Ted avoided speaking to the alicorns or the changeling queen that night, still lost in his own thoughts. A father. The little ones he was watching, those adorable little bundles of energy, had taken him as their father. True, most could be just following what they heard the other beings in the temple call him, but at least one of them had made the leap of faith. Gem had passed any pretense of using it as a title, and gone straight to calling him dad.
'Go directly to his heart. Do not pass suspicion, do not collect ire.' He thought with a smile. The little bug was adorable, hell all of them were, Rose being the first to sink her hooks into his heart. The difference was the filly knew her father was out here somewhere, she'd even talked of him so there was no reason for her to adopt the alicorn as such, but she still felt safer in his presence. The few times he'd seen her in nightmares those first weeks, she'd called for her parents. When that didn't work, she'd called Mr. Nightmare. Despite trying to figure out why she was having the night terror in the first place, it had pulled him to action, and he'd picked her up immediately, reassuring the foal that he'd keep her safe, even in her dreams. So it was with all of the children, their dreams being his first and last stops before allowing himself to relax on his own personal beach. It was his current location, laying on a blanket watching the twilight over the ocean, listening to the waves roll in endlessly. He'd felt Luna brush against his dream earlier, but he'd pushed back, not interested in speaking to her anymore. He didn't need any more convincing, and he certainly wasn't in the mood to hear about how glad she was he'd seen the light. He'd probably slap her right out of his dream if he heard anything close to that.
Finally, he felt the familiar tug of wakefulness and, deciding to have some fun, instead left his dream and possessed the armor. Soon his vision cleared giving him a view of two of the youngest children, Gem and Quartz, a unicorn filly with pink fur and white mane, attempting to gain access to him, tugging at the blankets and trying to climb up to him. Grinning, the disembodied alicorn approached them silently despite his armored form, placing a boot below both when they made their leaps and lifting them onto the bed. Both scrambled desperately as they cleared the edge of their goal, before turning to thank whoever helped them. Both sets of eyes then widened in fear before they darted to his sleeping form, burrowing into his blankets and wedging themselves into his side.
The armor sighed. Alien sensations were becoming an expected part of his new role and form, but accepting them didn't make them any less strange. He could feel the kids against his side, even as he watched himself sleep. Hearing a rustle at the door, he turned just in time to catch Mirage open the door, likely looking for the two escapees. The mare's eyes tracked the room before settling on the odd placement of the armor, before she noticed the ethereal glow and wisps of shadow flowing through it. Predicting a panic attack on her part, Ted chuckled.
"Calm yourself, Mirage" His voice echoed strangely, a hollow ring to the words. "It's still me. I am just testing a trick I learned a while ago. I haven't had much time to play with it. You're looking for Gem and Quartz, right?"
At the changeling's nod, he continued. "They're buried into my left side, trying to escape the haunted armor." He chuckled a moment. "Probably not the best idea, approaching them from behind when they're wandering places they shouldn't. Much less in a form they won't recognize."
After a moment of staring at himself, even poking his own nose with a hoof, a grin split his face, before he turned to the changeling, a false sense or irritation lacing his voice.
"Who does this idiot think he is, sleeping in my presence?" He demanded of her. "I aught to belt him, but no, I have a better plan!"
Giggling like an idiot, the armor walked over to the desk, the metal horn glowing faintly, just barely allowing the alicorn to lift a nearby ink pot and quill he kept for note taking. A fanged grin breaking out of the shadows, he approached his sleeping form, before starting to draw on his own face, feeling the sensations even as the quill finished its circle, a perfect monocle over the right eye with a lined wire going up behind his ear. Finally, he added a curly mustache, snickering the entire time. It would probably be difficult to see at a distance with how dark his fur was, but it was noticeable enough up close.
Mirage just watched from the doorway, her jaw hanging open. She probably thought he was insane to do something like this. He'd always wanted to do this, but could never bring himself to ruin someone else's day. Finishing the other side of the mustache, he looked back at the changeling mare.
"Voila! A work of art, no?" He said, making a grand gesture at his now graffitied face. Still barely suppressing his laughter, he walked over to a side of the room he'd set aside for this exact purpose. Laying down on the cloth he'd set on the floor to keep the armor off the stone floor, his consciousness shifted, and he opened his eyes back in his own body. Looking at the Nightmare armor for a few moments, a grin still on his face, he greeted the shape shifter as if nothing was wrong.
"Why good morning Mirage, such a lovely day, isn't it?"
The changelings hooves immediately latched onto her own muzzle, a muffled snort her only response.
