> My Son is a Changeling
>  by Draconian Soul
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Delivery
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is Shining Armor.  You know that royal guard that married Cadance and is now a prince of the Crystal Empire.  Yeah, you wouldn’t think somepony like me would have any problems in his life outside of occasional attacks.  I got a beautiful wife, a great nation to protect, lovely civilians.  Nothing could turn it upside down.

Or so I thought.  As it would turn out that I’m the father of a changeling.  Yeah I know, completely insane.  Well, after trying to deal with this dilemma, my life took many twist and turns until I eventually ended up in the situation I’m in now.  What situation you might ask?  Well I could tell you now but that would only further confusion.  So I’ll start from where it all began, back about two weeks ago.

It was one of those lazier days.  Not much activity going on and my wife was doing some boring meeting, so there wasn’t much to do but patrol the Empire every now and then, and even that got tiring.  So after a good hour of doing, well honestly nothing, I went back to the palace to kick back and unwind on the balcony.  I got to say, living here is a lot different from my childhood home back with Twilight.  Never in my life did I think I would be living the life of luxury, staring down at the citizens as the carried on with their everyday lives, enjoying the scenic view of the empires glow.  All there was for me to do was kick back with my wine cup and just soak in the warmth and gentleness of the air.  And really, how could you argue with that.  With sleep trying to overwhelm me, I decided to lay back on the recliner and began to drift into a short nap.

Knock knock.

A very brief one at that.  Awoken from my peaceful sleep by a loud rapping on the door of the palaces living quarters, I lazily rubbed my eyes to wipe away the blurry vision.  I wondered if it was my wife getting out of the meeting early, or maybe one of our guards wanting to inform me of something.  Either way, he or she was being really impatient.

Knock knock!

“In a minute!”  I stated trying to make myself slightly presentable for whoever was at the door.  Making my way through the bedroom, I brushed my hair with my hoof as to not look messy and then opened the door.

“Well, how are you to…” 

The sight of the thing I was looking at silenced me and any anticipation of knowing who this was.  The long, tall, and lanky black demon spawn who had more holes in her than Swiss cheese.  The changeling queen herself, Chrysalis.

“Hey Shining!  Long time no see,” she greeted with a mocking tone.  Me personally, I greeted her in a way which I thought she deserved.

Slam!

I barricaded the door with my body to prevent her from coming in in hopes that she would eventually grow tired and try to leave.  However, the ever so resilient queen kept banging away at the door.

“Let me in now you barbaric fool!” she screamed with rage at being disrespected.

“No!” I refused.  “How did you get through the guards anyways!?”

“By turning into one you idiot!  Now let me in; it is of the utmost importance that I see you instantly!”

“Go away now!  I’m giving you a chance to leave me and my people alone.  You don’t want to be here when my wife arrives!”

“So what if she shows up!” Chrysalis hissed, “That means she gets to see what you helped make!”

Wait, what did she say?  “What are you talking about?  What did I helped make?”  She stopped beating on the door momentarily and smugly answered me.

“Why not open the door and find out.”

This was a risky gamble.  This was the creature that mentally broke me and tried to destroy a place I held near and dear to me.  I could not allow her to do something similar again.  However, that was also when she caught me off guard.  If the situation called for it, I could always defend myself.

“Fine I’ll let you in.  But no tricks got it!” I demanded.

“ Wouldn't dream of it Shiny.” Chrysalis continued her mocking quips.  While annoying, it was nothing too pressing.  I took a deep breath and opened the door, watching as the fanged changeling walked into my bedroom as if she owned the place.  As she walked past me, I noticed a giant satchel like bag strapped across her back.

“Hmm, nice bed,” she complimented while pressing on the soft sateen sheets.  “I wonder though, do you use it often or is it generally left cold?”

It was blatantly obvious what she was implying and I found myself getting very annoyed by her.

“That’s none of your business!”  She giggled at my disdain.  She knew I was uncomfortable with her presence and she drank that fact in giddily.  “And what’s with the giant bag you have strapped on you?”

When I asked this, I noticed a change in her demeanor.  She gazed at me with her glowing emerald eyes with a serious expression.

“Well glad you asked.  As you know, we have spent some time together while I was masquerading as your wife, and by doing so I did things she would normally do just to keep you around for my, well, plot to feed off of Canterlot’s ponies.”

“Yes I’m aware of that,” I coldly responded still looking at the bag.  I could have sworn I saw it kick.  “But what does that have to do with you being here?”

“Well…you see…” the queen in question started fiddling with her hair trying to figure out a way to explain it.  “I think you will understand better if you see him for yourself.”

Him?  Many thoughts were swirling in my mind, some I chose to dismiss on the grounds of them being stupid.  Chrysalis slowly set the bag on the ground and unzipped it, using her hoof to tell me to look inside.  I walked over and peered inside to find out what was inside the bag.  What I found was a baby changeling sleeping.  It had all the components.

A jagged tiny horn: check

Holes in his hooves: check

Albino skin color: che…wait.  Albino skin color?

The little changeling stretched and let out a tiny squeak as he woke up from his slumber.  As his eyes widened I noticed something else disturbing.  He shared my same eye color.  His irises were not like normal changelings; they shared similarities to ponies.

“Wh…why does he look similar to me?” I asked practically delaying the inevitable.  Apparently she found this amusing because she trotted towards me and caressed my face with her hoof, smiling coyly.

“Well, Shining Armor, it’s because he’s our son.”

At that moment I could feel my heart drop.  I nudged Chrysalis back and scooted away from her still in shock and disbelief.

“How?  We never…I never…”

“Oh yes we did,” she stated matter-of-factly.

“No we didn't.”  I was still denying the possibilities as best as I could.

“Yes…we did.”  It was obvious she was getting annoyed of my denial.  “Remember when you swayed ‘Cadance’ to have some fun with you a few days before the wedding?”

That sadly was all the info I needed to confirm it.  The pony I spent that night with wasn't a pony, and worse of all, I got her pregnant.  It was practically cheating without the knowledge of you cheating.  I sat there with my hooves over my face.

“Why?”

“Oh, it’s not that bad,” Chrysalis assured me while holding the albino changeling who was happily nibbling on her ear.  “Little Kilo here is a nice child.  He shouldn't be any problem for you, except for the occasional acid he might spit up.”

I honestly was kind of disgusted with that fact.  “I have no problem with the kid…well, I do, but what I’m questioning more is why you are bringing him now.  That was nearly a year ago!”

“I know it feels like I’m springing him onto you quite suddenly,” she began to explain, “but my Empire hasn't done well with finding enough love to feed on.  And because you and your uppity wife practically banished us from ponykind, we have to do some hunting.  And that’s why I brought Kilo to you.”

Chrysalis held the baby towards me as his stubby little arms reached for mine.  As awkward as the situation was, I couldn't deny the fact that he was kind of cute.  I reached for him too and took him from his mother’s arms.  Eager to see his…ugh…father, he made a melody of bubbly sounds that sounded almost bug-like.  “Well, that’s understandable and all, but why not just have somepo..er…changeling from your Empire do it.”

“You obviously don’t know much about changelings if you had to ask that. “Chrysalis found my ignorance of the changeling species to be quite adorable for some odd reason.  “Changelings, especially when they are young, do not accept just any old changeling to care for them.  They know who their birth parents are from birth even if they have never seen them.  If any other creature or changeling tries to raise them, they will immediately be on the offensive and attack the one who doesn't carry its parents scent.”

That would explain why the kid was so comfortable with me.

“You should have seen little Kilo the other day,” the Queen gushed rubbing the babies cheeks.  “When one of my servants tried to touch him without warning he used his cute little fangs to bite down on him.  He has a pretty impressive set of chompers; managed to tear into the guy’s skin!”

Chrysalis proudly praised Kilo’s behavior, though I personally thought she was getting too happy about the kid trying to rip a changeling apart.  And even with the knowledge she gave me, I still had my doubts.

“I don’t know Chrysalis.  I mean, it’s not that I don’t like the kid.  It’s just you I can’t stand and I’d prefer to have nothing to do with you.”

“Blunt, but reasonably honest,” she replied.  “But just so you know you can’t neglect to take care of our child.  The Equestrian law for changelings states that if the parent is not dead and refuses to take care of the child, the other legal guardian is entitled to take their life as well as the life of one of their family members.”

“What!  Where in the Holy Buck does anything like that come up in any legal document!” I exclaimed defensively as my horn glowed.  I did not appreciate anyone making threats towards my family, especially if they were idle.

“First of all, you will watch your language around Kilo!  He’s very impressionable,” Chrysalis haughtily retorted covering Kilo’s ears from my vulgar language.  “And second, it’s listed in the legal documents of Equestria, Changeling Law 5 Section C.  Maybe you should read more often.”

I rolled my eyes and calmed down.  She obviously had no intention of leaving until I agreed.

“So, let’s just say I keep this child,” I hypothetically began, “how long would you be gone on this little hunting expedition?”

Her face contorted to a surprising look of disappointment.  “You really want to get rid of me don’t you?  If it eases your mind, I won’t be around for the next three days max.”

While not as long as I wanted, any reason for her to leave me alone would suffice.  Besides, I couldn't harbor all my hatred of Chrysalis and put it on the young changeling here.  Even though it happened under unfortunate circumstances, he was my seed.

“Fine, I’ll take care of him,” I agreed and was rewarded with an unexpected hug.

“Thank you so much!  I knew you were the most sensible of the bunch.”  She let go of me to get the bag and bring it closer.  “Everything you need for him is in this bag.  There is a list of instructions on how to care for him, when he needs to sleep, and things to look out for, like the acid spit up I warned you about.  It’s also a good way to carry him around if you need to.  Anyways, thanks again and see you later Shiny!”  

When she concluded her instructions, she leaned into me and playfully pecked me on the lips.  

“Hey, you’re getting the wrong idea!  I never said I’d treat you as an item!” I exclaimed with reddened cheeks.

“Really?  A little kiss should be nothing at this point considering that we…”

“Just get out of here already,” I uttered with my hoof against my face.

“As you wish,” was her final reply until she left.  So there I was, sitting in a room with a little changeling.  An albeit cute changeling (he does take after his father after all) but a changeling no less.  I picked the smiling wide eyed child up and gazed at him.

“Well Kilo, looks like it’s just you and me now.”

In response, Kilo’s cheeks began to bulge up.  Almost instantaneously, the changeling spat up green acid that splattered on the floor and melted any part of the floor it landed on.  The kid just smiled innocently with the remaining acid leaking down his mouth.

“Great, now I’m going to have to explain why there’s a hole in the floor,” I moaned.

“YOOOOOOOOOWW!” 

Bloodcurdling screams of pain came from below as well as the sound of sizzling flesh.  I could practically guess what happened.

“Looks I’m going to have to explain that too.”





> Changeling 101
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

So there I was - sitting in the bedroom with a changeling-pony hybrid.  While I would have to explain how that happened (thinking along the lines of a failed magical experiment), and send the poor guy some chocolates to ease the pain, I needed to deal with little Kilo first.  I was still puzzled by my sudden involvement in this little changeling’s life.  I mean, I always wanted children, but I was kind of hoping that I could have some with my wife and not some…well you know.  

Cadance and I had tried to conceive children multiple times, but no matter how hard or how much we did it, it never went as planned.  The doctor kept telling us (over and over again, 'till I actually felt like firing him) that we were both fertile.  While good news, it still discouraged her.  So at the moment, I thought maybe a little baby might help ease her pain!  Well, until we actually had our own kids; and all it took was me sleeping with a changeling for that to happen.  Yeah, wasn't looking forward to telling her that.

But, like I said, everything had to wait until I took care of Kilo. I looked inside the bag, and found some basic things for taking care of a baby.  It had many essential things: diapers, bandages (just in case), and what I could only assume to be toys. Though they looked rather tattered and rotten. Courtesy of his acidic saliva, no doubt.  What I didn't find (well, in satisfactory amounts) though, was food.  There were just two bottles of formula!  I really was hoping that Chrysalis would have the decency not to rely on me for important things like food! I guess that was too much to ask...

At the bottom of the bag was an envelope with my name written on it.  She also found it necessary to leave a greenish kiss mark as well.  This constant mockery of the situation made me even happier that I wouldn't have to see her for a few days.  I tore the side of the envelope and began to read the levitating letter.

"Hello there, Shiny!  I hope you are getting used to our new relationship, and to us as the parents of our beautiful baby boy!  However, as the mother of our new child, (and you being inexperienced with the ways of the changeling), I feel it is important to write to you about some things you might want to look out for!"

“Ow!  What the…”

While I was carefully reading the note, Kilo decided to forcefully snap his jaws onto my tail, tug it, and hiss like a snake.  I wondered if she cared to leave in the note on why a little changeling was dangling on my tail!

First I would like to inform you that our little Kilo is a very playful, and prefers to chew on soft things. He also gets very aggressive while playing, so if you value your tail (or maybe your face), I suggest you keep him satisfied with plush toys!"

“Value my ta….” I barely had time to finish my thoughts, when Kilo carelessly ripped half of my tail off!

I tried to hold back hot tears of immense anger! Kilo himself looked very content, and sat there chewing on the chunks of my used-to-be tail, sporting the most childlike grin!

"Aw, I can't stay angry at you!" I said with a smirk. “Okay, Kilo, we should set some ground rules,” I said, still smirking.

I lifted Kilo up once more. His ears perked in excitement: he was being lifted up by his daddy!  I had to admit, his bubbly baby noises, as alien as they were, sounded rather cute!

“Rule number one: no biting daddy’s tail! That’s a big no-no!" I said, nudging his nose.

"Rule number two: when you need to spit, spit in the bag, OK?  Rule number three: Uh, I’ll think of something (it shouldn't take long)... Got it, kid?”

Seeing how he was just a child, I knew that he probably didn't understand a single damn word I said.  However, while reading a few "parenting" books, I found out that there were many cases where children retained and understood what their parents meant, so I was hoping Kilo might have understood something.  But, all I got in return was an annoyed and rather discomforted look on his face. He began squirming, grunting, whimpering.  Every possible baby sound was emitted from his tiny changeling mouth.

“Kilo what’s wrong?  Daddies not going to hurt…”

I stopped for two reasons: The first being rather straightforward thought.  What am I doing!? Am I really going to take all this?  I knew I couldn't do anything to the kid, but he's the child of an enemy!  An enemy I slept with without a second thought... But an enemy, no less...  

The second reason being the unpleasant barrage of nasty smells bombarding my nose.  It wouldn't take a scientist to figure out what had just happened.

“Oh, come on Kilo... You’re going to drop stink bombs on me...?” I  groaned, “Well, I might as well change you then.”

I checked the note to make sure there was nothing "special" about changing a changeling's diapers. For all I knew his waste could be toxic... or something...  Wouldn't surprise me after seeing his vomit sizzle through the floor!

Changing Kilo is rather simple: You can tell whether he's had an "accident" if he squirms in discomfort. If he soaks his diaper, just wipe him a little and change it like you would change any other baby's diaper! If he makes a big mess in his diaper, you’ll have to wipe him very well, and powder his bottom.  Make sure not to use too much powder, though.  Changeling babies have very sensitive bottoms.

“That’s it?  No toxic radioactive waste?  No explosive waste?” I asked myself, before eventually coming to the conclusion that none of that really mattered.  “Aw well, like it or not,  I gotta change this stinker!"

Kilo was pretty cooperative when it came to changing his diaper. Although that was the foulest smell I've ever had the courtesy of smelling! I was going to have to try and mask out the scent somehow...

Ha, I felt rather bad for those non-unicorn ponies: they have to lift these nasty things with their mouths!  A pleasant grin beamed across my albino changeling's face as he babbled happily with his newly-changed diaper.

“Now stay here Kilo.  Daddy will be right back!”

There was a garbage disposal area in the hall outside our living-area, so I figured it would be best to dispose of it there, so the smell wouldn't linger in our bedrooms. The quick journey gave me some time to get my thoughts together.

“Okay, having this kid around was not as bad as I thought.” I mumbled, “I mean, other than the fact that he snapped off half of my tail, he’s just a normal kid.. well, if you don't count the holes abundant in his tiny hooves. Plus, Cadance always wanted to have kids.”

I let out a brief sigh. What would my wife think of all this? "This is not our child!. I can’t bring myself to tell her about this…changeling… even if it was rather unintentional!  Maybe she won’t mind that Chrysalis birthed our child.  ‘Hey honey, I spawned a changeling child during the invasion!  I know right!  Such an odd turn of events’” I faintly snickered at my own thoughts before frowning. I knew I had no chance of selling that.

“Maybe I should just tell her I found it on the streets and decided to raise it.”

I decided to turn my attention to the note, and read the following instructions while heading down the hallway back to my room:

"Kilo spits up acid on some occasions, so make sure you clean him thoroughly! And always have some Napa leather around. It really is the only thing resistant to changeling acid!"

Well that solved my acid problem.

Also, keep close watch of Kilo and never let him out of your sight for too long. Baby changelings have a very extreme sense of curiosity (sometimes suicidal), and often put themselves in very dangerous situations. Make sure he stays safe! If he in any way gets hurt, consider yourself dead! Love you!

