Chapter 20: Connections
Is this all there is?
Each day passed by, largely indistinct from the day before, or the day after. Nictis rose, meandered about various social venues to mingle, and returned to sleep. Pony after pony passed by, casual acquaintances of the moment. On the occasion he encountered one again, it was under a new guise, their interactions starting from the initial introduction and largely retreading the same ground as their last.
It was an unpleasantly familiar rut.
The only break in that routine was the rare visits to the local volunteer committee. While his need for bits was low, it was not nonexistent. Social gathering places often had some expense, even if it was just to blend in. A pony hanging out in a bar or café without making a purchase might look out of place--or even be asked to leave, as he had learned one night.
Days spent working were few and far between. He missed the delicious taste of well-cooked food, but meals of grass and leaves eaten away from prying eyes cost nothing. He missed the comfort of a bed and the warmth of proper shelter, but he paid no rent. A single day of work could last him weeks if rationed carefully.
And so, he spent most of his days doing the same thing, again and again. He met many happy ponies, maybe even made their days slightly better with his company, and then they were gone. Even if he saw them again, they wouldn't recognize him.
So he fed, and he survived, and in the still moments between ponies, or as he curled up in silence to sleep, he contemplated what he could do differently, how he could make things better.
And each time, he went back and did the same thing again.
The coming of fall brought the prospect of more food. Baltimare University saw a good number of ponies coming from across Equestria, many of them still young and excitable. In the days before the fall semester, many new faces showed up. They seemed an ideal choice, ponies who were also looking for a little friendly companionship in a new place, but who might not feel such a need for longer-term relations with a pony living in a place they would leave again before long. Casual friendships that came and went, and which could offer a changeling an easy opportunity to feed, even as meager as the meals might be.
The restaurants, bars, clubs, and gathering places around the University became Nictis's new "hunting grounds." Despite the increase in activity, there was no significant change in daily life for Nictis. It was still the same routine, just with more activity.
Sometimes a little too active. Nothing quite reached the level of his experiences with Cherry Runner, though several made it clear they would have liked it to go there. One, who had perhaps a bit too much cider that evening, had even required a fairly firm hoof to the snout to discourage him. Fortunately, all the other ponies seemed far too amused at the sight of that stallion being floored by the mare he was clumsily hitting on, and Nictis had slipped away.
He found it rather sad that it was the most interesting night he had in weeks.
It was an early mid-fall morning, and Nictis was prowling a café, although "prowling" in this case had meant sitting at a small table, sipping a cup of tea while keeping an eye out for opportunities. That day he was disguised as a unicorn mare he had named Moondancer, sporting a midnight-blue coat and a flowing silver-gray mane. Such "prowling" was often boring work if no prospects presented themselves, and that morning was particularly dull. There were several students, but most of them were drinking much larger quantities of tea and coffee while poring over books and papers. By the time his own tea ran out, despite such careful rationing, he decided it was time to go.
He rose, left a few bits for the drink, and started to head out when an accidental glimpse at the open journal one student had set on her table brought him to a halt.
On the page were several very technical-looking drawings of changelings.
He'd only barely gotten a glance when a blue hoof flipped the journal shut, drawing his attention up to the unicorn mare sitting at the booth and now wearing a rather sheepish expression. Her voice came quietly. "S-sorry..."
Nictis blinked, feeling both embarrassed for being caught snooping, and as if he had just missed something. "I, uh... sorry? For what?"
She glanced down at the journal, then back to him. "Oh, um... it's just, some ponies get a little weirded out seeing a bunch of drawings of, you know... changelings."
He hesitated a moment, struck by the strange contradiction that he seemingly should be "weirded out" at seeing changelings, and yet she didn't seem to share that reaction herself. It was too curious a thing to pass up. "You're not?"
"Well... no." She smiled a little, but it was a rather nervous smile. "I find them kind of interesting, actually."
Nictis looked down to the closed book. "Why's that?" he asked, before quickly adding, "If you don't mind me asking."
"Oh, well, I guess it's okay." She shuffled a bit in place. "It's kind of a long story, probably boring."
He thought for a moment, weighing his options. His curiosity was caught by this oddity, and even though he ideally wanted to keep as much distance between himself and any thoughts of changelings as possible, he figured a small concession might be valuable here; after all, common interests were a good way of establishing connections with a pony. "I'd like to hear it. I have to admit, I've been rather curious about changelings, myself."
At his gentle smile, she brightened up. "Really?" He nodded, and she spoke happily. "Well, where should I start? I mean, there's so much about them that's just so interesting, and most of it we don't really know anything about. There are so many reasons to find a sapient insectoid innately super-polymorphic emotovore fascinating after all, even if just to understand how all of that works, but, uh..." She faltered a moment, a hint of embarrassment creeping into the emotions he sensed from her. "Well, a big part of it is the aesthetics."
