Resolution
“How did you know where I’d be?” Warden asked quietly, his head on his hooves, staring at Swarm’s grave.
Kuno raised a brow, looking at him sideways, her expression quizzical.
Warden gave a soft laugh, burying his nose against his hooves. “I guess that is kind of a stupid question...”
“We always seem to have our big emotional moments right here, in front of your ex-wife,” Kuno said with a faint, wry smile.
Warden nodded gently, rubbing his nose with a hoof. “How... how hard was it for you to keep it a secret for so long?”
Kuno’s ears splayed back. “I wish I could say it was easy... but it was so hard...” She shook her head slowly, rubbing at her cheek with a hoof, frowning deeply. “Especially when you kept telling me how in love with me you were... and how your greatest fear was waking up one day and not being in love with me in any more...”
Warden nodded gently, looking up at her. “So it was pretty hard, huh?”
Kuno nodded gently. “Indeed... the guilt was tearing at my insides... but I resolved to make you happy. I... I didn’t think that we could survive you finding out that it had been a spell all along. And... and I was terrified of losing you. I know I’m probably a monster... but between having you know the truth, and losing you, or you being blissfully unaware and happy with me... I’d take you being happy with me every time.”
Warden nodded again, rising to his hooves shakily and wrapping his forehooves around the changeling, kissing her neck gently. “I understand. It... must have been really bad.”
“How are you so understanding?” Kuno asked, pinning her ears back and sniffing faintly, kissing the bridge of his nose.
“I put myself in your place,” Warden said simply.
“Explain,” Kuno said, confused.
“Well... you had this weak stallion show you sympathy... you used this spell on him, you started to siphon love from him... And then... you started to fall in love with him. You left because you couldn’t handle the guilt... but you decided that he’d be happiest if you were with him to keep him happy... and that kept you happy. But the more time you spend with him, the more attached he grew to you... You did everything for him, you were in love with him. You turned into a dragon for him... but always, there was this terrible secret hanging over it that it was all just... a spell. A facade. He wasn’t really in love with you...” Warden trailed off, scratching a hoof against his cheek delicately. “You kept it a secret because you care about me, and because you love me.”
Kuno sniffed faintly, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I-I don’t deserve you,” she whispered softly, looking away.
Warden shook his head, pulling the changeling’s head around so he could lay a gentle kiss against her lips. “Life isn’t fair. Take the good things and hold onto them with both hooves. I know I’m not going to let you go, no matter what.” Warden pressed close to the changeling, holding around her tightly with his hooves. “Even if you’re not perfect... even if you’re a monster... you’re my monster. You’re my...” Warden licked his lips nervously, before finishing quietly: “You’re my sunshine.”
Kuno’s ears splayed and she melted a little on the inside, squeezing Warden tightly with her hooves, sniffing faintly and nuzzling into his neck. “I-I love you Warden... I-I love you so much.”
“I know,” Warden said with a gentle smile.
Warden and Kuno arrived back at their home nearly an hour after they started walking. Warden had injured his hoof repeatedly when he struck her, and he needed support to even get back home, limping heavily, leaning on the changeling.
Kuno, for her part, was already beginning to heal. The trauma Warden had imparted on her face in his rage was already fading, and Kuno was returning to her usual cute self.
Warden stumbled and splayed out right in the middle of the hallway once he got inside the front door, resting his head on his good hoof and closing his eyes.
Kuno picked her way around him, rolling her eyes slightly. She headed to the kitchen, digging out a slice of wedding cake and stuffing her muzzle with it, before heading back towards the front door.
“Where’re you going?” Warden asked wearily.
Kuno raised a brow down at him. “You heard my entire conversation with Chrysalis, right?”
Warden nodded meekly.
“Then you know that she is in possession of a magic spell that can allow her access to a pony’s heart through subtle manipulation. And she’s hell-bent on getting at Shining Armor,” Kuno pointed out calmly, opening the front door.
