3. Goodbye
Edited by shadowblades, iakovl, and Magic Man
A name was needed for the halfling. As Cadence and Shining debated foal names, the city became abuzz with the news that they had taken in a rather...unusual, guest into their home. Not since the fall of King Sombra had there been such excitement in the palace! There was no protest from the very small changeling population nor from their priestess in the week since the foal came to live with them. The adoption process was placed on hold until the standard tests and procedures were taken care of. Out of curiosity, Shining Armor was able to get his hooves on a book of changeling names. He was put off when the language inside was completely unreadable to him. It looked like a bunch of chicken scratch! There was no Equestrian copy available as apparently it was taboo for any changeling texts to be translated into any other language.
Changeling purity laws were proving to be a pain in the plot.
Meanwhile, the very young age of the foal did not prevent him from discovering he was quite literally born to run. As the palace was a strange place to him, the colt would often escape from his caretakers and run streaking through the great halls and vast rooms—as if searching for something. He avoided most ponies, if at all possible, and made a pitiful chirping sound that echoed mournfully for all to hear. The worried staff thought he was sick at first.
The royal physician examined the little colt (once they were able to catch him, that is) and declared him hale and hearty, if a bit malnourished. After hearing the circumstances leading up to his coming to be in the care of the palace, the doctor concluded the foal was looking for his mother. Unable to smell her, the colt had went searching, calling for her with his little alien cries.
Upon hearing this, Cadence swept up the sorrowful foal with her hooves and hugged him as if she would never let him go. Shining Armor, on the other hoof, simply had no idea how to handle it.
The next day, Shining received the test results. The foal was indeed his offspring, much to the bafflement of the staff, who kept throwing around words like ‘impossible’ and ‘inconceivable’ around. The last one they yelled only because it threw the nurses into giggling fits.
Word was sent to Canterlot once the confirmation was made, of course. Princess Celestia was curious about the half breed foal and informed the couple of her intentions to visit at the end of the month, if the royal couple did not mind. They were very much in approval of the idea and eagerly replied in kind. Unfortunately, Princess Twilight would not be available as she was currently on a diplomatic mission as a mediator between the minotaurs and griffons. No doubt she would go through the roof if she discovered her B.B.B.F.F. had a son and she was now an aunt. The next thing was to tell his parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet. Celestia offered to bring them with her when she came to visit. A very nervous stallion agreed with a great deal of prompting from his smirking wife. As Cadence’s family pretty much was Princess Celestia and Princess Luna through adoption, she was more at ease in how the alicorns would approach the new would-be addition to the family.
Late one night, nearly two weeks after the queen had disappeared from the infirmary, the Prince Consort found himself looking up at Luna’s moon as if he could find the answers to the myriad of questions dancing through his mind. Why would a changeling queen want to give her child to him if she had no intentions of staying? Did she do this as an act of revenge? Was it an act of love? Desperation? Was she planning another attack? Was she truly as helpless as that creepy priestess claimed her to be?
Oddly enough, he was in his son’s room, sitting down comfortably in a plush chair. The aforementioned foal was being fed with a bottle and in the still befuddled and bemused father’s hooves, who simultaneously and gently bounced him up and down a bit. Cadence had remarked a few days ago how the eyes of the colt matched his own.
“What am I going to name you?” the sleepless stallion asked of his hungry charge. Those eyes were fixed squarely on the bottle, ignoring Shining’s inquisitive eyes. “Are they putting just milk in there or is it the love charged stuff?”
How were they doing that, anyway? It was coming from the temple grounds, delivered with the high priestess’ compliments on a daily basis. Each morning before sunrise, a pair of acolytes would appear in the palace kitchens and drop off the formulated milk. It was tested for poison, of course. Zeala herself had promised no such underhanded attempt would happen under her care. She professed her reasons for not wanting to be near the colt, but at the same time she seemed happy to discover the foal’s father was at hoof and willing to assume his duties as one.
It seemed to take moments for the foal to drain the contents of the bottle. Where is he putting that stuff? Shining Armor mused as he shook the empty bottle. “I’m tempted to call you Hungry,” he said with a chuckle.
“No,” came a voice from the other side of the room. The stallion grinned and tilted his head, noticing his wife giving him a mock glare complete with an exaggerated pout. “You are not going to run around calling him ‘Hungry’.”
“You’re no fun.”
“Obviously. I married you, didn’t I?” she giggled as she trotted over to him. Cadence and Shining kissed briefly before both adults fixed their attention on the pale foal now yawning mightily. “Oh, he’s so precious!” she exclaimed quietly.
