Chapter 43 - Bat Baths and Princess Parties
Midnight just wandered around the town. Ponyville was...boring.
She was beginning to wonder if all the stories she heard about this place were greatly exaggerated. She lay on her side in the park, as Scope sat next to her, braiding her mane out of boredom.
“So what are we even doing?” she asked the Thestral mare. “You just dragged me out here all of a sudden, I assume you have some sort of plan?”
“Not really,” Midnight replied in a tired tone. “Just got annoyed with Ledger making googoo eyes at Twilight.”
The changeling sighed as she lay her head on Midnight’s. “You know he loves you. He wouldn’t have done what he did if he didn’t.”
“Yeah...I know. I just...I’m feeling a little emotional,” the Thestral took a deep breath, Scope giggling slightly as her head moved up and down with each breath. “And seeing Ledger act like that with another mare, well, one that isn’t you or Cidey. Guess it annoyed me a little.”
“I sometimes wonder what’s going through his head,” Scope said as she closed her eyes. “But I highly doubt he has the balls to add an alicorn to our little herd.”
“Even I don’t think I could do that,” Midnight replied with a small huff. Celestia, she wished she could stop feeling so bummed out... “I think I need to talk with Levvy. You wanna come?”
“Sure, why not?” Scope nodded as she got up and the two mares headed back to the palace.
“Another dead end,” Twilight muttered as she looked at the mountain of scrolls she’d already written out. “Everything we try would either make you worse...or kill you.” She looked at the stallion, who didn’t seem quite as frustrated. “Everything okay?”
"I'm fine, this is just absolutely fascinating. One of them actually spent time trying to dislodge whatever-it-is themselves, only to encounter quite a few dead ends. It's sort of a mirror of our situation... And then one of them actually seems to have come across something, but of course it's not written down right here. Still, the things I'm learning on the way are truly fascinating." The drone turned another page and whistled at what he read. "Ooh, I think I read about that happening elsewhere..."
“Too bad I can’t just look inside your head,” Twilight giggled...before she stopped and her eyes widened with glee. “Or maybe I can!”
"Isn't that highly unethical?" the drone asked with a quirked eyebrow. "Your status as a princess aside, mental manipulation is sort of frowned upon, isn't it?"
“No, the spell I’m thinking of just lets me look, I cannot influence your memories or personality in the slightest.” Twilight was already trying to recall the spell she had in mind.
"Hmm, so long as you limit yourself to, say... The last three or four days? That's when this whole thing started really, after that..." Realizing where their topic had veered, Ledger coughed awkwardly and looked away from the window that would show her former home's remains.
“Don’t worry, it’s fine...really,” she wasn’t sounding so convinced. “Funny how that hurts more than Tirek throwing me through a mountain.”
"...There are so many things wrong with that statement, I would almost rather hang out with both my sister and the pink changeling of Las Pegasus in an effort to find something I can understand." He sighed after a moment more to consider what she just said. " I... I think I get it, and while quite a few irreplaceable things were probably vaporized... At least you and your friends came through alright. I can't exactly say the same. You can get to work on replacing those things, whereas I'm pretty sure I bucked up my relationships with this whole 'turning black' thing."
She saw his chitin turning again and moved closer. “Now, now. Don’t talk like that. We’ll help you fix it, no problem okay?” She smiled and nodded her head. “You’ve given me a lot of new information already, and studying like this is just what I needed to take my mind off of things.” She leant to kiss him on the cheek...
Until he turned his head to look at her at the same time.
Ledger would later reflect that the surprise of the moment probably contributed to the fact that they held it for as long as they did. He hadn't been expecting this at all, really...
But he wasn't going to complain. And for a chaste kiss, it was surprisingly nice. It possibly had something to do with the fact that he had been giving the alicorn of books a lot of new information all day. He would be surprised if he would need to feed on anything for the next year, he was operating at such a high-capacity now after having spent all day with her.
She quickly pulled away though as her face lit up a bright red, she put her hooves to her mouth, and as she tried to apologise, all that came out was a strangled squeak. She-She just kissed...a stallion, who was a Changeling, and was already taken.
Oh sweet Celestia! She was one of those mares now. The ones from the books that Rarity liked about complex love triangles and other such drama. This could only be more cliched if she turned and saw Midnight or some...pony...
Her eyes widened even more as she saw who was standing behind Ledger.
“Oh buck me...” she whispered.
"I'd rather not, it would distract us from studying more than this has already done," Ledger replied before he felt the emotions from the pony behind him. It was quite the whirlwind, anger, sadness... loneliness.
“Well...now I see why you didn’t want to come with me,” Midnight said in a low, even tone.
"Midnight, I swear to you, this isn't what it looks like. Complete accident, I promise." He didn't even turn to look, knowing that sudden movements might incite her anger. "Miss Rarity said she was going to try and take you to the spa, to help you relax from your latest ordeal. Did you miss her?"
“Oh don’t even try to change the subject!” Midnight said as she walked around to meet his gaze. “Your silver tongue won’t get you out of this, especially when you were busy jamming it down her throat!”
"There was barely any contact! It was an accidental kiss, not everypony has a thestral tentacle for a tongue!" Now that she had opened fire, Ledger fired back on all cylinders. "And for the record, I would appreciate if you had a little more faith in me! I only did try to save your life multiple times! I'm not going to risk we had...have, like that marriage you proposed because I happen to enjoy the idea of studying with Twilight!"
Midnight flinched away from him.. Her eyes now staring back at the ground. “Y-You’re right...sorry. I-I jumped to conclusions...I just...” She shook herself, knocking Scope from her back before she flew out of the nearest window.
“What have I done?” Twilight sighed. “I’ve really made a mess of this.”
“Scope," Ledger said as he went back to his tome. "Follow her and get her to Miss Rarity or the spa, please? I would follow after her, but this is just sort of important."
The nymph rubbed her head as she reverted back to her true form, causing Twilight to yelp in surprise. She’d forgotten that Scope was a changeling as well.
“What? You’re just going to pass the bit like that?” she said as she walked closer to him. Size be damned right now. “Midnight’s head is seriously messed up right now! And you think a fucking massage is going to fix that!?”
"I'm not putting any of you in danger, especially if that danger is coming from me! Until we know if I can or can't be cured, and until we've tried every last thing, I'm not getting anywhere near any of you. The more I read about this black magic, the less I want it near any of the ones I love." The stallion had more than a few logical, rational reasons mixed in with emotional ones.
“Honestly,” Scope sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know if I should hug you or punch you. Maybe both?”
“Please stop fighting,” Twilight said as she flicked her wings. “This was all my fault, I should go find her and apologise.” Scope watched her and then looked at Ledger with a raised eyebrow.
“Has she been this bucking adorable the whole time?”
"Wouldn't know, been translating most of the black book. Kept my nose buried in it while I recited interesting facts. Had just about found something too, but then that happened." The stallion pulled the book back over to himself and started flipping through the pages. "Until I can change back to my normal self and not have Midnight flinch away from what she sees, I'm not leaving this room. I can't stand being the thing she fears. It hurts so bad... And the darker part of me feeds on that fear, so isolation is really the best idea."
“That...sounds like the stupidest idea I have ever heard,” Scope replied, punching his leg. “And did it occur to you that she flinched because you yelled at her? And then the last time because you made that crack about ‘disciplining’ her? Have a good long think about it, you...drone. What did that Thestral do to her again?”