Nictis raised an eyebrow.
"I know it's a little weird," she said quickly, "but I've always thought bugs looked neat. Most of the other fillies would go running and screaming at the sight of a wasp or spider, but I'd just watch them as they go about their business, or even follow them around. Actually, that's why I'm here." She gestured to her flank as she shifted to the side, which was adorned with the image of a wasp. "I'm an entomology student at the university, though I'm hoping to expand that to arthropodology eventually. Anyway, changelings are very insectoid in appearance, so they kind of caught my attention. They just... well, they look neat!"
There was a moment of silence as Nictis considered it, while the mare shifted a little, nervously. He was about to reply when she spoke again. "Though they're not insects, you know. Biology is all wrong. They're from a different order, at least. Arguably a different phylum, though that's far from settled. Some even argue they should be classified as chordates, which might actually make them more closely related to ponies than to insects!"
She was smiling enthusiastically at him, as if she hoped he found the information as exciting and interesting as she did; a hard feat when several key words of the conversation made no sense to him, though he got the general gist of it. In any case, it was best to play along. "I had no idea," he replied.
"Like I said, they're kind of fascinating creatures!"
Nictis hesitated. On the one hoof, this represented an unusual opportunity to discover exactly what ponies knew about changelings, and knowledge was the greatest weapon one could possess. On the other hoof, he was not only unsure whether he wanted to know, but there was also the fact that she held that knowledge. Of all ponies, she would be the most dangerous, as she actually had an idea of what a changeling was like. Knowing that, she would be the most likely to sniff out any mistakes he made, and reveal himself for what he really was.
She'd probably be less likely to attack him than the other ponies he'd encountered recently. No, she'd probably be more interested in studying him... which was not a comforting thought.
A little part of him thought it might even be an audacious trick, though even that little bit didn't dare to hope for it. Infiltrators had many tricks after all, and "hiding in plain sight" was an often-viable tactic, although this would have likely been over-doing it to the point of suspicion. Plus, this mare had yellow eyes and a yellow-and-black cutie mark, while an Infiltrator imitating a unicorn would almost certainly incorporate a bit of green somewhere to match their magic.
Despite all this, he saw the happy smile on her face, feeling her enthusiasm, and he wanted to see more of it. He seemed to be making her day just by speaking with her, and he didn't want to see that suddenly end.
Besides, he was still very hungry.
He motioned toward the closed book with his muzzle. "Do you think I could see those again?"
"Of course!" she exclaimed, her magic--yellow, he noted with a faint disappointment--flipping it open again. "Would you like a seat?"
"Thank you," he replied, sitting beside her as he looked over the drawings. They were all remarkably detailed and very precise, showing an average changeling drone from different angles. Other drawings focused on smaller parts of the body, with labels everywhere, and it all seemed eerily accurate. The cutaway images were particularly disturbing, showing the internal organs and structure of a changeling in more detail than Nictis had ever known.
He did catch one detail that ponies would likely miss; every drawing seemed to be not just of a hypothetical changeling drone, but of one specific changeling drone. After the attack on Canterlot, he had heard a couple ponies talking about the changelings as an identical swarm, which he had found rather odd, yet it had made a strange sort of sense. Ponies were so used to distinguishing themselves with color, mane and tail styles, and their cutie mark. Perhaps they didn't think of other ways of telling individuals apart? Nictis, however, immediately noted the pattern of holes, the placement and curve of the horn, the little fine details of the ears, dorsal membrane, and wings, and even the finer details in the shape and thickness of chitin. Every detail was the same. Either all these were of the same changeling, or this mare was particularly exacting in making sure each drawing had the same looks as the last. Possibly both.
Suddenly there was a hoof in front of him. "My name's Glitterbug," she said, holding her hoof there for him to shake.
"Glitterbug?" Really?
She nodded. "Yep!"
Gently, he shook her hoof. "Moondancer," he replied.
He continued to slowly flip through the drawings, while she happily rambled on about her knowledge of changelings. It was amusing to see someone discussing his kind with such happy enthusiasm, but something about it felt... off. It seemed ponies knew a lot about changeling biology, complete with inner workings, as well as the basics of changeling magic and the mechanics and methods of feeding, but knew nothing at all about their society or culture, even as meager as it must seem in comparison. He didn't enjoy the implications of that rather limited selection of knowledge.
Fortunately, she was far more engrossed in discussing what she knew, rather than how she knew it, and he wasn't about to ask.
Soon the conversation had drifted onto her broader studies, segueing with a comparison between changeling physiology and that of insects, and eventually leading into her discussing her other studies, and her experiences there at the university.
"...so I finally found the dorm building, complete opposite side of campus from where that mare told me," she said. "But then when I do get there, I--sun and moon, it's that late already?"
