Celestia
“Is she looking to start a war?” asked my wife, looking over the latest changeling reports with pursed lips.
I was worrying my own bottom lip looking over them, “No, she is looking for something.”
“We all know WHO she is looking for.” Stated Shaded Wing.
“Well, she ain’t getting ‘im.” Shield threw the report she was reading on the table.
“Maybe not, but she may increase the number of ponies they are taking.” Shaded put his own report on the table, and I used my magic to pick it up.
“We are still giving them the bottled love from Patchwork, don’t we? Or has Spell Scroll finally made a breakthrough?” I asked nopony in particular, hoping to get an answer from one of my captains and their seconds.
“Not to our knowledge, your Highness.” Piped up Shadow Step. “But we have managed to finally get in contact with a rogue element of the changelings.”
“Did we now?” I was surprised, as I had no idea that they were even looking for it. Shaded Wing must have kept this to himself in case things go poorly and he has to take the fall for a failed mission. “And what did that rogue changeling say? I hope we at least offered them something.”
“Well, she was spooked, that’s for one.” Shaded now took a scroll from under his wing and presented it to me. I gave it a quick read while they were talking amongst themselves.
It seems that ‘Dragonfly’ almost managed to elude us in Manehattan, but they managed to corner her and properly talk to her. She was offered a substantial amount of love pills should she help us, both by being studied and compared to what we already know and by helping us produce more love for the trade-offs. That should take some pressure from Patch and help us further in gaining the changelings' trust.
That is, of course, unless Chrysalis does something stupid and causes an all-out war to break out by pushing things too far. Hopefully, she isn’t that stupid.
“… he got a date.”
“Who got a date, my love?” I asked my wife. Putting the scroll down I picked up another one and unfurled it (“Seems that Impulse isn’t keeping his muzzle shut as much as I hoped. At least he isn’t mentioning changelings so far.”)
“Patch. He got himself a date set up with a Sparkle.” My wife had a wide grin on her muzzle, and I was eager to flash one of my own. Sparkle household was indeed a good choice. What they may lack in size they certainly make up for it in connections. I do not remember in the last century when a Sparkle was far from the throne, in some way or another. The current head of the household Aurora Sparkle and her husband Perfect Service are responsible for over half the castle's maids.
“That is fantastic. Does anypony know when?” My wife shrugged and Shadow Step facehooved hard enough to be heard.
Shaded chuckled, “In two days, your Highness. They are going to a small, casual restaurant called Garden Nibble. A nice place; I took my wife there about a month ago.”
“Speaking off…” Started Shadow, looking at me with a frown, “Do we HAVE to have members of our team shadow Patchwork in the first place?”
“Yes, we do.” Was my Shields’ immediate response, she opened her mouth to continue but I was faster.
“I know you may think that there is no need to do so, but I do have my reasons for it, my dear.”
Shadow wanted to respond, but a quick shake of her captain’s head dissuaded her.
“Your Highness?” Came a hoarse voice from my right. It seems that Parchment is still a bit sick from his cold. Why he insists on working, I do not know.
“Yes, Parchment?” I started putting everything in order in front of me, as I had a good idea why he was interrupting us.
“Your three o’clock is coming up, I know you wanted to meet with Lord Pants today without exceptions.” Lord Silky Pants was indeed an important meeting today, and I had to attend it without fail.
I gave my small team their future assignments and left the meeting room. Hopefully, it will continue to just stay that way. I do not need a war room in my castle, nor do I want one.
Patchwork
I was sweating bullets.
I am currently standing near the indicated meeting spot, on the corner of the main street called, well, Mane Street, and the crossing street called Saddle Road.
Today I was going on a date with Twilight Velvet. I am of half a mind to act out and leave, or make the date go horrible, but… I’m just not that kind of person. I’ll go through this date, have a nice time, and then I’ll just tell her that…
“Ha, you’re the stallion that cost me my test!” Came a shout on my left, making me jump all the way to the top of the building I was under. She nearly scared the fur off of me.
“Hey, you okay up there?” She shouted at me again, and I was rethinking my decision of going down. But she did not look mad, quite the opposite. I was to tread carefully.
“I’m okay,” I shouted back, gliding down in slow, lazy circles.
It gave me a good few seconds to get my bearing and study her as I was gliding.
She looked exactly as I remember her from our impromptu meeting/accident three months ago. He grey fur is shiny, clean, and healthy and her mane and tail have been well tended to. Her blue eyes beheld nothing but mirth, and for a second I got lost in them. Shaking my head, I noticed her smirk.
Huffing I landed in front of her with a soft clop. “My apologies, I was very much lost in thought.”
“’My apologies’? This is a casual date, my dear, no need to be so formal.” She came up to me and gave me a quick and gentle hug. One that I returned without thinking. Ponies were much more physical than humans.