Well, that was a pleasant! it did have me slightly worried, though. What kind of "suicidal situation" could she have mentioned? This thoughts passed through my head as I pushed open the door to my bedroom. To my immense horror, Kilo was propped up on the balcony rails, giggling and snorting, looking down to his own doom!

“Kilo!” I yelled, “Get down from there, NOW!”

He didn't show a single bit of self-sustenance. He carelessly leaned far over the edge, and looked down to the city below. I rushed towards him, meaning to grab him, but he leaned too far and slipped off the edge!

“KILO!”  

This was very bad!  I praised Celestia that I was born a unicorn, otherwise Kilo would have met a gruesome fate!  Using my telekinesis, I carefully caught him, and slowly lifted him back up. I eventually got him safely inside, and shut the doors to the balcony as hard as I could. I flopped to the ground and heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

“Note to self: never leave the balcony doors open with this kid around...”

Apparently, Kilo found all of this very amusing! he giggled with pleasure as he bounced up and down.

“This is NOT bucking funny!!” I panted.

My stern words caused the changeling infant to jolt up, and look at me straight in the eyes. “You think this is some sort of game!? Well it’s not! You could have died, for Celestia’s sake...”

Kilo didn't respond to the outburst too well. His eyes welled up, his lips started to quiver, and a look of immense sadness covered his little face. Within seconds, Kilo’s happy-go-lucky demeanor transformed into high-pitched, ear-piercing cries.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts! Welcome the father of the year! He caused his own baby changeling to burst into tears!" I thought, rather annoyed at myself.

“Kilo, please!” I had to raise my voice a bit, just enough to be able to hear myself talk. I prayed nopony would get curious and come up to see what was going on. It’s bad enough that I have to find a way to explain this to my wife! I don’t need gossip roaming the streets of the Crystal Empire, either!

“Kilo I’m sorry!" I moaned, "I didn't mean it! I was just a bit frustrated, that’s all! You see, your mother…” Nothing seemed to be working, it's like I was talking to a brick wall. I needed to find a way to get him to calm down! Hoping there was something else in Chrysalis’s letter, I began to read what was left.

P.S. Changeling babies never get upset. In fact, Kilo himself is one of the more calmer changeling newborns.

"Then why is he wailing like a siren!?" I groaned.

However, if he does start to cry, there’s two possibilities: He’s either soiled himself, or he’s hungry.

Hungry! Of course!  Why haven't I though of that sooner?  I levitated the baby formula and trotted towards the distraught baby. When I put it up to his face, he stopped crying and curiously glared at it.

“Come on, gobble it up.” I urged.

Instead of drinking the formula, he swatted it out of my hoof, then pointed at one of my hooves.

“What could you possible want with my hoof!?” I groaned, searching the letter for and explanation.

If he rejects his bottle, you most likely will have to feed him something changelings crave the most: Your love. All you have to do is let him suckle on one of your hooves! He eats other things, too, but I did not supply any of those things, because he most likely would want to feed off you. I figured you could do some of the shopping for Kilo.

I figured she would mooch off of me! Their kind is very weird, yet oddly intriguing. This might be similar to a mother providing milk for her young!

As much as I would have liked to deny the kid from suckling my hoof, considering how he destroyed my tail, I didn't have much of a choice. I positioned my right hoof in front of his mouth.

“Well, feed up, I suppose...”

Kilo squealed happily as he opened his slobbering mouth, just to reveal a row of very pointy teeth, and began sucking my hoof.  Only seconds in, I saw what appeared to be a green aura leaving my arm.  It tingled a bit, while also making me slightly nauseous.

"You’re a hungry fellow, aren't you!”

He just kept on feeding, and feeding and feeding. The green aura kept flowing from my body into his. What concerned me was my sudden drain in energy.  No scratch that, sudden drain in life.  It felt as if the kid was sucking the life out of me!  In fact, at that moment, I was almost certain that’s what he was doing!

“Kilo…please stop…” I pleaded weakly, but with no avail.  I had enough energy left to glance at the note.

P.S.S. Just a fair warning, Kilo loves to feed! If you feel light-headed, weak, and feel like you're dying, that’s just because you let him feed too long, and he will continue to feed until there’s no more love left. Now, this won't kill you, but It will make you very weary, and most likely an aggressive emotional wreck for quite a while. I suggest that you take him off your hoof immediately, before he sucks you dry. The longer he feeds, the longer it will take you to recover. But, also, the longer he feeds, the longer he will sleep. Figure out what works for you!
And that’s all you need to know
Love and Kisses,
Chrysalis

Yep, she was definitely taking this too far. However, that was the least of my worries. I had to get Kilo off of my hoof before he completely drained me of love. With my vision slightly blurry, I moved my other (twitching) hoof towards Kilo and pushed him off. He didn't seem to resist.
Everything's good, as long as the kid is satisfied, right? And that he was, though I couldn't really say I cared at that moment.  In fact, I cared about nothing at the moment. I pulled myself towards the bed, then wearily slumped onto it, not caring enough to pull the blankets over my shivering body. I lay there for a while, staring blankly at the ceiling.
As long as the kid is satisfied right?  And that he was, though I couldn't really say I cared at that moment.  In fact, I cared about nothing at the moment.  I walked towards the bed and splayed my body across, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Yeah, everything I said about him being a normal child, I take it all back.” I moaned.

I spent the rest of the day watching Kilo play with his toys (and occasionally spit). One spit resulted in him upchucking wads of my tail, drenched with his acid. It landed on the leather and sizzled a bit. It left a smell similar to the smell when you light a match. As the hours went by, Kilo became more and more weary, until he eventually fell asleep. I gently placed him back inside the bag and slid him between the bedroom dressers. I was hoping he wouldn't wake up for the rest of the night, because I still had no intention of letting Cadance know he exists.

The mare of my dreams walked into the bedroom, just as I finished squeezing him between the dressers. She looked stunning.  My goddess approached me with a smile and gently hugged me.

“So, how was your day?” Cadance asked, pulling me bit closer to her.

“Didn't do much...” I responded carelessly.

"Well, for someone who didn't do much, how did you manage to cut holes in the floor?!  Care to explain that?" she asked.

I could feel cold sweat building up on my brow.  I needed to come up with an excuse to avoid any misunderstandings.  

"Well, I was playing around with some magic that was in one of Twily's books, so... I burned a few holes in the floor, by accident."  Wasn't the best lie to come up with, but it would have to do.

“Well at least you had fun today," Cadance sighed.  "All those meetings... It's just too tiring! Always the same thing! Financial business, signing documents, kissing babies, smiling...  Ugh, such a drag!””

She said that last line with a hint of witty sarcasm in her voice, but she had no idea how close to home that one hit.

Oh, I wished I could have spent the day with you Shining.”

Oh, I don't think so...

“But now that I’m here, how about we make up for lost time.” Cadance’s voice quickly shifted into a sultry tone as she licked her lips.  “What do you say, big boy?  Want another shot at making foals tonight?”

Deep down In my mind I was thinking: yes!. I could use a little excitement to get over the numerous headaches that changeling kid caused me.

“No." I replied lazily.

“No!?” She said, rather shocked, “Are you sure you don’t want to try again tonight? I can make it worth your while...” she said while tracing her hoof across my chest.

“Sorry babe, I’m just not in the mood today..." She looked very startled, her mouth gaping.

I had never refused such a tempting request from her, until now. She looked slightly hurt, but she soon got over it.

“Oh…well, that’s fine. I guess I shouldn't expect too much... Sorry for trying to sway you into it. I’m going to take a shower and join you momentarily, okay?”

All I could do was nod, repeatedly, most of it from exhaustion. I was still slightly disappointed at myself. Cadance leaned towards me and gently kissed me. “I Love you, my Shining Armor.” she whispered.

“Yeah...”  I replied wearily. Yet another lazy and incoherent response. I could feel that she was facehoofing on the inside.
This time I could tell my response realy hurt her feelings. She slipped off me and hurried to the bathroom.  All I could do was groan and cup my head in frustration. The effect of Kilo’s feeding still hadn't worn off, and it was already starting to sour my love life with Cadance.

“This kid,” I sighed to myself.  “What am I going to do...?”

Leaning off the edge of the bed, I glanced over at the bag, and noticed Kilo sleep soundly inside.  If Chrysalis wasn't lying, he wouldn't wake up for the rest of the night, or at least that was my hope.  But at any case, I could not leave things as they were. I needed help. There had to be somepony with better expertise and experience in raising a different species...  Somepony who could help me learn about my changeling child.  A certain sister who lived in Ponyville.

“I gotta get to Twilight.” I groaned, as I rolled over and closed my eyes.
> Auntie Twilight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Tell me why you're going again?  Cadance asked, as I tossed a small saddlebag over my back.

“I just want to enjoy a day with my sister. I don't see her very often, you know.” I felt a bit uneasy, always lying to her, yet it had to be done. I wouldn't dare tell her the truth!

“I guess you're right...” She replied. There was some tone in her voice that had me worried. I'm sure she was curious about what had happened yesterday.

“Shining, I meant to ask you something…” She said slowly.

“Yes, hon?” I replied, a bit jittery.

“Your tail…why is it...so short?”

“I thought that it was a bit too long, so I cut off a bit!” More lies. I just hope her questions wouldn't lead to the truth!

“Don't you usually trim your mane too?” She asked again, with even more curiosity in her voice.

“Yeah, well my mane isn't being dragged across the ground now, is it?!” I said through my teeth, as I was buckling my saddlebag.  

As much as I would have liked to stay and have a conversation with her, I couldn't miss the train to Ponyville. Getting there early would ensure me getting back sooner. That, and my bag was wiggling slightly, which meant Kilo was waking up.

“Well, I need to catch the train! See ya tomorrow!” I said, hurriedly.

“Wait!" She said, trotting up beside me as I was leaving the room, "About last night! Why were you acting like that?”

Another question I didn't want to answer. I hated lying to her.

“Nothing, sweetheart! I was just... tired, and not in the mood.” I replied, urging on to the hallway.

“But you sounded so...strange!" She exclaimed, still trotting beside me, "You aren't hiding anything from me, are you?”

That soft, silky tone in her voice made me feel like scum for lying to her. But I didn't want to tell the truth…at least not right now.

“Babe, I don’t have anything to hide from you I’m sorry I acted strange last night, but I promise I’ll make it up to you when I get back okay?” I replied, pushing aside the locks of hair covering her face. I slowly leaned in and kissed her soft forehead, hoping for an assuring reaction. She smiled warmly; it still had a hint of sadness, but at least I could tell she calmed down.

“You better not take long, Shining,” She cooed in my ear.  

“Wouldn't dream of it, babe” I said quietly.

I heaved a sigh as I pushed open the large, oaken doors leading to the main corridor. The joyous sunlight pierced the heavy darkness of the large hallway through the small, arched windows lined up near the ceiling. Not a soul could be heard. I looked around once more: a long red carpet lead the way to the stairs, and there were a few  banners scattered here and there, almost as if somepony planned on hanging them below the windows, but couldn't find the time, so carelessly left them sprawled over the ground. "Gee, what a mess!" I thought, as I slowly headed down the hallway, my head jerking left and right, as if I was some sort of tourist. My hoofsteps echoed throughout the passageway, I thought it rather soothing, combined with the golden sunlight, rushing in to fill the darkness.

“Man, having a baby with the changeling queen and not telling my wife about it" I muttered, afraid my voice might drown the  peaceful clip-clop of my hooves on the thin carpet, "I don’t think I could I could possibly sink any lower than this...”

Kilo's muffled yawn burst out from inside the saddlebag.  If I had stayed around for too long, my wife might have found out about him!

I could see the smoke from the early-morning train puffing up from behind the hills. "Buck! I won't make it down all these stairs in time!"  I glanced down towards the Crystal Empire train station, set my trajectory, and closed my eyes. I slipped my hoof into my saddlebag, and pressed it against Kilo's forehead: It is possible to teleport without touching whoever you want to take with you, but it takes more concentration, and I didn't really have much of that in my current situation!

The trip to Ponyville took about five hours, which is plenty of time to come up with a marvelous story I could tell both Twilight and Cadance. I had to come up with a clever excuse to tell Twilight if she would ever happen to think Kilo was my child. I heard from Spike how bad she was at keeping secrets, and I was not going to take that risk! Loose lips sinks ships! And apparently helped produce Kilo...  All innuendos aside, I really needed to come up with something other than “this is my son”.

I purposely sat in the back so I wouldn't draw any attention (not that many ponies were on the train today anyways, most likely because it was a weekday) I started reciting what I was going to tell Twilight when I showed her Kilo:

“Okay, so how about this" I said, while taking Kilo out of my saddlebag,  "I found you in the middle of the woods, one day, while walking, and I decided to take you home!  Think she’ll buy it?”

Kilo squealed in giddy pleasure, flailing his arms about, without a care in the world.

“Yeah I think so, too.” I laughed.

Concealing Kilo wasn't easy. I got a few shifty looks from one of the train-workers when I requested taking the saddlebag on the train without a baggage pass. Of course he had to agree, since I'm the captain of the royal guard, but I'm guessing was just a bit suspicious as to why a prince was visiting Ponyville on a workday. Sometimes abusing the system can be nice. At the same time, I was on a train with other ponies; one false move and the rumors would spread like wildfire!

“Excuse me, sir, do you need any assistance?”  said the conductor as he made his way over to my seat. I quickly popped Kilo back into the bag, praying to Celestia he wouldn't notice.

“I’m doing fine,” I answered as calmly as possible.

“Are you sure? I could have sworn I saw you talking to your luggage...”

I guess he noticed. Well, this isn't good!

“It’s nothing, really!" I exclaimed,  "I was just going through what I need to do when I get to Ponyville. I like talking to myself!”  I'm sure he thought I was nuts.

“Well, if you say so. Just remember, ring the bell if you need help and…” the conductor quickly covered his muzzle with his coat and grunted something to himself under his breath, gazing at me with a puzzled expression on his face. I knew what had happened, and, to my extreme embarrassment, I had to cover for Kilo.

“Ha, excuse me” I said, awkwardly. He threw one more look of disgust before trotting to the other passengers. With all eyes off of me, I opened the bag to see an uncomfortable Kilo squirming and grunting.

“You’re never going to give me a break, are you?”

I pushed past the conductor and headed straight to the bathroom at the end of the car. He hadn't been awake for an hour and he was already making my life more difficult.

"Do you need your diaper changed?" I asked.

Kilo replied with a loud burp, sending disgusting fumes into my face.

“Why can’t you just answer with a simple nod for once?” I groaned.

I could continue discussing the misadventures on the train, but, to be honest, all that happened was me changing diapers, feeding him (I was emotionally drained after the train ride), and hiding him whenever somepony passed by. With the train ride over, I headed towards my destination: Twilight’s library. Walking down the narrow streets, I received a few awkward glares from the pedestrians, something I couldn't blame them for.  It’s not every day when royalty goes trotting down a common street, even if it is to visit a relative.

After trying to avoid as many glances and glares as possible, I finally made it to Twilight’s abode. Seeing Spike and Twiley again would be nice!  However, as much as I wanted this to be purely a leisurely visit, it wasn't.

I knocked on the door and waited for a response. Nothing. I knocked again. Still no response.

“Great!  She ain't here!" I grunted, "Ain't that a load of-"

“Spike, hold that thought!" somepony yelled from the inside, "don't worry about it, I'll get the door!"

Well I felt like an ass, but at least she was there.  The door creaked open and a smile formed on my little sister’s face.  “Shining!” 

“Sup, Twiley!  How are you-OOF!”  

My sister threw herself around me, hugged me, and wouldn't let go until I hugged her back.

“It’s been too long!  What brings you here?” she said, excitedly.

“Just visiting! But listen, Twiley, I need to-”

“Well, glad you came to visit!” she interrupted. Once Twilight is excited, it's impossible to hear yourself think when you're around her.

“I can fix you a nice place to sleep in the living room, if you want! The couch should be comfy enough for you, but, if not, I can always find somewhere else for you to sleep!” She squealed.

“That’s nice and all, but-”

Spike! Hold off whatever you were telling me! Shining came to visit!”

The stubby purple dragon waddled into the living room, holding onto a book of some sort.  

“Hey Shining, 'sup!” he said, trying to hold in his excitement.

“Nothing much, little dude.” I replied, bumping his fist. “Out of curiosity, what were you two rambling on about before I got here?”

Spike eagerly cleared his throat to explain.  “Well... I was doing some research on…well…the reproductive abilities of dragons to figure out…”

“He’s trying to figure out if ponies and dragons are compatible,” Twilight chuckled, “I keep telling him that’s not possible. Two different species can’t possibly produce a child!” She laughed, then rolled her eyes.

Try telling that to somepony who actually did... My saddlebag rustled, an obvious sign that Kilo was getting restless.

“How would you know that, Twilight?”

“It’s just common sense! You can’t put two completely different specimens together and create another living creature. That’s scientifically impossible!"

“Uh-huh. Anyways, I need to talk to you.”  My tone was a bit more serious than I intended, but got her attention anyways.

“Oh, sorry!  What's the matter?” She said, slightly blushing.

I wasn't anticipating any pleasant reactions, but I was hoping they wouldn't freak out over what I was about to show them.  I let out a small sigh and set the saddlebag on the ground.

