It was nighttime, in the desert.
In a place like this it's hard to believe that life exist. Without water nor plant it's not a very likely scenario, but there is life in the desert. Birds with feathers that can transport water for their offspring, insect and reptiles that had learned to live with little, cactus that catch till the last drop of water in order to survive.
And of course, the subterranean Changeling Hive Castle.
Away from any possible view, under a giant rock of magnetite in the middle of the desert, inhabit the most dangerous beings alive on the planet. Or what used to be the most dangerous. These days they are more like the saddest beings alive. It's been a long time since the failed Canterlot invasion, since then they had to recluse themselves underground, in the only place they could call home. Burning out any fragment of magic they had since that fateful day and hunting anything that wasn't smart enough to live. Those who once were feared where now reduced to a sad existence than can't be called life.
They would have been taken out of their misery months ago if not for an incredible coincidence, one that made the few who could still afford to think, to believe in miracles. They would compose complex myths and legends around the event, telling stories about gods and spirits that saw their sorrow and forgave them from their sins, sending the being that saved their very existence. A being that, until that moment only existed in the darkest legends from the forgotten past, had found its way to the castle. A human.
Now, most of the sentient species the had meet required massive quantities of individuals to feed from their emotions. Hundreds, if not thousands, were needed that time to save what was left of the sad kind. But that the same emotional charge was carried by a single human. When they first encountered, his fear shined in their minds as a golden shine that lasted for days. When they decided to keep him alive and offer help, his gratitude was almost palpable. And finally, when they told him their sad history, the indigo glow of his compassion flooded the hive till there was no changeling hungry. The agreement lasted for months, they would provide him protection and shelter and in exchange he would give then his heart. Not stolen, as it happened too many times in the past, but offered.
But this being that held so many enigmas, even for an entire race of empaths, decided that he didn't wanted to spend his days in the desert forever. He had thought about it a lot of times. Sure they seemed to be relying on him to survive but at the same time he couldn't help but feel traped inside those dark caverns that composed the castle. After weeks of debating over it, he decided that if they were there before then that meant they were able to find another way to make it. And he already returned the favor to them by now. There were no real bonds and he really wanted to get out, living in a cavern was getting suffocating for a person who has live all of his life in a city with a way warmer weather. He needed to get out.
One morning, before anyone else, he awoke, left his room and walked to the door of the only tunnel that went to the surface. If the indications of the few talking changelings were something to follow, he just needed to walk in the direction of the dawn for two hours or more before encountering with a town of apple farming ponies (he thought how that very concept was preposterous) and from then it would be only civilization.
That was the plan, or at least it would have been if it wasn't for a lonely figure standing right in front of the door. The very queen of the dammed race was waiting for it.
"James." She greeted him. "I see that you're trying to leave." With a total deadpan voice.
"Not trying, I'm leaving." An emerald shine that only she could see was surrounding the human.
They had talked about this before. She warned him how the ponies could be fearful of a creature they've never saw and how there wasn't any guaranty about how they could react to his presence. And even if he managed to fit in, if the ponies discovered the connection between him and the hive it was very likely that they would force him to guide them back. The princesses were a force to be reckoned with and she din't wanted to know what kind or retaliation they wanted for the attack on their capital. Also, he was a too valuable resource to let him go.
"Can't I convince you by reason to stay?" She tried, one last time.
"I'm sorry but it's not my problem anymore." He replied. "Don't misunderstand me, I really thank you for saving me, but." Keeping its gaze on the changeling queen. "I want to have a life too."
She stood firmly on front of him, four hooves on the solid stone. "If you want to go, you will have to face me." Her horn started to glow. Slightly at first but gradually illuminating them both and the wide cavern with a greenish light. "If after this you are left unable to even move it will be enough with you being alive to feel. Even if you can only feel hate towards me it will have to be enough for us." Hate wasn't as nutritive as love or compassion but desperate times call for desperate acts.
"Go ahead." This wasn't the first time this threat was brought into. "I just had it. If you want to kill me, do it! But there's no way in hell I'm staying here another day." Red, orange and green composed the emotional spectrum of his mind and heart, there was no more the indigo of compassion but there was still a slight sparkle of yellow. That fear was all that she needed to press him.
"Then so be it. By reason or force you will stay." Her horn's light pulsated. "You will be well cared, all of your needs monitored and attended. But you body will be beyond any repair; your limbs useless and unable to communicate with the world around you but you won't die. You will desire for it, and that desire will be so strong that it will feed generations of my changelings and I will make sure you live to do it. To hate me and fear me. Forever." As he spoke her horn glowed stronger. The few creatures lurking in the darkest corners of the cave were now gone, blinded by a light that had nothing to envy the one from the sun. "Last warning. Do you stay?" Chrysalis could see how every color was leaving his aura, every one but yellow. Fear. She had him.