"You weren't there when I first showed up. Even in that broken state... She feared me above all else simply because of what I look like. She called out for him rather than trust me. I know she was under the influence of quite a few mind-altering things, but that scream of fear will haunt me forever." His grip had turned shaky as his colors started to swirl as well, inching darker and darker as time went on.
“Mind altering?” Twilight spoke up, interjecting herself into the conversation. “What kind?”
"Wouldn't know, I was more obsessed with breaking them and getting her out than studying the shackles." Ledger flipped the page and started to read it, pursing his lips as time went on.
“Shackles?” Twilight blinked as she hummed, pacing around the room slightly. “Made of wrought iron and inscribed with runes?”
"Those were the ones, its amazing what highly specific teleportation can do to break things. Especially if you ignore quite a few safety protocols." Was this... The account he was looking for?
“Those are obedience collars, outlawed a few hundred years ago,” Twilight explained, slipping into lecture mode. “It’s unfortunate that some ponies still use them...but, there is a silver lining in this cloud.”
"Do tell," Ledger absently replied as he continued to scan the page. Well, the first step was unfortunate, but at least this one had a one-hundred percent success rate. For a given value of 'success' anyway. He wouldn't be a Black anymore and he qualified that as a success. The others of the time that this was written didn't, but they could, quite frankly, burn.
“The silver lining is that those collars are old, very old,” Twilight explained. Time to turn the tables and let the bug figure this one out. Ledger's ear flicked as he looked up from his own book.
"They're so old, either others have had time to study them and figure out a way to break their magic, or the magic itself isn't going to last very long because they haven't had a chance to be recharged properly before they were used.” He came to the conclusions that he felt didn't really help much at this moment.
Twilight smiled and tapped her nose, while Scope burped lightly. Those moments really were quite tasty, they seemed to have an aged taste, like a fine cheese.
"Well, I doubt she wants to see me right now, and I think I actually found what we were looking for in this book, labeled as a ‘failed experiment.‘ If you two can go get her and help her, I'll see if there's a way to stabilize it."
“Ggrrrrrrr...” Scope growled at him, but he did have a point. “Fine! But if you hadn’t used dark magic in the first place...” She sighed as Twilight looked at both Changelings.
“I have a lock on Midnight, I can teleport us right to her,” she said. She looked at Ledger and nodded her head, before she and Scope vanished in a flash of magenta light.
"I just hope she's going to willingly let the pair of you work on her," he sighed before beginning to look for drawbacks to this plan.
Midnight landed near...well, she didn’t know. Somepony’s house. It looked like like two different houses mashed together. She didn’t even know why she flew away like that. It wasn’t like she was mad about him kissing the Princess. Hell, she was planning on doing that eventually anyway.
“Why do I feel like this?” she snapped at herself. “It isn’t fair to the others. And now I... DAMMIT!!!” She lashed out and struck a nearby tree, causing it to shake.
That was when a grey Pegasus mare fell out of it, wincing and rubbing her flanks after she landed.
“Owie! Napping in trees hurts. Dashie lied to me.”
Midnight blinked and looked at the mare. She had a cloudy-grey coat and a blonde mane and tail that were similar to her own. Her Cutie Mark was...bubbles?
What kind of special talent was that?
“Sorry...you okay?” Midnight asked, helping the mare to her hooves. She took one look at the Thestral and gasped.
“Ohmigosh! A real-life vampony!”
Midnight looked at her, a deadpan expression in her face. Did she just?
“For the love of...I’m not a vampony!”
“Oh, my bad,” Ditzy blushed and rubbed her head. Her golden eyes looking in different directions. Midnight just shrugged and shook her head.
“Nah, I get that a lot. It’s not too bad sometimes,” Especially when Cider wanted to play~ “Sorry I knocked you out of that tree. You okay?”
“Yeeaahh, I’m good.” She was kinda cute when she looked all bashful like that. “So if you’re not a vampony...”
“I’m a Thestral, and I’m just visiting while the Princess helps a friend of mine,” Midnight said as she looked away from her. Why was she even talking with this mare?
“Well, I hope your friend is okay,” Ditzy smiled at her. “But Princess Twilight is pretty amazing. So I think they’ll be okay!”
“Yeah, I hope so...” Midnight sighed as she turned away from the mare. Ditzy blinked as she looked at her.
“You don’t think so...or...?”
“Well he seems to be doing just fine without me, so whatever!” Midnight suddenly snapped. Luna-dammit, she was doing it again. At least, until she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked back to see Ditzy’s eyes staring at her, both of them.
“Maybe, your friend might be scared,” she said in a tone that reminded Midnight of her mother for some reason. “I know when my little Dinky is sick, she puts on her brave face so I won’t worry about her. Hehe, but between you and me, I still worry.”
“No offense, but I don’t think Ledger is the kind to-” Midnight stopped as she thought about that statement. About all the things he’d done so far, about that look in his eyes when she’d gone to fight Tirek... “Luna-dammit. He would do exactly that. Stupid bug...”
“Hmm, well it’s not my place, but maybe he could use a friend right now?” Ditzy winked at her, her eyes drifting apart once more. “Well, just a thought anyway.”
Midnight nodded and looked at the surprisingly wise mare. Well, at least wiser than what Midnight was feeling right now. “Thanks Miss...?”
“Ditzy Doo, but my friends call me Muffins,” she giggled and booped the Thestral’s nose. “Now go and see your friend okay?” And with that, she flew off, just as Twilight and Scope teleported in.
“See, third time’s the charm!” Twilight nodded at the changeling nymph.
"And I'm certain those ponies will forgive us eventually for teleporting in during those particular moments. I didn't know ponies could bend that way, or that you could use oil for that purpose!" The Changeling also made a note to file that information away for later.
Midnight just tilted her head at the two. There was a story there...a sexy one. Bah, later.
“Is there something you want?” she asked, her voice still had an irritated bite to it, causing Twilight to flinch slightly. But the Alicorn knew what she had to do.
“Miss Midnight? What happened, it really was an accident. I promise. But, right now? I’m here to help you.”
“Me? There’s nothing wrong with me,” Midnight replied, narrowing her eyes. Just what the hell were these two up to? “And you Scopey? You think I need help?”
“Whatever that stallion did you you Mistress, it messed up your head. But we can fix it. You just need to stay still for a moment.”
Well, she’d be damned if that didn’t raise a few warning alarms. For multiple reasons. “You know, if this was some sappy drama, I’d be running for the hills, or just take the two of you out,” Midnight said, flexing her wings. “But... I trust you Scopey. And Princess Bookworm as well I guess.”
“Thankyou,” Twilight said as she stepped closer. “Don’t worry Midnight. This won’t hurt at all... I hope...”
Level Ledger had been making a surprising amount of progress by himself. Spike had even made him some tea and biscuits while he read.
Then he felt something. Something he hadn’t felt in a very long time, well, it felt like a long time anyway. Time seemed to be all messed up these days and-
Okay, getting off topic, but there was a tidal wave of lust approaching the castle. Just as Scope and Twilight teleported in, their manes dishevelled and a panicked look in their eyes.
"I take it your plan worked?" One eyebrow quirked itself at them.
“A-A monster...I created...a monster,” Twilight stammered as Scopey begun boarding up windows.