“I want you to promise me to stay calm, okay?  What I’m about to show you might seem bizarre, but I promise I have a good explanation.” I said in a very serious tone.

I could tell they were confused, but they both nodded in agreement. Once I unzipped the bag, I reached in and pulled out Kilo.

The look of shock on their faces was indescribable!

“I-Is that a baby...changeling?” Twilight asked, slightly shaking from confusion and excitement.

“Yes” I replied, trying to keep Kilo from slipping out of my hooves.  Kilo wiggled out of my hooves and climbed on top of my head, babbling with delight and laying on top of my mane.  Spike was staring at him, very confused, making me concerned about what he might say about him.

“Wait, aren't most changelings black?  Why is this one white just like you, and have blue eyes just-like-you?”  Spike had come to a conclusion about where Kilo came from; a conclusion I prepared to counter.

“I can’t explain that honestly; maybe it’s some rare breed that is born under certain circumstances.  I found him just outside of Empire and, not wanting the poor child to be left out there to die, I decided to take him in without…you know…Cadance knowing.”

Kilo was about to bite down on my mane until I glared at him.  The little changeling sadly relinquished it and instead began staring aggressively at Twilight.

“Well, I find it nice that you decided to take it in!” Twilight praised while reaching out for Kilo.  “So what is the little angel’s name?”

The little angel so to speak snapped towards Twilight’s hooves causing her to jerk backwards; Kilo began snarling and hissing venomously at her, trying to intimidate her.

“Kilo NO!” I demanded; Kilo stared at me with his teeth still flaring.  

“That conduct is not tolerated!  I think this is a good time to establish rule three: no aggressive behavior towards others, especially my relatives!  Now apologize to Auntie Twilight!”  

Kilo looked at me, rather confused, shocked that I scolded at him for something a changeling mother would usually tolerate back where he was from.  

“Well, are you going to apologize or am I going to have to make you apologize!?”

He slowly climbed out of my arms and wobbled towards Twilight, begrudgingly nudging her leg. 

“Huh, he’s an aggressive one, isn't he?” Twilight stated, looking down at him.

I could tell he was still hissing, but at the very least he wasn't being too violent.

“So why haven’t you told Cadance yet?  Don’t you think she would want to know that you’re fostering a changeling?” Twilight asked, curiously.

“Well, there are some things I wanted to talk to you first...”  I started explaining some of the habits that Kilo had, and why I felt it was too much for my wife.  “…and since you have had more experience with the changelings, and probably read up on them, I decided to come see you for help.”

“Well, I did study these creatures quite a bit!” Twilight boasted, obviously proud of her knowledge, “and if you want any help, all you have to do is send a letter to me and I’ll send you whatever you need to know.  But you should still inform Cadance; I’m sure she’ll understand."

I doubt she would if she knew the real circumstances.  “Yeah, you’re right, Twilight.  I f feel sorry for the kid though...  Wonder where his parents are?” I asked nervously.

“Not to be morbid or anything, but one of them is probably dead right now.”  That wasn't the answer I was expecting, especially coming from such an optimistic pony such as Twilight!

“Why do you say that?” I asked, curiously.

“Well, there's a strange law that states changelings are allowed to kill the neglectful spouse, and one of their family members if they don't raise the child.  I think it was Changeling Law 5 Section C.”

Well, it was a good thing I didn't take Chrysalis’s threat in vain, otherwise I might have been changeling food!

“Huh, that’s an interesting law. Kind of makes me feel even worse for poor Kilo…wait, where did he go?”  Kilo, who was wrapped around Twilight’s legs a few minutes ago had disappeared from the room.  Spike was missing as well.

“Twilight, what happened to Kilo and Spike?”

“NO!  You can’t have it!!!" Yelled Spike from the other room.

Twilight and I followed his voice upstairs, to find Kilo chomping down on what seemed to be an emerald, with Spike tugging on it.

“Stop it!” Spike shouted.  Kilo refused to listen, and grasped the emerald even tighter between his jaws.

“Kilo, let go of the gem! You can’t take things that don’t belong to you!” I yelled.

Kilo stopped tugging at the gem, which I thought was a good sign, until I saw something coat the gem, melting half of the it right in front of Spike’s glossy eyes.

“This…this was a gift,” Spike sobbed  “It was polished and shined just for me, and you went ahead and melted half of it.”  I felt bad for the poor dragon, though Kilo seemed pretty happy of his accomplishment.

“Hey, Spike, sorry about your gem,” I apologized, patting the snuffling purple drake on the head.  “I can get you another one.”

“I won’t be the same,” Spike sobbed, lying on his bed holding the melted gem against his chest.

“Just let him wallow in self-pity for a while,” Twilight whispered in my ear.  “He’ll get over it eventually.”

The rest of the day went smoothy - or at least as normal as a day can go with a baby changeling in the house.  Twilight suggested certain foods to give, because feeding on me isn't enough. She told me how to deal with changeling personalities; and most importantly: always establish control (which I have been doing). We sat around, chatting, laughing, sharing funny stories; I hadn't even noticed, but the sun had already disappeared behind the mountains surrounding the small town. Tired after a long day of lying, I decided to retire to my couch.

“I could find you a more comfortable place to sleep.  Are you sure you want to sleep on the couch?” Twilight said.

“I’ll be fine,” I replied, once again drained of much emotion, thanks to Kilo.  “It’ll be easier to keep an eye out on the little runt if I stay down here. He’ll cause less trouble, too.” I replied sleepily.

“Suit yourself!". Good night, big bro!” She chuckled.

“'Night...” I muttered.

She made her way upstairs, leaving me with Kilo.  Lying on my back on the soft couch, I let Kilo rest on my chest.  “Looks like someone had an eventful day.”

The little changeling yawned and closed his eyes. This was the first time I was able to analyze the little changeling more thoroughly. Kilo had a giddy expression on his face, even as he slept; he wiggled and squirmed, then he would grasp my fur and cuddle his face into it. This brought a smile to my exhausted face; I was actually starting to enjoy Kilo's company.  The only concern I had was Cadance.

“I hope she takes this as well as Twilight did,” I muttered under my breath. “Man, I've gone through a lot of stress, and it's only been two days! If this kid doesn't drive me nuts, I might have to hire a therapist.” I chuckled.

I pushed my head into the cushion of the couch, staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to take a hold of me.  Everything was peaceful, calm, quite, sizzling…sizzling? SIZZLING!?

"TWILIGHT!!!" 
> Cooperation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My original intention was to leave for the Crystal Empire early in the morning, but due to the previous night’s unfortunate events, I stayed and received medical attention from Twilight.  How embarrassing that was - getting bandaged up by my little sister because a baby changeling spat on me.  I’m supposed to be the one taking care of my little sister not the other way around!

“So…how bad is it Twily?” I cringed writhing in pain.

“Well…” Twilight said, using her horn to illuminate my wound, "The acid ate through some of your pelage, and most of your Epithelial tissue-".

"Twilight..." I moaned, "English, please..."

She waved her hoof in an annoyed manner, then rolled her eyes, "Frankly, you're lucky to be alive! If you wouldn't have thrown him off in time, you'd probably be dead!" She said, further examining my wound. "The acid singed the tips of your rib cage, but there wasn't enough to reach your organs. I'm no doctor, but I'll do my best! You'll have to trot with stitches for a while, though; which I can only imagine will be a very big pain in the flank!"

Knowing that your son could burn through your vitals wasn't a pleasant experience, but a very informative one.  You never forget how to deal with a child, especially when the consequence results in a gaping hole in your body.

“Well, I guess that could be considered good news...” I grunted.

Kilo was leaning on the edge of the couch. I could tell by his eyes that he was worried.

If he could talk, I'm sure he would have apologized: "I'm sorry, daddy!". His eyes said it all. I mean, can you stay mad at a face like that? I patted his head to let him know that everything was alright.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to handle him? I do have more experience with raising other species than you do" She said, quickly glancing at Spike, "so it shouldn't be a problem - adapting to Kilo’s behavior, I mean”

I sat up, trying my best to ignore the pain, then gently placed m hoof on Twilight's back.

“Twiley, I've had my tail bitten off and my love life diminished; I have publicly embarrassed myself trying to cover up for him, and now I have a...a hole in my chest! Still, I really enjoy having this kid around. Crazy, I know, but I’m not willing to give him up, even if he ends up killing me...which of course it might!"

I could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't amused at all.

“If you say so,” she sighed using her magic to stitch together my wound.  As painful as it was, her magical aura left a soothing feeling.  It always fascinated me how good she was with her magic, though she could have done a better job with closing my hole completely. 

“So, what are you going to do when you get back?”

Being lectured by my little sister; I've really hit a low point.

“I’m going to tell Cadance why I was acting so strange the other night.  I’m going to be honest about Kilo, and pray she’ll understand.”  By truth I meant telling her the same thing I told Twilight.

“And she will understand!” she responded satisfied.  “Almost done! Now, since you’re going to be here a few more hours, this is an opportunity for me to gather everything you might need in order to take care of the changeling. Can you think of anything we'll need?”

I thought for a moment, trying to figure out if I really needed anything. Instantaneously, an idea came to me. I asked Twilight to bring me a few pictures of Cadence, even the framed ones. Maybe I could get Kilo to accept her?.

“Okay, Kilo!" I said, levitating a framed photo of Cadance, "this is a picture of my wife! She’ll be helping me take care of you from now on.”  I showed him the photo. (A rather cute photo, Cadance was giggling and winking).  Kilo carefully approached to the image, sniffed it, trying to recognize who he was looking at.

“What are you going to do when you meet her?” I asked, still levitating the photo next to his face.

My answer came when he sunk his teeth into the frame, then mercilessly ripped it off, taking part of Cadance's face with it.  Kilo happily chewed on the film as I slowly placed my hooves onto my face.

“Hey, Twiley, you think he'd give my wife the same treatment as this photograph?” I asked, my hooves muffling my voice.

“I wouldn't bet against it!” she giggled, staring at Kilo, who was still chewing on whatever he bit off. As cute as it was, this could very much be problematic. I couldn't have Kilo biting Cadance's head!

“Okay, let’s try this again…”

We spent two hours trying to get him to stop chomping on Cadance's photos, and went through around two hundred duplicates before we saw some results. He was still snarling, but as long as he wasn't trying to make my wife his dinner, I honestly didn't really care. It took about three more hours before I thought it was time for me to leave. It was the late afternoon, so I probably would come home quite late. As I strapped my saddlebag around my back, I received a warm hug from my sister.

“Remember to write a letter if you need anything!” She stated, still embracing me,  “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

“That’s something you won't have to worry about, Twiley,” I said, smiling.

Spike was standing beside her, still thinking about the strange events that occured the previous night.  

And Spike, try not thinking about it! I bet you the pony who gave you that gem won’t mind replacing it with something else!”

Spike’s expression changed to the better.“Yeah, I guess you’re right!" he said happily, "Hope to see you soon!”

I saluted to the purple dragon and started heading towards the station.  Kilo poked his head outside of the bag and began nibbling on my ear.

“Well, kiddo, we’re going home!” I laughed.

The train ride back felt longer, mainly because I wasn't anticipating my wife to react too hard. Kilo had fallen asleep after feeding on me (though only a little, so I had enough emotion to actually seem like I cared about something) I had some time to gather my thoughts:

“Things will go just fine,” I nervously muttered to myself, “I mean, it’s not like I’m telling her it’s my son! What’s the worst that could happen?!”

Instantly, I imagined a possible scenario: Cadance is furious that I brought a changeling to our home. The balcony door swings open and, in a fit of rage, she throws me off the balcony!

Yeah, I was being a bit melodramatic, but after having my life threatened by a certain changeling queen you could see why I was on edge. I needed a distraction from that thought! I reached into my saddlebag and scraped up the list which Twilight gave me. There were a few things there which Chrysalis already warned me about, so I skipped them in favor of the things I still hadn't heard about:

Changeling babies hate other children. Do not leave him with anypony else on play days; things might get ugly.
A noticeable sign of when a changeling baby is going to spit is if he is staring blankly at you.
Changeling’s diets consist mainly of love and small mammals. I'm guessing you can't provide any animals, so here are a few alternatives: try feeding him fruits like grapes, bananas, apples, or other non-citrus fruits.
Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT feed him grass or flowers!  It’s nearly fatal to them!

Another reason not to leave Kilo alone by himself.  I peered inside the bag and watched Kilo’s movements while he slept.  He constantly kicked and moved like he was in the middle of a big hunt squeaking while doing so.  There was something about this kid; he was doing more than sucking out my love, he was also sucking out my worries.  

“Ah, I guess I can deal with getting thrown off a balcony if push comes to shove,” I giggled.  After observing the train to make sure nopony was watching, I leaned into the bag and planted a kiss on top of Kilo’s forehead. 

The train ride felt painfully long, but we eventually made it home. I gulped as I saw the palace doors in the distance. I wondered again what Cadance might do to me.

“W-well K-kilo, I guess it's time to introduce you to the f-family” I said shakily. I might as well have been talking to myself, since he was still fast asleep. There was no turning back at this point. I took a deep breath, stepped onto the platform, then trotted straight to the palace doors.

The entrance was guarded, of course, to make sure no-pony got in uninvited. There have to be many precautions, to make sure no valuable information gets leaked out of the palace. The main halls don't contain too much security, since there's not much but janitor ponies, and the cooks that prepare and serve the meals. Around this time of day, there really isn't much activity on the floors.

“So, you got injured too.”  A gruff voice came from behind and I turned to see who it was.

“So, I’m assuming you got a body full of that stuff too!” the Royal Guard who fell victim to Kilo’s acid vomit stated.  His wings were pressed to his body with bandages, and he looked quite disgruntled.

“Eh, yeah well accidents happen, I suppose!” I said, trying to keep myself calm. The guard didn't look too amused, though.

“Well, maybe you can explain it to your wife better than I did. What is this stuff? I couldn't, I don't know what the heck did this to me”  He said, while nudging his bandaged wings

“Y-You talked to her!?” I asked, flabbergasted breaking into a cold sweat.

“Of course I talked to her!"  You weren't around and I needed to talk to somepony about what happened to me!"  It put me out of commission for over a day." I nodded, and politely pushed past him.

"Sorry to have disturbed you!" He said, his voice trailing after me, "but what were you doing up there anyways?”

“Sorry, but I’ll explain later!”  I said loudly, while cantering up to the staircase,  leaving the bewildered guard standing in the hall.

I picked up my pace. While racing towards the spiral stairs, I contemplated all the things that could go wrong when I reached my room. One thought was potential death, but I didn't want to get ahead of myself. Reaching the door to the bedroom, I entered to see an annoyed Cadance sitting the overstuffed chair by the fireplace, hooves crossed. It was as if she had been expecting me for quite some time.

“Sorry I’m home so late, honey! Good to see you though,” I said going nervously, going in for a kiss. She put her hoof to my face, and forcefully shoved me away.

“So, you were practicing magic, huh?” she said icily.  

My expression went from nervous to downright fearful of what might happen next.

“I examined the holes in the ground after a guard said he got injured by some unknown substance, and they don't look like magic bursts…it looks like something melted through the floor!”

This was anything but good.

“Now that I think about it, your tail doesn't even look singed, nor cut, it looks torn!” She said firmly.

Well, there was no escaping it now.  There was only one other option I could do.

Cadance,” I began rubbing my scalp trying to think what to say.  “I’m sorry for lying to you, but I guarantee you - I can explain!” I said, trying to stay calm.

““An explanation! What was so dire that you had to lie to me in the first place!?” she snapped.

“This” 

I placed my bag on the ground and opened it up, taking a deep breath before reaching in. Cadance was tapping her hoof the floor impatiently, waiting for another reason to scold me. If all went well, then she wouldn't have another reason. If things went not so well…you know what might happen. I gently lifted Kilo out and showed her the changeling. My wife’s expression quickly changed from disappointment to shock.

“Shining, what is this thing? Is it a changeling” she asked, rather bemused.  I didn’t know how she would react to what I would say next, but it was either telling her I found him or telling her that this was my actual son.  And I did not feel like dying at the moment, so the later surely wasn't going to be said.

“Well, you see, on one of my shifts around the Empire, I left the boundaries for a moment to impede any dangerous forces that might do us any harm.”  She was listening carefully, and had he ears cocked towards me.

“While I was out, I found this guy on the ground with his parents nowhere to be found. Now, I know we have a bad history with changelings, but he is just a child! I couldn't leave him out there with Celestia knows what!  I’m sorry for lying to you - I didn't want to share the burden with you, I know how busy you are. That’s why I went to Twilight; could you forgive me for my dishonesty?"

I thought that went rather well. It felt like I should have gotten an award for my acting!  Though I would have to wait for the judgment from my wife to know whether she was sold on it or not.

Her reaction was a hefty slap to the face leaving a rather noticeable hoof-print.  

“I want you to listen to me well…” she began, her words sharper than her hooves.  “…if you ever make me that worried again, you will have to deal with something worse than a hoof in your face!”

“So…a hoof in my flank?” I chuckled,  trying to lighten the mood. She glared at me, but I could tell from the twinkling in here eyes that she was giggling on the inside.

“This isn’t funny Shining.  I want you to promise to me that you won't lie to me ever again, OK?" She said, cupping my face in her hooves.