Nictis jerked back at the sudden exclamation, while Glitterbug was staring in wide-eyed horror at a clock on the opposite wall of the café. Then he jerked again as she exploded into a flurry of motion, grabbing at the scattered papers and books that had been mostly neglected since they started talking. "No, no, no, no, no, I'm going to be late!"
He started to stand to get out of her way, but she simply dove out over the table, knocking off the last pair of books. He caught them in his magic as she regained her hooves and quickly snatched them up as well. She quickly tossed on her saddlebags, half her materials clutched to her chest in one hoof, the rest floating in her magic in a blob of books and papers. She lunged to the door, then skidded and spun to a stop, looking back to him. "I've got to go! I... the thing and stuff... you! I, uh, we can finish this up tomorrow if you're here, okay?"
Nictis was sure he looked rather shocked by the sudden frenzy of activity. "I don't know," he said, feeling a little uneasy at this part. "I travel around a lot, I'm not even sure where I'll be tomorrow. But if I am here--"
"Great!" she shouted happily. "I've got to go, bye!"
With that, she bolted out the door, hurrying along in a stumbling three-legged gallop and a steady stream of indistinct, panicked mutters.
Nictis stood there in silence for a few moments, broken finally when he chuckled, a smile growing across his disguised face. It's almost too bad I'm avoiding any relations longer than a single encounter, he mused. She's kind of fun, and I think that's the best meal I've gotten in a few weeks.
His smile faded at that final thought, his ears drooping.
Moondancer is never coming here again.
Nictis idly turned the teacup between two large hooves. They were much bigger than he was used to, making the action somewhat clumsy. His disguise for the day was a stallion he had dubbed Trail Dust, an earth pony with a dirt-colored coat and a sturdy frame, reminiscent of some of the farmers he had seen. It was the largest form he had ever taken, and incredibly strong, but the bulk made the body feel awkward. Nothing quite bent right, or at least how he expected it to, and he had several times bumped into things or simply stumbled on his over-large hooves. He simply added "always been clumsy" onto the meager back-story he had come up with for the disposable disguise, and focused on the cup between his hooves.
It gave him something to focus on other than Glitterbug, sitting in the same booth she had the previous day. She had her nose stuck in her books, but he'd caught several hopeful glimpses toward the door when a pony entered the café, followed by the subtle frown when she didn't recognize them. He sighed silently, lifting the cup in both hooves--managing to not spill any, this time--and took a sip. Part of him regretted going there again. He knew she'd be there, probably hoping Moondancer would show up, and that he'd have to see her disappointment when that nonexistent pony didn't show. He hadn't expected it to be quite so noticeable, though. Each time she glanced up only to see that the incoming pony wasn't the one she had hoped for, the little frown that followed grew a little bit more pronounced.
Another part of him told him that he should be there, that he should see this. It was another reminder of what he was doing. Even these little, short-lived deceptions weren't without consequences.
He scowled down at his cup. Maybe I should just find some bad pony, some pony I could hate. Some pony I wouldn't mind seeing hurt. At least then he wouldn't feel bad if things fell apart. Not much, anyway. The thought of being all nice and friendly to somepony like Big Shot argued rather strongly against the idea. He wasn't sure he could do that. Certainly, he wouldn't enjoy it.
That's the problem, isn't it? I can make myself content, but hurt others... or I can avoid hurting others, but suffer myself... but no matter what I do, I can't have both. It's just... it's not fair...
He glanced over at Glitterbug again, and an instant later, she glanced over at him.
They both immediately looked away. As the minutes passed by, he caught a couple more glances from the corner of his eye. He quickly finished off his tea, left a couple bits to pay for it, and walked out. He didn't want to stay there, being the creepy stallion she'd caught ogling her. He'd probably caused enough damage already.
He slipped into the alley nearby, away from the crowded streets. It was easier to think there, slightly away from the crowds.
What now?
He lingered there, trying to answer that question.
Moondancer stepped through the front door of the café.
Nictis hid his unease well, though his mind was still racing, still torn as to what he should be doing. Part of him had wanted to just leave, to find a different place to hunt, to continue going on without any connections to any ponies, but even that wasn't working. He'd barely talked with Glitterbug, but he'd seen the disappointment when her newfound acquaintance had not returned. Even the most casual contact was still hurting ponies with his deceptions. It would be brief, but still there, and while he could overlook it for the typical bar and nightclub patron out for a carefree night of enjoyment, he couldn't do the same with a pony that he actually liked. With her enthusiasm and friendly nature, he couldn't help liking her. Knowing ponies, there would be many more, too.
He'd sympathize with them. He'd like them. And then he would deceive them. Feed off them.