Warden groaned faintly, pushing himself to his hooves. Kuno paused at the front door, looking back over her shoulder with a frown. “You don’t have to come with me. I’m just going to go warn Cadance and Shining Armor of what is going to happen.”
Warden shook his head, stumbling over to the panting in the hallway and pushing it aside, reaching down into the wall to pull out the packet of powdered Greenswathe. He opened it up, frowning slightly. “You’re going to be potentially facing a changeling queen, and I doubt you’ll be able to turn into a dragon this time around... Not to mention that you have to convince Shining Armor that there’s a subtle spell that his wife can’t detect. They’d instantly be suspicious of you for so many reasons. It’ll just be easier with me there.”
Kuno paused at that, and then gave a gentle nod. “You’re right.”
Warden gave a faint smile, and then pressed the packet against his nose, inhaling hard. He paused as he drew back, scrunching up his face and then sneezing repeatedly. A shiver passed down his form, and then he bounced slightly in place, nodding once. “I’m ready, let’s go.”
Kuno gave him an uncertain look, ears pinning back. “I’m not letting you fly there.”
“There isn’t exactly a train outside,” Warden stated flatly.
Kuno nodded once, pushing the door open and stepping outside. Her form shivered, and with a flash of green, the shape of a griffon resolved itself, nearly twice as large as Warden.
Warden stared. “I didn’t realise griffons were so huge.”
“They’re not,” Kuno said, clicking her new beak impatiently. “Climb on.”
Warden delicately stepped over to his now-griffon wife, climbing carefully up onto her back.
“Hold on around my chest, not my neck. And don’t pull out any feathers,” Kuno stated flatly, clicking her wicked-looking beak for punctuation.
Warden nodded, wrapping his hooves around her.
Kuno extended her new, massive wingspan, and then leapt into the air, darting off towards Canterlot.
Nearly half an hour later, Kuno landed at the outskirts of Canterlot, and Warden stumbled off her back, staggering slightly and then slowly stretching.
Kuno shuddered and reverted back to her default non-changeling form: the white pegasus with blue mane and tail.
“So...what’s our plan?” Warden asked, rubbing his forehead and stretching slowly.
Kuno hummed thoughtfully. “Well... it’s not morning yet. Night court is probably still in session. Hopefully Shining Armor is on call. I know they keep a few guards on hoof during the court.”
Warden raised a brow at her slowly. “How do you know all this?”
Kuno gave a faint giggle at that, shaking her head. “We took over Canterlot once, remember?”
“Ahhh, right,” Warden said, scratching his head with a hoof.
“So...” Kuno said, shifting her weight from side-to-side awkwardly. “We’re cool... right?”
Warden raised a brow. “You need to ask?”
Kuno nodded, nudging him and beginning to walk into the sleepy Canterlot.
Warden sighed faintly. “I love you, Kuno. You’re a changeling. Surely you can feel it.”
“But it was so... sudden. You went from... hating me, to loving me, in a few hours. I feel like... like maybe the spell came back or something...” Kuno admitted, ears flattening as she looked away.
Warden shook his head, giving a faint smile, stopping and then pulling Kuno around to face him, a hoof on her chin. He leaned in to kiss her nose gently. “I love you, Kuno. And it isn’t magic this time... and even if it is somehow magic, that’s fine. The point is... you’ve done enough for me so far for me to fall in love for you anyway. It just... took me a few hours to get over the urge to beat you senseless.”
Kuno smiled, kissing his nose and then continuing to walk towards the castle. “Thank you for being so awesome, Warden.”
“Hey, it’s not like a lot of choices,” Warden teased, wiggling a hoof at her. “And I’m married to you. Kinda stuck!”
“Mine forever,” Kuno purred, pressing close to him as they walked, kissing his neck happily.
“Focus, Kuno,” Warden said with a faint smile. “We have a prince to save.”