Well, sadly enough, I would be lying to her again. In fact, I was lying by saying I wouldn't lie anymore! I didn’t really have much of a choice.

“I promise. Sorry for making you worry” I apologized.  Her face began to lighten up soon after my promise.

“Good!" She said happily,  "So, now to take care of...um…what's his name?”

“Well, I thought Kilo would be a nice name for him.” I answered. The baby changeling yawned, showing his tiny fangs and opened his eyelids. He flinched when he saw her face, then hissed slightly to let her know to stay away.

“Well, doesn't look like Kilo likes me too much,” Cadance said with a smile on her face, looking at the baby. “I hope we can change that eventually.”

“So, you’re okay with us having a changeling in the house?  Even after the-" she cut me off by pressing her hoof against my mouth.

““Yes, we have had issues with changelings in the past, but a child is still a child.  I’m not going to abandon anyone in need” She said softly.

I was honestly shocked at how well she was taking the situation, but I guess I shouldn't have expected any less from the "element of love" (as I liked to call her).

“Besides, he’s kind of cute” she said in a sweet tone of voice, “Do you mind if I hold him?”

Kilo didn't seem too keen with the idea of being held by a stranger, but I had to get him used to her somehow.
“Sure! Just be careful; he tends to get aggressive with others sometimes...”  

I passed him to Cadance, much to Kilo’s dissatisfaction. He didn't want to bite her head off, that's a big plus, yet he still seemed quite displeased.

“He is a fussy little fella isn't he?” Cadance said, while Kilo tried to squirm out of her hands.

“I hope he gets used to me!”  She continued to smile at Kilo as I stood there in awe. I couldn’t believe how well everything turned out!

“Well, looks like he wore himself out now,” she replied still looking at Kilo. “Now he’s just staring at me blankly.” She muttered.

“And, his cheeks are bulging up!” What do you feed this guy?" She asked.

Oh Buck!

“Cadance, give him back to me! Quick!” I yelled, grabbing him from her before he could seal the deal.  Cadance was safe and Kilo spat…on one of my legs. Another injury, courtesy of my own son!

The rest of the evening went well.  I told Cadance about everything Twilight and I discussed, then showed her the list of things we needed to take care of Kilo.  It took a while, but Kilo slowly started to warm up to Cadance to the point where he no longer hissed (though he still squirmed every now and then when she held him).  Things for once were going well with Kilo around.  The only thing that I was still getting used to was his feeding.

“So, he feeds off of your love?” she asked, watching me as Kilo sucked on my hoof.

“Unfortunately yes,” I replied nonchalantly. The effect of the feeding had already taken its toll. “He’s been doing this practically every day since I found him.”

“Is that why you were uninterested the other night?” Cadance stated, relieved realizing that I wasn't getting uninterested in her.  

“To be honest with you,  I thought you were acting like that because you had started seeing somepony else” She laughed.

“Well, how would that explain the tail and floor situation?” I replied, a hint of laughter in my voice.

“Well,” she began fiddling with her hooves,  “I was having thoughts that you were letting somepony tug your tail! And she bit it off.  As for the floor, I couldn’t begin to tell you what I thought of that. I’m embarrassed just thinking about it!” 

After Kilo had his fill, I leaned into my wife and gave her the most affectionate hug I could give her.

“Babe, there isn't any-pony in the world that is more beautiful, loving, and downright sexy as you are. For me to cheat would be unthinkable, and you know that.”  I said softly.

“So, any chance that we can…you know…try for our own child tonight?” Cadance hinted.  

Unfortunately, once again, I was not in the mood and shook my head.

“Oh, well maybe we can try when Kilo doesn't feed on you then.” She sighed.

“If he doesn't feed on me, that is,” I corrected her, lying on the bed with Kilo, who had just fallen asleep. I gently picked him up and placed him in a cradle next to our bed, which Cadance had prepared for him.

“Well, we can always try again,” she said, smiling,  before giving me a short peck on the cheek.

“Good night, Shining!” She said sleepily.

“Sleep tight, my princess.” I replied, slowly closing my eyes, letting sleep take over my aching body.

Even after the exhausting events of the day, I somehow managed to wake up in the middle of the night. Cadance had fallen asleep and Kilo was comfortably nestled in his cradle. For some odd reason I couldn’t fall asleep again. I felt like taking a stroll around the castle. I slowly slipped out of bed, then headed to the door to our bedroom. It was pitch black, and I tried not to step on anything as it would surely wake everypony up.

As I carefully pushed open the door to our bedroom, I came across a familiar face.

“Oh good timing!  I was just about to knock!"

Before she could finish, I pinned her to the other side of the wall and closed the door, covering her mouth so nopony could hear her. This was a very bad time for the Queen to show up.  Heck, I’m still trying to figure out how she managed to get past the guards.

“What are you doing here?” I whispered, agitated at her for appearing so late at night.  All I could hear were her muffled sounds as she tried to tell me to remove my hoof.  I removed it hoping to receive an answer and then have her leave.

“Oh, I didn’t think you’d be that happy to see me that you would pin me against a wall like this,” she cooed deviously.

Realizing the awkward position I was in, I swiftly stepped away from her, a bit embarrassed.

“Like I said,” I stammered, much to Chrysalis’s amusement, “what are you doing here at this time of night!?”

“Well, if you must know, we had a successful hunt, and wanted to give little Kilo a small gift.  It’s in this bag right here.”

“No!” I snapped. “You aren't even supposed to be here now! Give it to him tomorrow.”

Chrysalis didn’t respond too well:  “You have the gall to tell me what to do!? I have every right to give my son a present!  In fact, I could march in there right now if I wanted!”

“No, please!” I pleaded (yes pleaded) to her.  “If Cadance were to see you she’d be enraged!”

“Enraged huh?  And she isn’t about Kilo?” She said, rather annoyed.

“No, she’s fine with him but…”

“Wait, she accepts that Kilo is our child?” She gasped.

“Well I-”

“That’s a relief!” she interrupted.  “I was worried that I might have to go through the trouble of attacking her for rejecting the child, but she’s really okay with it, even if it is ours. Hmm, maybe Cadance is better than I thought.  This is such good news for both me and you, Shiny!”

I wanted to tell her that she wasn't exactly correct, but since she was happy with how she thought things were (which was why she embraced me in a crushing hug) I decided to go along with it.  Besides I didn’t really want to risk anything; these creatures kill you for not taking care of their child. I didn't want to see how she would react if she found out I told Cadance Kilo wasn’t my baby.

“Yeah, sure” I responded, trying to break out of her hold. “but remember, she still can’t stand you, so I’d suggest you don’t come around too often, especially when she’s here.”

“So, how am I supposed to tell when she’s not around?” she asked. That was a good question; Chrysalis did have an uneven pattern of showing up, and if the two ever met, the conflict would spiral out of control.  I needed to make sure that never happens.

“Wait here a moment,” I sighed, and headed back inside my room. Cadance was fortunately still asleep, so I could rummage around a bit without catching her attention, though I would have to do it silently and quickly.  After a brief search, I managed to find a schedule of meetings, events, and important maintenance for both me and Cadance.  I used a spell to make a duplicate of both and went back out into the hallway.

“Okay, here’s a schedule for me and Cadance.  I’ll be here when she's out working, so please come to see Kilo around these times.”  I said, pointing at the appropriate times for visits from her, though she still looked at me slightly perplexed.

“But…”

But what?” I said, a bit irritated.

“But what if I want to come and see you.” She whispered.

A small blush (as much as I hated to admit it) started forming on my face.  Her flirtatious behavior had overstayed it's welcome.

.“Well then I guess you’re just out of luck.” I said sternly.

"Humph! You didn’t have to be rude about it!”

She seemed like she was legitimately hurt by my comment, though in my mind  I dismissed it as deception.

“But if you say so, Shiny, I’ll come back another day and visit you.”

“You mean Kilo.” I said, as she walked down the hallway before briefly stopping and looking back at me.  A sultry smile formed on her face and she winked at me.

“Maybe.” was all she said before snickering, and leaving the vicinity. She was starting to give me a migraine, and now I was wrapped up in two lies.  Cadance thinks Kilo was found, and Chrysalis thinks she knows of it being our child. The truth being discovered by either one of them would be disastrous.

“Oh man, this is heavy” I sighed, leaning against the wall outside out bedroom. “What the hell did you get yourself into?”
Well one thing was for sure: I wasn't going for a stroll anymore.
> Visitation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the first time in days, things were starting to feel normal again (or as normal as they can be with a changeling child living with you).  Cadance was quick to adapt to the whole “mother” situation and was very eager to help raise the child the best she could.  In fact, she grew really fond of him.  We swapped shifts depending on the schedule.  If she had to do royal business, I did activities with Kilo.  And if I was busy with the royal guards, she’d fill in.  At first I was a bit nervous about leaving him alone with Cadance, but things did not turn out so bad.  I mean sure, he was still snarling like a rabid dog at her, but at least he wasn't biting!  Cadance wasn't too fearful of him, because even when Kilo did growl, she just brought him in for a hug!  I was beginning to believe that the tables had turned; now Kilo was the one who feared being around Cadance when she was affectionate towards him.  I guess It’s kind of ironic considering that’s what the kid feeds on!

It had been a few days since Chrysalis’s abrupt return, and ever since I haven’t heard from her; but I was concerned that she didn't accept the schedule I offered her.  Also, as much as I hated seeing her I didn't want Kilo to be separated too long from his mother.  Her absence made me a bit anxious.  I was expecting her to find her way in my room again, teasing me in her usual manner.  I might have anticipated it too much, constantly staring at the door waiting for something to happen.  But after about three days of inactivity, I finally decided to relax for a bit and enjoy my time with Kilo (not including the times when he fed off my love).

As sad as it was, those joys quickly faded.  It was on the day when I needed to do one of the royal guard assemblies to access situations and come up with better ways to protect our empire.  Let me tell you, being in charge of these boring meetings is about the worst thing that you could ever happen to you.  Hosting these events, knowing that half of your men are probably just as bored as you are (I even caught a few asleep on some assemblies), is about the most miserable thing you can deal with.  And my wife claimed she has a more "demanding" job!  Yeah, right.  

After the two hours of briefing and debriefing I headed back to the palace as soon as possible. Cadance had to take care of royal matters, and said she would make sure Kilo was in a safe area before she left.  I wasn’t more than a few minutes away when she needed to go, so I didn’t mind it too much (though in the back of my mind, knowing how he nearly killed himself when I only stepped out of the room, I wasn’t too keen on leaving him for long).

When I reached the room, I noticed that Cadance was still there, lying on the bed rubbing a giggling Kilo’s belly.  The situation made me smile.  A changeling who originally was livid with the idea of being with Cadance has finally accepted her.  It really was a heartwarming scene!

“Well, hello you two!” I said, making my entrance,  “I see you haven’t gone to your little meeting yet, Cadance!”

“Nope,” she replied, rather giddily,  “I stayed a little while longer in order to play with little Kilo here! That, and I wanted to try for a new hairstyle before I left.”  She showcased her ponytail in a model like fashion, adding an alluring wink.  “Well, what do you think?” She chimed, spinning around.

I leaned onto the edge of the bed and cooed, “It looks sexy on you.”  

I leaned in for a kiss and she complied eagerly.  Her lips were something to savor.  As much as I wanted to stay lost in an eternal kiss, I didn't want to make her late, nor upset Kilo.

“So, how was your meeting?” she asked,leaning against me.  She seemed way too relaxed for somepony with so many responsibilities.

“Well, it was just another boring talk with the guards on how to step up the security in the empire.  Nothing too special!”

“Anything that might really help keep this nation safe?

“Just reminding the guards to not slack off!" I laughed, "You shouldn't let your guard down just because the city seems rather peaceful.”

Cadance nodded in agreement, still leaning against me.

“Well,Shining, I personally don’t think they’re doing such a good job.” She pouted.

“What makes you say that?” I asked, curiously, wondering why she doubted the capabilities of the guards. She giggled and began whispering in my ear.

“Because they didn't notice me!!”

My wife’s sweet voice morphed into a husky, ear-rattling one. Frustration built up inside me as I slowly realized who was sitting next to me. It was royalty, but not the Empire's royalty. The queen slowly revealed her true form, laughing like a psycho all the while. Kilo grew even more excited with seeing his mother’s real appearance, as it was more appealing to him than Cadance’s. As for me, I just sat there more upset than I've ever been.  She crept into my room, impersonated my wife (again), and was lying on our bed!  And the worst part of the whole situation: I had just made out with her!

“So,” Chrysalis began, profusely licking her lips, “You really think this hairstyle is sexy on me?”

I felt blood rushing to my face. The whole situation was very embarrassing!    

“Why are you on my bed!?” I shrieked, boiling with rage,  “And why are you always masquerading as my wife!?  That’s how I got in this situation in the first place!!!”

“Last time I checked, you were the one who came onto me,” Chrysalis said slyly, “not to mention in-”

“Stop! I know where this is going..." I interrupted, “Why are you here?”

She lifted up a giggling Kilo and nuzzled his cheeks.  It would have been much sweeter if it was anypony other than Chrysalis, but at least Kilo was enjoying himself.    

“You left a schedule saying that this was one of the available times to visit, so I came to pick you guys up.”

“Oh, yeah...well, I guess I did leave the schedule for….wait, what do you mean pick us up?”  

A grin beamed up her dark face.  She was planning something, and I had no idea what it was!

“Oh, I didn't tell you?” she replied, smugly,  “I had a feeling that you don’t really understand our changeling heritage much!   With that said I’m taking both you and Kilo to our little nest and show you our way of life."

I couldn't believe what she was suggesting, err, demanding to me.  She actually wanted me to go to her home for a while!?

“Yeah, I don't think I should go.  I don’t really trust you after all.”

She glanced at me, bemusedly, as if the response I gave wasn't something she had expected.  

“Why not?” she pouted,  “I thought we established a good sense of trust over the past few days!”

What kind of game was she pulling? I didn't trust her at all. I refused again, because she was obviously trying to manipulate me again.  It was all part of a game, right?

"Chrysalis, I don’t mind you coming to visit Kilo once in a while.  In fact, I actually appreciate that."

A smile glimmered on her face, slightly, making me believe she took the little compliment in a wrong way.  

“But honestly, I really don’t want anything to do with you.  I’d rather you just play with Kilo a bit, drop off his 'gift' you discussed a few days ago, and leave."

Her smile diminished as she began nervously tapping her fore-hooves together.  

“Well, about that,” she began still tapping, ““I didn't think I would have any opposition from you on the subject, so I left his present at the hive.”

I should have known!  She is trying to lure me towards her domain.  In my mind, I had a bad feeling about this situation, knowing she would probably kidnap me, wrap me up in some cocoon and do Celestia knows what to me (she has a better idea then I do), and hold me for ransom!  Man, I think I'm over-exaggerating...

“Look, I’m just not comfortable going to enemies' territory,” I explained.

Once again, she beamed a sad expression.  It was starting to become difficult to look at her.

“And besides, being out too long at a changeling hive…don’t you think my wife would be against that?”

Kilo started poking Chrysalis’s holey hoof and begged for what I could assume was a meal.  She happily complied with the babies request and he happily began suckling the love she had in her.  Contrast to me, Chrysalis’s body was made for this kind of feeding so it worked much better for her.  And hey, it saved me some energy.

“Well, if you don’t want to come I can’t force you to,” she responded, stroking Kilo's mane, “I’ll just let Kilo come with while you stay here and continue to loath our race.  I guess I can’t force you to at least give us a chance if you don’t want to.”

She then rolled her eyes, and slowly turned towards the door. Great, now she's guilt tripping me!  I really needed that to plague my moral conscious.  Not only that, but she did state she was taking Kilo no matter what I did.  Being here without Kilo would surely bring up some questions from my wife.

Questions I didn't want to answer.

“You really want me to go to your hive, don’t you?” I sighed, slumping onto the bed, throwing a quick glance at her.

“Well, it’s really up to you" She said through teeth, "having you around would be nice!”

And now she’s back to teasing me.  I didn't have too many options at this point, and I have been curious about the environment they live in.  Besides, it’s not like I can't overpower her; the only reason she got me last time was because she tricked me into believing she was Cadance…something I still haven’t gotten over.

“Fine." I groaned, "just give me a minute!”

I headed towards the counter to write a note to Cadance.  I assumed she would make it home before I did, so I wanted to make a reasonable excuse for my absence.

~Cadance,
While it is true that we can’t do the things that changelings do, and therefore can’t have Kilo keep all his traits, it’s still good for him to have his heritage intact.  So I’m going to take him out into the forest for a while so he can hunt small animals.  This is going to be a very interesting day.  Here’s hoping I don’t get squeamish!
Your Husband,
Shining Armor

“What are you writing, Shiny?” she asked, pensively, still feeding Kilo.

“Just leaving a note telling Cadance we’ll be out for a while.” I answered setting the note on the counter.  Chrysalis didn’t seem to care much.  “So, how long is this trip going to be anyways?”

She smiled, happy that I accepted her invitation.  Something was telling me I was going to regret it, though.

“Oh don’t worry, Shiny!  The trip won’t take long at all.”

