Chapters It was a warm summer day. Amidst the quietness of spring, the first signs of summer was showing itself. A white stallion Pegasus with a chestnut brown mane sat guard near the castle, cobalt blue eyes carefully watching for signs of danger or suspicion of such. A soft warm wind blew, slightly rustling his mane slightly, and a faint call of a chickadee sounded in the air with a cheery Twee Twee.
The stallion gave a sigh, but said nothing as he kept guard. However pointless this seems, I shall do as I am told. There is always a reason for everything. His name was Xeon Sharpblade, one of several guards who were on high alert for any changelings activities. He shifted his weight from one hoof to another to avoid going stir-crazy. Finally, one of the guards broke the silence with her soft harp-like voice.
"This is absolutely pointless..." Said a pink mare with a purple mane, which was rather long. She was a pink unicorn named Rose Petal. Her mane was a dark crimson with a red highlight lighter than the mane. Her eyes were a soft orange, and ever so slightly silted, making Xeon wonder if she had any batpony in her. She had fangs, but they were too small to be seen outside her mouth.
"You said it Rose Petal." Simply said Xeon. "I really wish I could do something better than this."
"Well...." Began Rose with a mischievous grin, "There is something you can do."
There was an awkward silence for a while. Geez, he's been here so long, he's forgot how to be a stallion.... I could probably fix this.
"Well..... I'm going to talk to Solar."
"Have fun." He replied sarcastically.
There must be a way to show him a good time..... Aha! I got an idea....
A few minutes later, Rose came up to Xeon.
"Solar said it would be a good idea if we learn to know better the ones we work with." She said something like that... I wasn't really listening. but what a good way to hook up with Xeon....
Xeon thought this over. "Well, if you say so." He replied awkwardly.
"Come on.... I have a perfect place where we can talk privately." She gave a mischievous chuckle. "All alone."
"We just can't leave our job Rose. We have a job to do, and we've got to look out for Changelings."
"It's not leaving. We'll be back after our... chat." She gave him an amused glare.
"Well.... if it won't take long, then let's go."
"Hmm.... let's start at the Castle of the two sisters. It's pretty secluded..."
"Or you could just talk at the abandoned house in Canterlot." He replied sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.
"That's a great idea!" Rose said. "Come-on... let's go!
A bit of walking later, they arrived at the house. It was old and falling apart from age, and the wooden door was open, the lock broke. Here and there were some cracks in the walls, and a broken window shone some light in the dark interior. The place was covered in dust, and every now and then they could hear the skittering of mice.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Replied Xeon nervously. There were rumors that this house was haunted, and those who went in usually never came back out.
"It's just an old house silly." She replied with a giggle, and went inside. Xeon reluctantly followed, because of the rule of the royal guard... "Never let a mare go by herself in danger. To serve and protect the innocent we shall."
The old wooden floorboards were covered in a thin film of dust, and every now and then let out a groan or creak under their hooves. Xeon flinched as a rat scurried by. This place is ancient...
"Huh... I wonder what they keep in here..." Said Rose, as she peered into an open closet. Upon curiosity, Xeon peered inside too, but it was pretty much barren.
Suddenly, the door to the house slammed shut. Xeon flinched, but he did not see the ghostly figure as it pushed them into the closet, and the door slammed. Rose quickly tried the lock, but it was stuck firmly.
"........ What a predicament..." Said Rose with an awkward chuckle. "We're stuck....."
" ...... This was your idea!" He replied irritated. He flattened his ears, and gave a short snort.
"I have a better idea...." She said with a giggle, as she reached into her pocket, and drew forth a bit of mistletoe. "It's almost Hearths Warming Eve...."
The stoic stallion was silent. "Come on.... just for me? I'd like to have at least one kiss this season." She replied with a fake sad note, and gave him the wide puppy-eyed look. "Pleeeeease?"
Finally, Xeon gave a long sigh. "Very well then, if it'll get that look off your face..... You know I can't ever stand it when you make that face....."