“She’s coming...and she won’t stop until we’re coming,” Scope yelled. Ledger just sighed at their antics. Surely, Midnight being back to normal couldn't be that bad.
The door creaked open and a rush of air filled the room. There was...something in the room with them.
“I...found...you...” Midnight’s voice giggled, reverberating around the room.
"Has my Songbird finally flown back to me?" The drone asked as he mentally braced himself.
He should have focused on physical defense as the bat tackled him, her tongue already dancing in his mouth as she hummed happily. Scope just sighed as she watched.
“Apparently she missed you,” the nymph said helpfully. Twilight watched the bat consuming the drone's face and tilted her head.
“Is she...normally like this?”
“Nah-” Scope said as the Alicorn breathed a sigh of relief. “-Normally she’s a lot worse.” Eventually, the two had to come up for air, and when they did Ledger wrapped Midnight in a hug.
“Hello Songbird," he whispered into her ear.
“Hey yourself,” she replied, nuzzling him. “Sorry...guess you missed me huh?”
"Like you wouldn't believe," he said, making no move to let go. Twilight and Scope smiled as the two hugged like that.
Until a chorus of cooing noises caused them to look up. All of Twilight’s friends, along with Cider had returned and were now making doe eyes at the loving pair.
Midnight just grinned as she looked down at Ledger, licking her lips as her eyes shone in the pale light. “Oohh, we have an audience now. Wanna give ‘em a show~”
"Maybe later, right now I just want to hold you." Ledger's coloration seemed to agree, as he was nearly pure silver again.
“Oh fine,” Midnight pouted as she looked at Cider and Scope. Honestly, she wasn’t sure if Twilight’s spell had really done anything or not. She didn’t feel any different really. But she decided on something.
“I’m gonna be me. Screw stupid stalkers, screw dark magic, ain’t nopony or nobuggy gonna stop me!!”
The only response she got back was Ledger drawing her in for another kiss... one the Thestral happily accepted. Once they finally broke it, she glanced at Twilight and gave her a fanged smile.
“Oh, and you better believe you owe me for earlier. I demand recompense Princess.”
Twilight blinked and then blushed as her friends all gave her a curious look. Just what had happened here earlier?
“And so the bat is back,” Cider giggled. “Ah reckon that life is gonna get interesten’ once more!”
“Unfortunately,” Scope sighed. That was when Twilight’s friends noticed the second changeling and all gasped in surprise. And again when they noticed that Ledger was in his true form. Scope narrowed her eyes before rolling them. Well, at least from what they could tell. Hard to roll your eyes when they had no pupils.
“Seriously? How did you idiots even become the Bearers of the most powerful magical items in the world again?”
"Scope, play nice," Ledger half chided the Changeling nymph without turning to look at her. His eyes were focused on something a little more important. "Do you think you could hit up the spa with Miss Rarity and not hit on all the customers or the attendants long enough for them to see to your mementos?"
Midnight looked down at her furless patches, visible now that she’d shed her articles. “Hmm, maybe. I make no promises!” She looked at the gathered ponies and a thought occured. “Hrm, you know...her friends are kinda cute~”
"Refrain, and I'll make a promise to you." Ledger's eyes danced with mischief. "Tonight, you, me, Cider and Scope, one soundproofing spell, and one other spell that you get to decide when the time comes."
“Meh, don’t need to promise what I can already get for myself,” Midnight smiled as she booped his nose. “Besides, you should know by now. Say it out loud. What did I promise you three again?”
"The same thing I keep promising you," he returned as he drew her in for another hug. "Everything, forever. No matter what." He held her there for about five seconds before speaking up again. "Besides, what's the unspoken threat behind my promise?"
Midnight slowly tilted her head and Ledger could swear he heard birds chirping.
“Uuhhhhh....I love you?”
"Fail to refrain, and there will be no spells tonight because there will be no action," he teased.
“For you perhaps, I still have two mares,” she replied as she got off of him. She turned, giving the stallion a front row seat to her shapely rump. She walked past Rarity, giving her a nod. “Well, let’s go Miss Rarity, the spa and a good time awaits us!” She dragged Scopey as well, the nymph struggling futilely as the other two mares strode off.
Once they had, Applejack took off her hat and fanned herself with it. “Whooey! That mare is sumthin’ huh?”
"Wouldn't have it any other way," the drone said before looking at Cider. "You want to go along and give her another target?"
“Do ah look like the ‘spa type’ to you Ledge?” Cider waved a hoof. “Pass, ah still have a lot to catch up on with mah cuz here!”
“I think Rarity can handle her...maybe,” Twilight giggled. “Come on, let’s get this party set up...” Twilight looked around. “Um, where’s Pinkie Pie?”
A Pink that was missing...nothing could fill a changeling with more dread.
Midnight had to admit that the spa was pretty nice. The incense they burned left a pleasant scent in her nose and a gentle warmth in her body.
The fact that the place was run by some very familiar and very sexy Earth pony twins didn't hurt either~
"Welcome to the Ponyville Spa," Rarity smiled. “Once you leave here, you'll feel like a brand new mare!"
"I'm aware of Aloe and Lotus'...skills~" Midnight cooed, giving the pair a wink. They gasped as they recognised her as Rarity tilted her head and blinked.
"Lemme guess, some old friends of yours?" Scope asked and Midnight nodded.
"Mhmm," She licked her lips and nodded at the mares. "I trust you girls can help me relax?"
"Of course we can," Aloe replied, as Lotus went to set up the baths. "And what happened to your lovely fur?"
"Something I'd rather not discuss," Midnight said. "I'm feeling good right now, and like to feel better. So Miss Rarity? Your recommendation?"
Rarity nodded slowly, still trying to process how Midnight knew the twins. "Um, yes. I believe the deluxe package is in order today ladies."
"As you wish Miss Rarity," Aloe said with a pleasant smile. "Please come right this way."
"This should be interesting, I've never been to a spa before," Scope said as the twins and Rarity paused to look at her like she'd grown a second head.
"Oh you poor dear," Rarity pulled the petite pegasus in for a hug. "We must rectify this tragedy at once!"
"Joy..." Scope deadpanned as she was dragged inside.
"Okay, so, I think I have something, but in order for me to tell it to you, I want you all to promise that you won't panic." Ledger held a small scroll in his magical grasp while his book had disappeared to... somewhere. Much to the chagrin of the lavender alicorn. Even though it was highly likely she couldn't read Changeish.
"Well, can't be any worse than Midnight sayin' she was goin' t'fight Tirek," Cider pointed out. Ledger was silent for just a little too long before he weakly laughed.
"Yeah, what could be worse than that?"
Cider smacked her face with a hoof. That was not a smart thing to say.
"What's that about Tirek?" Rainbow asked, completely missing the cues.
"Midnight tried to go hoof to hoof with him when he showed up in Las Pegasus," Ledger obliged the chromatic flying equine. "Would have had him too, if he hadn't drained her."
"Seriously?" Rainbow frowned. "Even Twilight, with all of the princesses' magic couldn’t do that. I really doubt a single pony could've beat him."
Grateful for the distraction, the drone merely smiled before humming his response to that. "Not if she knows the skill designed to take out princesses~"
Twilight coughed into her teacup, while Dash frowned more.
"Yeah right, there is no way that bat could beat a Princess in a fight!"
"She called it, or it's called, one of the two, 'alicorn hunter,' so I really don't doubt what it's meant for."