She gripped my neck, and picked up Kilo, closed her eyes, then submerged herself into deep concentration. She stood still for a good five minute before anything started happening (I was too bewildered to say anything, much less move anywhere). A green ball of energy slowly built up around us. I realized that she was trying to teleport us to the Changeling Kingdom! I quickly shut my eyes in anticipation, and reached over to Kilo and gripped his hoof. Wind rushed through the room, flailing a few documents left and right. I closed my eyes even tighter, and just as I was about to breathe in a deep breath we shook with immense force. I heard thousands of voices whizzing by as we were propelled through space. I opened my eyes for a split second, just to see thousands of tiny lights rushing past us. I was about to puke, but then the ground materialized beneath us, and I let out a sigh of relief as we all plopped down onto a mucky mess of a puddle.

As I wiped the mud from my eyes and struggled to stand up, I noticed we were standing outside of the Hayseed Swamps, a place so dark and desolate that it made the Everfree Forest look like a child's playground.  I quickly glanced over at Chrysalis and Kilo, to see if they were still there. I let out another sigh of relief as I saw Chrysalis calmly levitating Kilo onto her saddlebag, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Sorry about that" she muttered, scratching the back of her head, "it happens sometimes, I'm not used to teleporting groups of ponies!"

"So how much farther do we have to go?" I asked.

"Not far, if I remember correctly" She said smugly.

With clouds of fog materializing around us, I couldn't help but feel that this mysterious swamp had more than the common eye could see. Chrysalis, calm as ever, trotted up to the entrance of the forest, and ducked into the stale darkness. I couldn't believe it, it's as if she was taking a walk in the park!  I dragged my feet through the mucky moss, trying to keep up with the hovering Queen, who didn't seem to give a damn about my struggle.

“Yeah, short trip my flank! I've been trotting through this gooey mess of a place for nearly two hours!” I complained, just as Chrysalis rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“We’ll be there shortly, I promise. It's just that if you don't know the way, the trip seems longer! Try not to think about it!”  She said, in an annoying, melodious tone.

“Stop acting like we’re a damn couple!" I snapped, "And it’s not so easy walking through thick mud and moss!  I feel more drained of energy then when I feed Kilo!”

“Calm down, sheesh!” she mumbled,  “You’re the head of the royal guard.  A little stroll through the swamp won't hut 'ya.  You don’t hear Kilo complaining!”

“Kilo is sleeping on your back!” I said loudly, glancing up at the figure of Chrysalis hovering through the tree branches.

“Well, there’s no need to be all huffy with me!  Flying isn't that easy either you know, especially with a heavy baby on your back.  I’d think you’d be more concerned about the mother instead of just yourself!”

“Well I’d be more concerned about you two if I wasn't walking through smelly thick mud!”

“Oh, poor Shiny!" she wailed, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice,  "Does the little baby need Chryssy to kiss his little aching hooves?”

Her mocking tone put me in a very sour mood.

“I also noticed that you had a little bite mark on your hoof.  Also courtesy of my baby boy?” She said happily.

“Yeah,” I replied, glancing upwards now and then.  “He bit me while he was feeding. It wasn't intentional, but it stung like hell!"

“Oh, so you’re not experiencing any side effects, are you?” she asked, causing me to get wide-eyed.

“Why would Kilo give me any side effects!?” I yelled.

“Oh, no reason.” She said, calm as ever.

“Then why did you bucking ask!?”

“I was just curious!  There was no need for your harsh tone.  Also, I still don’t appreciate your vile language.”

“Whatever,” I huffed, receiving an aggressive stare from the queen above me.  “I just want to know if we are almost there.”

As a matter of fact,” she stated, pointing to the horizon, “we've just arrived!"

Her hive slowly loomed up in the distance. I don't know why she called it a hive, It looked more like a castle (it actually was a castle).  It was a pretty elaborate and intimidating looking castle, constructed with what I believed to be brimstone.  As we reached the gate, she slowed down her wings and descended to the ground.  The gate had a symbol fashioned after Chrysalis, showcasing her fangs.  Her face on the gate was half black, with a light-swamp-colored eye, and the other half vice-versa.  It wasn't locked, but ,to be honest, I doubt that security was a big issue here.  I mean, most of the creatures in Equestria feared the changelings.

“So, what do you think?” Chrysalis asked eagerly, just as her feet touched the ground beside me.

“It’s... big,” I responded, “Wasn't expecting anything this intricate.”

“Well, what did you expect?" She laughed, "A giant beehive?"  Did you really think someone as refined as me would live in some slum like that?”

Sadly, yes.  That is what I was thinking, but I refrained from telling her that.  There was still a roadway to get to her castle so we continued to her abode.  Even though her place was more than I imagined, there was some imagery that I was correct about.  The atmosphere was eerie, giving off an unpleasant feel to it.  There was a criss-cross roadway leading up to her castle. We had to make our way through a run-down, moss-covered village to get to that road.  Even though her place was more than I had imagined, there was some imagery that I was more or less correct about.  I glanced behind me many times, because I thought that I could hear hoof-steps behind us.

"Don't mind him" Chrysalis whispered close to my twitching ear, "The little fellow lost something very precious to him, and he's been looking for it ever since. He thinks outsiders took it, so he doesn't deal well with any visitors."

"What did he lose?" I asked, glancing behind me once again, my gaze being met by two glowing eyes from the dark brush near the road.

Chrysalis shrugged. "We don't know, all I know is that most of the residents stay away from him."

I heard a snarl from the brush as the two glowing eyes disappeared into nothingness.

"How odd," I thought to myself. "What did I expect anyways? This is the Changeling Kingdom after all..."

The grass leading to the castle looked quite dead. I noticed a group of changeling guards, eyes locked on me.  They looked very large compared to the grunts that attacked during her invasion, and far more intimidating.

We eventually reached the castle door, which had the same symbol as the gate.

The inside of the castle was purple, and it reminded me of a cave. Numerous stalactites loomed from the high ceiling, lulling me into a sense of insecurity. Houses were stacked up on each other, much like boxes in a storage room. A few cocoons hung here and there.

A few malicious glances were thrown at me from the residents.  I guess they remembered me kicking their flanks a while ago.

“Oh, don’t mind them, Shining.  They’re just a bit bewildered at seeing a former enemy with me,” she said gladly.

“Now, subjects!" She shouted, her voice echoing throughout the castle, "go about your normal business!  Act as if he is one of us and treat him with hospitality,”. The citizens questioned each other whether they should obey this order or not.

“If you do not obey my orders, we can always discuss the issue in the chambers.”  She hissed.  With panicked expressions, the residence decided it would be best to just go about their business.

“Now, shall we explore the castle?,” she said, smiling.  There really was no point in resisting….as long as we weren't going to visit the chambers!

She gave me a tour of the castle (which was illuminated with green flames), giving me details of everything I could find interesting.  The place that I originally perceived to be a dungeon had a rich history to it, and it reminded me of home...an odd reminder, but heck, some things just remind you of home.  She showed me many different trinkets that held their history intact.  She managed to keep all of her subjects happy, and supplied with food and shelter.  She even had ways for them to keep themselves entertained; one way was quite questionable in my opinion.

“And this is the sparring room!” Chrysalis stated enthusiastically.

By this time, Kilo had already woken up and was holstered on top of Chrysalis’s head. Upon entering the room, I saw a tiny grunt get tackled by what appeared to be a Goliath of a changeling. I heard what appeared to be broken bones and crushed wings, causing me to cringe, which seemed rather laughable to Kilo.

““Is he going to be okay?” I asked, a bit concerned.  “He got hit pretty hard.  Shouldn't you call a medic, or something?”

“Oh, he’ll be alright,” She laughed, waving her hoof.  “These changelings spar all the time.  It’s not uncommon to come out with a broken wing or leg. They’ll be taken care of!”

“But have you ever had anyone die in these tussles?”

“Nope!  Well, there was this one changeling, but no one really cared about him anyways, so it wasn't a big loss.”

Well that was nice to know.  If you aren't well-known or liked around here, you very-well might die in a sparring match.

“As much as Kilo enjoys watching other changelings maul each other, you have to be back at your domain in a few hours, so I urge you to follow me to one more location.”

I wasn't good at dealing with broken bones, so that sounded like a fine idea.  Leading me through a small corridor, Chrysalis entered a room that was crowded with other changelings.  It appeared to have a fireplace, a few recliners, and a bar.  They were made out of dark-black brimstone, but it was a genuine surprise to see something like this in Chrysalis’s castle.

“So, would you like a drink, or anything?” she asked, trotting towards the bar.

“Yeah, if you don’t mind.”  I was a bit hesitant at first.  After all, who knows what they drink here? But at the same time I was rather thirsty. I was still receiving angry glances from the changelings; however, as odd as it was, I was starting to loosen up a bit.

“Well, wait right here.  I’ll go get us some drinks!” she said, grinning. She trotted towards the bar, then started talking to the bartender. They shared a few laughs before he went to get the bottle of what appeared to be Champagne, as well as some cheese. She levitated the bottle and cheese over her head (Kilo tried to snatch the bottle), then slowly made her way back to me.

“No, silly, you can’t drink this!" she laughed, "This isn't for little changelings like you,” she lectured, causing Kilo to pout in defeat.

“Care to hold this bottle for a while?  I don’t want Kilo to be under the influence.”

“Yeah, that would be a disaster for both of us,” I laughed nervously, levitating the bottle.

I set the bottle on the table. We had a few drinks, and I began to loosen up even more. At the end of the hour I was laughing and banging my hooves on the table.  Whatever this drink was, it sure got to me fast.  After I calmed down a bit, I set down my glass and asked her:

“So, what now?”

She smiled, and turned away from me.  “We’re going to one last room before you go.”

I popped the cork back onto the bottle, then passed it to her.  She led me to a hallway on the upper floor of the castle.  We entered a dark chamber, presumably a staircase.  It was a spiral staircase, and was decorated with flags, which bore Chrysalises coat of arms.  There were also quite a few portraits of various changelings hung high on the walls.

“These were leaders in the past, I assume?" I asked, pointing at various paintings hung under the glowing-green torches.

“That would be correct. This one shows the founder of our civilization" She said, pointing to a beautifully-framed painting of an enormous changeling, who wore a crown bearing the emblem of the Changeling Kingdom, " and others show other changelings who led our race through harsh times. One of the greatest was my grandfather, King Metamorphosis.”

I walked up to the portrait she was currently pointing at to observe it in greater detail.  He was standing on a mound of dirt, covered in moss, looking very triumphant, and layered in thick armor.

“He was the one who saved our race from being wiped out.” She said proudly.  “If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't even be here now.”

So their race had gone through quite a lot.  Listening to these facts made me more sympathetic of the creatures.

We continued until we reached a room with a large double door.  Once again, it had Chrysalis’s coat of arms on it (I was beginning to question whether her ego needed some deflating).

She pushed open the door.  In the center of the room there was something that roused my suspicion.  A bed stood in the middle of the room.  There was no doubt about it, this was her bedroom!

“Well, come on in silly,” she giggled, seeing me freeze,  “You’re acting as if something is going to pop out and attack you!”
"It’s just... the last time I was in a bedroom with you, with alcohol we-"

“-ended up with this little prince?” she interrupted, reaching onto her head and nudging Kilo in the belly, causing him to giggle in delight.  Not the exact way I was going to word it, but that was basically what I wanted to say.

“Well you can stop your worrying!  As tempting as it is, I wouldn't do something like that in front of Kilo!”  The child was still playing around on Chrysalis’s head, then received a warm smile from Chrysalis.

I heaved a sigh, and forgot about most of my worries.  She hadn't done anything questionable yet, so I let myself relax for once.

“Alright then,” I walked into the room and closed the door.  She didn't pounce on me, so that was good.  “How about we finish this drink?”

She smiled and responded, “Yeah, wouldn't want to let it go to waste.”  Kilo climbed off of her head and wobbled towards me.  I was starting to forget about his attachment to me.  I lifted him onto my back and levitated the cork off the bottle, then Chrysalis unwrapped the cheese. Once I got a better look at it I couldn't help but giggle.

“What?” she asked, puzzled, before looking at the cheese and realizing why I was giggling.

“Yeah, yeah I get it.  I asked the bartender to grab my favorite cheese, and I really love Swiss!  Kind of silly seeing how it’s packed with more holes then me, huh?”

“Nah, its okay,” I began, still giggling a bit.  “In fact, I hole-heartedly understand!”

“Cute,” she muttered, still smiling.  I noticed her raise an eyebrow, shocked at how I was acting around her.  And honestly, I was too.  I never told corny jokes to anyone except Cadance, and there I was teasing my former enemy in a really lame way.

“At any rate, there are guest chairs in the room, so if you aren't comfortable sitting on my nice, soft bed with me, you have other options.”

She gave me a sultry wink, obviously trying to get a reaction out of me.  I didn't fluster, but my cheeks were heating up.

Kilo was sitting on my lap, and I took the liberty to stroke his head, causing him to squeak and purr.  As I ate the cheese and sipped the crystal clear beverage, I looked around the room, analyzing every tiny detail.  It wasn't home, but it reminded me of it.

There was an arrangement of unlit candles on the cabinets and counters, and quite a sizable chandelier above the bed.  The one window in the room was open wide, and the silver moonlight poured into the dark room.

“You know, when the moon is up, the scenery is amazing,” she said softly.  “It's really beautiful.”

Her voice seemed rather soothing to me, which was quite odd.  Even though I was no longer at the point of downright hating her, I still wasn't comfortable with the idea of her being coy with me.  I diverted my attention to the wall behind the bed, and saw a giant framed portrait of a female changeling with her hair tied in a bun.

“Who is that?” I asked, causing her to turn her head from the window to the wall.

“Oh, that's my mother,” she replied, then continued staring out the window.

Not too surprising, actually.  They did look quite similar.  

"She was a great Queen, a very fine leader.  There wasn't a day that went by where things weren't getting done.  I remember one time, when I was small, she took me to a small village on the outskirts of Equestria.  It was just her and me, and a few guards.

I was listening intently.  She obviously had fond memories of her mother, since she was smiling blissfully while staring at the window into the night.

“Then, moments later, she let me go into the village and claim it as our territory!  Every critter fled as we took our new land!" She said, eyes flaming, "We crushed anything in our way!  It was the first village that I ever captured, and Mom and I laughed at the puny ruins!" she exclaimed, raising the tone of her voice a bit.

I started getting a bit nervous again.  She was sitting there, laughing maniacally about her first raid, which caused Kilo chuckle too.  Changelings are strange creatures...

“S-so where is she now?” I asked, my voice shaking slightly.

I didn't understand why I was striving to find out about her past, but in a way, it felt right to me.

“Dead” Chrysalis replied bluntly.  The flames in her eyes died down as she slowly lowered her head and stared at the floor.

“She was killed by a group of  Canterlot guards during one of her hunts.  She had wandered too far into Celestia's domain and was considered a great threat, so they killed her.

How depressing.

“She told me to be strong, to be a greater leader then she ever was, and continuously provide for our nest.  She expected great things out of me, and wanted me to amass our race.  She often told me I was her little warrior, and as a warrior, I wasn't ever to cry in her eyesight, even if she was to die.”

“Did you?” I asked, leaning forward to look into her eyes.

“No, not at the reception at least. As the new Queen, I couldn't show even a bit of emotion, or the changeling race might reconsider my power.”

I noticed a few crystal-clear tears run down her cheeks.

“All the territory gained over the years, all that hard work was destroyed.  They secluded our race to this castle in the middle of this wasteland.  I didn't want to disappoint Mother.  I wanted my people to have the best, to have what they needed to thrive and…”

“And that’s why you invaded Canterlot,” I interrupted.  She nodded, then lowered her head onto one of her numerous pillows.

“I just wanted to live up to my mother’s expectations,” Chrysalis sighed,   I was starting to feel really sympathetic for her at this point.

“Couldn't you have tried to find a better solution than raiding a heavily-guarded castle? “ I suggested.

Her head sunk deeper into her pillow.  

“Yeah, maybe…” she sniffed.  This was starting to get too depressing for me.  She was obviously remorseful of her failure to live up to the expectation of her strong, albeit tyrannical mother, and I spent most of the day questioning her motives.  I had changelings pegged the wrong way the whole time.

Chrysalis jolted a little as she felt another body plop onto her bed.  I kept a reasonable distance to not give off any wrong ideas, and Kilo climbed onto the bed and snuggled next to his mother.

“This is a nice bed,” I said, patting it with my hooves
.  
“And quite big I might add. Got this reserved for somebody?” I giggled.

“Sadly, no.  There aren't too many that I seek to court and make my king.  To be honest, you’re the first male to even come close to this bed.”

The playfulness didn't help; in fact I think it might have made it worse.  

“But I’m not too concerned about it anymore.  After all, our son will grow and succeed me.  Being able to bear the fruit of a prince... I think that’s good enough for a changeling queen, wouldn't you agree?”

There she was, back to her old self.  Her old, seductive, comfort smashing, oddly entertaining self.  Kilo noticed a bag similar to the one Chrysalis showed up with the other night, and began to crawl towards it.

“Oh, right!  Kilo’s present.  I almost forgot about it!” She lifted herself off the bed and walked towards the bag.  “Kilo, meet your very own bunny!”