"One of the stranger things I've done lately, looking at myself from another position." Pulling aside the blankets, he ducked under his wing, whispering reassurances to the foals, slowly coaxing them out of their hiding place. While Gem was more than happy to take up a new position between his wings, the unicorn filly was wearily eyeing the armor, as if it would come alive and approach her once again. With a grin, Ted grabbed the helmet, levitating it over to himself. The filly panicked at the movement, once again diving below his wing, her muzzle the only thing he could make out before placing the helmet on his own head, the armor growing slightly to accommodate his ever-changing size. Looking at the child, he reassured her and eventually managed to place the helmet on her own head, though it nearly covered her nose to tail, just her legs visible underneath the helmet and a few spots of fur he could see through the nose and eye slits. He smiled, the helmet giggling at him as she tried to move with her new burden, an adorable tank that in all likelihood would bounce off the first obstacle it encountered.
Ted turned to the shape shifter. "I'll watch them, Mirage, I'll meet you at breakfast. If I don't get them back to you by then, I'll wait for you in the nursery with them."
The changeling nodded, preparing to leave, but a question hung in her mind. "Father, if you don't mind me asking... What happened last night? What changed? Everyone here already calls you father."
The alicorn removed the helmet from the filly, setting it back in its proper place, then turned to the mare. "Father is a title, Mirage, it is one that is often used as a sign of respect where I come from. At first I assumed the same from my followers, but I suspect some may not be using it as such anymore." Looking back at the nymph curled up on his back, he smiled. "But dad, dad isn't a title. Its a word we use to describe someone we trust more than any other, someone we believe will be there when we need them most. Someone who will check under our beds for monsters, will make sure we have enough to eat, and will do everything he can to make sure we can live our lives to the fullest. That's a dad, Mirage. And yes, it's possible to be the genetic parent of a child and never deserve to be called a dad. I've heard and seen plenty of examples. I plan on doing my best to avoid those."
The shape shifter tilted her head a moment, processing his words before trotting out the door. Ted chuckled, even as he watched the kids play. She probably would have been able to accept his words as a bit more serious if it weren't for the markings on his face at the moment. He closed his eyes in thought. It was hilarious when he did it, but now he had to figure out what to do while it wore off.
An amused chuckle resonated from his throat a moment later. Barring the changeling butting in, he had a brilliant idea that would probably keep him entertained the whole day as well as let him work on keeping a straight face under straining circumstances. The alicorn completed his morning routine, and picked the children up on his way out the door, pointedly ignoring the looks of confusion on the faces of those he passed in the hallways.
Step one; act like there's nothing wrong unless approached about the markings.
<-(0)->
Breakfast was the usual affair, though he'd gotten plenty of stares during it. He just smiled at the followers though, pretending nothing was wrong. It took a lot of willpower, but he was blatantly ignoring what they were staring at, at one point even asking a follower if he had something on his face. The poor mare's expression was golden, a desperate need to point out the markings warring with her inability to correct Father.
After dropping the foals off with their fellows, most giggling at him as he passed by, he made his way out of the dining hall where he was met by one of the faces he'd been hoping to avoid. Pandinus was scowling at him, walking towards him with purpose.
"What changed?" She muttered darkly. "What changed so much that Mirage and Grift had to come me for assistance in processing enough love to put a true drone into a love-coma for a week? If that clutch nurse was any heavier with it, she wouldn't have been able to keep walking, and that was after filling an entire jar with even more."
"Gem called me dad." He stated simply.
"So what? The rest of the hive calls you their father as well! Why do you do this to me? I swear to aid you, I offer myself to you, what more do I need to do?" She practically screamed, venting her frustration.
"Do you know what love is, Pandinus?"
"Of course I do. It is the strongest and most powerful emotion a changeling can feed on. My mother would have entered your servitude as well if it meant she could be given a few jars of it, much less the possibility of an endless supply of it."
"I'm referring to the connection between two beings, the willingness to do anything for that individual. A trust so deep that you willingly place your life in the care of another. The absolute certainty that no matter what happens, they will do everything in their power to both keep you safe and that almost everything they do will benefit you in some way." The alicorn explained. "And what is this servitude you're talking about? I've given you a home and food, and you complain that I don't give you more. Most would have thrown you out by now, but I'm not going to. Do you know why? Because I've learned a lot watching you, Queen Pandinus of the Changelings. I know that as your name suggests, the first thing you did when we first met was attack me, a sting if you will. I saw you just yesterday acting as one with such a title would be expected to act, leading my followers when I was not here, and I was ecstatic to see that. But you're missing something. I saw a glimpse of it when you laid your first clutch, a second meaning of your name showing through, but it was so faint, it might as well not even have been there."