But what other option did he have? The best he could do was to keep the damage to a minimum: make those ponies happy while he was there, but not so happy that they felt too close to him, and above all, to avoid letting them feel too much attachment. Eventually, he'd have to leave, or he'd be discovered again, and any attachment would only be a source of pain for both sides. Then he'd move on, and do it again to a different set of ponies. The changeling way.
It all just seemed so unfair, but what could he do?
The tiniest little voice in the back of his head contemplated giving up. Just walking out into the street, dropping his disguise, and... just let whatever was coming happen.
The knowledge that he would even momentarily consider such a final and fatalistic act shook him to the core.
It was an abandonment of everything it meant to be a changeling. A changeling doesn't just curl up and die when times were tough. A changeling endures...
...But I haven't been a good changeling for such a long time, have I?
He had eventually shaken himself from his thoughts and retaken his disguise as Moondancer. He was not going to just give up, even as weary as he was. He would do what he had to do.
Glitterbug's eyes lit up when she saw Moondancer enter, though Nictis was a little surprised by the emotions he felt. The happiness was there, though a bit subdued compared to what he had expected from her anxious watching. She also seemed to be feeling a mix of nervousness, excitement, and doubt toward him. Nictis winced inwardly at that, but outwardly he smiled as he walked over to her table.
"I was starting to wonder if I'd see you again," she said as Nictis stepped near. As an afterthought, she gestured to the bench in silent invitation.
"Sorry," he said, taking a seat. The mare's body was significantly more comfortable to move around in than the bulky form he had only a few minutes earlier. "I hope you haven't been waiting too long?"
"I've been keeping busy with my studies," she replied over the spread of books and papers. "Though speaking of which, I have to go soon. I don't want to be late for class again."
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause problems for you."
She gave a nervous smile. "Oh, no, it's not your fault. I was the one who wasn't paying attention to the time. It's not like you know my class schedule."
"I guess, though I was the one distracting you from your studies."
"Oh, don't worry about that," she said with a wave of her hoof. "I've been doing nothing but study for months, now, even before school started. I'm pretty well ahead of my classmates already. Besides, it's not like I have anything else to do with my time." She visibly fought the natural reflex to fold her ears back in embarrassment, her unease growing at the statement.
He tried to ignore the analytical side of his mind that immediately went toward exploiting what it had identified as a weakness in her defenses, an opportunity for him to act. He pushed it to the background. "Still, I'll try not to make you late again. When do you have to go?"
"In another twenty minutes," she said, her magic starting to gather up some of the scattered study materials. "I guess you have good timing. Even though I love this stuff, I should probably take a break. I don't think there's anything I'm going to learn from a fourth read-through of the textbook that I didn't retain from the first three."
"Well, at least I won't feel too bad about interrupting your studying," he said with a chuckle.
The pause in conversation stretched on for several long seconds. Eventually, Nictis spoke up again. "So other than classes and studying, what do you do?"
After a moment of hesitation, she allowed a shy smile. "Well, I eat and sleep occasionally."
Another pause, as Nictis raised an eyebrow. "...That's it?"
"Yeah. My studies keep me pretty busy. Not that I'm complaining, I've been having a lot of fun, and the classes are fascinating! Well, maybe not that introductory writing class, or whatever it was called, that's a waste of time. But I'm in four different science classes, and they're all exciting. Especially my insect biology class. Professor Pillbug is a great teacher and really funny, he--"
Nictis just smiled, nodding occasionally while she talked. All the nervousness she had shown earlier was forgotten. It was nice to see someone so happy, and all he had to do was be there, listening. Of course, it probably would have helped if he had understood some of the things she discussed.
But eventually, the stories wound down, that hint of nervousness and uncertainty growing in Glitterbug as she glanced at the clock. "I should go soon," she said eventually.
"Have fun at class?"
She hesitated, emotions jumbling slightly. For a pony, she could be remarkably hard to read at times. "Hey, um... tomorrow's the weekend, so I won't be here, but I was wondering... well, I mean, I'm still new in town, and I don't really know anypony or have any friends here. Do you want to get together and, you know, hang out tomorrow?"
Any happiness Nictis was feeling fled from him, his content smile turning into a frown. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."
She blinked, clearly unhappy with the response. "What? Why not?"
Nictis looked away. A part of him wanted to just happily go along with the idea, to encourage a deeper affection that he could feed off of. He didn't absolutely need it; he was gathering enough energy to get by just from these more casual encounters, even if it was still so much less than he was used to. It was like a juicy steak dangled in front of a manticore, and an instinctive part of him wanted to simply leap at it.
But after seeing her so happy, so passionate about her interests, and having seen just a hint of the frailty that lay under it, he couldn't bear to think of being the one to break that happiness. Not again. "Because... I'm not a good pony to be friends with."
She was quiet for a moment, and frustratingly hard to read. He'd expected something to flare up, but instead, her emotions seemed to grow subdued. "Why not?" she asked, her voice curious, with a hint of concern.