Princess Solar called a meeting with her best elite guards on a discussion of a solution about the changeling army invasion threats....But every pony knew what would come to pass eventually.... the war on the changelings.
Celestia had returned, and she had given Xeon an eyebrow raise, but never said anything about his fat middle. She never questioned Greythorn either, because he never caught onto anything. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the head when it came to being a royal guard. Perhaps I must give my guards a diet..... They're becoming unsightly flat blorbs.
"So.... what do you think we should do about the changeling problem?" Asked a blue alicorn guard with a dark-blue mane. He had a scar across his left eye, and his right wing was gone, making the left one almost entirely useless. The very tip of the horn had broken off years ago, but did not inhibit his magic. The left eye was blind with its unsightly scar, but both silver eyes regarded Celestia with their undying loyalty, and razor gaze.
"Well, Sargent Lightarrow, I do believe we will strike the queen as soon as we know of their intentions.... but I want all discovered changelings jailed and questioned." Stated Princess Celestia with a serious tone. "Who knows when they will try to strike us when our guard is down again, like the Canterlot invasion."
"She is right." Agreed a grey Pegasus mare with an eye patch, and wearing a halter under her armor. Her mane was a blond yellow, and her eyes were a dark shade of amber. She had an old scar across her face, and a hearing aid in her left ear, and she looked to Celestia for a response, with her strict determined gaze. "I can't wait for them to try... I'd like to tear one of those changelings right apart with my bare hooves."
Meanwhile, the broken hive met together in a meeting. There were a little more than 300 changelings left in this broken colony, and Chrysalis was worried that the hive wouldn't recover. But nonetheless, she was determined to rip that city from Celestia's hooves anyway she could. The hive was full of activity today, as Chrysalis gathered her changelings for a big meeting.
"My children... it is once again time to feed. The city of Canterlot is open for invasion if we play our cards right. The Elements of harmony are on vacation for a whole week." Said Chrysalis with an evil amused tone in that natural buzz accent every changeling has. Her words were met with buzzes of approval from the rest of the hive.
"Let us strike fear into our enemies........ It is time for war!"
Xeon did not know why he got an odd stare from Celestia, but he did not like it. The meeting was soon over, and again as Celestia went by, she gave Xeon another odd stare, but said nothing as she went into her castle to prepare.
"Hey Greythorn..." Began Xeon with a curious note. "Why does Celestia give her 'fluffier' guards an odd stare?"
"Well.... Royal guards are supposed to be well in shape....." Said Bastion.
"I am in shape. Round is a shape!" Said Greythorn.
Xeon couldn't help but laugh at Greythorn's stupidity.
"Hey! It is!" He said, ears flattened.
It was then that Xeon started to feel a bit sick to his stomach, and he flattened his ears.I can't get sick on the force... I just can't.
"Hey, are you okay?" Asked Bastion curiously.
"I'm not sure... I think I might be getting sick or something. I just don't feel right."
"It's a bit late to ask Celestia to go home... we have a serious situation on our hooves. It's probably the stress Xeon. Stress gets to us all."
"Yeah.... must be the stress." He said uneasily. I can't imagine what else it could be.... I never felt like this before.
~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
Chrysalis gathered her changelings as they sat on a cliff -face overlooking the vulnerable city. The eager soldiers behind her buzzed their wings excitedly, and some gave anxious clicks in the changeling tongue. Chrysalis sat for a second silent, before she gave the signal with a buzz of her wings. "We feed today... victory is within our hooves!!"
The air was filled with the buzzing of hundreds of changelings as they eagerly sped toward the city.
~~~~~~ ~~~~~
"If it's a problem, you could just visit a doctor. See if you're really sick. If you are, then Celestia may give you a break to recover." Said Turtle.
"Yeah... I may do that. Thanks Turtle." said Xeon.
One of the guards silently agreed. she was an orange mare, with a blond mane. She had crystal blue eyes and a bittersweet attitude as she sat in her armor. "I agree with Turtle. If you're sick, that won't help any pony."