“Sorry.” I apologized again. “My friend probably already told you my name,” I cleared my throat, swallowing dry (‘she is very pretty’), “but I’d rather introduce myself still.” I took a step back and bowed quickly with a flourishing wing thrown to the side, being still cautious not to hit any passer-byes, “The name is Night Front, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I sensed quite a bit of amusement and curiosity from her, and she returned my cordial introduction with a much simpler one, a hoofshake.
“The name is Twilight Velvet, and the pleasure is all mine.” After our hoofshake, I waved her over with a wing and we took our time going to the restaurant, we still had some extra time.
“So, you mind if we talk while we get there, or do you wish to wait?” She asked me after a minute of silence.
“I don’t mind talking, just a fair warning I’m not familiar with any current topics.”
“Nothing like that silly,” she laughed, it was a very pleasing laugh, someone would be very happy with her, “tell me a bit about yourself, what do you like, what’s your favorite color, favorite food, stuff like that.”
“Well, I’m similar to Night Light, I like for everything to have its place, I like to read and learn, but I also like to exercise and do stuff with my hooves. My favorite colors are pink and blue, my favorite food is chocolate-chip cookies and sweet stuff like that.” That got me a giggle and I smiled in return. I nudged her with a wing, prompting her with it to go on herself.
“Well, if you must know, I really like to read and I’m hoping to be an editor one day, I also like exciting stuff, like rollercoaster rides. My favorite color is purple, and my favorite food is my mom’s carrot lasagne.”
“What’s your favorite game?” Came out of my mouth, unfiltered. I just about facehooved when Velvet got in my face and with a swift and merciless ‘boop’ tagged me.
“Tag, you’re it!” She giggled, galloping off towards the restaurant at full tilt.
I shook my head with a sigh, but I couldn’t find it in me to hide my toothy grin. Shaking my body to limber myself up, I opened my pegasus wings and rocketed in her direction. I would be more at ease with my own wings, but these will do.
I got high enough up to not threaten the local pegasi weather ponies, but still high enough for her not to spot me when she turned her head to pick out her pursuer. She stopped and turned around, and I chose that moment to land slightly behind her with a gentle clop of my hooves. There is no way she heard it from the evening din of the streets.
“Night Front?” She questioned, slowly turning around.
I slowly raised my right hoof, waiting for just the right moment, and when she fully turned towards me, I booped her back causing her to jump back and create a sound between a shriek of fright and a sneeze.
“Tag.” I droned lazily jumping into the air and gliding the last few meters to the restaurant itself. I had a shit-eating grin on my muzzle, and it only grew bigger at the groan that came behind me.
“That was horrible.” She groused standing next to me.
“Maybe, but it was fun. Table for two, on the name Night Front.” I told the pegasus receptionist at the front.
“Night, Night… Night Front, here. Welcome, both of you to our little restaurant. Follow me, please.” She told us with a smile, grabbing two menus from the desk with her yellow wings.
We walked to the table, absorbing the cheerful atmosphere of the restaurant. Both of us were just glancing over at everything, and I made note of the various ponies I saw, and I filed them in my brain for later practice.
“This is your table.” She stopped next to a velvet rose bush and put the menus on the table.
I immediately moved over and pulled the chair for Velvet getting a raised eyebrow from her and the receptionist, but that swiftly changed into a large grin from both.
“Thank you.” Velvet chirped as I sat down on my own seat.
“Please, help yourselves to the roses while you wait for a waiter, and please, enjoy your meals.”
We both thanked her and opened up the menus. And suddenly I was completely lost.
I was never a restaurant person; I preferred takeaway and then eat in the comfort of my own home. So now, not only did I not recognize most of the food here as it had different names. I also had to know what the appetizer is and what…
“Lost?” Asked a sweet voice from across the table.
“Yeah, kind of,” I scratched behind my head sheepishly. “Honestly, I’ve never been to a place like this before, so I am kind of out of my depth here.”
“Oh, right, Light did say that you are not from around here.”
“In more ways than one,” I grumbled.
“Okay then, how about,” she took my menu in her magic and placed it on the side, “I order for us since you have been such a gentlecolt so far.” She smiled and I have again found myself smiling back, feeling an awfully familiar and very scary feeling welling up inside me.”
‘Oh, stars above, I am so screwed’.
…
The food arrived not long after. I got a fruit salad as an appetizer and afterward a strange-looking salad that looked and tasted sweet called Garden Nectar Salad. All in all, I loved it.
“Really?”
“Yup, to his face and everything. He made us collectively run thirty laps in a full gallop as punishment.” I recounted Slow Wing's wonderful belching contest and its woeful ending.
“Why all of you? I mean, wouldn’t just punishing him be good enough?” Asked Velvet in between bites of our dessert.
