Itinerant Kingdom

by Istaran

Chapter 16: Catching a lucky break

Mirage was flying low, taking a circuitous route that null had plotted out for her. There were a few enemy changelings between her and her destination, but by winding her way through some canyons she could avoid them all and get there undetected. Whether she would find any sufficiently broken ponies to meet her kings annoyingly strict recruitment policies was another question. She was hungry, the pittance her king provided barely enough to keep her airborne, but she would follow her orders.

Suddenly, she spotted something pony-shaped falling from one of the cliff edges ahead! A burst of love surged into her from her kind, drawing on what little reserves the kingdom still had, and she was able to rush forward and intercept the faller. Catching the stallion on her back, it was all she could do to descend somewhat safely, getting some scrapes and bruises from the rough landing.

"You saved me," the stallion said, sounding disappointed. A sky blue earth pony, adult but on the small side. He had the build of a unicorn, but without the horn. He also had no cutie mark.. unusual for someone his age.

"Were you jumping, or slipping?" she asked, hopefully.

He hesitated, embarrassed. Finally he admitted, "jumping.. there's just.. nothing to live for."

"Live for me," she said. "You have to now, don't you? I rescued you, so you're mine now."

He slid off of her and slumped to the ground defeated. "Great... so what am I then.. your slave now?"

[My food,] she thought, gently drawing off just a little love from him by force. Her king immediately pulled half of it away from her, distributing it out to the others who needed it. "We'll discuss that a little later. First, tell me why were you jumping? Wait, name first, then why were you jumping." As an afterthought she offered a hoof and added, "I'm Mirage"

"Well, for starters, my mother died giving birth to me, and my father named me Dirty Cheater. After my mother, I gather. Or should I say, my mother's husband. They were both unicorns, but I was born without a horn. He obviously thought that proof enough for his suspicions," he explained.

"Ick, that's harsh, but that's hardly worth dying over. You're an adult now, just change your name and start over," she suggested.

"I guess I could do that but what would I even change it to? I'm a blank flank.. I have no idea what I'm good at. I'm a weakling with no horn and no wings. Pathetic and useless," he said.

"I have a use for you," she said, rubbing his belly and nibbling his neck. "Do you know how hard it is to find a good stallion?"

He tried weakly to push off her advances. "Well keep looking. I'm sure a cute mare like you will find one worth keeping."

She poked him hard in the chest. "Your new name is Gimpy Sexslave. You think I'm a cute mare? Your first use is flattery. I want to hear what's great about every one of my features. Now, Gimpy!" She climbed on top of him, staring him in the eye.

"You can't be serious.. " he squirmed under her. "Ugh. Alright, let's see. You've got, really bright beautiful eyes. I love the shimmery coloration on your feathers." He couldn't help but open his heart to her more as he focused on the finer features of her disguise.

"Go on," she said, rubbing her body against his. Soon he was naming off more adult appeals to her form, as he experienced them firsthoof. She luxuriated in the sweet delicious love, drinking it in greedily until he started snoring, the combined physical and metaphysical drain knocking him out.

---

The small earth pony opened his eyes groggily, trying to adjust to the dim light of the cavern. I saw him struggle, so I shifted into a unicorn, pure white but fully grown with my signature upside-down compass cutie mark, and lit up my horn. This unfortunately revealed some of the ickier leavings of the changelings, busted open pods and my slime-covered egg among others.

"Where am I?" he asked, looking around. The pegasus that had saved him, Mirage, was standing behind him, looking like a dog presenting its find to its master, even down to a bit of a butt wiggle that could almost be called a wag.

"You are safe," I said. "You are among.. it's premature to call us friends, but at the least we wish you no harm. Mirage tells me she caught you mid fall, and brought you to me. I have some questions for you, and perhaps an offer afterwards. First, who are you?"

"I'm Dir-" he caught himself using his old name, then glanced at Mirage. "Gimpy Sexslave," he said embarrassedly.

"Really. Try again," I answered in annoyance.

"Dirty Cheater. Yes, really, that's the name my father gave me," he said, sounding even more embarrassed. "The one she gave me actually sounds like a step up, especially if I'm to be used as such.."

I thought for a moment. "They're both awful. And I can't see either helping much for getting past your obvious depression. How about something more upbeat. 'Stud Muffin'. If we want to talk about you in polite company we can just call you 'Mr. Muffin'. What do you think?"

With Mirage nuzzling him appreciatively, it sounded like a really great name. "Stud Muffin it is then."

"Next question. Why? Why were you running away from your life?" I probed.

"Well, as I was telling Mirage, I just don't have anything to live for. No talent, no prospects for work, no prospects for.. okay, well, I hadn't met Mirage at the time," Mr Muffin answered.