Twilight visibly paled. Why-Why would somepony make something that could kill a princess!?
"I still think you're full of it!" Dash said with a roll of her eyes. "If she’s so good, then why did she fail huh?"
Ledger narrowed his eyes before replying in a very biting tone. "The simple answer is Discord, the more complex answer is that such a skill requires a life for a life. If she wanted to take Tirek's, she would have had to give up hers to fuel the strike. Discord stopped her from sacrificing herself." Throughout his response, the drone's colors had shifted from silver down to grey. This Pegasus was getting on his nerves...
"Okay, that sure was an enlightening story," Twilight chuckled nervously as she muzzled Dash with her magic. The demure yellow Pegasus had also looked down when he mentioned Discord, and the drone could feel her emotions drift towards the negative. But it wasn't anger or fear...
It was great sadness.
"Mmph! Lef gooo!" Rainbow growled. Ledger snorted once before sharply turning his back on the blue Pegasus.
"It's fine, Princess, I'm certain I'll learn to ignore her sooner or later. Along with the doubt she has about my marefriend."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as Twilight let her go.
"Let's just go and set up the slumber party," Twilight sighed.
"Already done!" Pinkie said as she bounded into the room, landing on Ledger and giving him a big hug. "And you should turn that frown upside down mister! This party will. Be. EPIC!!"
"... I'm so glad I grew up with my little sister, she prepared me for ponies like you. Now how you do what you do and are still a pony is a question, but not one I'm in a hurry to answer." The changeling just lay there and basked in her wide-ranging affection. It was... Nice.
"Silly buggy!" Pinkie giggled. "I do what I do because I'm Pinkie Pie. And because I wanna see my friends happy!"
"Don't look for answers...it only leads to pain," Twilight shuddered and Pinkie giggled.
"Silly Twi-Twi, just because you got stung by bees, had a piano fall on you, a Hydra try to eat you, and then you exploded. Doesn't mean it'll happen a second time~"
"... Your highness, in this situation I think you should know a small mantra of mine. 'If it is pink, don't over think.' Helps a lot when you have a little sister that can somehow fill your room with applesauce and a donkey. I don't know where he came from or went to this day, and that was years ago."
Pinkie snorted. "That's just ridiculous. Everypony knows that donkeys prefer jam to applesauce!"
"Still helped me eat the pool's worth my little sister managed to get in my room," the drone countered. " I didn't even have a pool before she got in my room."
"Hmm, a pool of applesauce? Sounds doable, at least as much as my chocolate river..." Pinkie hopped off of him as she pondered her next project.
"Funny how well a Pink distracts you. I can only remember that there was a thing that we were meant to be doing." Ledger picked himself off the ground before smiling at Pinkie.
“You were going to mention something that’s possibly dangerous, and it might freak everypony out, especially your marefriend and probably Fluttershy since she has a weak tummy for this sort of thing?” Pinke rapid-fired her voice, blinking a few times once she was done.
"Ah, right, now I remember." the drone unrolled the scroll and looked at if to remind himself.
“Silly buggy, your memory has more holes than your legs,” Pinkie giggled, earning a few from the other mares as well.
"Its a little spotty I admit, but I tend to forget a few things when a Pink is in the room. Things like 'that shouldn't be possible'."
“You know, I’m going to ask later what you mean when you call Pinkie, ‘A Pink’ rather than using her name, but I think I might already have a rough idea,” Twilight said. “But I believe we’re getting off topic again.”
“Yeah. Dangerous mumbo-jumbo, and while some of us are still young!” Rainbow said with a cheeky smirk.
"Willing to bet I'm younger than you, but like you said, that's neither here nor there. Can I get a promise that you won't freak out?" the stallion looked from one mare to the next, waiting for their response to that question. He got a chorus of nods, except from Fluttershy, who just retreated further behind her mane. Of all the ponies he’d met so far, she’d been the only one that refused to meet his gaze.
"Well, the first step is to quicken the reaction." He waited to see which of them would get that besides Twilight.
“Wait,” Cider held up a hoof as she sat down. Her other forehoof met her forehead. “You want to become a monster? Ah’d say that’s a stupid idea, but ah think that train left a long time ago.”
"There is a step two you know," Ledger smirked slightly. "Step Two, during the transition process, the part where I'm completely out of it, I need to be fed a little bit of love. No more than a kiss, really, but more is always better. That will influence the transition. It will definitely, positively ensure that I do not become a Black in any way. More just influences the speed at which I will eventually awaken.”
“Eenope! Ah don’t like it, ah don’t like it one bit!” Cider said, stamping a hoof on the ground. “Fer starters, has this here technique ever been tested before?”
"Eeyup," Leger replied, mimicking her accent. "The Blacks of the time thought of it as a failure, because they were just after a stabilizing effect, not a purging one. They wanted something to help them hit that sweet spot, where a changeling could still be functional and use black magic. Instead they found out the most cheesy truth of all: love conquers everything."
“And... if it doesn’t work?” Twilight asked him.
"It will," he replied instantly. "Even the smallest amount of love will influence the reaction. They tried it with no more than a kiss themselves and found that no matter the amount of love, it defeated the dark metamorphosis. There's a reason we value it so highly. There's only one possible snag, and it has nothing to do with whether or not this will work."
“So then what’s the snag?” Rainbow all but shouted. “Get to the point already!”
"In order to trigger the reaction, I'm either going to need to use some more black magic, which I can already tell isn't an option-"
“Or?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Or, I can hate something or somepony on a deep, personal level. But doing it that way leaves us with very little time to influence the metamorphosis, because it will be much shorter as well."
“I don’t like either of those,” Fluttershy whispered. “You shouldn’t have to hate somepony to get better...”
"The poison has to be drawn to the surface in order for it to be combated," the Changeling observed. He was no Thestral with their sensitive ears, but a Changeling could still hear rather soft things. "Like an infection, it cannot be allowed to fester in my soul, where it can influence more than just me."
Everypony was rather silent for a moment or three. This sounded pretty heavy. It was Twilight that eventually broke the silence and spoke.
“So what do you want us to do?”
"I'm not going to start anything without Midnight being here to help. And once I do, it's going to go fast. But if things go wrong, which I doubt will happen, if it looks like I'm turning Black and waking up... I want you all to promise me that no matter what, you will save them. A backup plan in case the worst should happen."
Cider frowned as she stepped forward, her azure eyes staring into Ledger’s grey ones.
“Level Ledger,” she said. “Ah should punch you until you ferget this whole stupid plan...but...”
"I wouldn't blame you if you did," he replied honestly.
“But,” Cider continued. “Ah also know that you have a plan. You always have a plan, and if those plans fail, you have a backup plan.” She wrapped her hooves around him and drew him in for a hug. Of all his mares, hers were always the firmest and warmest. “Ah trust you Ledger. And ah know that Midnight will help you out, it’s what she does after all...ah just wish...” Her voice cracked as she sniffed. “Ah know it’s selfish, but ah wish that ah could help you sometimes...”
"Hey," The Changeling said as he kissed her cheek. "It's not that I don't trust you or love you, it's just that she was first. I mean, if you really wanted to, we could try right now. I would just need something to hate and you could love me."
Cider just hugged him tighter. “We-We could...but, if ah screw up...and you...you...”
"Answer me this simple question Cider. Do you love me?" To say he was asking softly would be understanding it: if not for the fact it was whispered in her ear he had doubts she would hear it.