“It’s how guard training works, makes you stronger as a team if you are treated as a collective… Also, we were all kind of taking part. I was the referee, for some reason.”
“Eww, colts.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Why were you the referee in the first place?”
“Because I didn’t want to take part and they needed one. Least, that’s what they told me.” I shrugged my wings putting the fork down after my last bite.
“Hmm, I think we are done here.” She suddenly said, absentmindedly looking around.
I suddenly got a pit in my stomach, and it must have shown because she got a panicked look on her face.
“NO, no-no-no, nothing like that,” She waved her hooves franticly. “Look around hun, we are the last ones here.”
I did look around, we were the very last people here, all the other tables were cleared and set, the restaurant was getting ready to close.
“Buck, I didn’t really notice.” I half-whispered.
“Neither did I, but I enjoyed myself, so that might be why.” She said with a smile and a giggle. The ceiling suddenly got very interesting.
“Shall we?” She asked after another giggle.
“Let's.” I wanted to honestly scream. What was I doing here?
We walked in silence for a few minutes after we said our happy goodbye to the restaurant staff (leaving a nice tip to boot). It gave me a good while to stew in my own thoughts, and to decide what I want to do now.
It wouldn’t do good to lie to myself and say that I did not enjoy myself, Tartarus, I had fun. But it wouldn’t work.
Velvet is supposed to end up with Night Light, they are supposed to be together and have two wonderful kids that would go and do amazing things. I was just a bug, in every sense of the word.
Something warm, and slightly damp on my cheek shook me out of my thoughts. Looking to the side I noticed Velvet with closed eyes being AWFULLY close to me. She pulled back with a large smile while I watched her incredulously trying to piece everything together without running to the hills like a maniac screaming.
“Thank you for today, Night Front. I had fun,” she tilted her head to the side adorably. “We should do this again sometimes, but something simpler.”
I nodded my head numbly. The tingle of her lips on my cheek was an ever-present feeling.
“Umm, picnic?” I asked.
“Sure, I’d love a picnic,” she hopped a few times with glee. “How about next Restday? Not tomorrow, but next week.”
“Sure,” I continued to act like an idiot, but it seems to work as she laughed (at me I think) gave me another peck on the left cheek, and then pranced away happily. I think she said goodbye, but I was far too lost to react appropriately.
Shaking my head violently I opened my wings, not caring if I hit someone, and rocketed out of there as fast as I could.
I wasn’t paying attention to where, or how long I was flying. I wasn’t even paying attention that I was back to my buggy self. All I wanted was to rant and rave at myself. How could I fuck this up so much? I was supposed to be only a stumbling block here, nothing else.
She was supposed to have a bad date, Light was supposed to break up with Sparkle and then Velvet and Light would get together and that would be it!
I landed at the front door of my room at the academy. I was still myself, but I knew for a fact that no one was around anyway to notice me. At least, I hoped.
Opening the door I entered our room, spotting Night Light in bed and fast asleep. I went and had myself an invigorating shower, brushed my fangs, and climbed into the bed. I wasn’t tired, but a nap would be welcome.
Closing my eyes, all I could see was that beaming smile, and those beautiful eyes. I was royally fucked.
Wait… Royalty?
is her gonna tell celestia now then. this can only go well
Maybe a Herd with 4 ponys? I can imagen it work.
Love the story :) Very enjoyable read. Found a spelling mistake at end 'no one was around anyway to notice me. At least, I "hopped".'
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Thanks for spotting that, I fixed it. :)
There's afew interesting theories regarding the 6 element bearer, such as the whole destined to be born, reincarnated welders from the past etc. Maybe we still get Twilight, just a bit more buggy? Just a thought
Будет забавно, если Пэчворк окажется чем-то типа "короля" для чейнджлингов и от его романа с Вельвет родится новая "королева" по имени Твайлайт.
Всего наилучшего.
So Patchwork is going to tell Celestia the truth of the future? Can he not just tell, but show her. Transform into Princess Twilight Sparkle.
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That's kind of what I'm hoping for. Though, with the full transformation he can do, I don't think she'd get any physical traits. Magical ones are more likely, so probably emotive sense, empathy, and maybe an extra magic core to do cool stuff. I'm curious about how Shining is going to turn out though.
The new anime, starring Twilight Sparkle: "What do you mean, 'My dad's a changeling who was sent to another world'!?!?!"
I just can't get over that relationship dynamic of the MC being twi's dad. I haven't read it before, and this is shaping up to be an amazing execution of it.
He really should stop agonizing about his precious timeline. It's altered, stop trying to fix it and.... Oh right, that's the crux of the story isn't it? 😂😇
Actually that's a good question, are changelings and ponies compatible in this AU? Or maybe he's special due to circumstances. A hybrid hybrid!