His jaw tightened. "I'm not a good pony."
"You seem like a good pony," she countered.
"That's the problem," he grumbled, glancing to her before looking away again. "I might seem that way, but I'm not. I just end up hurting anypony I get close to. So I'd rather not get close to anypony anymore. That way I can't hurt them."
She stared at him for several seconds before frowning faintly. "That sounds really dumb."
Nictis blinked, turning to look back at her, and she quickly continued. "I mean, sure, never interacting with a pony means you'd be sure not to hurt them, at least not directly, but it seems pretty dumb to consider that the only way of doing so. Just don't... do whatever it is that hurts them."
He sighed. "It doesn't work that way," he replied. Then, quieter, he grumbled, "I can't change what I am. I can't change what I've done."
Another quiet stretch hung over them, broken by a single word. "So?"
He looked at her with a glare, but she continued. "Well, it's obvious you feel bad about whatever you've done. So just, you know, don't do it again?"
"It's not that simple," he said with a scowl, eyes turned down to the table.
"Why not?" she asked flatly.
He frowned a bit more, fixing her with a stare. He knew exactly why not, but that certainly wasn't something he could share. Instead, he stayed quiet.
Unfortunately, she took that as a sign of victory, showing a smug smile. "So we'll meet up tomorrow?"
In silence, he stared at her for several long seconds while every single reason to say no passed through his head.
"...Okay."
Days passed by in a meaningless procession. Many days were still devoted to randomly wandering clubs and bars, taking little nibbles of happiness from nameless ponies. An occasional day here and there featured volunteer work, earning the small number of bits she needed. And then, a couple days each week, he met with Glitterbug. They were short visits, scattered about, but the mare always seemed a little bit happier when he visited.
It was as if life was dangling her happiness in front of him, goading him into taking a bite.
All the while, the days slowly grew shorter and colder. His morning hot drink had swiftly changed from a way to hide in plain sight to a way to warm his body up after the cold night. Even with all the layers of boxes that he had made his shelter out of, the cold and wet seeped in relentlessly. On some mornings it was almost impossible to hide his shivering. Glitterbug had certainly noticed, and he had made a quick excuse about a cheap apartment and not enough blankets.
Despite the cold, he was determined to endure.
At least he was well-fed, no longer feeling as if he was a couple missed meals away from starvation. He had Glitterbug to thank for that. She did seem happy around him, which was nice
"So how about you?" she asked over her sketchbook, doodles of changelings filling many of the pages. "Where do you come from?"
He frowned a little, setting down the hot cup he'd been cradling in his hooves. She'd been prying at his past ever since that second visit, still trying to figure out why he was so reluctant to make friends. No doubt she thought she was being incredibly subtle about it, too.
"Why does that matter?" he asked as neutrally as he could.
"Because, I'd like to know more about my friend," she said with a smug grin and her usual emphasis on the last word. "And I've been talking plenty about my past, but you've not said a word about yours. So come on, I want to hear something!"
He frowned at her, and she smiled back, obstinately and willfully ignorant of his disapproval. Even if she didn't get an answer now, she'd just keep asking, just as she kept emphasizing the word "friend." He'd have to share something eventually.
It'd probably be easier if he hadn't avoided thinking up a detailed background for Moondancer.
Time to improvise.
"There's not really much to tell. I was an orphan until I grew up. I spent a long time in Manehattan. I made a good friend. A couple friends, actually, but one in particular, but... well, I ruined everything. We had a particularly bad break-up, so I left. Then I arrived here." He shrugged. "That's it."
"That's not a very good story," she said in a disapproving tone. "Come on, you've got to give some details."
"There's not much to share," he replied. "The only interesting parts were when I was with... my friend. And I'm not talking about that."
"Why not?" she asked with a roll of her eyes. "I'm just going to keep asking!"
He glared back at her. "Because I did some horrible things, Glitter. You wouldn't like me if you knew what I did."
She set her sketchpad down, leaving the half-drawn changeling unfinished. "I'm pretty sure you're wrong."
"Oh really?" he asked, irritation creeping into his voice. "Well how about this: that friend of mine? When I first met him, he was an orphan, too. We lived in the same orphanage, and I basically trapped him there, keeping him from being adopted, all for my own needs. So yeah, I took advantage of an orphan and abused his trust for years, all while pretending to be his friend."
She blinked, a rush of surprise and unease coming from her. "I... I'm sure it wasn't your fault that--"
"Intentionally," he growled.
"What?"
"I did it on purpose." He looked away, glaring down at his cup. "I was alone and selfish, so I sabotaged every chance he would have to get adopted just so I could act sympathetic to him every time he got sad. I ruined his life for years just to serve my own purposes."