"No." He replied, ready to die if it needed to but he wasn't going to stay by his decision. He was going to be free one way or another. Suddenly, a small spark of emerald cracked trough the yellow of his silhouette and, out of nowhere, the fear that surrounded him was replaced by an unbreakable will, accompanied of orange sparks of his desire to be free.
Chrysalis saw this and couldn't hold it anymore.She was sweating and her hooves shaking for the effort. Her horn lost its light at the same time that a small drop of water ran down over the insect queen's cheek. Lowering her head and falling over her knees in exhaustion, the once powerful and feared governor of an entire specie lay down defenseless in front of the only hope of salvation for her kind. A hope that was getting away more and more.
"I can't hold it anymore." She said shutting her eyes. "There's nothing left on me, not even enough magic to fight for my own." She barely managed to say those words between sobs. All this time since the fight in Canterlot and still her body hadn't fully recovered from the trauma suffered there. Being about to die of starving didn't helped matters neither. She was now a shadow of what she has been. No more a queen but now an illusion of one.
He was perplexed before this vision but didn't said anything. I wasn't necessary, she started again.
"Go ahead, leave if that's what you want." Without moving from her place. "But please, as a last act of kindness, kill me before leaving. I don't want to be here to see how my children starve again, I can't." She lowered her voice with each word. "I'm not that strong."
"I--" But she interrupted him, screaming.
"I'll give you everything!" There were no more menaces nor sobs. Desperation itself was coming from her and materialized into words of pleading. "My crown! my kingdom! You will be king and your word will be law and creed for them. Whatever you want, it will be accomplished with absolute obedience. Even I will bow freedom and will to your command. Just stay!" Here eyes were red but without tears. She had spent them all.
He advanced a few steps, avoiding the pit of tears that once was the Changeling Queen, and put his hand over the door but stopped himself to gave one last look to the first place that had offered him kindness since he appeared in this strange and aggressive new world.
She raised her head too and, for a second, both looked steadily at each other. Time seemed to froze in that exact second till the soft sound of very small hooves over the cavern's stone floor. Both looked in the direction of the castle to see a small black silhouette coming to them. She was like a miniature version of Chrysalis, the difference being her sky blue eyes and electric blue chitin and mane. Her father colors.
"Mommy, what's going on?"
"Monarch!" Chrysalis rose as fast as she could and hugged the young changeling. "What are you doing up so early?"
"I had a nightmare." The small insect-filly answered. "But I can't remember it now." She looked at James with his hand over the still closed door. "Is Jimmy leaving?" Nobody could answer the small changeling. The mother hugged her child even stronger than before, as if that could be the last time she could. If Chrysalis was paying attention, she could have seen how the entire emotional spectrum was storming inside James, changing suddenly from avarice to will to fear and backwards, till all was left was one single one. Compassion.
"Don't worry Monarch, i'm just going out on a short trip for the day. You can come with me if your mother doesn't mind."
More!
4384834
From that comment and the favorite I deduce yo liked it?
But being honest I don't know how to continue from here.
4385171 maybe if you decide to do more show what happened afterwards so like what happened to both James and the changeling
4385314
First of all, thanks for the fav.
Second. This was more like a conversation with my good friend Giz about how a human would interact with Equestria. No real plot nor planing and was written in about an hour (and two more translating it from spanish to english).
Third. I got four other fics that really need some caring (two of them in an actual cliffhanger) so, for now, my attention is a little focused somewhere else.
If I (or Giz or someone else) can come with a good continuation, I will write it.
4385375 fair enough and no problem the story was good
More!
4387185
Here:
Brainstorming: Stay 2: Electric Boogaloo
4390706
Thank you.
Pretty good. Short and sweet
4391293
Then I suppose that I earned that fav from you. Thanks for that.
4391302 No problem, and keep up the good work!
4391309
I'm trying. Maybe you could look at my other work to see if you like it; The soldier and the princess and TCB: Judgement Day kinda follow this same spirit.
(shameless self promotion is shameless)
4391326 Alright I'll check it out when i get a chance, but from what I've read your work is pretty damn good.....so don't stop anytime soon!
4391342
You know what is curious? This is maybe the first or second time I'm on this side of this kind of conversation. Feels like a promotion from fanboy to almost-writer.
4391350 I wouldn't call it a promotion, but I would say you've got the stuff to be a writer one day if you wanted....
4391377
As I said.
*replace Ringo with rono and shepherd with writer*
4391388 Oh...Ohkay
4391398
Oh I'm sorry. Samuel L. Jackson's BADASS! acting turned that commnent into a menace.
Please don't cry.
4391408 lol it's ok i won't cry
That was fantastic, so glad I decided to read it.
Thank youvery much.
4428517
Thank you for reading and commenting.
P.S.: And faving.