“Of course ah do,” she whispered back. “What kinda fool question is that?”
"The kind a fool asks before he does something really foolish," Ledger replied before taking a deep breath. "Don't let go of that."
With that, his colors rapidly shifted to black as he conjured up all of his hate filled memories. As his eyes went black as well, he drew one last breath, before shuddering and going limp in her grasp. Cider’s eyes opened wide as she started to panic.
“W-W-What the HAY!?” she shook him as she continued to panic. “Oh mah gosh! What the heck do ah do!?” That goddamn fool. What the ever-loving buck was he thinking! Okay, okay. Calm down. She looked at him and gulped, before she drew on every memory and thought about how much she loved him and the other two, before she placed her lips against his as she held him tightly.
‘Come on! Don’t do this to me!!’
His colors seem to turn silver where she kissed him, but they also didn't seem to be spreading very fast. If at all. Cider looked at him and kissed him again, and again, and... Why? Why wasn’t it working!?
“It seems to be working, slowly at least," Twilight said, placing a hoof on the mare’s shoulder. All her friends were in various stages of panic, even as the alicorn rolled her eyes. “Try pacing yourself.”
Cider nodded slowly, “Okay...I’ll try.” She just hugged him, slowly kissing him every few moments. “Come on you stubborn bug! Turn silver already!”
Whether or not he heard her, he appeared to be obliging whenever she kissed him. The silver spread out from where her lips had contacted his chitin.
Cider was finally getting the idea, as she kissed various parts of his shell. It was kinda like those books that you used water to colour in. Twilight just watched the process, taking notes on it. All of her friends had now pulled themselves together and had gathered, preparing for the worst.
Which never came. Once the color had spread far enough, there was a flash of silver light, before a very weak Ledger lay in Cider's grasp.
"Hey," he coughed out. He coughed harder when she smacked his chest with a hoof.
“Hey? You scare the ever-loving fuck outta me and all ya say is ‘Hey’?” He felt something wet land on his chest, as the mare above him cried. “....Stupid bug...”
"I was gonna say 'hey pretty mare, why the sad face,' but then I sort of needed to breathe," the Changeling joked slightly.
“You...” she fell onto him, sobbing onto his chest. “Ah thought...that I...that I didn’t love...”
“Ledger,” Twilight said, even as a shield had been placed around the room. “How do you feel?”
"Less aggressive, less hateful, as though I just ran a 20 mile marathon, and drained of most of my magical energy, but those are all small prices to pay to be able to say my darker half has been defeated." He didn't make any move to get up, even with Cider on him. "I appear to have acquired a pony-shaped limpet, I thought that was my job?"
Cider blinked, "What did y’all call me?”
“A limpet, also known as a marine mollusk that tends to cling to rocks and moss,” Twilight informed her. It was nice to teach ponies new things.
“A sea snail...” She looked down at the Changeling under her hooves. A smile crossed her face. He did not like that smile. “So...y’all can’t move huh?”
"The very thought is exhausting," he said, demonstrating by lifting a hoof all of an inch before putting it back on the ground.
“Ah see, how very interesting.” She looked at Rainbow and Twilight. “Ladies, may ah borrow a feather?”
Rainbow blinked and then she snickered, plucking a feather from her wing and hoofing it over to the mare. Cider looked at Ledger and grinned. This was going to be fun... well, for her anyway.
"Ah, Cider? Love?" the stallion tried to plead with his mare. "You wouldn't be thinking of torturing your weakened mate, would you?"
“Torture? Oh, no...ah won’t do that,” Cider giggled. Well, it was all a matter of perspective really. “Ah’ll enjoy this greatly.”
“Pfft, bet he won’t,” Rainbow giggled. Cider nodded as she turned back to Ledger.
“Coochie coo Ledgie~”
Midnight gave a long, very relaxed sigh as they left the spa. The twins had worked their wonderful magic, and while it was still a bit thinner, her coat had rejuvenated somewhat. Turns out that a local zebra had supplied them with a variety of potions that could be mixed in with their baths.
“What did I tell you, simply divine,” Rarity nodded at Scope, who just huffed and folded her arms as she flew next to them.
“Whatever, I think my shell shrank slightly in that steam room,” she pouted. Yeah, that was just what she needed, to be bloody smaller.
“Aw, I think you look good,” Midnight said, pulling the mare down to sit on her back. “And I know I look good. Now let’s hurry back to the castle. I hope they haven’t started without us.”
“If I know Pinkie, then there will be more than enough party waiting for us when we get there,” Rarity tittered. “But you are right, it is improper for a lady to keep somepony waiting. Now, let’s be fashionably late shall we?”
When they returned, Midnight had expected a lot of things really.
But for Cider to have pinned Ledger to the ground and tickling him mercilessly with a feather.
She could only say one thing about it.
“You know,” she spoke above the laughter. “That’s not how you do feather-play.”
Ledger turned to her and pleaded. "Get-get her o-off...can't..breathe..."
“Hmm,” Midnight paced around them, looking from the stallion to the mare. “I don’t know... there is something I still have to do after all. And seeing as you're being a useful distraction-”
"Midnight!" Ledger pleaded again.
“One sec, this’ll only take a moment,” she moved around him until she was standing in front of Twilight. “Hello Bookworm!”
“Uh...hell-MMPH!?” her awkward greeting was cut off as Midnight kissed her. The princess’s friends all gaped at the brazen display, and a certain yellow Pegasus tried to hide her spreading wings.
Midnight hummed as she kissed the alicorn, before breaking it and leaving the princess as a blushing, stammering mess as she pulled the Earth pony off of Ledger, before drawing her in for a kiss as well. The Changeling breathed a sigh of relief as his tormentor was removed from his body.
“I...uh...whaaaa....” Twilight just blushed harder as her brain shut down. Midnight was busy tasting her marefriend as Scope stood over Ledger.
“So, what’s with the old/new colour scheme? You finally fix yourself?”
"Yep," he said before looking at the broken princess. "Midnight, I don't think we can afford to return her. It's probably really expensive to get a new one."
Midnight finally let her marefriend breathe as she broke the kiss. “Meh, we’ll just keep her as well then. I already have an Earth, Pegasus and Unicorn. Alicorn is all I need to complete the set.”
"Fine, but you're walking her and feeding her," Ledger said mock-seriously.
“You’re not keeping her,” Applejack sighed as she poked at Twilight. “Ah reckon she has enough on her plate as is, without the brand o’crazy that you lot’d bring.”
"Aaw, but she would love it! I mean after all, I only do have a library in one book, written in a language she doesn't yet understand. And Las Pegasus can't be any worse than Ponyville." The Changeling drone seemed to have fallen quite easily into the role of teasing the lavender alicorn.
“We have the Everfree Forest, the most timid ponies in the world, frequent ancient evil attacks and Discord,” Rainbow Dash boasted. “Beat that bug-boy!”
"Pegasus Air, the strip, the most lecherous Griffins in the world, and a Changeling population that helped put the city back together after Tirek wrecked it. Add in my publicity stunts, and our hometown could be very well be the first city in which Changelings are welcome with open hooves."
“Three words,” Rainbow grinned as Applejack and Rarity chimed in.
“Cutie Mark Crusaders.”