His voice grew quieter. "It wasn't until later that I started to like him, too. I loved him, even. He loved me, and all because I showed a friendly face while stabbing him in the back. And then he found out what I had done to him, and... and it was all ruined."
Glitterbug was silent for a long time after that, though her mind was clearly racing. All sorts of emotions flashed by in a blur; he could sense a good amount of unease and concern about him, but also a surprising amount of sympathy. Finally, she spoke. "You did love him, though?"
He just nodded.
She thought for a minute. "Would you do it again?"
"What? No, of course not." He sighed. "I wish I hadn't done it the first time, but saying I didn't know any better just... sounds hollow."
She considered this for another moment, then nodded. "Yep, you were wrong."
Nictis frowned. "About what?"
"About me hating you for knowing what you've done," she replied with a little smile, though it vanished a moment later. "Don't get me wrong, I think what you did was horrible, but it's pretty clear you feel bad about it, and I take it that it's safe to assume you wouldn't do it again?"
"No, I wouldn't," he replied. "But I wouldn't say it's safe for anypony to assume so."
"Well, I think that's good enough for me," she said as she started to gather up her study supplies. It was almost time for class again.
Nictis was simply staring at her, unsure exactly how to feel about this. "I'm pretty sure you wouldn't feel so unconcerned about all this if I had done it to you."
"No, I'd probably need some time to get over it," she said with a frown, though it was short-lived. "But you're not doing anything like that."
"You don't know that."
She prodded him with a book before tucking it into her bags. "Nothing bad has happened to me in quite a while, so if you were doing something under-hoofed, it must be pretty insignificant, right?"
He rolled his eyes. "You're seriously going to listen to me tell you all about how I ruined a pony's life, and you still want to be around me, even though I might do the same to you?"
"Yep!"
Again, he found himself simply staring at her. "...You're weird."
"Well, duh," she said with a smug smile. "I'm a filly that plays around with bugs all day, but that doesn't have much to do with this."
He continued to stare, this time in silence.
She sighed. "Look, I'm sure pretty much everypony has done something bad. What--"
"And what kind of bad things have you done?"
Glitterbug stopped, blinking a moment. "Uh, well... I... I guess I stepped on a spider a couple days ago. A Whitetail Leaping Spider. I wasn't looking--"
"Oh come on!" Nictis grumbled. "That doesn't count! That's not even close to the same thing."
"Well I'm sorry, it's not like I've got some big list of bad things I've done!" she shot back with a little frown, then paused to think. "I guess... I guess the worst I've done would probably be some arguments with my parents. There were a few times when I just got so mad with them, and we'd yell, and I know I called them a bunch of mean things. I still feel kinda bad about some of it. But we still love each other."
Nictis just grumbled wordlessly.
"So do you think I'm a bad pony?" she asked.
"No," Nictis replied. "But that's still not close to what I did."
She groaned, rolling her eyes. "Oh, fine. Okay, how about Princess Luna? Do you think she is a bad pony?"
"No, of course not. Why should I?"
"Oh, I don't know," she said with a little shrug. "Maybe because she tried to pull that whole never-ending-night thing a couple times. I've thought a bit on it, and it kind of seems like pretty much everypony would die from that, except maybe the lucky few who can figure out some magical means of getting food and warmth. I think double-attempted-genocide trumps you."
He frowned. "Yeah, well... she's a pretty pony princess. I'm... about as far from that as you can get."
Glitterbug chuckled. "I don't know, I'm sure if you got a good styling and maybe a decent dress, you could be rather pretty, too."
Once again, he glared at her, and she raised her hooves. "Okay, okay. But my point stands. Just because you've done something bad doesn't mean you're a bad pony."
He sighed, slumping against the table and grumbling. "I wish that were true."
"It is true."
He just sat there, silent.
Eventually, Glitterbug stood, slipping her saddlebags on. Then, almost as an afterthought, she pulled out a thick, woolen blanket, floating it over to him.
Nictis blinked. "What's this?"
"It's a blanket," she said with a hint of a smirk. "You sleep under it, and it keeps you warm."
"I know what a blanket is," he shot back, pushing it away with a hoof. "I meant, why are you trying to give it to me?"
She floated it back after his push. "Because you always look so cold when I meet you here, and I don't like seeing my friend being so uncomfortable."
He pushed it again. "I don't need it."
"Sure you don't," she said. "I'm still giving it to you."
"Well I'm not taking it," he replied, looking away.
"Suit yourself," she said, then dropped it on the table. "I guess I'll just leave it sitting here for the first pony in need. Bye!"
Before he could object, she trotted off, leaving him alone with the unwanted gift.
The rain came down hard and steady, slowly seeping into every crack and crevice, and bringing with it a piercing cold. Nictis huddled in his shelter. He wanted to be angry with Glitterbug, but he was increasingly unsure why. Grumbling, he pulled the edge of the blanket tighter around himself. It was really hard to stay angry with her when he was more comfortable than he had been in weeks.