The alicorn cocked an ear, an idea coming to him. "I want you to throw out the clutch."
A look of confusion at the sudden change of topic crossed her face. "What?"
"You said you are incapable of love, only consuming it. No child should be raised without a loving parent. They're not sapient, you already told me that. It's not like you'd be killing a living thing. Dispose of them." Ted told her, voice devoid of emotion.
"Those are my hatchlings. Sapient or not, they are mine, and I'll be locked in Tartarus before I abandon them!"
"I'm not budging on this, Pandinus. Get rid of them." Seeing the queen squaring herself against him aggressively, he merely sniffed before passing her, headed towards the tunnels. "If you won't get rid of them, I will."
Ted readied himself, even as he approached the door. The moment he opened the door, he heard a clattering of chitinous hooves on the stone floor, and knew she was coming. Ted shifted to a more shadowy form causing the changeling to phase right through him in her lunge. Returning to his physical form, he bucked her into the nearby wall, leaving a crack in it and a dazed queen on the floor, a small bit of blood dripping out of her split muzzle. By now their shouting had drawn several ponies and gnolls, the canines drawing their weapons at what they assumed was the changeling queen attacking their ruler. Queen Pandinus finally returned to her hooves, albeit shakily, and once more squared off against the alicorn, this time noting his reinforcements.
"Will you still fight for them Pandinus? Even knowing you will die?" Ted asked, his voice not betraying anything. The queen merely snarled in answer, lowering her head and drawing power to her horn.
"Put away your weapons." He commanded the followers present, before turning back to the queen. He chuckled darkly as he walked up to the still aggressively posed queen. As he neared, she lashed out, attempting to gore him with the dangerously glowing horn. The alicorn stepped back as she swung wildly before driving a hoof into her upper foreleg's joint, unbalancing her and sending her to the floor where he stomped a hoof on her glowing horn, the charge fizzling out as the painful impact resonated with the active nerves. Leaning down on the weakly struggling queen, he spoke with a soft voice.
"That, Pandinus, is love."
The queens struggles ceased as her brain tried to comprehend what he was saying. "Emotions are not just the energy you intercept or catch that give you energy." He told her, driving each point home with increased pressure on her horn. "They are the interactions between the living that tell us where we stand amongst our fellow sapient beings. That is what I felt for my children last night. That is what I'm beginning to feel for everyone in my home. If you truly want me to accept you, you will love my children as much as you love your own. There is no negotiating this. Love everyone in this nest as your own hatchlings, be another sister to my children, or leave."
He leaned even closer and gave her a quick peck on the cheek, his voice low enough to avoid even the sensitive ears of the canines. "Your pretty, and probably the only one here that I wouldn't have to worry about hurting, but if you try to use my children against me in an argument again, I will kill you."
The alicorn released the pressure on her horn and the changeling scrambled to her hooves, momentarily looking like she was going to take another swing at him, even though he could see her eyes still fogged from her initial introduction to the wall. Then she spun and darted down into the tunnels, likely headed for her nest. Ted took in a deep breath through his nostrils before releasing it in a huff. That had been downright cruel of him, regardless of her own vile tactics. Besides, with how she had cited some of the information she'd given him, he was certain at least half of her own beliefs and motivations were actually her mothers. There had been very few times when they had spoken that it actually sounded like her own ideals being put forth. Pandinus was in a position no queen had likely been in before, at least according to what he'd heard of their species, and was falling back on what she'd been taught. Alas, it wouldn't help her here.
She wanted something more from him? He was going to make her work for it. If she truly wanted it that badly, she'd find a way. After all, there was more to love than loyalty and energy. He'd seen a loveless relationship already. He had no intention of entering into one himself.
'They're called changelings. Let's see how well this queen can adapt to change.'
Lead by example indeed...
Nice job keeping this updated and interesting and yeah what do you expect when a baby calls you dad/mom it's the most adorable thing ever :D (yes I know it's more complicated than that but whatevs)
I swear whenever I see this story update I just explod in my pants every time true story
That chapter was fascinating.
I grew up being taught and cared for by many people who were from the police or military at some point. I wish I could salute through the comments, but I'm on mobile, so I doubt I could properly manage inserting a gif/video. Here's to hoping that the noble members of our executive branch soon return to outnumbering the corrupt ones by far once more.
I find myself agreeing with his assessment and actions.
Especially this part.
Harsh, but effective. Such are the important lessons of life, and how one learns them.
Woot!
