I was asleep, but then she left and I can’t really feel her anymore,” she says. You look at your daughter and think about coming up with a lie, but you can’t. She has to know the truth…or at least half of it. “Your mother is…she’s sick Nightshade.” “Sick? What with like a tummy ache?” she asks. “No, it’s a little more than that. She’s really tired and needs to sleep until she’s better.” “Oh if she’s asleep then I’ll just visit her tonight,” she says. “No, baby, you can’t do that,” “Why not?” “Because her sleep needs to be undisturbed. She could get worse if we don’t keep her safe…” you say with a hint of sadness. Nightshade picks up on your voice cues. “Oh…well you’re going to help her get better right daddy?” she asks. “Of course I am Nightshade. I am going to help her,” you tell her, and you mean it. You don’t know how, but you are going to save her. You are not going to let Selena die. Nightshade smiles at your conviction. “Okay then.” You then make her a quick lunch while you nibble on some cereal and draw on some paper with Nightshade’s crayons. Nightshade tells you about the dreams she had while she was out. “And then, I saw these two changelings, and the one in the hat looked like you if you were a lot older, and he talked about heroes. I then told them you and Mommy were mine” You smile at that as you continue to draw, “Thanks honey…” She looks at the paper you are drawing on before she asks in confusion, “Daddy, why have you drawn a shadowy Changeling with orange hair and yellow eyes, a Cadance who seems to be... insane, a Pinkie that is giving me the chills, you with your Nightmare-tails standing above Celestia, Luna and Discord... And some other faces I don't remember, with the words: 'Do Not Forget' written across it?" You look down at her and tousle her hair. "Don't worry about it, it's just a picture", you say with tears at the corner of your eyes, "...just a picture, nothing important." She just shrugs and asks, “Can I go swimming real quick before we head on?” “Yeah, go ahead baby…” “Yehaw!” she yells as she cannonballs into the water. You look at your daughter’s happiness and think about all those that were lost so that you could have this moment. Your tears become prominent as you remember them. Shadow, I will never forget you... Pinkamena, you were one of the bravest, and most badass, ponies I have ever met. Cadance, you couldn't stand to see all the pain, and became blinded because of it... you deserved better than that... I hope you can be happy in your new life. Celestia, Luna... Thank you for what you did… what you had to do. It... the tears flow more freely at this point, but you continue, It was an honor meeting all you. Thank you for helping me take down the monster I had become... for making me see what I should never become… As you cry even more, you decide something: You will make a wall for them, or write them all down in a book or on a stone, but whatever you do... You will never forget them. You quickly wipe your tears away as you call out to your daughter. “Come along Nightshade, let’s find a better camping spot than this.” She rushes out of the water and jumps on your back, soaking you a little. “So, where are we headed Daddy?” “Oh, nowhere special…” “Nowhere special…I always wanted to go there,” she says with a grin. “That’s my girl…” you say with a smile. You walk with your little girl on your back into the sunset. Your quest is far from over. You still have to save Selena, you still have to stop the Crimson Knights, you still have to figure out the Doctor’s Secrets, and you still have to live the life of a wanted changeling. But for now, you are content, you are alive, and you are not a monster. The Nightmare is Gone. Far Far North in the Equestrian Arctic, magical energies distort the snowy landscape. Slowly but surely, an entire city made of crystals begins to materialize. Creatures who had not walked the earth for a thousand years feel the flow of time once more. Not too far from the newly arrived ancient city, a shadowy mist begins to form around a large red structure. A voice carries on the wind, bringing a chill that has nothing to do with the cold. “Cccccrrrryyyysssstttttaaaaalllllsssss…” it hisses. And upon her celestial throne, Lady Luck laughs in cruelty. TO BE CONTINUED IN THE LIFE OF A WANTED CHANGELING SEASON 3!