Winter had arrived, leaving the city blanketed in snow. It had been the season Nictis had been dreading, and yet its arrival had been surprisingly mild. The weather was cold, but the snow didn't go soaking into his makeshift shelter to leave him wet and shivering. That wasn't to say that winter was pleasant... but it was tolerable.
He stomped his hooves several times to shake off the snow that clung to the fur of his disguise--dumb ponies with their dumb fur--before stepping into the warmth of the café. Glitterbug hadn't arrived yet, so he ordered an extra-large cup of hot chocolate, then sat at their usual booth. He took slow sips, clutching the cup in both hooves as he let the warmth slowly seep into him.
The first cup was finished, and a second was halfway there, before Glitterbug arrived.
"Hey Moony, sorry I'm late!" She sat on the bench opposite him, full of happiness and excitement. He belatedly noted that she wasn't carrying any of her books with her. Instead, she floated along a folded newspaper. Nictis avoided looking at it.
"It's okay," he replied. "Though I was starting to wonder if you were going to make it."
She chuckled softly. "Oh, of course. No, I was just packing. Though on that note, I'm not here for long, I've got to catch a train in an hour and a half."
"A train?" Nictis asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're going on a trip?"
"Yep!" she replied, grinning. "I'm going to Ponyville to visit Counselor Sky!"
Well, she's certainly excited by this... whatever it is. "Counselor Sky?"
"Yeah," she said, her grin slipping a little. "You know, the 'counselor on changeling affairs?'"
"Oh," he replied with a frown. "I don't really pay attention to politics."
She gave him a strange look. "Or news in general, it seems. Anyway, we've corresponded a few times before, and now he's invited me to visit him in his home to answer any questions I have. I'm just so excited! What an opportunity!"
"What kind of questions?" he asked, although he had a good idea where this was going.
"About changelings, of course," she replied with a thin smirk.
Nictis tried not to scowl, particularly as he began to wonder if this Sky fellow had been the source of those very anatomical drawings of changelings. Equestria seemed to deem the problem serious enough to have a counselor specifically for the matter of dealing with changelings, and it made sense that he would know more than any pony about the species. Although it seemed this knowledge was disturbingly limited to anatomical details.
Right. Not thinking about it.
Fortunately, she didn't offer any details. She just ordered a quick cup of tea, and they sat there in silence, enjoying the warmth of their beverages.
Right up until she decided to blindside him.
"So what do you think of changelings?"
Nictis coughed into his mug, then set it back down on the table. Despite her regular drawings, she hadn't said anything about changelings since their first meeting, and he had been content to leave the subject entirely alone. "Well, that's random. And you did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"No, it's not," she said. "And yes, I did." And she smiled.
Nictis rolled his eyes. "I don't know. They look kind of neat. I thought we covered that already?"
"We discussed interest, yes. But this is different. Besides being interesting, what do you think of them?"
He sighed, slowly rolling his mug between his hooves. "Well... they're deceptive little monsters that feed off ponies. Dangerous, too. You saw what they did in Canterlot. Kidnapped a pony just to feed off her husband-to-be, and then tried to enslave every single pony there. They might need to steal love to survive, but ponies would probably be better off if the whole lot of them were wiped out."
Glitterbug stared at him, brows raised. "That's... rather harsh, don't you think?"
"Maybe," he grumbled and took a quick drink. "But it's still probably the best choice for ponies. Changelings will still need food, and that'll just mean that so long as there are any changelings around, they're going to keep preying on ponies. It's sad that it has to be that way, but there's no way around it."
She was still fixing him with a strange look. "What? Sure there is. Ponies and changelings can coexist just fine."
Nictis snorted out a disparaging laugh. "Don't be naive. Do you really think there are many ponies that would be happy to be prey for a bunch of changelings?"
Glitterbug smirked. "I'm quite certain that I wouldn't mind feeding a changeling so long as they don't over-do it."
"Right," Nictis replied dryly with a roll of his eyes. "But we've already established that you're weird."
For a moment, they were both silent. She was rather strange, and rather... amused. A little nervous, and a fair bit excited, but mostly amused. He glanced back to her, catching her thin smile. "...What?"
"Nothing," she said, sounding far too amused to be convincing. "Just enjoying the irony."
"What irony?" he asked with a scowl.
"You calling me naive," she said with a faint chuckle. "You really don't have a clue, do you?"
"A clue about what?" he asked, irritation rising.
"Oh, nothing," she replied, her feelings growing even more amused and excited. Despite that, she managed to play it cool, rising from her seat with a smug little smile. "Anyway, I need to get going if I'm going to catch my train. Here, I got you a gift to entertain yourself with while I'm gone."