"Thanks Daffodil.... I think I might actually get looked at."
"I'll cover for you if you come back with the update." Offered Bastion.
"Many thanks Bastion." He said, and then began to walk to the Canterlot hospital.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
The first changeling came into the town undisguised, followed by another.
"It begins!" shouted Greythorn, as he dodged the blows from one changeling clumsily.
In what seemed seconds later, the whole town was invaded by changelings. Arrow locked swords with another commander changeling, who clicked angrily. The sound of the two swords clashing with their steel-ish clangs, equally matched rang in the warm air. A changeling lunged at Daffodil, but the mare met the charge halfway, before she grabbed the changeling, and crashed him into another. The two changelings gave surprised clicks and buzzes as more changelings came to help them. It was a full-on war that had started, and only one side would come out on top.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
Xeon came into the lobby of the Canterlot hospital, and walked up to the receptionist table, where Snowheart sat.
"Hi sweetie." Greeted Snowheart warmly. "how can I help you?
"I think I'm getting sick. Could I get a checkup?"
"Certainty sweetie." Replied Snowheart, as she left to fetch a doctor. A few minutes later, Dr. Stable walked in with the nurse. Dr. Stable was the head doctor of the hospital. He wore a pair of thick glasses, and a benign expression.
"Okay... come with me." He led Xeon to an exam room. "What seems to be the problem?"
Xeon sat down awkwardly. "I've been feeling weird lately... and sick to my stomach. I don't want to be sick at work."
"Hmm..." Said Stable, as he checked Xeon's vitals. "You wouldn't mind if we run a test?"
"Not at all." Replied Xeon calmly. He watched as Stable carefully drew a blood sample, and sent it off for results. A few minutes later, it came back, and stable read over the report silently.
"what does it say?" Asked Xeon nervously.
Stable adjusted his glasses as he read the result. "It says you're pregnant."
"Wait, what!?" Gasped Xeon in utter surprise. "I.....I'm a stallion! I can't get pregnant!!"
Stable gave a soft chuckle. "They can... And you are. I wonder how you'll be telling the news when this starts to come to an end?"
Xeon's head filled with tons of new and confusing questions. What would everyone think? He imagined himself announcing the news, and the other's reactions.... and shuddered.
"I'll just tell them if they ask." He said wearily, as he buried his face into his hooves. I'll be labeled as a freak, and laughed at wherever I go.
"You know... They don't have to know yet..." began Stable. " "You've got some time before the baby is due...."
"Yeah..." Began Xeon sarcastically. "What am I going to tell them when my emotions go out of whack?"
"That's an interesting question... But I'm afraid this is just the beginning for you Xeon.... Perhaps you should learn about the changes you'll experience as this goes on." He handed him a book.
"T..there's more?" Xeon asked incredulously.
"Goodness yes... I'll see you later. I have patients to see." Stable waved a hoof. "Try not to kill somepony."
Xeon left the hospital, his mind afloat with question after question. How did this happen to me? ...What will the others think? Will I even be able to live down their laughter?
He was thankful the book cover had been left off, as he read the book as he walked.
"Hey!" Said Greythorn, startling Xeon slightly. "How'd it go?"
"I...um.. it went great." He replied awkwardly.
"I'm sorry if I startled you." Said Greythorn. "So what the doc say?"
"I... uh...." He flattened his ears. Should I tell the truth?
Greythorn gave an awkward chuckle. "Not good, huh? Next thing you'd probably tell me you're pregnant. " He laughed this joke off, not noticing Xeon flinch slightly at this.
"That would be interesting." Said Daffodil with a chuckle. "A pregnant stallion. What ridiculous rubbish."
"I agree." Simply stated Turtle. "Next thing he'd probably say someone did it to him."
Greythorn couldn't keep from laughing hard.
Xeon couldn't take their jokes anymore. He simply couldn't. They'll learn eventually. I'll regret this later.
"Okay, I admit it. I am pregnant." He said, ears flattened.
The laughter stopped immediately.