The two Dark Guards at the front gates of the Royal Palace reluctantly moved aside to allow the two pegasi into the court when Warden announced to them that he had an urgent message for Shining Armor on behalf of the Reserve Guard. Technically, Warden hadn’t been a member of the Reserve Guard since the court hearings where he had defended his actions in keeping company with a changeling. He had been ‘temporarily withdrawn’ from the Reserve Guard program pending the court’s decision, and had simply never gone back.
Kuno and Warden walked through the front gates, and then immediately headed for the night court building.
Another pair of guards stood aside to allow them into the building itself, and Warden and Kuno stepped inside the doors.
Princess Cadance and Princess Luna were both sitting on a throne each, being addressed by a farmer who had a complaint about a swarm of parasprites ripping down his barn, which he needed to house feed his cattle for the coming season.
Kuno paused and sat down at the side of the court, and Warden sat next to her, blinking once. “No rush?”
Kuno shook her head gently. “No rush. It’s a subtle spell that I gave her... and it takes a long time for it to work. And it requires a certain amount of non-magical work. It’d take quite a long time for her to actually get anywhere... which begs the question of how exactly she intends to get that close to Shining Armor with any kind of regularity...”
Warden hummed thoughtfully, rubbing a hoof against his chin, and then scrunching up his nose.
“Wonder Weed messing with your senses?” Kuno asked with a faint smile.
Warden nodded, poking out his tongue in distaste. “Can’t taste anything and my fur feels like a thick glove.”
Kuno giggled, before she stiffened, whirling to face the door.
There was the reverberating sound of magic, and then the doors were pushed open by Queen Chrysalis herself. The slumped forms of two struggling guards were visible just outside the door, the both of them trying to force themselves up from a green magical glow holding them firm to the ground.
Warden’s eyes widened, and Kuno leapt to her feet. They were all beat to the punch by Princess Luna, who threw herself from her throne and towards the changeling queen, squaring her stance. A flash of blue engulfed the princess’s form, and suddenly, she was encased in stylish silver armor from nose to hooves.
“Release my guards immediately!” Princess Luna demanded, a hoof lifting imperiously.
Chrysalis gave a snort of contempt, and her horn magic faded. The guards immediately rose, scooping up their spears and moving to stand on either side of the queen, points of their spears pointing inwards.
Kuno’s eyes narrowed, before they widened slightly, and she murmured. “Oh you sneaky bitch...”
Warden opened his mouth to ask for an explanation when Chrysalis gave a shrug of her shoulders. “I am here to turn myself in. My hive has exiled me. I wish to... impart information on their destruction to you.”
Luna stiffened slightly, staring at the changeling queen from under her helm, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“This seems a bad plan,” Warden stated with a frown.
Kuno turned towards him slightly, hissing an explanation: “Guess who’s going to be interrogating her?”
As though to confirm Kuno’s suspicions, Chrysalis tossed her mane, eyes narrowing dangerously. “I will only divulge this information to your highest guard. He should remember me quite well.”
Princess Luna looked back over her shoulder at Princess Cadance. The princess of love was looking mutinous, standing on splayed legs, breathing hard with suppressed rage. “Throw her in the dungeon! We can deal with her later!”
Princess Luna turned back to face the queen, and nodded once. “To the dungeon.”
Chrysalis gave a contemptuous snort, sneering faintly at the two princess’s. The two guards pressed closer, their spears almost touching her sides.
“Very well,” Chrysalis spat, allowing herself to be crowded towards the dungeons.
Kuno frowned, biting her bottom lip.
“Why didn’t you stop them?” Warden asked, his ears pinning back.
Kuno looked back at him, frowning deeply. “A changeling trying to interrupt a queen from being locked up in the dungeon?”
Warden paused at that, and then nodded quietly. “What do we do?”
“I don’t think Chrysalis even noticed me. So... we get the three princess’s and Shining Armor in a room together, and we lay it all out. Everything. We just have to hope they believe us.” Kuno said uncertainly.