She opened the bag and showed a dirt-brown rabbit that was tapping his foot rapidly.  Kilo’s excitement peaked as he saw the critter, and once again a smile displayed on my face. It was rather cute...

…until I realized that wasn’t a pet! Kilo proceeded to suck the life out of it.  The rabbit flopped to the ground, seemingly dead.  I was quite disturbed.

“What was even the point of that!?” I cried out.

“Some critters love is sweeter because of their 'natural cuteness' and 'cuddly-ness', so I got him one for a snack,” Chrysalis answered, seeing no issue with what had just happened.  “But don’t worry, Kilo didn’t kill it.”

Kilo sniffed the unconscious rabbit, and stared blankly at it.  What followed was a gruesome sound of tearing flesh as Kilo attempted to devour the rabbit.

“Okay, now it’s dead!”  

I was sick to my stomach watching my son tear into the rabbits hide.  Chrysalis on the other hand, seemed rather giddy and proud of her son’s accomplishment.

“Aw, you went for the jugular vein!  You really are a nice developing male changeling!” She said happily, then patted his head.  Kilo smiled and purred, with the deceased rabbit dangling from his mouth.

As disgusting as the scene was, it did make my alibi to Cadance valid.
> Play Date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Diapers and powder?” Cadance called.

“Check!" I replied.

“Medical kit?”

“Checkeroo!”

“Leather?”

“No way in Tartarus I’m forgetting that...” I muttered

“I bet not!” Cadance giggled, grooming Kilo, who was struggling much less than usual, which amazed me quite a bit.  Though in Kilo’s case, not screaming and kicking as if he was being tortured while being groomed was a blessing.  

“So, what about the food, honey?” Cadance asked.

“Well, my stomach isn't growling” I teased, which caused Cadance to raise her eyebrows.

"Just kidding, It's all here!"

We packed a very large amount of food, most of which was for Kilo. We had cut bananas, celery, and a few strawberries for him to nibble on. Cadance reminded me to bring the bottles of formula, though in the back of my mind I knew it replace the love he drains out of me.

“Hope we packed enough, though. Kilo is most likely going to be playing all day long, I really don't want us to run out of food!" Cadance said, a bit concerned.  

I was still quite baffled at how she accepted the whole “adopted changeling” situation; I tried to keep it off my mind, not wanting to jinx myself or anything like that! I was so happy of how enthusiastic she was about raising a child, even if it wasn’t hers.

“Well look at you! Always thinking ahead,” I flirted, giving her a slight peck on the cheek, "I’m sure we have enough food for the little devil.  There's enough in here to keep anypony alive for a year!”

While I was talking, I approached Kilo and playfully rubbed his scalp.  He seemed to like it a lot!  He was still a bit hesitant to Cadance, but he had come a long way from growling and biting.

“Besides, I’ll be his secondary source of food if we ever do run out.”

“True, you are a good source of love...” Cadance replied, kissing me on the lips.  This brought a goofy smile to my face.  “If only I could taste some of that love...” she whispered, moving closer to me.

Her sultry tone sent shivers down my spine. I lovingly embraced her, playing with her hair, and whispered:

“And you will... in time!  But before that, we have to spend some time with Kilo.”

Cadance nodded, still smiling, and gazed into my eyes. Her eyes had a hypnotizing nature to them.  If you started long enough into those deep pools of purple, you might as well kiss the rest of your day goodbye.

“So, do we have everything together for our day out?” she asked quietly, returning to the previous subject.

I quickly reverted my eyes to Kilo, then gently set him atop our bed.

Yeah, but I gotta wash my face. Wanna be fresh and clean, since I'm probably gonna get all dirty playing with Kilo!" 

I slowly trotted to the bathroom on the far side of the room and quickly turned the sink on, gently splashing water onto my face.  I was telling Cadance the truth for the most part, but there were other reasons why I was washing up.

The previous night ended with Chrysalis walking both me and Kilo back to the empire. The guards were still in the vicinity, so she decided to stay out of sight to avoid any awkward situations.


---


“Well, I enjoyed our little day together!” she said, softly pulling me into an unwanted hug.  “Remember, my bed is quite large.  If you want, we can make good use of it!”

Yeah, don’t keep your hopes too high...” I responded, as she smiled and leaned a bit closer, obviously leaning in for a kiss.

“Please, don't..." I muttered, nudging her face away with my elbow.

“Well, okay…” she replied, a bit disappointed.  I closed my eyes and let out a sigh of relief.  That was, until I felt her wet tongue streaking up my cheek, leaving a slimy mark on my face.

“What the!?” I snapped, quickly jerking my eyes open.

“What?” she replied teasingly, “you told me not to kiss you; you didn't say I couldn't lick you! Oh, and trust me, there is so much more I could do with this tongue..."


---


I shuddered, then jerked my head under the stream of cold water, trying to forget what happened. I shut my eyes and tried to relax. I diverted my attention to the soothing feeling of water trickling down the back of my my neck...

After vigorously drying my head with a small towel, I headed back into the room.

“Ready now, Mr. Perfection?” Cadance laughed, holstering Kilo up onto her back (much to his discomfort).

“Sure am,” I replied.  “Sure am!” I replied. “Just waiting for the lady...”

Her smile widened as she headed towards the door, getting ready for a nice relaxing day with the new addition to the family (hopefully).

We stopped briefly at the open plains just outside the Crystal Empire.

My sister always complimented the Sweet Apple Acres, it's astounding beauty. It's the type of scenery that's more than breathtaking.  Your heart jumps when your eyes glide across the beautiful landscape. But if you ask me I’d say that we had it beat.  The glowing fields were rich with life: small animals darted left and right, many different bushes were  overflowing with juicy berries, ripe, ready to pick. The open space was a perfect scenario for a family picnic.  Kilo seemed excited, he'd never had the opportunity to play in any open space like this.  No fences blocking him, no boundaries to hold him back!  His eyes lit up with excitement! His playground now was the world around him.  The mere sparkling of his innocent little eyes forced a smile upon my face.  Candace's face beamed with joy when she saw her adopted child's twinkling eyes!

I gently spread out the checkered cloth, and carefully set the food down, trying to keep some space between all the bottles and plates.  Kilo, who was still mounted on top of Cadance, was staring at me with wide, pleading eyes.  It's almost as if he was asking for my permission to go and play!

“Alright Kilo, go nuts!” I laughed, which he obviously took as a "yes", because he scrambled off Candace's back, and out into the spacious fields.

“Be careful! I don't want to have a heart attack again!” I shouted, stretching my neck upwards, trying to make sure the rambunctious changeling didn't leave my sight.  I then lowered myself down onto the cloth to let weary bones settle.  Cadance soon joined me, nesting herself as close as possible to me.

“Has Kilo really been giving you mini heart attacks?” Cadance asked lovingly.

“You don’t know the half of it!” I laughed, as images of my first day with Kilo flashed through my head.

Oh, it couldn't have been that bad!" she giggled, nudging herself even closer to me.

“Yes it was!" I replied, a robust smile forming on my face, "I left the room for a mere second, and the kid was leaning off the balcony! If I hadn't notice him, he would have fallen!”  He technically did fall, but I decided to leave that out of my story.

““Oh, goodness!” Cadence gasped.  “He didn’t get hurt did he?”

“No.  In fact, he seemed quite pleased about it. I'm sure he was laughing on the inside!”

“Maybe that was Mr. Karma biting a chunk out of your flank for keeping a secret from me!” Cadance teased, lightly tapping me on the back.

I couldn't help but giggle at my wife’s playful attitude.  I savored these moments, since they didn't tend to come by as often as they used to.  Every second spent with her was valuable, especially since Kilo continuously drains me of energy.

Isn't he wonderful?,” Cadance said, smiling, watching Kilo roll down a small hill, laughing as he tumbled over and over and over.

“He kinda reminds me of Twilight when she was little,” she whispered, leaning over and gently placing her head on my shoulder.

“Yeah, he does have that that child-like wonder... ” I responded.  

Butterflies happily fluttered in our vicinity, staying very low to the ground.  They danced through the tall grass, and with each graceful flap of their wings they left behind a tiny trail of pollen, brightly glistening in the evening sun. Kilo lifted his tiny snout in the air, and took in an entire lung's-worth of air.  He snuffed in quite a bit of pollen, which the butterflies left behind, and sneezed, toppling over himself and down into the silky grass.  He quickly scrambled to his feet, quite frustrated at what had happened.  His eyes combed the landscape, looking for what possibly could have caused his sudden embarrassment. He noticed the butterflies, and a tiny fire lit up in his sparkling eyes. He darted behind a nearby rock, and waited for one to fly by.  He leaped out from behind the rock just as one passed by.  Even though the butterflies  were flying very low, they still were a bit out of his reach. He kept leaping at the butterflies, but they always evaded his grasp.  I could see the frustration building up inside of him with each failed attempt.

“Don’t give up, Kilo!” I playfully yelled, “you’ll catch one eventually!”

My voice was just the motivation he needed in order to succeed.  He climbed on top of the rock, and came sailing down onto one of the creatures.  He snatched it between his hooves, being careful not to crush it.  He gazed at the butterfly, admiring its pleasant features and enjoying its simplicity…

…before rapidly tearing the butterfly’s wings apart with his fangs, throwing it on the ground and brutally stomping on it with his fore-hooves.  As he continued this frenzy, he let out a series of high pitched, demonic laughs.  Enjoying himself to the fullest, he crushed the poor thing to smithereens.  I guess this sort of thing runs in the family (Changeling side, of course).

“Kilo!” Cadance called out, causing Kilo’s laughter to slow down and eventually stop.  “You can't just go around killing creatures for no reason, especially something as harmless and innocent as a butterfly!"

Kilo shot a disapproving, agitated glance Cadance, for their was a reason for him to do so. He Stomped on the already-crushed butterfly to show his defiance.  Yeah, definitely a changeling thing.

“Oh Kilo, what am I going to do with you?” Cadance laughed.  She was taking Kilo’s hostility particularly well.  She got up, brushed the straw off her lap, and made towards the aggravated little changeling.

“Every creature is valuable!” she began, a calm smile on her face.  “Even a small creature like a butterfly!  There’s more to life than domination and violence, you know. You should admire the wonderful gift of life, not destroy it!" Cadance said, spreading her hooves to the sky.”

I sat still, watching her educate our little Kilo. A large group of butterflies fluttered over their heads; and Kilo's eyes twinkled with delight as he stared at the graceful creatures.

I honestly couldn’t believe that Cadance was able to calm down the tyrannical little fellow, and have him go minutes without destroying anything.  He stared and stared, eyes as wide as possible.  Cadance in turn smiled at him, pleased that everything had gone as she planned.  One particularly large butterfly landed on Kilo’s snout, spreading it's wings to their maximum amplitude.  The pattern on it's wings slightly resembled a smile, which caused Cadance to giggle slightly, for it looked like Kilo was smiling broadly.  I couldn't help but snicker.  It was nice to see Kilo finally getting along with Cadance, and listening to her.  For the first time ever he was fully calm near Cadance.

This, however, didn't stop him from swatting the butterfly from his snout directly into his little mouth.  He slowly chewed on it, letting it's wings protrude from the sides of his mouth.  Though it was a disturbing sight, it was better than watching him mutilate a rabbit.  He smiled gleefully, and looked up at Cadance, who seemed to be taking everything better than I'd expected.

“One step at a time!"  she said, patting Kilo's head, "One step at a time..."

We spent the evening watching him play in the fields.  When he would grow tired, or hungry, he would squeeze himself between me and Cadance, then whimper as loud as possible, trying to gain my attention.  He obviously wanted me to feed him my love.  As much as I adored the little guy, I wasn't ready to sacrifice the rest of the evening being bushed and tired-out.  So I gave him some fruit instead.  He was content with what he had received, though and proceeded to stuff as much fruit as possible into his little mouth.

We sat a bit longer in the sunlight; resting together, as a family.  Cadances affection towards Kilo must have been driven by her desire to start a family and have children of our own.  She was hopeful that one of our “attempts” would lead to her bearing, but recently with Kilo around we hadn't really had the time to attempt anything.  I always wanted to start a family with her, I really did... But this changeling that I took upon myself to raise like he was my own (which he was) was making me wonder if it was worth it.  I know, I sound like a terrible father right now.

“Well, we might as well get going, hon,” Cadance suggested, lifting herself off the cloth.  “We don’t want Kilo to miss his play-time with the other children.”

I stared at her, wide-eyed.

“Play-time?”

“I didn’t tell you?  I thought it would be best for Kilo to have some social interaction with other children.  He might even make some friends!”

“Cadance, I’m not sure that's a good idea” I stammered nervously.  I remembered what Twilight had said about how Changeling children socialize with others.

“Oh it’ll be fine!” Cadance said calmly. “I’ll keep a close eye on the little devil here.  And if things do go wrong, I’ll take all the blame for it.”

I didn’t want to take that chance.  Still, Cadance really wanted Kilo to spend some time with other children.  I couldn't say no to that puppy-dog face of hers.  Women are manipulative creatures. But then again, they sometime make up for our stupidity.

“Alright,” I said, smiling wryly. “But please keep a very close eye on him.”

Cadance gave me a loving kiss on the cheek, and smiled.  “Don’t worry so much, Shining. I’ll make sure he doesn't get into trouble.”

Cadance and I trotted together along the streets of the Crystal Empire, talking to each other along the way.  Our destination was the local park, where Kilo would socialize (hopefully) well with the other ponies.

“So, Kilo, are you looking forward to playing with the others?” I asked him, balancing him on my head.

Kilo answered by sinking his teeth into my hair.

“I'll take that as a yes!” I groaned.

“Well, Kilo seems to enjoy ruining your day!” Cadance laughed playfully.

“You have no idea.”

Our park had a sizable playground for the children to play at, while parents sat on the benches and watched them.  A lot of ponies took advantage of the nice, sunny day and brought their kids out to play.  Kilo’s eyes widened when he saw the playground.  I couldn't tell if he was happy or afraid!  We got a few stares from the passerby and the ponies sitting on the benches, but we were used to that kind of attention, so we didn't think much of it.

“Oh, good! Surely Kilo will make a few friends today” Cadance sang.

“Sure” I responded.

“You don’t seem too eager for him to play with the others.” She said glumly.

“Did I not already emphasize my discomfort with him playing with others?  He's not really the friendly type when it comes to other ponies."

“Well, how are you supposed to know?  Have you even tried getting him to do it?” Cadance said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Come to think of it, I haven't!  I took Twilight’s word for it, and never even considered that maybe he could be...tamed. It was worth a shot.  Cadance has a knack for these things anyways, so I just trusted her judgement.

“You do have a point...” I muttered.  “Okay, let’s get 'em ready to play with the others.”

Cadance smiled, lifting Kilo off of my head; the young guy wiggled and squirmed uncomfortably as Cadance brought him to her face.

“So, Kilo, want to make some new friends today?” Cadance asked while Kilo grunted, making small clicking noises to let her know he wanted to be put down.  Cruel as it may be, I found his struggles quite amusing!

“Was that a nod, young man?" she said in a teasing voice.

Kilo crossed his little arms and pouted, then snapped his head away from Cadances face. He peeked out of the corner of his eye, and saw all the children playing on the playground. He then nodded vigorously, mainly to get out of Cadance's grasp.

“Alright, have fun!”

Once released from her grasp, Kilo, agitated as ever, swiftly dashed out of her arms, then headed towards the playground hopefully to play with the other little fillies.

“He’s growing on you every day, isn't he?” Cadance said warmly, reading the happy expression on my face.

He really had been growing on me. I couldn't deny it.  The more I’m around him, the more I enjoy the responsibility required to take care of him.  And Cadance, so willing to accept this child into our life without hesitation or a second thought made me ever happier.  The fact that I was lying to her sent cold shivers down my spine.  What could I do?  I couldn't tell her the truth.  If keeping Cadance meant keeping this circle of lies rotating, I would just have to grin and bear it.

“He really is,” I said, watching as he tried his best to fit into the pool of the other children.  "Although I’m not too sure that the others are fond of him.”

Kilo was greeted by many fearful stares. All the fillies made sure to keep distance from the "weirdo". This upset Kilo. A lot. He growled at the others, showing his sharp fangs.

“Kilo!” I shouted.  “No aggressive behavior around others!"

I could tell that Kilo didn't like what I had to tell him, but hey obeyed my orders.  There were some advantages of him being my son: he had to listen to my commands.  In fact, I believe it was noted that it was instinct for changeling children to fully obey their parents.  That did explain why Chrysalis obeyed her own mother to a fault.

Wait, what am I doing?  I was finally free from that pain in the flank, finally able to enjoy a day with my wife, and yet there I was thinking about Chrysalis!

I shook any thoughts of the queen out of my head and focused on Kilo.  I guess cruelty and intolerance starts pretty early in life, as the other ponies refused to let him play in the playground.  They blocked off the slide, pushed him from the seesaw, and made every effort to exclude him from the playground.

“Why are they being so rude to him?” Cadance asked, concerned about Kilo, who seemed more sad than angry.

“I don’t know, maybe because he’s a changeling.” I said icily.

Fortunately she ignored my tone and began trotted towards one of the parents of one of the rude fillies.