Huh. Not quite the approach I would have taken, even if Pandinus really did need a slap upside the head. It's just me, but this feels like too much of a slap.
reading through this chapter my heart gave out, truly awsome, 10/10 would read again
but as i lay on my death bed i read your authors note
as your words drove through me i died with a happy glare and my face frozen in a happy laugh
once again, 10/10 would read again
you're
Nitpicks (and a comment):
It's
You're
(Not a nitpick: Ted is saying this, but it could easily be Pandinus.)
mother's
Sometimes you have to be cruel to teach.
I had to drive by this one idiot who put a fountain in the middle of the street.
The last thing i saw was the idiot walking away from the firework as i swerved to avoid it. Apparently the law banning purchase and lighting of fireworks makes it so every nut job with no sense can light one off.
I digress though, i'm glad to have an update.
Interesting chapter! I can't wait for the next one!
Well I can, but I don't really want to... I really need to make that time machine...
"Any fully functional male can stick his dick in a fully functional female and become a father. It take a REAL 'MAN' to become a DAD."
When are we going to see the Mad Queen again?
Likewise, mate.
1LT N, ADA
For me it's, Something probably important happened in a crappy country that thinks it's great day'.
...
I'm glad I'm an Australian.
Hell. Yes.
Ted knows where he stands and he is not going to budge, if he is going to stay in this world then he sure as hell is going to plays by his own rules. Is there such a thing as a noble bad-ass? Because I'm pretty sure he is it.
I'm sure Fluttershy would be proud.
6169721 well then. Opinions are opinions. Just both of your opinions seem like irrelevant ones.
Bless this chapter.
6169686
Amusingly enough, we haven't ever seen her, only heard of her.
And so, the changeling queen shall try to seduce him again.
more please!
Nitpick:
For us Brits it's actually Happy Great Cleansing of the British Empire Day.
And I think Ted it being a little unfair here. You can't just order someone to love someone else, or a lot of someone elses. Even if she acts like a princess, and becomes beloved for it, she still won't love them as such. Act in their best interests (as she understands them at least) to maintain the love supply, but that's not the same thing.
6169771 My opinion is from a strictly comparative perspective.
We're nowhere near as bad in debt.
Our medical research is more advanced.
Our medical system is free.
We have a working fire-arm restriction.
We are the only ones to have koalas as an indigenous species.
...
That last one is generally a trump card.
6169846 we might have all that good stuff going for us but, well...
Tony Abbot.
'nuff said
6169721
You can have your opinion of the United States of America, but you can't deny the importance of the American Revolutionary War. It sparked revolution across Europe, has some indirect responsibility for revolutions across the globe, and (since it seems so important to you) the American Revolutionary War is directly responsible for the English colonization of Australia.
The loss of the American colonies drove the English to look for other areas to colonize, and in particular for new penal colonies. At the time of the Revolution, England was sending 1,000 convicts per year to Maryland and Virginia. English prisons were in poor state, and penal colonies proved excellent deterrent to crime.
I'm going to assume I missed something or forgot between chapters...because what the fuck was that?! From what I could tell he just lost his shit for no reason and beat up Pandinus after threatening to kill her children because...it's how he gets his kicks?
There was a line about it being because of her "vile tactics" but I don't remember her trying to murder any of his followers or really do anything deserving of a beating. Seriously, what the hell was that?
6169846
Eh, point taken. Seeing were we've come from and were we're currently at is sad. While a lot of us are trying to keep things as they are, utter crap, there are those trying their best to get things back on track. Still, we'll never have Koalas.
6169898 ...I'm pro-liberal.
6169905 I'm of a mish-mashed heritage, so no. Your argument really only holds value to those of English descent, which I have none.
My mothers side is Northern Irish came here after WWII, my fathers side is Irish, who came here after WWI, Dutch, who came here not long after the Bendigo gold rush, and a delightful combination of Welsh, Scottish and Canadian, who also came here after WWI.
6169934 At least you didn't call them Koala 'bears'.
They're not called that at all. Only idiotic foreigners call them that.
Tell as many people as you can.
They're not bloody bears!
First half of the chapter? Adorable waffiness combined with the hilarity of Ted sketching on his own face and trolling everyone.
Second half of the chapter? A harsh lesson for Pandinus that she may have needed as much as Ted needed to hear the truth last chapter. Perhaps a little too violent, but on the other hand, would she even have listened if Ted had tried to explain the calm way? I think this was one of those times when the other party needs to have some sense shaken into them because it just won't process properly otherwise.
As always, nice work!