“We could go home...?” Warden offered quietly.
Kuno frowned deeply. “What?”
“We could just go home,” Warden reiterated, looking away. “Shining Armor exacerbated my injuries when he kept me from you... I owe him no allegiance.”
Shaking her head, Kuno gently nudged him. “You know that if we just walked away, you’d never forgive yourself.”
Warden sighed softly. “I know...”
Kuno smiled, nudging his cheek with her nose. “Good, now get me an audience with Celestia and the rest of ‘em, pet.”
Warden rolled his eyes, kissing Kuno on the cheek. “You know you’re only supposed to call me that when I’m wearing the collar and the leash.”
Kuno giggled, nuzzling his gently, wrapping a hoof around him to stop him from leaving. “I... I love that we haven’t changed. Despite everything...”
Warden smiled, disentangling himself from his wife. “I know, hun, I know,” he murmured, kissing her cheek, “But we can discuss this later, when we’re not trying to save people.”
Kuno pursed her lips and nodded, pouting, “Emergencies always getting in the way of my naughties.”
Warden smiled, pushing away from her and heading for Cadance.
Kuno looked very small as she sat in front of Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor and six of the Royal Guard. Kuno was in her true form, her wings twitching nervously. Warden was sitting a little bit behind her, looking out of place.
“Chrysalis came to my home and demanded a... spell from me. It was a legacy of my old hive. A... it’s a potent love spell that takes effect over a long time. It’s very subtle, and you need to know what you’re looking for...”
“And how do we know you haven’t used this spell on Warden?” Celestia asked bluntly.
Kuno stammered at that, unsure.
Warden stepped forward. “Allow me,” he said gently, touching Kuno’s shoulder with a hoof.
Kuno nodded, lowering her head.
Warden lifted his head. “Kuno had me under her spell for... nearly two years. I have no idea. I thought that all of my feelings were mutual.”
“And this is no longer the case?” Luna asked, raising a brow.
Warden nodded once. “She lifted the spell recently. A few hours ago, in fact.”
“And yet you stand with her now?” Cadance asked, her eyes narrowing.
“I...” Warden paused, looking back at his wife. “She lifted the spell and I wasn’t in love with her any more. I... assaulted her, physically, several times. But... once I had time to think it over... I fell in love with her again... or for the first time. However you want to look at it.”
“You... realise that we cannot accept your witness, Warden?” Shining Armor stated flatly. “You have been alone with somepony who has, through your admission and her own, access to magic that muddles your mind.”
Warden nodded gently at that. “Do whatever you need to confirm this. But we have this information... and we couldn’t just sit on it.”
“Even after what I did to you in the courtyard two years ago?” Shining Armor asked calmly.
Warden gave a slow exhale, chewing on his tongue. “I was all for going back to our nice bed, considering this is the second time in twenty-four hours that I’ve needed to dose myself up with greenswathe powder to get around.”
“So... in the last twenty-four hours, you have been married, fell out of love with, and then fell back in love with, a changeling, whom has had you under a magic spell for two years subtly manipulating your emotions, only for Queen Chrysalis to come and steal the spell from your changeling wife... which is presumably what set into effect the chain of events that led to you finding about it?” Cadance asked with a raised brow.
Warden gave a single nod. “In short.”
Cadance shook her head slowly, while Luna and Celestia leaned close to eachother to exchange a short burst of whispered conversation.
“So... how do you two propose that we deal with this situation?” Shining Armor asked. “We can’t confirm your story, and if the magic does as you say it does... it would be a dangerous, insidious thing to combat.”
Kuno lifted her head, taking a step forwards. “I have an idea on how to deal with this.”
Warden laid down, resting his head on his hooves. He passed out almost instantly.