Here is a thought, before you try some zany scheme and make a mess of things... Tell Celestia the TRUTH!
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I'm definitely liking the idea, though I think adding afew buggy bits Twilight has to hide or only allow close friends to know about might be interesting and add to a story.
Thanks for chapter!
Have a good day :D
If this had been a youtube video, this would have been the perfect place for a segue into a sponsored advertisement for a certain annoying mobile game.
Maybe Twi and Shiny can still be born as half-lings? He heh…
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I want this... I want this *so* BAD
I’m ready worried now.
This is all a very slippery slope.
Patch only knows the "human" perspective from the show, and it doesn't go much into details from before the day Nightmare Moon and Luna returned.
Messing with the past when you don't know everything is hazardous. Patch believes that Night Light will get together with Twilight Velvet and have two very important children, but he doesn't know that details of how or why that happened. Where did they first meet? What was their first date? What did Velvet see in Night Light that she liked? Was it a typical relationship or something different? And does he tell Celestia what he knows, explain to her the future that may be a possibility? No matter who they are, once they are told something, they can not be expected to not act on what they heard.
At the moment, Patchwork is grasping at threads, trying to stop the large tapestry that is the "future" from unraveling. Can't really blame him, it is in our nature to hold onto something familiar, because it is comforting to be sure of the world around us. The problem then lies with the "future" we all saw from the show.
This world is Equestria, a place that has magic and ponies. We know that statement to be true. But he has already learned various differences between the world he knows and the world that is his reality; one big example being that Luna and Nightmare Moon were not forgotten by the general public and no creature we have seen holds any ill will towards Luna. The world is similar to the show... but as time moves on it is turning out to be a different reality and everything he thinks he knows will be pulled into question.
To move on, Patchwork will eventually have to look at the "future" from the MLP show less-like a step-by-step walkthrough, and more like a guideline to base off of. For now, he will need to stop looking at the end of the road and hoping the path will be a straight shot. He will now have to be cautious, and look to the road ahead of him, not at the end. Only then will he see the curves the road makes. And when he finds himself at an intersection, he will have to decide if one path is the better route to the end.
Either way, it will not be an easy path to walk.
"The Future's not set; there's no fate but what we make ourselves."
--Sarah Connor
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An apt quote for a human perspective in a human world. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), this is Equestria we are talking about. When it comes to fate and destiny, there are far more powerful forces at play. In the unending conflict between Harmony and Chaos, Patchwork may come to discover that no matter what actions he takes, ultimately the results will be the same.
"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.”
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Another favorite quote of mine, and also an apt one.
The possibility always existed that no matter what Patchwork could do, the future he saw in the show would still be created. A video game called Quantum Break does a really good job of that concept, in my opinion. But, in theory, one can avoid their fate and change the future they saw if they know exactly how it happens down to every detail. And in most cases where a person avoiding their fate ends meeting it, they were not in control of enough factors and overlooked one thing that tumbled their house of cards. But in that theory one will then have to consider the consequences of changing something so sturdy as the future, but I digress.
In the end, since us humans can still only see and/or travel one way on the timeline, these perspectives will remain in the theoretical and can't be tested to prove one correct or not. The goal of my previous comment was merely to voice the opinion that Patchwork doesn't actually have any concrete proof that the "Equestria" he saw in the show is the same as the "Equestria" he now lives in, and so relying fully on his knowledge from the show may prove to fail him if he is not careful. Which is why I proposed one possible way to move forward; keep in mind the future he remembers, don't forget it, but keep his gaze ahead of him and roll with the punches as they come.
If he does that, then if the forces of Harmony and Chaos controlling fate do hold true, or something entirely different happens, he will have a better chance to react.
"I wasn’t paying attention to where, or how long I was flying. I wasn’t even paying attention that I was back to my buggy self. All I wanted was to rant and rave at myself. How could I fuck this up so much? I was supposed to be only a stumbling block here, nothing else."
It's painful to see him succumb to his feelings.
If he reacted logical instead of dumb he could have salvaged the situation, I think.
spoiler tags just to be on the safe side.
Kinda hoping something happens that salvages everything
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Everyone is talking about Twilight and that now she will be half-changeling. BUT!
Everyone forgot about one pony:
Shining Armor!
Although some still remembered
As opposed to a dishonest scream...?
In truth I am enjoying this story. Mad Props for being willing to take on a pre-show era like this. It isn't an easy thing to do in fanfiction and you are knocking it out of the park.
The butterflies have grown to Mothra-size now, one of them has begun eating the Crystal Empire State Building, more at 11.
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Yup the set up is very good, exept for twilight being allege as patchworks daughter but that just an ant of a problem to the two story building that is good of a story