"You mean...." said Greythorn with surprise. "That there's...."
"That would explain things." said Light Arrow amused.
"That is just messed up." Stated Daffodil, ears flattened.
"Hey, I didn't choose to be pregnant." Said Storm defensively. "it just.... happened."
Arrow face-hoofed. "You could of told me about this earlier."
"But I only just found out!" Snapped Xeon.
"Ah the mood swings, yes?" Said Turtle sarcastically. "How fun."
Xeon went quiet, flattening his ears. This won't end well...
"Listen...." Began Nightcore. "It's weird. I'd suggest you go off duty for a while."
"But I love my job!" whined Xeon. "I'm pretty sure it wouldn't hurt."
Arrow gave a long sigh. "It's your problem then. But remember... it's hard to take a guard seriously in.... your condition."
Xeon thought this over, pondering the words Arrow had just said.
"I suppose you're right. I wouldn't take myself seriously either."
"So do you know what gender?" Asked Greythorn curiously.
"No..." replied Xeon, flattening his ears. "Although I wish I knew. It would make it easier."
"I wish I could be a daddy like you." said Greythorn absently. "Sure, I guess it would be hard, but it would be all worth it in the end."
"That's enough chatter out of you Greythorn. Back to your post." said Arrow.
Greythorn gave a sigh, and obeyed.
"I...i'm rather curious. How did this happen?"
Xeon felt himself blush as he remembered those moments.
"I...it wasn't royal guard behavior." he sighed. "I....I got involved with Rose, and--"
"Wait, rose?" said Arrow, as he narrowed his eyes. "Rose is my sister. What did you do with Rose?"
Xeon was taken aback. If he said the wrong thing, he'd be in a world of hurt... and frankly, Arrow scared him.
A few days went by. No one seemed to notice that Xeon was pregnant.... rather they passed it off as him being over weight, like Greythorn. But there was a major diffrence.
For some odd reason no one could find out, Xeon seemed a bit uncomfortable as he sat by his post. If anyone were counting the days though, they would of known why.
Xeon shifted one hoof to the next akwardly in anxiety. Lately he would feel like something kicked him, but there was no one around. He cringed as he felt an especially hard kick from the foal inside.
You know what..... being pregnant sucks.....
In an effort to make the hurt go away, he sat down and tried to think of something else, but strangely enough the pain didn't go away. Rather, it came back with a vengence.
He gave a wince, and only now was anypony paying attention to how much he hurt.
He met his gaze to LightArrow, who still had an unamused expression. Xeon wondered if he ever had any emotions at all.
"Xeon." This simple statement was met with a sigh. "You idiot. I told you not to work in this condition."
Xeon felt Starboard put him on his back, and give a salute to LightArrow, before he took off at a brisk canteer.
"W...where are.... we going?" Xeon asked with another cringe.
"Sir, you are in a medical emergency... therefore you are going to the hospital."
Medical emergency? Wait.... is there something wrong with my baby?
Xeon regretted the fact he hadn't finished the book Dr. Stable had given him.
His thoughts were soon interrupted as they entered the hospital.
Starboard came up to the receptionist calmly.
"Mam, this stallion on my back is going to have a baby."
The receptionist gave him a look like he was crazy, and raised an eyebrow at Xeon.
"Do you really expect me to-"
Her sentence was cut off by Dr. Stable as he came into the room.
"Ah... Xeon. A little earlier than expected..." He took Xeon in his magic.
"Nurse CloudSpice, and Dr. Clockwork." The two stallions came as called. "Meet me in the Maternity ward."
And with that, he left briskly with Xeon in his magic.
"I guess you stay here for your weird friend." The receptionist said to Starboard.
Arguments ( very short chapter)
Xeon was on his post when it occurred to him he couldn't remember exactly when he ate last. Unable to leave his post, he thought hard, before he came up with an idea, which came more of a surprise to himself. He bent his head down and curiously grazed on the grass nearby.
This isn't so bad. Why.... why am I eating grass though...