"...Sounds like the filly version of my brothers," Leger replied. "They managed to blow up a garden shed with nothing more than a half dozen fireworks. And it blew up so hard we can't plant anything where it once stood to this day, and that was years ago."
“The CMC once used a Love Poison on their teacher an’ mah brother,” Applejack said. “Blew up a gazebo and no matter what they do or how they do it...they wind up covered in tree sap.”
"My brothers once got the genius idea to try and take on a few stragglers from the dragon migration to earn their names. We've had to triple-reinforce their sleeping quarters, and whenever they put their heads together, something is going to explode, no matter how unlikely it seems."
“They must never ever meet,” the three mares nodded as a cold chill filled the room.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS BUG CATCHERS! YAY!!!” A net fell from the roof, landing on Ledger with a soft thump. Incapable of doing much about it, the drone merely looked up at Scope, who had been standing over him, as he quirked an eyebrow.
“Don’t look at me,” she shrugged as three fillies descended from the ceiling.
“Heheheh, we got ‘im,” the orange Pegasus beamed.
“That was...surprisingly easy,” the white Unicorn agreed.
The Earth pony looked at her flank. “Aww, still nothing.”
"It might have worked if I had not been so drained," and here Ledger gained a mischievous smile. "But there is still another bug in the room..."
“Um, what?” Applebloom looked around, just as Scope grabbed the net and tossed it over the three girls.
“Aw, now I caught three little snacks,” she said with a wicked gleam in her eyes. “How delectable~”
“Ahh HELP US!!” the three fillies cried.
"Scope..." Ledger said in his no-nonsense tone. "It's probably more dangerous for you if you keep them in one place. Then they might start trying things to get out. Remember how destructive my brothers were when you took your eyes off them for one minute?"
“Oh yeaahhh," Scope pondered as she tied the end of the net.
Twilight had finally snapped out of it and looked around, blinking. “What...?”
“Heyyy Bookworm~” Midnight said in a tone that made Ledger feel all warm. “Wanna come back to my place~?”
“Eeeeep!!” Twilight shrieked and hid behind Fluttershy.
"So let me see if I've got this straight," the drone observed aloud to Cider. "Midnight is trying to add Twilight, Scope has tied up the party crashers, and here I am stuck on the floor with you."
“Sounds about right,” Cider nodded, just as her stomach growled loudly. “Urr, huuuunngry!”
"Just get something to eat then, and send Scope over with her 'party favors' for me if you would be so kind." He said the last part teasingly, but Ledger did really want to talk to both the Scope and the fillies.
Cider nodded as she left with Pinkie, Twilight and Fluttershy. Scope dragged the fillies over, a proud smirk on her face.
“Sup little drone?” she hummed happily. He shrugged.
"Eh, you know how it is. Do something magically exhausting, you need a refill. You up for sharing those snacks?"
“We’re too young to be eaten!!” Sweetie Belle cried, trying to use the others as meat shields.
“You uh...you’re not seriously going to eat them?” Rarity gulped. Ledger gave her a mischievous wink before replying in the most over-the-top fashion possible.
"Three little fillies, as full of life and magic as they are? There could be nothing finer to munch on!"
“Nooooooo!!!” they squealed as Scope licked her fangs.
“Ohh, I call dibs on the Unicorn~”
"Fine, but I get the other two. You know I need more energy anyway, especially considering what I just went through. Plus it's not like you can eat more than one anyway!" He would have crossed his forelegs in a pout, had he the energy.
There was a sudden blur, and then Ledger realised that he had forgotten about somepony. Midnight now hovered above them, the fillies on her back.
“I shall save you from those dastardly villains!” she said triumphantly. “For I know their greatest weakness!”
“Whoa! This vampony is awesome!” Scootaloo said, and Midnight paused in the air.
“What.” Midnight blinked and the three found themselves next to Ledger as the Thestral stormed from the room, muttering under her breath.
"And now you're mine," the drone said as he hugged the three close with a surprising burst of energy. Ledger then looked up at Scope and sighed. "Find her and cheer her up for me?"
“Yeah, whatever,” Scope shrugged as she left the room, while Rainbow, Rarity and Applejack sat near Ledger and the fillies. He leaned down and softly nuzzled the three fillies in his forelegs before drawing his fangs through their fur in a mockery of eating them.
"Nomnomnom," he teased.
The three shrieked, before Scoots turned with a furious look in her eyes.
“I’m not getting eaten without a fight! ScootaPUNCH!” just as her little orange hoof smacked his face. He feigned being hurt, before showing off that her blow had done nothing to his chitin.
"All natural body armor. Wonderful stuff. Helpful against knives and angry fillies."
"Why aren't you helping us!?" Sweetie cried to Rarity.
"Well dear," Rarity smiled. "Perhaps if you and your friends had asked before dropping a net on Mr. Ledger here, you wouldn’t be in this situation." Rarity smiled coyly as she winked at Ledger. "And it turns out that Mr. Ledger is simply delightful when it comes to foals. He'd make a wonderful father~"
"Maybe later on down the line, I'll consider the idea more thoroughly," The Changeling drone said before pulling the fillies close and just cuddling them. "Now stop squirming so much, I'm not letting you go anyway. Though feel free to ask about me."
"Are you really a Changeling?" Applebloom asked.
"He likes to think he is!" Scope called out from the next room.
"Nope, I'm a tickle monster," Ledger jokingly replied before drawing his fangs through Applebloom's fur again. Not coincidentally, through one of the spots she was quite ticklish at. Turns out that 'mock eating' had another purpose. Now he knew their weak points~
Applebloom laughed hysterically as Sweetie and Scoots still tried to flee.
"Now ain't that just the most precious thing~" Applejack cooed. "Ah reckon Rares has a point."
"I'm still cooler," Rainbow said, as Scootaloo vehemently agreed. Ledger turned his attention to the unicorn of the trio next, making sure to only lightly run his fangs through the fur behind her ears. She seemed like the more agreeable of the two he had yet to do.
Sweetie Belle just gave him a deadpan look as she flicked her ear. "Um. What are you doing?"
"Trying to be silly? Is it not working?" He then moved to one of the other spots he had noticed, the crook of the neck. Surely a few light nibbles here would get a giggle out of her.
"No, I'm not ticklish, nice try though?" She said as Scootaloo finally wormed her way out of his grasp.
"FREEDOM!!" She cheered as she ran over to Rainbow Dash. Ledger just pouted as he cuddled the other two fillies and sighed.
"Fine, be that way, but you're missing out on a nice, warm hug."
"Hugs are for wimps!" Rainbow and Scoots echoed.
Elsewhere in the castle, a batpony’s ears twitched.
"I wonder," Applebloom said suddenly as she looked at Applejack. "Is this what havin' a Pa is like?"
"A little," Applejack smiled back, though hers held an underlying sadness. Ledger looked to her and smiled softly before deciding to tell the mares a little something about Changeling society...or his slice of it anyway.
"Me, I've got too many. There's my father, then my five step-fathers. Seven pairs of adult eyes ready to catch you doing something wrong." He gave a theatrical shudder.
"Why do you have so many dads?" Sweetie asked him. "That sounds weird."
"Males are a little more common in the Lands than in Equestria," the drone replied. "So my mom married quite a few at once."
Sweetie Belle had a curious expression on her face. She tilted her head back to look at him. "Does that mean she’s a who-"
"SWEETIE BELLE!?" Rarity quickly interrupted, her face red with embarrassment and indignation.