6169829
I believe it's more a style of teaching. A portrayal of power and authority, because that is what Pandinus cherishes. And what better way to teach a could-be tyrant to love than with tyranny? (Don't anwser that)
Well, I agree with Ted's message, but if any human tried to beat a message into someone like that, there'd be a pretty great chance of their relationship ending right there. There were other ways to try delivering the message before resorting to what he did, and Pandinus will have nightmares about him trying to kill her children now. I wasn't kidding about that negative feedback loop thing. (I don't think any decent military would use this teaching method either because of the loss of trust it might cause.)
Pandinus will patch up the relationship, but only because she pretty much has to at this point. And Ted is likely in for a beating later on, whenever Pandinus feels she can get away with it and drive home whatever her point is as hard or harder than he drove his point in.
6170013
Nah, what ted did is not a good teaching technique, ever.
Any living thing with a brain is going to resent something that threatens to kill its babies and then tries to murder it.
6169914 He was trying to prove a point. He wasn't going to actually hurt the clutch, He wanted her to understand - truly understand - why he was acting the way he was. He put her in a position where her love actually shone forth, and then pointed to it and said "That is what I'm talking about." We called it tough love back in the day. Funny thing, we don't practice it anymore. So why are there more crimes against humanity now, when this was so awful? Mayhaps we stopped beating sense into our children, and now they beat others senseless for no good reason?
Wow, Ted.
i.imgur.com/40Idny0b.jpg
Right or not, there can be no effective communication when you make the other party too reactive or defensive.
*reads description*
great fic!
*reads*
WHOA NELLY!
*looks at time between chapters*
I WILL WORSHIP YOU NOW, OKAY?
heres a few moustaches:
6169914 Up to this point, her entire race has survived by one code of conduct being actualized. Lie, deceive,bend or break the truth, so long as you or the hive its self survive without mutual exclusion, do whatever it takes to secure love, even if that requires the death of an individual. Pandinus and Ted both are breaking that instinctive social set up down by using brute force demonstrations of an entirely different way of living, which is clashing with what her mother raised her to emulate and her instinctual desire to seek out and foster relationships for the love they generate to feed the hive.
Interesting chapter, was a bit shocked by the ending bits there til i remembered Cimm still had the markings on his face when he kissed Din and drew the line!
You did a good job showing that Cimm has that line-that-should-never-be-crossed, and a set of brass balls to boot! While Cimm did completely manipulate Din here, I can follow the process and the reasoning behind it, (coupled with the feeling that it was to drive a point through Din's preconceptions) and I can't find much reason to like Cimm any less. I believe that their relationship will heal from this, and super curious how the Sisters will react if they find out.
Sorry 'bout such large posts, your story gives me plenty of food for thought and I LOVE IT!
PO3, USN
On one hand, I want Ted to describe the difference between father and dad, on the other, Queen Huggle Buzz doesn't learn very well from simply spoken words. Then again, I think his point was made when he let her fall through him. After all, if he can completely ignore her attacking him, what chance does she have stopping him from crushing the eggs? It doesn't have to be some big magical display, no, just application of simple force to a single area... Then a bit of cleaning. Even she can't completely shield even one of the eggs from him, at best, she can run away with maybe two drones, but then what? Changelings are still hated by most of the world, the Mad Queen is actively hunting them, and death is kinder than what she would do. Meanwhile, the one place that is even approaching safe, is home to him. Huggle Buzz would be dead if either way was in fact the only option she had. Instead, he made her see the difference in strength, and said "care for every one or the door is that way." Not much for diplomacy, is Ted?
6170062 What makes you think there are more crimes against humanity now?
Wow. As if I could love this story any more. Go Ted. Pandinus is going to have to step up. Did not see that coming. He was trying to shock her to get through to her. I think it worked.
I thought treason day was November 5th, when the Brits burn effigies of Guy Fawkes?
6169966
It doesn't really matter what your heritage is. If you like Australia's culture as it stands today, then you have the American Revolutionary War to thank (indirectly).
6170336 No, that's why Australia is First World Country today.
The WAY it is today is thanks to Sir Henry Parkes, the Father of Federation, born in 1815, and Sir Edmund Barton, born in 1849 and was our first Prime Minister when we became a commonwealth in 1901.
6170354
Being a first world country just means Australia was allied with the United States of America during the Cold War. It has nothing to do with fallout from the American Revolution. (Well, I suppose it's possible that without the English colonization after losing their colony, Australia might not have taken sides in the Cold War, which would have made them third world, but that's difficult to say for certain. Theoretical alternate histories are extremely hard to speculate on.)