//------------------------------// // Invaders: Wish // Story: Imbalanced // by Nameless Narrator //------------------------------// [Blazing's Entry] I found Chokey back in our suite, confused but unharmed. The changelings were rounded up and, probably unfortunately, there is only ten of them left. The combat hoof of Equestrian Secret Service is apparently very efficient at its job. Solid's group was uneasy around me especially after the ones I took out woke up but they were flexible enough to deal with new situation. At least they took my request to treat the changelings well to heart and the Nightmares didn't try to do anything questionable the entire ride to Canterlot where Solid and a regiment of Royal Guard veterans took them to the castle. I have a daughter. Well, that tends to happen after laying eggs into most of the population of Canterlot in an alternate reality but I haven't thought of Nightmare changelings as anything more than half-magical monsters unleashed by Nightmare Moon on the world. Let's leave my involvement in that out. I have a daughter who isn't much younger than me. From what she told me it took just some twenty years in that reality for the entire world to fall and the changelings to die out. Somehow I would have though that taking over the world and killing every living being would take longer to achieve, Nightmare Moon was apparently very resourceful. I have a daughter who knows nothing about this world and has spent her entire life feeding off of ponies, griffons and minotaurs until their death. And there are another nine changelings with exactly the same past. How they managed to get here is beyond me but my magic talent is questionable at best and I didn't have much time to develop serious knowledge of complex magic. I'll have to ask Luna to shed some light on this issue. I have a daughter who has been a slave to Nightmare Moon since her birth. Maybe it would be a good idea not to let her meet Luna until we sort the main concerns out. How is princess Celestia going to react when she sees creatures whose nature is to feed on fear and bring nightmares? They should be changelings by nature though, as much as nature can be invoked here thanks to the solar princess herself, so they might be able to feed on love as well. I have a daughter and nine probably grandfoals. Who have no idea what to do right now and there is nopony they can trust. Ponies would let them starve or just execute them outright. Griffons would have no use for the creatures aside from making them into soldiers again. Minotaurs are a lost cause. All they have is me. I have a daughter. And I can't even take care of myself. I wish I had somepony to turn to. [End Entry] The rest of the train ride was uneventful to the point of total boredom for Chokey (aside from me explaining my being a changeling king, ehm.) but I had too much on my mind so I ignored her subsequent efforts at talking to me and slept through the entire trip home. The fact that I was hungry and normal food wasn't helping at all aside from the taste was a good reason not to waste energy. I should apologize. Chokey for some reason decided to give me a chance and I'm blowing it. The cold wind blows through the Canterlot train station and brings with it the promise of coming winter. With the Nightmares taken to the castle I have nothing to do until the princesses call for me. They weren't travelling on the train but I suppose they have better methods and might already be in the castle thinking about the course of action. Ummmm... what now? I was expecting to be taken to the dungeons or at least for interrogation. Is it possible that the princesses really don't doubt us? Possible but unlikely, they probably just have too much to do with all the soldiers returning to their bases and organizing relief for Crystal Empire. I'm pretty sure they won't let somepony with my magic-dampening ability and an evil Element of Harmony walk around unchecked, Solid's words on the train were a proof. Well they will at least want to know about Nightmares. Let's find a place to sleep for now, we can hunt for food during the night. Hmph. I didn't have problem with doing that in other realities but hunting here, at what's supposed to be my new home? Let's just see how things go, I'm not starving yet and few days won't hurt much. With that I take my first step into the new life. That's not something a pony should do more than once but let's blame it on special circumstances. "Where are ya going?" a hoof lands on my back. "I-I was thinking about finding a hotel to sleep in for few days," I say and curse my brain which seems to stop working whenever Chokey talks to me these days. "Got any money, time traveller?" she winks. "Oh," I sigh and look at my hooves, "I suppose you don't have few spare cardboard boxes lying around?" "Come with me, dummy. I doubt the princesses would be happy if I left their number one concern sleeping in a dumpster somewhere." I don't know whether to grin or look absolutely shocked but those things happen anyway and I'm now the epitome of conflict. I snap back to reality only when a tugging on a chain connected to my choker becomes