"What?" The filly squeaked. "That's what you called that Suri Polomare."
Ledger couldn't help it, he laughed. After a moment to recover, the silver Changeling responded to the filly. "That would only apply if she didn't love all of them," he clarified for the precocious petite pony.
"Awww~" Applebloom and Sweetie Belle cooed. Scootaloo just pretended to gag. Ledger snickered before looking for Apple Cider. She was the only mare he trusted to be able to do what he was about to ask.
The mare in question soon returned, her belly full of cupcakes and fritters.
"Ahhh, sooo much better," she hummed happily. Ledger smiled and offered her a quick nuzzle along with a peck on the cheek.
"Hey love, think you could check on Middy and Scopey? It'd be nice to know if they were coming back." Cider nodded and turned her head.
"MIDDY. SCOPE? Y'ALL GET IN HERE!!"
"That works I suppose," the drone observed.
The Thestral and Pegasus returned, the latter being in her usual position on the bats back.
"Yeah what?" Scope asked with a half-hearted glare.
"You come up with a way to fix that Black thing yet?" Midnight asked, as everypony else fell silent. Ledger just stared at Scope.
"... You didn't tell her?" He eventually asked.
"Not yet," Scope replied.
"Tell me what?" Midnight said, a hint of panic in her voice. "He can be fixed...right?"
"Not anymore than I already am," he replied with a hint of cheek in his voice. Were he not cuddling two fillies, he would have finished with the rest of the joke. ‘Your mother would take offense to not being a grandmother, after all, as would mine.'
Midnight nodded, her mood now quite sombre as she pulled out a wing blade from...somewhere. "I see...I love you Levvy, but I can't let you become a risk to others. I'm truly sorry my love..."
"Whoa there! Look at me, Midnight! Do I look even the slightest bit grey, let alone black? We fixed me already! Promise!" The drone was just a little bit frantic in trying to calm the thestral mare.
She continued to walk forward, her blade raised. Cider moved to stop her...
Until she brought the flat side of the sword down on Ledger’s flank.
"That's what you get for worrying me!" Midnight said firmly. Ledger yipped at the sudden, rough contact.
"Oh I promise, when I can walk again, you'll pay for that one as well," Ledger promised the mare.
"Just try and keep up~" Midnight said in a husky tone. "So, any particular reason you wanted me in here?"
"Just worried about you. There is a pink pony on the prowl after all."
"Meh, Pinkie's harmless. Amy is waaay scarier." Midnight plucked Applebloom and Sweetie Belle from his grasp so she could cuddle the two adorable foals.
"Seriously?" Applebloom pouted.
"Yup, you're just too cute!" Midnight giggled.
"If you guys are done in there, we have food ready!" Twilight called from the dining room.
In a flash, there was the sound of stampeding hooves and Ledger found himself quite alone. He sighed before speaking up. "Sort of can't move!"
A magenta hue surrounded him and he found himself floated through the air, deftly avoiding a few obstacles until he reached the dining room. A long crystal table had been laid out with quite the spread. Baked goods, cider and the like, as well as a few hastily thrown together items for the underage participants that crashed the party.
“Hey look, an unidentified flying Ledger,” Midnight giggled.
“Thank you for flying Alicorn Air,” Twilight grinned as she placed him on a sitting cushion next to Midnight and Cider. “Please remember to take all your belongings and leave the seats in the upright position.”
"I'll do my best," he smirked back, already feeling better thanks to the love Cider and Midnight felt for him. Ledger cast a gaze at the table and licked his lips. "So, what did I end up with out of this feast?"
Midnight moved so she was now straddling his lap as she licked her lips.
"You're more than welcome to eat me~" she said in a voice that left no set of wings folded. He shot her a deadpan look before pointing at the fillies.
"Tone it down a notch, would you?"
Twilight’s horn shone, a spell had shrouded the two from the fillies sight. Midnight just gave a bashful smile as she climbed off of him and sat back down.
"Aw come on! What did we miss?" Sweetie pouted.
"When you're older," Rarity replied with a sup of her tea.
"Agreed," Ledger said before weakly lighting up his horn and causing a plate of fritters to wobble for a moment. The exertion was too much, though, and the light on his horn died right before his head hit the table.
"Magical exhaustion blows," he muttered.
Scope caught the plate and floated it over to him. Once he lifted his head again, she magicked over a piece of fritter.
"Say ahh," she said. He obligingly opened his mouth for her, not so proud as to be unable to admit when he needed help. Plus, if he tried to do it himself, Ledger knew he'd wind up with apple on his face. Being fed like a child from somepony not much bigger than one herself was only slightly less embarrassing than trying and failing to go it alone.
"Aww, that is simply adorable!" Rarity smiled, as Scope blushed profusely.
"S-Shut up! I'm only doing this because he's so hopeless!"
Pinkie giggled at her, "Oh wow, you're so tsundere Scopey!"
The Changeling nymph blinked at looked at Ledger. "Is that some weird pony insult? Should I be insulted?"
He merely smirked at the nymph around his mouthful of fritter. Far more fun to let her discover the meaning of the word on her own...
“You suck,” she muttered as she jammed another forkful of fritter into his mouth.
Twilight just smiled at the exchange before she looked at Midnight. “I have a request, if you don’t mind Midnight?”
“Hm, okay?” she blinked, curious as to what a Princess could want from her.
“You see, this castle is pretty new to me, and there’s one room in particular where nothing in it makes sense. It looks like a lot of guard equipment though. Do you think you could take a look at it tomorrow?”
“Sure,” Midnight nodded as she swallowed a mouthful of cake. Oh sweet Celestia that was good cake! And guard stuff huh? It had seemed like forever since she last did something of that nature.
“Can we see!?” Scootaloo asked excitedly.
“Um, no.” Twilight nodded. She wasn’t certain what was in that room, but she was dead certain that the Crusaders shouldn’t have access to it.
Ledger swallowed his latest forkful of fritter, before turning his gaze on Midnight. "You promise to keep your hooves to yourself while you're helping Her Highness?"
Midnight tilted her head and closed her eyes, looking like she was deep in thought.
“Middy?” Cider asked.
“Hold on...I’m thinking.”
“Midnight,” the Earth mare said, more sternly this time.
“Fine, fine," Midnight giggled and nodded to Ledger with a cheeky smile. “I promise not to use my hooves.”
"That's about as good as we're getting from you," He grumbled good-naturedly. "I'll take it."
Both Scope and Cider nodded, they’d best prepare to get an Alicorn for a marefriend.
“So, what exactly are we doing tonight?” Rainbow asked the princess. “Cause sitting around talking all night sounds super lame.”
“Well, I don’t have my ‘Slumber Parties 101’ book anymore,” Twilight sighed, wishing she’d memorised that book.
“Games!” the CMC echoed. “We should totally play....” They ran around the table and tagged Scope on the back. “You’re it!!” they giggled before running off.
Scope narrowed her eyes. “Seriously?”
Cider shrugged as everypony looked at Scope, the mare sighing as she got down from her seat. She licked her lips and chased after the three fillies, who cackled as the game got into full swing.
“Well at least she's keeping them occupied," the drone observed. "And vice versa."
“And now we have a fillysitter, we can par-tay!” Pinkie giggled as she pulled out a few bottles of cider and beamed widely.
“Ohhh, is that what I think it is?” Rainbow asked hopefully.