Xeon's behavior earned an eyebrow raise from Arrow.
"Grass? You get stranger and stranger everyday."
"Well, excuse me princess," he began sarcastically, "But I'm not allowed to leave my post without permission."
Arrow gave a short snort of anger.
"Don't you dare call me princess, you over-inflated freak."
"I don't see why not. You are an alicorn." said Xeon.
There was a period of silence, before Arrow awnsered in a hardend tone.
"It does not matter what I am when it comes to that. It matters that I do my job properly, and that I do it well.
Xeon gave a sigh, as he pulled Rose closer, and gave her a kiss. But he was vastly surprised when she returned the kiss rather passionately. He felt her take his helmet off.
"Mm... can't get a good kiss with this armor in the way..." She said with a mischievous tone, as she licked his cheek. Something stirred in Xeon as she continued taking off his armor, and he started to take hers off as well.
"You're right Rose.... I just can't get enough of that sweet fur of yours...." He drew his head in closer. "I'd say you're good enough to eat....."
But it was then that they started to take notice of the air running out of the enclosed space, and Xeon suddenly came back to himself when he had started to be lightheaded.
He backed up awkwardly in the small space. "I am so sorry Rose..." He relied sheepishly, flattening his ears. "Definitely not royal Guard behavior."
"It's okay.... we need to find a way out of here."
"Why not use your magic?"
Rose face-hoofed for not remembering that in the first place. "Good idea Xeon." She lit her horn, and with a blast, knocked the wooden door off it's hinges. It landed with a thud. Xeon and Rose were glad of the fresh air.
"Just a note Rose... this will not be told to anyone else. I'd feel stupid if you ended up all... " He made a few faces, "Blah- Blah- Blah!"
"Are you making fun of mares?" She replied, a bit more than annoyed.
"Yes. Yes I am." He replied, a bit too cocky.
"That's it!" She hit him with a blast of her magic. "I hope you learn a lesson!" And with that, she teleported off.
Geez.... just the way I said they are..... Picking himself off the floor, he cautiously walked out of the abandoned house, so glad to feel the warm sunshine again on his fur. He had no idea that this incident would change his life forever......
As days went by, Xeon started to realize something was up. He would do his patrol, and occasionally a guard would snicker right at him. He couldn't figure out why. So one day, when he couldn't take the snickering anymore, he got an idea to ask the guards exactly why they were snickering.
"Hey Flash Sentry.... why are the guards laughing at me?"
Flash tried hard not to laugh. "Well.... you're a bit.... fluffier in the middle. Better lay of those cupcakes." He let a quick chuckle escape.
Xeon was silent for a bit. "You mean I'm overweight?" He said sarcastically. Just like Greythorn?
Greythorn was a grey unicorn with a darker grey mane. He had gotten overweight from eating too much cake at parties, and was a bit self-conscious. He wasn't the smartest guard either....
"Yes." Sentry said plainly.
"Well, buck you." Replied Xeon angrily. "Just wait and see... I'll get back my figure yet!" He walked off angrily. I didn't mean to get angry with Sentry... what has happened to me!?
"Sheesh..." Relied Sentry to Greythorn. "That was harsh..."
"Probably his nerves. The stress gets to us all these days..."
"......Are you sure?" Asked Sentry uneasily. "If he talks like that to Princess Solar... she'll fire him right on the spot... maybe even banish him to the moon."
"Might be a good thing. Might teach him to take this job a bit more seriously."
"....Good point... I don't even take myself seriously anymore."
"Dude... I don't think any pony takes us seriously. I'm rather fluffy, as you can see." Replied Greythorn gloomily, as he poked some of his flabbiness on his chest.
"Don't be like that Greythorn... I'm sure you'll loose it all soon." said Sentry awkwardly. This isn't going where I wanted it to be....
"I don't see how Bastion likes being all fluffy like he is..."
"Ah, but I bet the mares love me!" Replied the grey unicorn with the dark blue mane. "I'm a giant stuffed toy!"