You know, you could turn it into a great multi-chapter story dedicated to the new dawn of relationship between changelings and ponies, brought over them by just a single human with one strong emotion dominating in his heart: compassion.
4465446
I'm not gonna lie to you, that sound interesting but I'm kinda sorta busy with my other regular fics as also with university.
With that said, as soon as I got a good scene I will write it, just wait for it.
4468383 Indeed, I believe it would be a nice idea for a new fanfic for you when you're done with your current projects.
4469160
You wouldn't believe how painfully ironic is that my other fics that have weeks of planing hardly get noticed (sans TCB: Judgement Day) but I do a one hour one-shot (which is the shortest fic I've ever wrote) and suddenly everybody wants a sequel.
Hilarious and painful.
4469203 Maybe it's exzactly the chance you've been looking for? Maybe it's the gift your fate is giving you then? Sometimes, you don't need to plan what you're going to write... sometimes you just open your notepad and start writing, and it just comes to you, like if someone is whispering in your ear.
4469203 Also, I have to say, if you somehow decide against writing a sequel to this story, I'll dare to write it myself.
4469884
Go ahead, I'm not gonna stop you from that. The very purpose of this site is that stories never ends and anybody can make their own version.
Just remember who made it first and credit Giz and me for this when you do it.
4471964 Since that story would be based on yours, it would leave the reader confused if they didn't read yours first. Therefore, it would only be logical to enter your story's ID in the "prequel ID" field while uploading the story.
However, would you really not mind me writing it?
4472103
Here's a list of authors that should be mad at me for using their stories and concepts:
Bob Haney, Arnold Drake, Grant Morrison, Gardner Fox.
Jack Kirby, the greeks, the vikings, Bill Parker and C.C. Beck, Alan Moore and Jerry Siegel.
Dennis O'Nel, Frank Miller.
Warren Ellis, John Ostrader.
Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert.
As I see ti, you are in the same right that is was when I wrote my stories.
4472217 I don't know... I wouldn't write a story without discussing the fact of me writing it with the after of an original one. As you can see, I've written only one story so far (and it has only 1 chapter, even though it contains 7210 words), and it was a sequel to the story which was not mine. I have asked for the writter's permission first and it turned out she loved my sequel to death.
4472267
To quote myself:
But now that I'm thinking about it, I would like to see what you got so it doesn't crashes against my own continuation (yep, I'm writing one too) so send me a PM to have a look at it.
4472283 Well, I still have to write it first, before sending you a PM. However, does it really have a point for me to write it if you decided to write a sequel to it? I told you I was going to write it in case you decide against it.
4472635
HEY! You got an idea? Use it!
Seriously, me doing a continuation doesn't mean that the fic is closed, if you got something to add I would be glad and honored to see it.
Also, I'm actually busy with my other projects so is not like there's gonna be something very soon.
Wow... I actually want more now. Good job, good job indeed
I will eagerly await that continuation.
4476363
4476788
Working on it, you can help if you want:
Brainstorming: Stay 2: Electric Boogaloo
Oi author, how dare you make such an emotionally charged story that has left me with a craving for more. you should be ashamed of yourself.
4530756
<(just as planed)
4531267 ra ra ra its a trap
Could you please remove the swear word in the description? The rules state that, unless the story is rated Mature, neither of the descriptions can have swearing in them.
http://www.fimfiction.net/faq#rules
(FAQ-Rules-Story Submission Rules)
4603229
Of course, I'm sorry if you felt offended for that word.
When I publish the next part I may change that.
4604158 It is possible to edit the story without posting additional chapters (by use of the EDIT button), and I also suggest you edit it soon because it is against the rules and someone may notice.
4604407
I'm aware of how the editing system works, thank you very much.
It's just I don't like doing a la George Lucas by retconting anything of my stories.
...
..
.
There, I just censored the one single precision-f strike.
Not sure if it would gal under retcon. But you eat dessert, he is lost in a desert.
That aside I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I understand you have other projects, but I also would like to see more in this storyline.
Best of luck at Uni.
4848500
What? Could you reformulate that first line? I'm not sure to follow it.
Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed it and don't worry, I'm actually hardworking in a new chapter. See details here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/324139/brainstorming-stay-2-electric-boogaloo
http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/359003/help-to-everybody-following-me-and-the-story-stay-i-need-help-here
http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/361755/writtin-stays-continuation-dished-ideas
4851731
My mistake, should have been far more clear. I was typing on a Kindle and so tried to be short and succinct. Anyway, in this story you keep saying dessert, when you mean to say desert. Though the idea that the changeling hive is situation in the center of a large vat of icecream is possible, I somewhat doubt it is what you are going for.
Glad to see you are working on more, reading blogs now.
4852095
Oh, right. Well my friend, that's what happens when my editor is Word 2010.
5007639
Thanks for reading pal. And right now I'm working on it's continuation.
5008265 I..I...
shut up and take all my money!!!