“You mean some of mah ‘Apple Family Reserve’?” Applejack smiled coyly. “Why yes, yes it is!”
“Aw yeah!” Rainbow cheered as Pinkie poured a few mugs. “You want some Ledgie?”
"I'm recovering from magical exhaustion, and I get drunk really easily. It's probably not the best idea for me to have any." He still watched the mugs being passed around as though they were absolutely fascinating.
“I think I’ll pass as well,” Midnight nodded. While she probably shouldn’t because of her ordeal, it certainly never stopped her in the past. But it also didn’t seem fair to Ledger if he was the only one that couldn’t. Though, he didn’t have to know that~
“More for me~” Rainbow grinned, now nursing three mugs. Twilight just rolled her eyes as she sipped at her own drink.
“Sorry I can’t help you Mr. Ledger,” the alicorn sighed. “I could try a magical transfer, give you a little bit of my magic, but I have no idea how alicorn magic would react with a Changeling.”
"Its fine, I'll recover eventually, as long as I'm still loved," he waved off the alicorn's concerns..
“Well alright, if you insist,” Twilight nodded.
The rest of the party went swimmingly, despite any lingering concerns the Bearers had about having a Changeling in the castle. Midnight and Rainbow had gotten into an argument about who could beat who. It was some Level Logic to the rescue, saying that Rainbow would win in a race, but she lacked the talent, experience or will to beat the Thestral in a fight.
And eventually, it was time for bed. Twilight had given Ledger and his mares a room to stay in, though it lacked a bed large enough for the four of them. It had two double beds to share, and given that they were a part of the room itself, moving them was impossible.
“Well buck, now what do we do?” Scope muttered.
That hadn’t stopped the Thestral from pinning the Changeling drone to one of the beds, passionately kissing him. He eventually got up for air, and looked to the princess still standing in the doorway.
"Think you could move the mattresses to the center of the room? Make one large bed out of it?"
“Hmm, I wonder if I could...?” She closed her eyes and opened them a moment later, filled with a brilliant white light as her wings flared and her horn shone. The light filled the room as everypony shielded their eyes and once it dimmed, it quickly became apparent to what the alicorn had done.
The second bed was gone and the first was now significantly larger. Twilight wobbled a bit as she put a hoof to her head.
“Phew... re-arranging matter is harder than I thought...”
"Midnight. No." Ledger instinctively cut off the upcoming offer his mare was about to make.
“Aww,” Midnight pouted. Ledger was getting too good at predicting her. She’d have to up her game one of these days. “And here I thought that the bed wasn’t the only thing she could make bigger~”
“You are incorrigible,” Twilight sighed.
“Then I’m back to normal then,” Midnight giggled. He rolled his eyes, but gave her a kiss anyway.
"You know we love you Songbird."
“Well duh, I’m awesome,” Midnight giggled. “Not to mention smart, sexy, talented, irresistible, sexy, amazing, humble, sexy and overall Best Pony...also, I’m pretty damn sexy~”
"Yep, you're back to normal alright." he gave Twilight a warning glance. "I suggest you flee before she actually tries to convince you to stay. One thing she didn't mention was that she's also very convincing."
“Ah, I knew I forgot something,” Midnight blinked as she gave a flap of her wings and landed next to Twilight. “So Princess Bookworm, wanna try a traditional slumber party experience?”
Twilight blinked and tilted her head as Midnight grinned and leaned closer.
“Kissing practise of course~”
There was a flash and Twilight teleported from the room as Midnight lasted all of about three seconds and fell over laughing.
"Ten Bits says she'll be back to try and read my book when we're all asleep," The Changeling drone commented from the bed. He winced as the bat pounced on him again, her eyes sparkling.
“Well she can have the book, I have what I want right here~”
Ledger tapped his horn once, to remind Midnight that he couldn't do much on his own end.
“Silly buggy, like I’d let you move even if you could.” She turned to the other two and he felt a burst of lust roll off of her. “Oh ladies? Care to give me a hoof over here? I believe that I have been missing out on many happenings here and I wish to correct that!”
The nymph and earth mare nodded and smiled, moving so they were lying on either side of Ledger. The Thestral gave a satisfied smirk and turned back to her stallion.
“Let the service begin~”
"I could get used to this," the drone observed, the amount of lust clouding his better judgement. Combined with the fact that he had been missing Midnight just as much, along with his magical exhaustion, he neglected to make sure of one very important fact before anything started.
Namely, whether they were all 'safe' to play with or not...
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... the Twilight thing I'm fairly neutral on but mostly I hope it stays to teasing.
That hint at the end? I'm in love with. 'Excellent father' indeed, Rarity.
I think we gonna see some little ledgies running around then.
oh crap, he's gonna get one of them pregnant isn't he.
Before I read this: Thadius, do you ever sleep? Like holy shit 3 updates in 3 days? You're spoiling me
6882067
It's pre-written, man. The entire thing has already been decided.
Though, you don't get to ask for details. That would be spoilers~
Vote twilight for new herd member 2016. Also yay for ledgie dad!
As much as I love Twilight and think She and Level would be adorable, 4 mares is a bit much.
6882072 So how many more chapters are left....and will there be another story?
I second the "alicorn joining the herd" crowd. Midnight does need the full set. LOL
That last line, though.
I have a sickening feeling 'bout that.
6882010 I hope the world can handle a mini midnight with the brains of its father aka ledger. Then you still have narrow and Amy's offspring if those two couples have any xD.
*don't think I could
I think you meant "a changeling."
First of all, she exploded? When? Secondly - Can you do that? Can you explode twice?
Aaaaand the ending. Scope, prepare your mothering skills! (God help them all...)
6882385
Changes made, thanks for spotting the errors~
6882054 nah money says with his luck all three
6882385
At the end of Feeling Pinkie Keen when it was shown that the hydra wasn't the doozy Twilight exploded into rage mode with flaming mane & tail and had changed to white fur. Also she could be talking about when the Elements vaporized Twilight to make her an Alicorn.
6882072 So, if someone were to, perchance, ask for hints, your reply would beeeeee..........
eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2015411/rs_500x200-150511134715-tumblr_n4p91soGhq1sep00so8_500.gif
I am guessing that is not foreshadowing at all right?
Is it weird that my very first though was 'how would she even know what an airline announcement would be?'
That's not weird right?
it is weird isn't it.
Looks like Ledgers taking the girls for a ride, but its going to get rather bumpy ahead.
Exactly what I was thinking ever since she admitted to liking Ledger!
Fooooooooooreshadowing~
Yay, Ledger's healed!
I hope we get more Chryssie soon.
6883588 five words. 'she is freinds with pinky'. at this point, i would not be supprised if she knew what a intergalactic coliny ship with a blackmatter warpdrive was...
Well crap. Time for babies!
it was oatmeal though.
Oh geez i don't know, could it by chance have anything to do with that little incident a thousand years ago and the possibility of the only other alicorn at the time doing something similar
oh, this made me think of that sexy fan-comic "the usual" by "pyruvate" (or is it pryuvate, i can never get it right) where Aloe and Lotus give Rainbow Dash a "tongue bath"...and that's just for starters!
Random chance, personality quirks and some maneuvering from Celestia
I disagree
With all the chaos... No wonder they forget some 'details' ¯\_
_/¯
Cough...
Especially Midnight being weeks of her anti pregnancy medication.