“Excuse me” Cadance said with a soft tone.

“Oh, h-hello your h-highness! How may I be of service?" blurted the surprised pony.

“I would like you and the others to try and get your children to be more accepting to him, please" Cadance said calmly.

She pointed at Kilo, whose sad expression had turned to something similar to rage.

“O-oh, you mean that thing?" the pony said worriedly.

“That "things" name is Kilo.” Cadance proclaimed sternly, which caused the crystal pony to nervously look left and right, “and he’s a changeling that my husband and I adopted.”

Must she throw attention my way?  I didn’t want to get any more involved in this than I needed to, and here I was getting thrown in headfirst.

“Please pardon me for asking this, your highness, but why would you bring such a creature into your home!?” the pony asked, which made me rather uncomfortable, and a bit irritated.

“Why wouldn't anypony bring home a hurt creature that was left to die?” I said firmly.

“B-but that thing isn’t worth your t-time!  H-have you already forgotten what these creatures have done to you?” the pony said, nervous as ever.  She squirmed in her seat, and it felt much like she was awaiting her own execution.

““You can’t blame a young child for that!  Kilo took no part in what happened!”  My voice was dripping with anger.

“B-but he’s one of them!  Who knows when he’ll eventually turn on us. You of all ponies should be concerned!"

“He is a sensible being just like the rest of us!” Cadance butted in, looking as agitated as ever.  “Being a changeling doesn't affect civil rights!"

“That abomination of nature couldn't possibly fit in with our-”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!!” I shouted, stomping my hooves to the ground in fury.  “I refuse to let you say such things about my son!!”

"Your son!?” Cadance questioned.

Oh Celestia!  I was so enraged I let those words slip right out out my mouth!  I urgently had to evade this awkward situation.

I didn't need a diversion, since Kilo seemed to have made one for me, though I would have preferred if he didn’t.  One of the fillies was screaming and crying as Kilo blatantly pounded him with all his might.  

“My child!!”  One of the parents cried. All the fillies rushed to their parents, afraid to get close to the violent Kilo.

“Kilo, stop!” I shouted as I galloped towards him. “Kilo, get off of him!”

Kilo paused for a moment, most likely wondering whether or not to listen to me. An expression of sadness swept over his face. He buried his tiny face into his arms.

“Kilo, stop this nonsense!”  I nearly choked on my words.  Kilo let out a soft, disappointed click, and hastily got off the trembling pony.

“You wretched demon!

From behind, an enraged crystal pony levitated a brick above Kilo’s head with the intent to kill.  My heart raced as I tried to reach Kilo before the pony landed the blow.

“The less of you that exist in this world the better!”  Kilo turned away in fear as the enraged pony forced the brick down.

I couldn't reach him in time.  I was nearly brought to tears at the thought of losing my son to a group of angry parents!  Everything happened so fast, I couldn't concentrate enough to move Kilo out of harms way.

I saw who the brick struck instead.  Cadance had leaped on top of Kilo, using her body to shield him from the brick.  Instead of the pony killing the changeling, she involuntarily hit the princess on the head, leaving a very noticeable lump on her skull.

“Oh, p-princess, I’m sorry!” the pony frantically wailed. “I was trying to…”

“I know what you were trying to do.” Cadance replied coldly, which sent shivers down my spine.  “I won’t let you do anything to harm our child.”

Kilo seemed surprised by her declaration.  For the first time since they met, Kilo nestled against Cadance without being told to.  He looked so vulnerable and helpless, his eyes glistening with guilt and fear.

“Are you hurt, darling?” Cadance asked in a motherly tone. The young changeling simply shook his head, still resting against Cadance.

“I think you've had enough excitement for one day.”

She lifted Kilo onto her back, stumbling, a bit still dizzy, and trotted towards me, ignoring the glares from everypony else.

“Let’s leave, Shining,” she said sternly.  "Somepony got lucky they didn't get a lifetime sentence."

The usual, loving princess had turned cold, and I could see the icy flames in her bright eyes.  I managed to shoot a glance over my shoulder before we left the park.  Everypony was standing completely still, dazzled at what they had just experienced.  The pony who had levitated the brick was shaking with fear.  She backed away from the others and lay down on the bench.

The walk home was painfully quiet and slow.  Kilo rested atop Cadance’s back, and I conjured some ice for her head.  We trotted alongside each other in awkward silence.  It was unbearable.  I wanted her to say something, anything, to make the situation more manageable.

“Are you feeling any better, hon?” I asked.  Wasn't the best icebreaker, but it would have to do.

“Feeling as good as I can possibly feel after getting hit in the face by a brick!” she responded, a tiny smile glistening on her exhausted face.

“Oh. Sorry for asking.”

“No, it’s fine,” she sighed, her tiny smile warping into a melancholy frown.  “None of this would have happened if I had listened to your advice...”

“Don't blame yourself!  You couldn't have possibly known what would have happened.” I said, locking my eyes on her.

“But I should have!  How foolish of me to assume that everypony would simply accept Kilo.  Changelings have caused so many problems in the past.  It was a stupid idea, and I ran with it.”

“One mistake compared to my thousands of blunders?  That's not bad!" I exclaimed, trying to cheer her up.  “You could be doing a lot worse.”

“How?”

“Well, you could have tried hiding a changeling just because you were worried about what your wife would think about it.”

She smiled warmly, which calmed me down quite a bit. The icy glow in here eyes was thawing, and her beautiful eyes bloomed once again.

“So, about what you said back there, you really think of him as a son?”

“He might as well be!  I sure did spend a lot of time with the little bugger,” I replied, still smiling.  

“Good, because I was thinking the exact same thing.”  She moved closer to me, and grinned softly.

“Though I know Kilo won’t be able to substitute us having a child of our own,” I said, watching her smile dissipate.

“I know how much energy Kilo takes out of you" she replied, nudging my chin with her cheek, "It’s understandable that you aren't in the mood to try as often as you used to.  Besides, after today’s experience, I honestly don’t think I’ll make a good mother.”

“Nonsense!  You sacrificed your well-being to protect a child who isn't even yours!  You helped raise him, and taught him many things, even when he showed his hostility to you.  You have more motherly qualities in one hoof than most have in their entire bodies!”    

After finishing my sincere praises, I gently picked up one of her hooves and kissed it, which caused her to giggle.  It was disappointing that Kilo managed to drain enough energy out of me to the point where I wouldn't even want to have any "private-time" with my wife, but you make many sacrifices when raising a changeling child.  Still, as time went on, I found myself wanting close relations with her.  I assumed it was the lack of love we were receiving from each other that made me long for her so much.

Once we finally made it home, Cadance rested herself on the bed while I fed Kilo before he went to sleep.  He drained what he needed from me, then slowly wobbled to his crib.  The only difference was that I didn’t feel drained.  In fact, I felt needy of love. A naughty grin formed across my face as I entered the bedroom.

“So, you done feeding him?" she asked.

I simply nodded, and she turned away and sighed.  This was the perfect time to act.

“Is somepony jealous that Kilo gets all the love?” I said softly.  I slithered closer so her, and gently nibbled on the tip of her ear.

“Don't worry Candance.  Shining Armour has plenty left!”

Cadance’s face flushed at my sultry words, and she lowered herself into my lap, staring up, directly at me.

“Shining, what’s gotten into you?” she giggled, blushing wildly.  I didn't answer.  Instead, I pressed my lips against hers. Her eyes widened, but then she relaxed and slowly shut them.  I loved the sounds she made during our session, the feeling of her tongue sliding over mine.

When we broke free from our kiss, I said, “Nothing's gotten into me... But I bet you’ll enjoy what's going to get into y-”

She quickly placed her hoof on my lips, smiling seductively.

“Shining, you know I hate foreplay...” she hummed.  I was set for a wild night.

For the first time in weeks, we had no distractions, no tired resistance, nothing.  Two lovers locked together, pleasing each other in every way possible.  When we finished our "activity", Cadance lay on top of me, a messy mane and a satisfied grin on her face.

“So it is true..” she said in a cracked voice, tracing her hoof across my chest, “Love feels better when you wait...”

“I definitely agree on that...” I replied, still lost in the afterglow, “How long do you want to wait before we do this again?”

“Hmm, a day should do...” she replied, licking her lips flirtatiously, placing both her hooves on my chest and leaning close to my face.

“You can’t go one day without it, huh?  You really are a bad girl!”

She leaned closer to me, so close that our noses nearly touched, acting as sexy as possible.  “Well, I never claimed to be a good girl...”

After exchanging cheesy dialogue with each other, we let out small giggles, basking in the moment.

“So, think we’ll get our child out of this attempt?” Cadance asked.

“I don’t know.  Though I don’t mind trying until we do!”

She playfully rolled her eyes at my comment.  “I’m honestly surprised you were up for it after Kilo’s feeding.  Generally, you’re a borderline zombie after you feed him!”

“Well, I guess I'm immune now!” I replied smugly.  I had no explanation to why I wasn't a complete emotionless wreck, but I wasn't complaining.

If we can keep this going and not have it be a one-night thing, I don’t really care how you avoided zombification...”

She placed her head on my chest and closed her eyes.  “One thing for sure, you know how to keep a lady coming back for more!"

Tell me about it. I can’t get rid of the other one, who still invades my thoughts.


“I do whatever it takes to keep you coming,” I said slowly.

“Coming back right?” she replied.

“That too.”

She blushed at my implication, and so did I. Did something that dirty just come out of my mouth?

“Oh, aren't you being a naughty little colt,” she cooed into my ear.  “I think I’ll have a remedy at a later date.  Right now, I think I’ll just use you as a pillow!”

“Go right ahead, milady” I softly complied, kissing her on the forehead.  “I love you.”

She yawned loudly, making adorable squeaking sounds as she did so.   

““Love you too, my Shining Armour.”  She instantly fell asleep on my chest, snoring softly.  I couldn’t help but grin.  I had finally done it.  For the first time since Kilo entered my life, I finally had Cadance all to myself.  I felt a sudden urge to tell Twilight about the sudden change of side-effects.  I levitated a quill and paper and began writing, careful not to wake up my sleeping beauty.

Twilight,

Tonight was the first night that I was able to spend some “quality time” with my wife, full of energy. The odd thing was that it happened after Kilo had fed on me. I seemed to have built some kind of immunity to it, which is good, I guess. I just wanted to tell you that things are finally looking good for me.

Lots of love,

Shining Armor

I used my magic to send the letter.  I doubted that she would read it now, but she did say to write when possible.  I expected her to send a response the next day.  I put both my fore-hooves behind my head, and slowly shut my eyes.

“Yeah, things are finally starting to look up for me.”

I didn’t have much time to try to fall asleep, as a bright green wisp of flame materialized over my head, and a scroll popped down onto my bed.

“Hmm, already?”

I levitated the scroll directly above my face, and started reading it.

No Shining!  This isn’t good at all!

What a way to start a letter!

It’s true that you developed immunity from the feeding but for all the wrong reasons!  Somehow, Kilo must have bitten into your skin and released some of the changeling DNA inside of you.  If noted immediately it can be neutralized but you reached a dangerous stage; your mentality and needs are becoming that of a changeling!

What?!

If you immediately went to have “quality time” with your wife after Kilo fed on you, it wasn't because you wanted to.  It was because you needed to!  You now have a need for others love by any means necessary, and if you don’t consistently “feed” yourself, you could die!

WHAT!!?

This is bad...I will arrive at the Crystal Empire first thing tomorrow to explain in greater detail.  Please delay any arrangements!

Your concerned sister,

Twilight Sparkle

Death!?  I couldn’t believe what I was reading.  I always joked about Kilo being the death of me, but I didn't actually think he would infect me with something that could kill me...

I felt a cold sweat building up around my entire body.  I felt beads of the stuff pouring down my face! I was horrified at the revelation Twilight had given me. How was I supposed to know that this would happen?  Then, I realized something: I would have known this would happen if a certain queen would have told me.

Oh, so you’re not experiencing any side effects are you?

“Chrysalis!  She knew!”
> First Words
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don’t believe I slept well that night.  Most of the time was spent breaking into a cold sweat about the news that I received from Twilight. I eventually fell asleep, but it was an uncomfortable state I was in, very opposite to the feeling I had with Cadance.
 
When I woke up, I noticed my wife no longer lying on me, or the bed. Kilo wasn’t in his crib either. I rubbed my eyes and got out of the bed to see where they went off tot. To my delight, Cadance was in the kitchen, humming sweetly to Kilo while fixing breakfast.
 
“Well well well! Looks like the man of the house finally woke up,” Cadance happily chimed. “I didn’t tucker you out that much last night did I hon?”
 
She made sure I had a good view at her flank, as she wiggling it slowly to tease me. It was tempting, maybe a little too tempting.
 
“You’re going to if you keep provoking me like that,” I giggled. “I take it that you’re in a good mood this morning.”
 
“How can I not be!” Cadance responded wrapping her arms around me. “Ever since I got up this morning, Kilo has been welcoming me warmly. He even let me tickle his little tummy. You should have seen it; he let out the most adorable squeak I ever heard!”
 
Kilo was sitting in his booster seat, chewing on one of the toys that Cadance set out for him. He was making babbling sounds and tapping the little area he had playfully.
 
“Cute, but is he the only reason you’re happy?” I asked playfully. She played with my mane with her hooves and whispered in my ear.
 
“As much as I would love talking about that, we have young ears here.” She let out an almost drunken giggle and went back to the kitchen. She had a variety of food being prepared: cooked carrots, toast with strawberry jelly, fruit salad, and even one of her special omelets made just for me, which was crafted into a heart. It was a cute display, and it almost got my mind off of the issue that was running through my mind…almost.
 
“Though I will say, whatever got you to be so…well…active last night, I hope you keep it up,” she cooed.
 
“Yeah, I guess,” I said halfheartedly. I enjoyed what happened, just not the effect I had to inherit to get this. She seemed to have catch on that something was wrong.
 
“Shining, is something the matter?” she asked in her sweet concerned voice. “You seem, kind of upset about it. Was it something I did? I did go a little overboard with the…”
 
“No, it’s nothing you did,” I reassured sighing. I told her two lies in the past (one that is still sticking) and I don’t think there is much of a reason hiding this as well. She has already accepted Kilo, so she would certainly accept this.
 
For once since I found Kilo, I decided to tell the truth.
 
I explained the symptom I received from Kilo, causing my wife to frown slightly in concern.
 
“So, that was the reason you had the drive last night?”
 
I nodded sadly, as I noticed her giddy complexion sink from her face the more I talked about it.
 
“So, all of that was from the effect of the bite and not because…”

“No, don’t get me wrong Cadance! There was nothing forced about last night,” I reassured her gazing lovingly into her eyes. “Everything we did was genuine.”
 
Cadance smiled warmly at me. Something about telling her about my condition just felt good, like I was finally doing something right for once.
 
“Still though, is there any way to cure this infection you have?” she asked worriedly.
 
“Don’t know. Twilight is supposed to be coming sometime today to talk to me about it, so maybe she’ll have some answers.”
 
Cadance sighed, her concern still displayed on her face. “Let’s hope so.”
 
This was becoming depressing. I wanted to alleviate the situation to something a little more pleasant.
 
“So, what have you and Kilo been doing since you’ve been up?”
 
Cadance’s mood seemed to perk up when I asked this. “Oh, how could I forget to mention it! Kilo tried to talk today!”
 
“Really?!” I knew that changelings advanced faster than ponies, but he’s only been with us for about three months. How was he able to learn to speak so fast?
 
“Yes. When I was feeding him his food, he started mumbling inaudibly. It sounded as if he was actually trying to say something.”
 
I went to see the little devil as he chewed on the plush unicorn Cadance let him play with. As soon as he saw me, he immediately spat the toy out and extended his arms.
 
“Icka!” he exclaimed. I could only assume that he wanted me to pick him up.
 
“Not now Kilo,” I denied. “I want to talk to Cadance for a little.” Kilo glared at me, obviously not too pleased with my refusal.
 
“Oh that’s okay,” my wife stated, putting on a set of earrings. “I’m going to have a day out with a few girlfriends of mine, and I want to be as early as possible.”
 
“Girlfriends?”
 
“I thought I told you about this.” She reminded me of the scheduled date she had with her friends while she prepared herself for her outing. She was putting on all the fixings: makeup, eye shadow, hoof polish, and all the works. She was absolutely glowing; her physique grew more enticing the more I looked at her. It took a lot for me to avoid thinking lewd things about my own wife (probably due to the changeling infection I had).
 
“I honestly forgot about that,” I admitted, scratching my head. 
 
“It’s not that big of deal if you forgot,” Cadance smiled, pecking me on the lips teasingly. “I don’t expect you to remember every event you’re not involved in.”
 
“I guess. Plus, this allows for some quality man to man time with Kilo here!” That was putting it lightly. The last time I spent father-son time with the destructive changeling, he nearly killed himself. Additionally, there was more I needed to settle than just playing with Kilo.
 
“Yeah, that would be good for you two,” Cadance stated, kissing me once more before she headed for the door. “I’ll be late tonight, so don’t wait up okay?!”
 
“Will I get a late night gift when you get back?” I cooed, resulting in Cadance’s face having a small tint of red to show.
 