"Bullshit. The survival instinct ingrained in every living thing should be enough to bypass all that. What's your real reason?" I accused.

Mr Muffin was silent for a few minutes, working his jaw at first, then starting to really introspect. "I just felt so useless. Like.. if I fell off a cliff, would anyone even notice I was gone? My mother died in childbirth, my father made quite clear he never wanted me in his life, and doubted I was his to begin with. No one wanted to be friends with the wimpy wingless no-horn, and I've never been any good at any job I've tried. I bet I'm not even a decent sex slave..."

Mirage slipped a wing around him. "You were fine, good even. My friends and I can help you learn some tricks to be really great."

Mr Muffin snuggled against her. "Friends? You're planning to share me, like that?"

"Do you know anything about changelings?" I asked. When he shook his head, I continued. "You know how there are several varieties of ponies, and some are less common than others? Everyone knows earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns. But there are also alicorns, lunar pegasi, and others that you may not have encountered." He nodded his head, with me so far. "Changelings are a rare type of pony that doesn't produce magical energy from eating food like normal ponies. Instead, they have to absorb it from other ponies, through the love those ponies show them. When they're being bad ponies, they can shapeshift to trick ponies into loving them while thinking they are with somepony else, but they can also be good ponies and earn love just like anypony else."

As I paused he thought this through. Finally recognition began to dawn on him. "You're a changeling," he said to Mirage, "and you want me to be your, um.. love cow. Milk me for love every day." He said it quite matter of factly, though he looked troubled beneath it all.

"We have three options available for you. Take your time and chose well. The first option is that we drain you of as much love as can be safely extracted, and then drop you off in your own bed in your own home while you sleep off the exhaustion. I and my subordinates will never see you again, and you will be free to try again at the life you sought to abandon. Or to walk off another cliff. We won't be the ones to rescue you next time. I don't want anyone to be compelled to be with us, regardless of circumstances."

I continued, "the second option is to become, as you said, a 'love cow'. We will keep you well fed and safe. You don't have to have sex with the changelings to fill their needs, but it is enjoyable for both of you, and makes it easier to love them, so I would encourage you to have your fill of sex with them. You'll be important, in a sense, especially right now. They're starving, and I've made it harder for them to gather food because I insist they not be bad ponies."

"What's the third option?" he asked. "The first two were fairly obvious, though I'm glad to hear I have the option to leave."

"I am called the Itinerant King. These changelings have sworn a blood oath to serve me, along with a few other ponies, and in exchange received not only my protection and love, but also a fragment of my power. It is difficult to explain to one who has not experienced it. However, the oath is one that cannot be undone. If you allow yourself to be bound to me, you are bound for life. We would still need your love to help feed the changelings for now. All of us who can have been giving our all to allow them to function, and search out new members of our Kingdom. I would like to invite you to join us now."

"It's.. flattering, but I'm a talentless blank flank. Don't you want somepony better to fill out your ranks?"

I shook my head. "I am only collecting those who are in some sense, broken ponies. Your depression barely qualifies, if you hadn't thrown yourself away. Victims of ongoing abuse, for example. Ponies that need to learn anew how to love and be loved. You clearly need such a lesson. And no, rutting with Mirage and the others isn't going to be enough to heal your heart. In any case the power of my Kingsblood will help you grow in might and skill." 'Kingsblood' felt like a more fitting name for it than 'fractal spider'. In our blood, they didn't really interconnect into spider shapes like they would out in the open.

"Well, this is all pretty sudden for me. Can I have time to think about it?" he said, noncommittally.

"We'll go with option 2 for now then. Enjoy your time with Mirage, and whoever else you agree to share your love with. If you need anything, ask and we will provide what we can. The other two options are each final in their own ways."

He nodded, and started to think about it, though Mirage's affections surely fogged his mind.

Comments

[drone_r0m-3]

Your new name is Gimpy Sexslave.

I don't know if I should laugh or facepalm at this.

After taking some time to think about this chapter, it felt... weird. Still can't decide how I feel about "Gimpy Sexslave".

[Amethyst Blade]

Hahahaha

[Dravkwn]

I like the name King's Blood.

[Istaran]

5934173
Well, even the king rejected the name outright. As for the pony, he needs some rehabilitation. What course would you recommend for him?

[Istaran]

5934403
oh good. Should Turbine and its spawn have a different title?

[drone_r0m-3]

5935197 Sexslave Gimpy? Slave Gimpy? oh wait... slave gimpy (all lowercase).

[Istaran]

5935208
That's Mr Muffin to you, good sir! ;)

[drone_r0m-3]

5935262 My apologies, sir. ;)