Warden and pegasus Kuno were led by an inconspicuous Royal Guard entourage to a covered carriage. Warden climbed up into it, rubbing his head, sitting down on the seat, while Kuno sat on the other side. The guard closed the door, and the carriage jolted as it started down the long path towards Ponyville.
“What’d I miss?” Warden asked, rubbing his forehead.
“Well.... Chrysalis is boned. And not in the good, happy way,” Kuno said with a soft giggle.
“How so?” Warden asked, sniffling faintly and rubbing his eyes.
“Well, I used my spell on Shining Armor under close observation of all three princesses. Cadance was the first to figure out how to ‘sniff out’ the spell, and Luna was the first to be able to lift it. I don’t think that Chrysalis knows I was there. And even if she did sense me, she’s in the dungeon now,” Kuno said with a smug smile. “And the spell is now rendered completely useless. They’ll just lift it every time she uses it.”
“They’re not going to do anything more than that?” Warden asked blankly.
Kuno raised a brow at him, a sly grin stretching her muzzle. “Not when she’s telling them changeling secrets of her own free will.”
“Why would she do that?” Warden asked uncertainly.
“Because,” Kuno began, waving a hoof, “That’s her endgame plan. I’m not sure on the details, but the gist of it is that she’ll be in the dungeon, waiting. Shining Armor will be the one to tend to her, and she’ll use her magic to make him slowly fall in love with her. Eventually, she’d be able to engineer her escape and get away, taking him with her. And she’d get him always in there with her through promises of information.”
“So... they’re manipulating her while she thinks that she’s manipulating them?” Warden asked blankly.
“Yup,” Kuno said with a grin. “Or they could just not have Shining Armor be her keeper.”
Warden sat back at that, frowning deeply and saying with heavy sarcasm, “Geeze... trying to get her jailor to fall in love with her. Who even does that?”
“Somepony who’s desperate and knows when she’s onto a good thing,” Kuno said with a soft smile.
Warden grinned at that, taking one of her hooves in his own and tugging her over to his side of the carriage, leaning in to kiss her neck and cheek slowly. “So no big fight and climatic moment?”
“The world doesn’t work like that,” Kuno chided, poking his nose with a hoof.
Warden cast his gaze at the door, and then tugged the curtain across the window to give them more privacy. “I bet we could get a climatic moment right here, if we wanted.”
Kuno gave a naughty giggle at that, looking up at her husband and then nuzzling into his cheek affectionately. “You don’t want to mull it over to make sure you actually love me?”
“I already know I love you,” Warden whispered, kissing Kuno’s nose tenderly and wrapping his hooves around her back, holding her close. “Now shut up and let’s make a baby.”
Kuno giggled again, purring and pressing close to him. “I love you too, Warden. Now gift me the magic of pro-creation, fatness, and hormonal rage.”
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Not my kind of present I guess, but whatever floats your boat Kuno.
This was perfect
Hmm, that was sneaky of Chrysalis. Let's hope she doesn't try to make that spell a bit stronger. Plus, what exactly are they going to do to the rest of the Changelings? It's not their fault they evolved to feed on emotions, is it? If anything Kuno has proven that Changelings and Ponies can live peacefully together!!
And when the carriage arrived back in Canterlot, two still blushing Royal Guards had to explain why her carriage reserved for VIP's had wing-shaped holes punched through the side, and a horn-sized on through the back......
I KNOW I'm going to use this line with my girlfriend at some point.
Great update!
I kinda wanna see if Chrysalis finds out. OH HO man i can just see the look on her face.
the best description of a pregnancy ever.
Spicy.
"Now gift me the magic of pro-creation, fatness, and hormonal rage.”
Kuno is Best Changeling.
So how does Kuno know this spell that is a secret in her hive and the queen doesn't?
Commence read.
That ended nicely there.
Kuno/Warden: Possibly the sweetest and most heartwarming wreck of a romance ever.
Also, poor Chrysalis. The manipulator has become the manipulated.
2107456
She's from a different hive.