“He’s a bottomless pit,” grunted her husband, showing her the colt’s latest conquest and his swollen pot belly. If he keeps this up, he was going to be a fat little foal. “Drained the whole thing in less than ten minutes.”
Tiny wings fluttered as the foal struggled to get down off the stallion’s chest. It was rather difficult as he was in the crook of his father’s foreleg and on his back. Little legs flailed uselessly in the air.
“Any ideas of a name?” Cadence asked as her horn lit up. The foal found himself being picked up. Little legs flailed as his blue eyes went round. “Don’t be frightened! I just want to hold you.” To emphasize her point, she drew the colt to her and nuzzled him gently.
“Well, I was thinking of calling him Zealous Burst.”
“Absolutely not! It sounds ridiculous!” The alicorn hefted the foal who was trying to figure her out. She held him in front of her muzzle. “Isn’t that just silly? Yes, that’s just too silly a name for a cute widdle guy like you!”
The halfling simply stared back at her like she was insane.
“Oh, he’s sleepy,” Cadence said as she pulled him to her chest.
Shining Armor watched his wife begin to rock the foal to sleep, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You look good with a foal,” he remarked.
“Shh!” she whispered, “He’s already asleep!” This was true. The halfling was nestled deep into her fur, using it like a blanket as a bit of drool formed in the corner of his mouth.
A nanny appeared in the doorway, the hinges creaking as the door swung wide. She had been asked to let the stallion and the foal be alone. She complied, taking her knitting with her. It lay in a basket floating behind her as her horn tugged it along. She was a temporary employee, having been suggested by one of the other noble mares who recently had her foals outgrow the need for a nanny. “The foal needs to sleep,” she said in an apologetic tone as she approached.
“Oh! Of course!” Cadence was reluctant to give up the little darling...purring?...yes, purring into her chest. Must be a changeling thing, she thought. “I don’t want to move,” she admitted quietly as she gazed lovingly down at him.
Shining Armor rose from his seat and slid next to her, his shoulder pressing into hers as he shared her observation. With a sigh, she gave up the sleeping foal to the nanny. The older mare smiled and took him to his crib, smiling another apology at the suddenly downtrodden mare. Shining gave his wife a comforting nuzzle and a quick kiss before guiding her towards the exit.
“He’ll be here tomorrow, and the day after that, and then the next ,” he promised.
A final look into the room showed the nanny tucking in some blankets over the foal and smiling down at the littlest guest of the Crystal Palace. Quietly the door shut behind them, squeaking only at the last moment before clicking in place. Cadence sighed, her heart feeling as though it was missing a piece still inside the room. With a gentle nudge from Shining, the two retired for the night to their quarters, the sound of their footsteps echoing down the hall.
Once the nanny was sure the foal was snug as a bug in a rug, she eyed her own bed nestled just beyond a small door to a side room where she was currently staying. She nodded to herself and checked the clock. It was just a little past midnight. One by one, she began to snuff the candles out about the room with her magic.
“Bedtime,” she told herself as she triple-checked the dear little thing sleeping in the crib. “Good night, you little nipper.” Setting the monitoring spell to go off if the foal should awaken by whatever means, the mare slinked off to bed, stifling a yawn.
She never noticed the green slits in the shadows above her. There were two smaller pair of blue eyes, also slitted and moving about in their sockets as they followed the retreating mare. They then moved at the blink of an eye, trailing after the mare after she had disappeared behind the door, but went no further than the door leading to her bed. A notched ear was cocked to the door after it had closed, listening as the nanny went about preparing for bed.
For fifteen minutes, the trio held stock still, waiting until they could hear the bedsprings bear the weight of a tired pony. The largest form in the shadows lit up her crooked horn for a moment, forming the spell in her mind and slowly releasing it. The monitoring spell was muffled, but not cancelled. To do so might set off an unintended warning. The form closer to the door also released a spell, but only after easing the door open for line of sight before casting a deep sleep spell upon his victim. The other small form had taken position of overwatch at the main door, should either the stallion or the alicorn return.
The changeling queen dropped quietly to the floor, buzzing her wings expertly as her body twisted from her hooves on the ceiling to landing soundlessly. Brushing a strand of her mane from her eyes, she limped slightly towards the crib. Peering over the railing (she thought it was some sort of prison at first) she smiled through her fangs. Her son seemed to sense her presence, smacking his lips as he rolled on his back as if to face her. His regular breathing indicated he was deeply asleep.