stronger. "Oops, sorry. Drifted off a bit there," I look sheepishly at Chokey. "Don't worry. I have a riding crop at home to keep you focused." "I missed this," I say when we begin walking. "Huh?" "Our morning walks. I mean I know it's not morning or anything and that you're not my you and I'm not your me and-" A hoof on my mouth stops the gibberish. A peck on my lips stops everything else for a while. "Better?" The ground underneath my hooves is suddenly very interesting and my cheeks are heating to the melting point. Then the heat dissipates and... ...maybe there are second chances. My head clears up. "Yes, love." "What was that?" she nudges me. *Mumblemumble* "Hmmm?" the corners of her mouth are twitching uncontrollably. "I love you. I know those are just words and you have no reason to trust me right now but I will do anything for you. If it doesn't involve too many ponies around me... ehm. I think I've just contradicted myself." She smiles evilly. "I think I might find a use for a young and energetic stallion like you." Heart attack incoming. "Hnnngh!" "Oh you dirty little thing! I was talking about carrying my shopping bags and changing lightbulbs," she punches me playfully. Heart attack averted. "Of course," she continues, "I seem to remember you being really good with your hooves. What about a massage tonight and maybe we'll let them wander a little lower?" COLLAPSE IMMINENT! I can only guess that my uncontrolled dribbling and twitching is enough for her to stop the teasing. "Stop breaking my bearer," interrupts Betty with a voice which would roll its eyes if it had them. "Does that thing have a mute option?" asks Chokey. "I'll mute option you!" grumbles Betty but shuts up, apparently not in the mood. Maybe it's happy for you. I'm not really sure. Alright, what's bothering you? See a red sun anywhere around? Damn! Is Choking just faking it then? I... don't think so. I can feel her being a bit afraid of me, thanks Nightmare Moon! I also killed the real Blazing which must be weighing on her mind a lot but she's still trying hard to like me. You know, I think she will never understand just how much you love her. That doesn't matter. I'll be around as long as she wants it. Unless, you know, some other cataclysmic event happens like last time. Don't even... I snort as Chokey scares another tourist who has apparently never seen a batpony before and was taking photos of her with alarming speed. It really is a routine I love to the core. And as such we continue with doing what we've been doing from time to time since the day I became a guard. Smalltalk about recruits, news about relationships between nobles in Canterlot and imaginary stories explaining where ponies around us are going. Chokey loves to talk and I love to listen. It's as if I've never left. One thing ends up being different though because I don't end up at the door of my shabby apartment but inside an equally messy but much better looking one. "Ummm," I say and sit down on the carpet. "What is it?" asks Chokey. How to explain? I've been here once or twice on official business but I don't have a clue what to do. "Can I... do something for you?" I ask nervously. Her puzzled look slowly disappears, replaced by a small smile. "Wanna sandwich?" "I-I'm kinda more changeling than a pony now so-" I kick myself mentally. "-nevermind. I'm sure you can make something that would make even a changeling drool," I finish. Now it's her who looks at me with wide eyes. "I didn't know you were such a flatterer." "I'm not. I've just never actually had a relationship of... this sort and I really think you're great." She waves at me to sit on the couch where she joins me and leans to my ear. "Ya know, mares really go for a stallion who looks like a great dad and your foals wanted to find you so badly they jumped through dimensions to get to you." The she begins laughing. "I'm just teasing, dummy," her hoof pokes me in the chest. "I know, Chokey." "I wanna know something though." "Yes?" "It's a bit... weird." "Anything." It must be something that's been bothering her a lot because when she looks straight at me her eyes are watering even when she was joking few short seconds ago. "You said you loved me. Did Blaze, my Blaze, love me?" Uh oh. I could say that I grew to love her after all that happened to me. I should say that he didn't to increase my chances. I can't. There is no way I'd start again with a lie. Even if it makes her hate me for murdering the pony who would eventually give his everything for her. "He loved you more than anything." She sniffs, gets up from the sofa and leaves with me dreading whatever might come next. I have no idea how much time passes. Even on the carpet her hoofsteps are audible to my sensitive ears and interrupt me blankly staring at the door through which I'll probably leave pretty soon, unless she throws me out of the window. The hoofsteps stop and I turn around to look at her. She's standing there in red see-through underwear which makes the black of her coat stand out and is looking straight at me with half-closed eyes and her little fangs exposed. "I think I can be a dinner good enough to make a changeling drool," she flicks her tail.