Not completely a fan of the twist, but I like how they worked around Chrysalis knowing the spell.
That last line
2107482 Thanks
encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRJ_gE1dM_LVt9GAahMPB8SZ_AWDy_ETwHW7gdrHZ9loSp_829k
Nice
I can only imagine the awkwardness of the ponies pulling that carriage when that ending happens.
2107456 She is from a hive that had died out a while before, and at a later point was accepted into chrysalis' hive. It's said earlier in the storyline.
AP You are best writer! I must have final chapter! hahaha, Very good job with this chapter, I cannot wait to hear about their child.
Cadance: So... in the last twenty-four hours, you have been married, fell out of love with, and then fell back in love with, a changeling, whom has had you under a magic spell for two years subtly manipulating your emotions, only for Queen Chrysalis to come and steal the spell from your changeling wife... which is presumably what set into effect the chain of events that led to you finding about it?
Warden: Yes
This is probably now my favorite fanfic of all time. OF ALL TIME. Words can not express how much I love this story.
They better hope that carriage is sound-proofed
What a climax.
And soon, there will be Warden's climax.
2107642 pfft... I'd hope it ISN't.
Yay comment number 1000
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb95ci00X31qk04bto1_500.gif
Very good, very good indeed.
I can appreciate this resolution, AP. Well done.
Dat ending
I was just about to point out how Kuno aborted any chancce of a baby by turning into a griffon to turn in chrysalis...I'm happy to say you plugged that up right away though!
Yay continuity!
I love you too, Warden. Now gift me the magic of pro-creation, fatness, and hormonal rage.
well damn cant get more romantic than that lol
Can not stop laughing at the ending now
Yay another chapter. I can imagine the thoughts of guys pulling the carriage: 'Why the buck does it sway so much.'
Oh, I would love to see how Chrysalis feels right now asking for love from Shining Armor. I bet she wanted Shining Armor for the sake of having a love source very similar to Kuno when she had enough love to turn into a dragon.
2107739
An apt visual metaphor.
It's amazing and you keep wondering how it hasn't gone up in flames yet.
Booyah. Stories without epic end battles usually have the best endings, in my opinion
A few errors, though:
> But the more time you spend with him
spent
> “Hey, it’s not like a lot of choices,”
Should probably be "not like [I had] a lot of choices"
> So... we get the three princess’s and Shining Armor
umm... just "princesses" will do.
> And she’d get him always in there
"always" is on the wrong spot; should be "she’d always get him in there"
No bullshit, I love it
I didn't catch on til the end that Chrysalis' plan was essentially to copy Kuno's original situation along with the spell til they said it. Makes Kuno calling her a sneaky bitch funny.
Alriiiight
ok even though that last chapter confused me so much, I think im good now.
Absolutely beautiful. I loved it all so so much
!!!
That ending was kinda open... so... Could we um... Could we expect a Volume Three? Eep!
That ending made my spit out my drink, think some even got in my nose
Giggity.
2107619 Oh good god, wait until I finish the epilogue.
Wow. Amazing job! Thank you for keeping it clop-free!
You've done a fantastic job here; thanks for the amazing story!
hehehehehehe. will we contiue? shall there be a sequel?
THIS CHAPTER MADE THE COMPENDIUM GO: DAWWW!
WE WISH KUNO AND WARDEN THE BEST OF LUCK IN THEIR BABY MAKIN'!
Great story, hope to see more of your fics in the future.
When you think about it, Kuno is no better than Chrysalis. She fell in love with Warden whilist he was under a spell. She was scared of loosing him, even though she never truly had him. She was selfish.
Why don't they just send Chrysalis off to work in the mines below Canterlot?
And Kuno's really crazy about getting a baby
2113351 love is complex and too be blunt more trouble then its worth.
we could try too debate wether what she did was selfish or not or half and half.
but the truth is nothing we say will bring us any closer too understanding the complex workings of love.
or in this case the writers thought process