“Sleep, my child,” she whispered like a ghost. “I must leave you like this for a while, I’m afraid. I do not want to do this, but I must be sure of your safety.” The queen sat on her haunches, daring a glance at the nanny’s door. The guard there was unmoving, watching it like a dog expecting a rabbit to emerge from its den.
Her wounds still pained her, but she was no longer in danger. The priestess and her followers had done well. She was badly in need of solid food and rest. It would be months before she would be whole again. Already she could taste the love of the Crystal Heart having already replenished a good deal of her magic reserves. Despite the lack of proper food, she felt better than she had in days. The emptiness within was for the moment under control and was not threatening to devour her from the inside out like a ravenous parasite.
That was what the past few days had felt like to her. Her two remaining guards had fared better, but they were not responsible for keeping a nymph fed. Still, they had managed to chase off the remaining assassins and had gone to ground as soon as they saw their queen was safe. They followed their orders. Fresh scars covered them, but their pride shone in their eyes as their queen was quite pleased with them.
They were loyal.
They would die for her.
She cast another spell to keep the room from prying magic. Perhaps Cadence had sought to put wards around the foal, she reasoned, or perhaps that lovesick fool Shining Armor had placed a detection spell or two. Having done so, she then lit up her horn again to seek out what defensive spells might be in place.
There was nothing to respond to the resonance of her pulsing horn.
“The fools,” she hissed, narrowing her eyes. Her voice awakened the foal and he blurted out a cry of annoyance from the interruption in his sleep. “Oh, no! No, no, no, I’m sorry!” the queen whispered, eyes going wide in alarm. “Mommy’s here! I’m here! Right here!” She plucked him from his blankets and brought him beneath her chin, cooing softly. “Mommy’s right here, my little Shadow.”
It wasn’t his true name, nor would it be his last. Changeling mothers often gave their offspring simple names until they matured and earned their adult ones. Her nymph was her Pale Shadow, and no matter where life guided him, he would always be so in her heart.
The crying subsided and turned into a squeal of delight when he recognized who it was.
Mommy!
“Ma-baba-ma!” he giggled. Shadow tried to wrap his hooves around his mother’s neck. She leaned into the embrace, sitting where she stood and began to rock back and forth, humming softly to him.
For a good while she held her nymph. Ponies called him a foal, but it didn’t matter. He was here, he was safe, albeit without protection magic around him. Didn’t they understand his life was in danger? Would the assassins dare go into the Crystal Palace and murder him in his sleep? If they dared tried, she would tear out their jugulars with her bare fangs first! Fighting back the irritated growl in her throat at the naivety of the stupid ponies, she again lit her horn up and soundproofed the room.
“Shatterback,” she commanded, casting a sidelong glance at the changeling in question. Solid blue eyes broke from their stare at the nanny’s door and snapped to, expectantly awaiting orders with eager anticipation. “I want you to watch him while I am gone. His life is more valuable than mine. I cannot do it myself. I’ll be fortunate to spare time to visit him. You are to watch him from the shadows. Join the castle staff. I’ll make sure there is an opening available before I depart this land. Am I clear?”
“The duration, your Majesty?” he asked, tilting his head to one side.
“Until the time comes I can collect my son and resume my proper place as Queen,” she replied. “It could be years. Are you up to it?”
“Your wish is my command, your Majesty!” he said with a confident nod. It would not be the first time he had done an extended infiltration mission. This one would define his career. “I will not fail you.”
“No, you must not,” she agreed, returning her attention to her son. “This is the most precious thing to me in all the world. Watch for threats. Eliminate them. Do not let the prey see you or detect you. No other Infiltrator can match your skills.”
“Those who dare attempt take the prince’s life will never know death is upon them until I take their lives.”
The queen nodded in approval. “As much as I am loathe to say it, harm no ponies. Let the ponies handle ponies. Deal with changeling threats personally. If there are threats from creatures other than changelings, inform the palace without being exposed.”
“Yes, your Majesty!”
“Excellent. If something comes up you do not understand, you are free to improvise. You shouldn’t need to select somepony to feed upon. The Crystal Heart will feed you so long as you remain beneath the great magic dome. You’ve done this before, so I shan’t tell you how to do your job. You’re the best I have.” The queen’s voice was a resonating whisper of two voices humming with each other.
“There is no room for error. I will succeed,” reminded the guard with the slightest of grins.
“One more thing,” she noted, enjoying the snuggling of her son as he burrowed his head into her mane.
Shatterback blinked. “Majesty?”
“Don’t let the ponies make him soft.”
“That goes without saying, your Majesty.”