“That depends on how good you are,” she responded, wiggling her flanks slightly. “See ya, my knight in Shining Armor.”
 
She left the room with such grace. I almost wanted to chase after her, though I stopped after the revelation of us being married struck me. Now there was no one here, except me and the little spawn that put me in the situation I was in.
 
I returned to Kilo’s booster seat, still sporting a scowl on his face for my refusal of picking him up. I assume that this is another trait that runs in his bloodline: impatient and easily angered. Chrysalis would be proud of what we created.
 
Chrysalis…she’s the reason I was in the fix I was in in the first place. She was the reason I’m a ticking time bomb that’s just waiting to explode! I needed to have a word with her about this, and get the reason why she withheld vital information from me. Normally, seeing her at my doorstep would make me groan, but this time, I wanted….no, needed her to show up.
 
But if Twilight came by…the risk was too much. I could deal with Twilight’s backlash, but it was hard enough explaining why there were melted holes in our floor; I didn’t need to have to deal with another excuse for why our home was a wreck. I grabbed a quill and paper and began writing.
 
To whomever it concerns, I decided to take Kilo out for the day. We should be in the fields outside of the Crystal Empire, lazing around. If you need anything, look for us.
 
Sincerely,
 
Shining Armor
 
“That should be enough.” I left the letter vague enough so a certain someone didn’t get the wrong ideas. Kilo was still glaring at me, agitated that I refused his request.
 
“Sorry, champ,” I apologized smiling at him. “Want to go out for a bit?”
 
The reluctant child looked up at me and put his hooves out once more.
 
“I’ll take that as a yes.” I picked the little guy up and set him on my back. It was going to be our first day in a while with only the two of us around.


***




It was another one of those calm, relaxing days, so I decided to take Kilo out into the open fields again to play. On our way, he would constantly try to say words, speaking in his babified language that was impossible to understand.

“You’re awfully chatty today, Kilo,” I pointed out, smiling widely at the changeling riding my back.

“Impi gogo,” he responded, which I could only assume was a joyous yes. The child was maturing quite rapidly. He started eating more solid food, learned where to go to the bathroom, and thankfully, stopped spitting up as much as he used to. Though after the last incident we had with that, I wasn’t going to take any risk.

Once we reached the open fields, I lifted Kilo off my back with my magic, placing him on the soft grass. He rolled around in it playfully, giggling all the while.

“So, Kilo, it seems like you’re learning how to talk.” Kilo responded by making bug-like clicks, beaming with happiness. “Well, lets practice your first words. Say, Daddy. Daddy!”

“Pwaffa?” 

“No, not Pwaffa, Daddy.” What in the world was I doing? I couldn’t believe that I was trying to get Kilo to call me Daddy. Even though I was the technical father, I still wasn’t fully embracive of the title. Still, I couldn’t put the blame on the little changeling.

What I could do however, was put all the blame on his wicked mother. Of all the rotten things she could have done, she left me in the dark about a potentially fatal ailment. I had a right mind to confront her and tell all the guards that she’s been invading the empire.

And then she’d go blabbering on about our non-existent relationship. I couldn’t risk that happening, but Chrysalis was really becoming a problem. Which is why I needed to see her; to discuss this issue. 

“Why am I even thinking about her right now,” I said to myself, watching Kilo playfully frolic in the grass. “I should be relaxing, at least until Twi gets here.”

With that, I decided to lay my head on the soft grass, watching Kilo play. It brought a warm smile to my face.

“Heh, looks like you’re enjoying yourself, Kilo,” I pointed out. He ran towards me and jumped on my gut. It wasn’t the most pleasant feeling having a growing changeling jump on my stomach, but I grinned and bore it. “Alright, can you say Daddy?”

“Pwaffa?”

“We’ll work on that later.” I chuckled and put my hooves at the back of my head, relaxing and letting the breeze flow against me. Kilo looked at me and gave me a cute little grin.

“Pwaffa Waka!” 

I had no idea what he was saying, but it delighted me to no end to know that he was trying to speak. Kilo, my son, saying his first words.

My son… It was starting roll off the tongue a lot easier now. I was getting used to Kilo’s company, and as much as I hated to admit it…

“Kilo, I never told you this before, and I probably should have said this a lot sooner, but…” I looked around to make sure nopony was around. I pulled the little one close to me and planted a kiss on Kilo’s forehead, eliciting a small giggle from him.

“...I love you Kilo.” 

The words slid out easily; they were no longer hesitations, no longer words I would never utter. They were truth, a truth I learned to accept. Kilo giggled and flailed around in my hooves,. I set him back down on the ground and allowed him to play in the open field.

I just relaxed on the ground, and slowly closed my eyes, letting myself drift.

“Kilo… don’t go too far off,” I muttered before drifting into my light nap. For some odd reason, I felt a little more tired and drained than I should have, and I needed to rest…


***


“There, there. Isn’t my wittle one precious?”

Giggles and motherly affectionate sounds were enough to wake me up from my nap. My vision was blurry, but I could make out two things. My little son, Kilo, giggling happily in the arms of…

“Chrysalis!” My eyes widened once I could make out her features. She sat beside me, laughing at my shock.

“Well, looks like the big sleepy head is finally awake,” she teased. “You seemed kind of tuckered out, so I didn’t want to bother you.”

I didn’t greet her, or even give her a look of approval. I just glared at her, causing her to frown.

“What’s wrong with you?” Chrysalis asked innocently, cradling Kilo in her arms.

“You know good and well what’s wrong with me!” I shouted, showing her the bite mark on my hoof. “Nothing to worry about, right?”

Chrysalis sat Kilo down and leaned towards my hoof. “Why, I have no idea what you are talking about,” she replied innocently.

“Cut the crap, Chrysalis! I don’t have patience for this!” Chrysalis jolted back at my sharp comment. “You know good and damn well what I’m talking about!”

Chrysalis covered Kilo’s ears and gasped in shock. “You still haven’t learned how to watch your language. Such a filthy mouth will get you in trouble one of these days!”

She was starting to give me a headache. I really didn’t know what I was expecting when I was talking to her, but it still got on my nerves to no end. Just to add insult to injury, she patted my head like a little colt.

“There there, Shiney,” she cooed, giving off a little duck face. “I know you’re slightly frustrated, but everything will be alright.”

“Stop acting like you don’t know what I’m talking about! I could potentially die because of this bite!”

Chrysalis giggled into her hooves, looking at me with a smug grin. “So that’s what this is all about.”

“Yes! Why are you taking this so lightly?”

“Well one, it doesn’t affect me in the slightest. Why should I worry about the ailments of somepony else when I don’t suffer from the symptoms?”

Her lack of concern for my well being was harsh, but something I should have expected from her.

“Also, I’m not going to let you die.” This statement surprised me; she leaned in closer and nudged against my chest. “You need love to keep you alive, and I can easily provide you that.”

My cheeks started to warm up. This changeling, the queen no less, was nestling close to me. It felt uncomfortable, yet I didn’t try to push her away.

“Um, you mean, through the same process as you do with Kilo, right?” I asked, praying that she wasn’t implying anything else.

With a light giggle, she began nibbling lightly on my ear, teasing me and making me even more shaky than I already was. “I can feed you anyway you want. Can’t let my precious Shining Armor die from lack of love, can I?”

“Well… I… umm…” 

She nestled back into me, and purred lightly. What kind of game was she trying to pull? Was this manipulation? Trying to soften me up for the kill? If that was the case, why was I starting to enjoy it?

“You worry too much, you know that?” she replied. “Why don’t you just relax like little Kilo and I are?”

“Marmfi Pwafa!” 

“What Kilo said.” Chrysalis smiled and kissed Kilo, which for some reason started to warm my heart. It was hard to stay mad at the changeling queen for too long, mainly because she wouldn’t let me stay mad for long before acting seductive around me. Easy way to make a stallion no longer angry: make him uncomfortable.

“What the...” That voice sounded so familiar. In fact, I could have sworn it was…

“Twilight?”

She stood defensively in front of us, pointing her horn towards Chrysalis and lighting it up with magic. 

“Shining, what are you doing with her?” she asked as her magic intensified. “Does she have you under some sort of spell? What did you do to him?”

“Why, aren’t you quick to accuse others,” Chrysalis replied haughtily. “I’ll have you know that Kilo, Shining Armor, and I are just enjoying our little time together.”

“Wait…. why is Kilo here?” Twilight asked, causing beads of sweat to form down my face.

Don’t say anything that could get me busted, Twi. Please!

“You act as if it’s odd for a changeling to see their own son,” Chrysalis huffed. “He’s our child, and I have every right to see him!”

Twilight’s mouth dropped instantly. “Your son! Wait… Shining, you’re the changeling’s fa….”

Before she could finish her sentence, I used a magic spell to remove her lips. I couldn’t have her finishing what I thought she was about to say. Chrysalis gave me a confused and agitated look.

“Shining, what was she about to say?” she inquired.

“Oh.. uh… nothing really!” I lied. “She’s still not too comfortable with a changeling queen coming around family! Takes some time to get used to you being apart of our lives.”

Twilight’s mumbles were impossible to understand, but I knew exactly what she was saying. The confusion on her face made that perfectly clear.

“I just need to talk to her, get her to calm down. Just give us a moment, okay Chrsy?”

I noticed Twilight rolling her eyes at my statement, and simply chose to ignore the gesture. My concerns were more on Chrysalis tearing me apart if she didn’t believe me.

“I suppose,” she agreed, much to my relief. “If you can, calm your sister down. I’ll just sit over here and keep our baby company.”

“Great! I’ll be back in a minute!” I trotted over to Twilight and began shoving her a good distance from Chrysalis.

Once we were in safe range, I used my magic to replace my sister’s mouth; of course, she had a huge scowl on it as soon as I did.

“So, I see you got the letter, too,” I began, trying to ease the subject in.

“Don’t even try small talking your way out of this!” she exclaimed. There went my plan of easing her into it. “Tell me what are you and Chrysalis doing together?”

“Look, it’s not what it looks like! I can explain everything.”

Twilight crossed her hooves and raised her eyebrow. “I’m listening.”

“Well… you see… before the wedding fiasco, I kind of… well… had relations with the one who I thought was my wife. Turns out that was far from the truth. Months later, she comes up on my doorsteps and claims the baby is mine. So…. yeah!”

I rubbed my mane, smiling awkwardly. The explanation surely wasn’t the best, but it was the only way I could spit the information out.

“Wait, you mean… Kilo is…”

I just nodded my head, watching my sister go into a flurry of mixed emotions.

“Oh sweet Celestia! No wonder you came to me before Cadance!”

“Listen, it’s not that big of a deal…”

“Not that big of a deal? You help birth a changeling from a queen that tried to overthrow Equestria! How is that not a big deal?”

“Look, I didn’t take this well when I first heard it, but this isn’t my fault! I couldn’t have known…”

“You might not have known. I’m not blaming his birth on you. What bothers me is that you’re so comfortable about it!”

While I was obviously going to argue that fact with her, she had a point. Ever since she appeared into my life, I’ve become more embracive of Chrysalis, even at her worst of times. This wouldn’t sit well with Cadance if she found out. Heck, it was barely sitting well with my sister.

“I know this seems bad, but I am not involved with her. She just comes by to visit her son. That’s it.”

Twilight was struggling to take the news at all, so I stepped towards her and smiled softly.

“I promise you, there is nothing going on between us. We’re just… we’re just enjoying our time with our son.”

“What about you and Cadance’s plan on having children?”

“We’re still working on that. Nothing has changed. I just need you to understand that, and keep this between you and me, okay?”

I pleaded to Twilight, giving her wide, mournful eyes in hopes she would take the news easier. Her face of disappointment soon melted into pity and small annoyance.

“Okay, Big Brother,” she replied. “I don’t like the decision you’ve made, but I’m not going to tell Cadance about it.”

With that, I grabbed her and gave a tight hug. “Thank you, sis! You have no idea how much this helps me!”

“I got a good idea,” Twilight droned. “Now, with that out of the way, we should talk about… your condition.”

“Right, the lethal transformation into a changeling.”

Twilight nodded. “Since Kilo bit into and spread some changeling DNA into your bloodstream, you will suffer some of the some effects.”

“Holes in my hooves isn’t one is it?” I quipped, receiving a jab in the stomach.

“This is serious!” Twilight snapped. “If you aren’t satiated, you run the risk of dying!”

Still didn’t like the dying concept much. Something just didn’t sit right with keeling over because of a baby.

“So, how do I avoid an untimely death?” I asked.

“Well, in order to stay alive at this point, you’ll have to have a steady supply of love.”

“Heh, well that won’t be too hard,” I chuckled. “I already get a steady supply of that from Cadance.”

“Shining, that’s not entirely good.”

“It’s not?”

“We don’t want to push the urges too far in. We want to keep it fed at the minimum without you dying from it so we can get rid of it for good! There isn’t a known remedy for your condition; however, with some research on your condition, I’m sure we can find a way to at least stabilize it.”

I sighed in relief, smiling widely. “Thank Celestia. I nearly had a heart attack when you wrote me that letter last night!”

“I can imagine,” she giggled. At least she was lightening up a bit. She looked back towards Chrysalis and Kilo, her happy mood dying slightly with the thought of the queen being there. “So, about her…”

“Don’t worry about her, Twiley. If she wanted to attack us, she would have done that weeks ago. She just wants to spend time with me and Kilo.”

I could easily tell Twilight wasn’t too happy with my involvement in her life. “But why you?”

“Trust me, I’ve been trying to figure that out myself.” Though some ideas have popped into my head, I still don’t quite understand why Chrysalis is so Tartarus-bent on seeing both me and Kilo. My sister of course had her objections to the idea of her being around; I’m just glad she’s more understanding than most.

“Well, if you promise you aren’t in any relationship with her…”

“Absolutely none!” I reassured.

“Good.” She smiled softly at me and gave me a light hug. “Well, I’ll see you back at the castle. I’d rather not talk around you know who. We can discuss your situation more later.” She turned towards the castle and began trotting off.

“Oh, and Shining, don’t do anything too stupid again.”

“Not going to hold any promises!” We both shared a small laugh and she left the field. I returned to Chrysalis and Kilo, watching as the queen tickled the little changeling.

“Well, look who’s back,” Chrysalis greeted. “And I assume your sister didn’t want to come back?”

I shook my head. “She’s still getting used to… um… this.”

“I see. Well, I suppose I don’t blame her; I did try to overthrow her home.”

Her light giggles normally would make me shake my head in annoyance. But for some reason, I found myself laughing a little with her; it was an odd sense of dry humor that I kind of enjoyed about her.

“You know… your kind intrigues me. I’ve always wanted to explore your culture a bit.”

“Oh?”

Once again, Chrysalis leaned against me, something that was both disturbing and comforting at the same time. “It would be nice to roam around your type without being ridiculed for being a… well… you know.”

“Yeah, I know your situation,” I replied. I looked down at her, noticing a small hint of sadness coming from her. Curse her ability to make me feel sympathy on her. “You really that saddened by the fact that you can’t visit without being chased out?”

She just simply nodded. I was really starting to hate having sympathy for her, because what came out of my mouth next was going to make my situation even more hectic.

“So, why don’t I just give you a tour of the Empire?”

Her ears perked up in disbelief. “Wait, are you serious?”

Am I serious? Why the buck am I offering this? “Well, as long as you disguise yourself well, I could always just be an escort. Royal Guards have the free range to show travelers around. If you request me, I can…”

I couldn’t finish my sentence before being tackled my her, and receiving a bone crushing hug. 

“Thank you!” she nearly shouted. “I knew there was a nice little Shining Armor under that big, masculine facade you try to pull. This means a lot to me.”

“Um… yeah…” My face went red from her embrace. “So, how about sometime tonight? Maybe, around seven?”

“It’s a date, Shiney!” She winked at me and gave me a small kiss on the cheeks. She sure wasn’t helping me feel easier.

“Yeah… a date…”

Kilo began giggling at our display.

“Dw…. Dw…..”

It appeared that Kilo wanted to say something. “So, little champ, what’s on your mind?”

“Dwaddy!”

My eyes widened. Did he just say…

“...Dwaddy!”

Chrysalis smiled warmly and looked at Kilo with much pride. “Oh, Kilo, your very first word, and it’s directed towards Daddy! Shining, you should be proud!”

In a sense, I was. My son, uttering his first words. The moment that makes every mother and father the happiest in the world…

“Bwuck et Dwaddy!”

...was ruined by his first sentence. Chrysalis coldly glared at me, causing me to cringe and sweat nervously.

“Heh, guess the kid picks up on words pretty well, huh?” I tried to make light of the situation, but it appeared that I had already made my own grave. Oddly enough, Chrysalis planted her hooves on my shoulder and giggled, giving me a half lidded grin.

“Shining, have you ever experienced being drained of all your love?”

“No, why?”

“Would you like to find out?”

“Not rea…”

She didn’t give me a choice. Her eyes began glowing as she opened her mouth, hissing and sticking her tongue out. I was drawn into her haunting eyes, unable to move, not willing to move. I didn’t even know they were capable of draining love without physical contact. Guess I had to find out the hard way. My vision went blurry; I started feeling woozy…

And all because I said buck in front of my kid one too many times.