She nodded, satisfied with her choice of a guardian. Her son, meanwhile, babbled happily into her mane, very glad indeed to have his Mommy back! The love coming from him washed over her like a cascade of joy, making her heart leap in her chest as it turned into a wrenching reminder she would have to leave him again. Worse, she had no idea how long she would be gone. Years? Decades, even?
“I do not trust Zeala,” she went on after taking a moment to enjoy her little Shadow’s love. “She is lean and hungry. I need to surround myself with changelings who are fat and content. However, she has proven to be useful, if a bit old-fashioned.” Not to mention she was trapped here for a thousand years with all the other Crystal ponies...
“She is formidable,” hissed the other guard, speaking for the first time.
“She worships the Old Gods,” snarled the queen. Her outburst jostled her son and he pulled out of her mane to stare up at her with huge, round eyes. “Oh, I’m not mad at you!” she said with a smile, bopping him on the tip of his muzzle. Still, anyling who worshipped things noling was sure even existed was bound to bring thoughts of blood rites and other foul rituals to mind. Some of the Old Gods demanded the most horrible forms of sacrifice. The queen shivered, her son feeling her twinge of disgust at the thought.
“Bah?” he asked, putting a hoof on her muzzle.
She playfully blew a raspberry on it, tossing her wandering thoughts aside and focusing on the few minutes she had left. “I’ll have to go away, little one,” she said with growing, heavy sadness. “I’ll always have you in my heart, everywhere I go.”
The queen drew in her breath softly, cradling her son to her breast. She began to croon softly, hauntingly.
Hush my poor child,
A journey I must make,
Takes me away from your side.
Hush my lone nymph,
I’ll be gone when you wake,
I fear this is but the first divide.
I love you my baby,
Never forget, always know,
A mother knows and weeps.
This was never in my plans.
A kingdom for you,
I must prepare.
A home pure for you,
I must beware.
Those who stand before me,
Will fall to the wayside,
As I do this for you,
My poor child.
Different are you,
My little one.
Special always,
My little son.
Though they fear you,
My only one.
I’ll break them and take them to bow before you!
Hush my poor child,
A journey I must make,
Takes me away from your side.
Hush my lone nymph,
I’ll be gone when you wake,
I fear this is but the first divide.
I love you my baby,
Never forget, always know,
A mother knows and weeps.
This was never in my plans.
This place where you are,
Here, you’ll be strong.
Be happy and play,
I’ll return soon.
Those who dare oppose me,
Will feel my wrath, their doom.
All this I do for you,
My poor child.
Unique are you,
My little one.
Perfect to me,
My little son.
One day, a king,
My only one.
I’ll break them and take them to bow before you!
The queen finished her song, her son having fallen asleep halfway through. Tears streaked her cheeks unchecked. She bent her neck and inhaled the fragrance of her only child gently, as if this would be the last time she would ever see him. She could not rule out the possibility it might very well be, Gods’ forbid she did not succeed in her crusade. Mindful not to wake him, she whispered an unintelligible chant into one of his ears, the hint of a smile tugging the corners of her lips. As she did so, her ears swiveled back and forth in circular motions. The queen lifted him with her magic, over the railing and upon the mattress to where the warm covers awaited. Her nymph snuggled deeper into the blankets, which she tugged over and tucked in with great care. Once she was satisfied with her little Shadow’s comfort, she turned away and prepared to leave.
“We must go.” Shatterback and his fellow guard both nodded and quietly made their way to the great window. They looked outside for any flying patrols. Their numbers were small, but the pegasi guards were quick and were taught to be in places where one would least expect them. It did not help the moon felt like a gigantic eye staring down at them as it was a representation of you-know-who.
Clucking her tongue against the roof of her mouth, the queen considered a thought she had overheard the discussion of her son’s name between the alicorn and her annoying husband.
What was I thinking? They’re going to give him an awful pony name!
Obviously, there was nothing to be done about that, but perhaps there was a bit of personal revenge to be had here. The thought passed briefly through her mind and she shook it out, more irritated with herself than anything. She had made the decision to find a safe haven for her little Shadow. There were no other alternatives considering what the queen had in mind.
“Fury, you are with me,” she said as she came up to the two guards. “Shatterback, you know what you need to do. I’ll keep in touch. Keep the spell ready, but hidden.”
He nodded once, then slipped out the window, taking flight and soon disappearing into the night.
“Where do we go, my queen?” asked Fury. He buzzed his wings expectantly.
A wicked smile caused her fangs to glint in the moonlight. “We gather those who were scattered in the aftermath of Canterlot, find out who is still loyal to me, and begin to hunt down those who dared to think I can be deposed. Shatterback will have the most stationary task. We will be very mobile indeed. Come, there is much to be done.”
“By your will, my Queen,” nodded Fury. He hesitated. “Are you well enough for the journey? It has not been enough time for you to recover.”
“Your concern is noted and appreciated, but I cannot dally while false queens and kings seek what is mine by right. I will make due.” She cast one final look at the crib, her eyes softening as she sucked in a sigh of regret. This was the last resort, but with things being as they were, it was really her only choice. “He won’t even know who I am,” she whimpered softly.
“My Queen? Are you well?”
She turned on him, full of rage and power, projecting her full majesty upon the hapless guard who quailed before her. “We go,” she seethed, tired of showing weakness and weary of talking. Fury recoiled before her, falling prostrate to the ground as he felt her anger focused upon him. It was several seconds before she relented, hissing a low, barely audible warning before taking wing and out the window. The changeling spells placed earlier were cancelled out with a glow and a surge of will.
Despite the show, she had a very heavy heart.
It wasn’t until morning when there was a cry of “Eureka!” coming from the master bedroom of Princess Cadence and her Prince Consort. There was the thundering sound of hooves beating the first rays of the sun into the foal’s room, the door flung open wide with a seemingly deranged stallion standing there. Shining Armor wore a huge grin, seemingly ignorant of the nanny gaping at him as she was in the middle of changing the foal’s diaper.
“Highness?” she squawked with a pin in her mouth. Her charge waved all four of his hooves in the air, squirming as he was trying to reach for a bottle near his head.
“Reign Cloud!” he blurted as his wife came sleepily up behind him. “His name is Reign Cloud!”
The newly minted Reign Cloud stared at his father as if the stallion had invented soap flavored ice cream. Cadence simply sighed and rolled her eyes at her husband, following him as he trotted eagerly into the room. Where as her mane was a decidedly understandable mass of bed mane, Shining Armor’s own mane would have done a mad scientist proud.
“That’s very nice, dear,” she yawned, offering a small and apologetic smile to the nanny. “How did he sleep?” she asked her.
“Never heard a peep from him all night,” replied the slightly frazzled mare with what appeared to be a nervous grin. “First time I’ve ever been able to sleep through the night without him waking up even once! I think he’s finally settling in.”
Shining Armor grinned like an idiot.
“Oh, that’s just wonderful!” Cadence picked up Cloud as soon as the fresh diaper was in place. “Did you have a good night’s sleep, sweetie? Hmm? Did you sleep all night all by yourself?” Her smile broadened when the foal smiled back at her.
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Will be interesting when Chryssi returns in a few years and Reign Cloud is more grown up... will be an interesting talk to have with the kid.
Can't wait for more...
And just out of curiosity, what are your plans involving NoO?
~Crystalline Electrostatic~
4683626
Reign, I am your
fathermother. Join me, and we can rulethe galaxyEquestria together asfathermother and son!4683709 That's on the shelf for now. I'm not canelling it, but I feel with my development as a writer, I will need to clean up the other two books before I continue with it. It's turned into a bigger animal than I anticipated, but I do hope to resume work on it in the near future.
The the point, I think I can do better on it.
Poor reign xD, I can totally see him saying his dad is a big goof. Though we don't know how much he inherited from his silly dad other than his eyes xD
4683736 Ehh, I can respect that. Either way, you better not shelve this too.
4683726 Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
~Crystalline Electrostatic~
4683749 This story is going to run about ten to twelve chapters. Fifteen at a stretch.
4683797 Good, but you better updated it regularly too.
~Crystalline Electrostatic~
I ain't dead (yet) ... Tis but a scratch
But thanks for worrying
[youtube=zZbGbrP3Jh0]
I kept expecting Luna to step out of the shadows with a quiet but firm, "Your Majesty, we need to talk."
(Of course there's nothing that says she wasn't there, just keeping quiet and watching...)
4683851 You've got some important things going on at your end, my friend. Get back to us soon and safely!
This was a very nice chapter. I liked the song. I also like how Chrysalis is portrayed. Everything she does is for her son.
4688218 There's no rush. I just enjoy writing. I doubt I'll be as accomplished, but the journey is fun and that's all that matters.
Had me laughing so much.
The song made me think of Children of the Night.
That song practically did me in.
I think you decided on a name change at some point.
yay i finally made it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2pgKqH_AVg
I think Shining Armor did a better job of naming him than Chrysalis thought he was capable of. I wonder if the Changeling Guards' oaths break upon the death of their King or Queen. It will be weird for Shatterback if that is not the case and Chrysalis dies.
I’m hoping for Shiny Hope.
0:04
That song had me emotional