She set the folded newspaper on the table. Nictis pointedly ignored it, continuing to glare at her. For a moment she just stood there, then finally rolled her eyes, snickered, and walked off. "Bye, Moony. See you soon."
Nictis grumbled something that could be generously construed as "Goodbye." She could be rather frustrating at times, but it was easy enough to remember why he still liked her, despite that. She was decent enough company when she wasn't verbally prodding him. Better company than most of the random ponies he'd met. A bit naive at times, but she meant well. And she was something... familiar.
With a sigh, he looked down at the paper and reluctantly nudged it flat to look at the front page. Then he simply sat there, motionless, staring dumbfounded at what he saw.
The headline wasn't the same kind of mind-warping irrationality as the last headline he had read, months back. It simply stated:
COUNSELOR SKY PROMOTES CHANGELING AMNESTY
It didn't make any sense, but it wasn't something that was intrinsically and instinctively wrong. Not that he had any time to contemplate it, as he was transfixed by the picture that accompanied the article.
He had to check the caption to make sure he actually saw what he thought he saw. The caption seemed clear enough: "Sky addressing the Canterlot nobility in regards to the planned policy." Again he looked to the picture. It made no sense, and yet, there it was, plain to see.
Counselor Sky was a changeling.
Dun dun dun!
What a twist! Who could have possibly seen this coming? Oh, right, just about everyone who read Fragments.
Also, 1924586
Get out of my brain. I'd finally finished up the chapter and passed it on to my mate to check it over for anything I missed. Less than a minute in, he highlights where I wrote "Cherry Rutter." I had even thought of that when I wrote it, thought "I better make sure to not type the wrong name," and then unconsciously did it anyway! Much groaning and laughter followed...
Also, good news. By the time this chapter got its editing pass, I already got about a third of the next one done. No promises on when it'll go up, but it shouldn't be too long!
I literally did a fist-pump when I read that. As in physically, in real life. Thankfully, I was alone.
Here. We. Go.
A very nice note to end it on. And certainly unique to end it on! And now to read fragments, as if there is a good reason to tie it in, its worth reading then. May your muse be strong in guiding you. (And huh, odd I don't recall reading this, ah well, re-read time.)
A NEW UPDATE TO MY FAVORITE STORY OF ALL TIME!?!?! how can this be! great chapter by the way, can't wait to see where it goes from here
GIMME MOAR DAMNIT!
And the irony, of course, is that Glitterbug had figured out Moondancer's secret a long time ago, amirite?
I'll just wait here for the next chapter then. Hopefully it gets here before I starve.
Woo! Does this mean the next chapter will the end or is there an epilogue?
I've enjoyed the story consistently but I've been patiently hoping to see Nictis/Meadow's perspective from Fragments.
SHE'S A CHANGELING!!!11!1!one!
*Clears throat* Ehem...
3175612
It is one of the parts that I've been so looking forward to!
3176017
*whistles innocently*
3176474
Next is a full chapter. We're not quite done just yet. There will also be an epilogue, which hopefully I'll be posting at the same time as the final chapter, whenever that is.
Guess I should FINALLY get to reading Fragments...
Even though you say reading it is not necessary, from the perspective of reading only this story, that honestly kind'a felt like a cop-out. The tension you built up with Glitterbug feels pointless and released too easily and quickly after the reveal. I know you also wanted to have Nictis avoid news about Changelings, but at the same it's hard to believe he would not hear someone mentioning something--anything!--about a Changeling Counselor and the potential for peaceful integration while he's feeding off of random ponies in public places where such things would have been discussed... or at least mentioned before someone else quickly changes the topic.
I will say that at least the reveal didn't come out of nowhere; Nictis's interactions with ponies in the last chapter did do a good job of hinting that ponies were not as hateful as Nictis convinced himself they are, so I was expecting something along these lines, but the interactions with Glitterbug built needless tension that was resolved in a dissatisfying way, and Nictis's ignorance is not believable.
first stallion cover? A day. Mare for like another week. Seriously, this guy has problems and a lack of balls. And he needs to grow a pair and tell her he's a changeling, she won't care. (see what i did there?)
Always excited for a new chapter, and never disappointed
Okay, either Glitterbug is a supporter for Changelings living along with ponies or she is one.
And now I must continue the painful activity that is waiting.
3175414
Good to hear that we won't have to wait too long for the next! The funny thing is that I just suddenly started thinking about this story and daydreaming what would happen next when my phone flashes the update email at me.
Also... She knows....
Yeah, there's no way Glitter doesn't know.
yea glitter definately knows that nictis is a changling considering she probably already knows that a changling in disguise would probably have green eyes and she already noticed those same eyes on a stalion staring at her just before he leaves and moon comes in, also moon gave her a brief insite of her past which might have been published in a newspaper as sparks experience living with a changling at least that is what i am gathering, but sky being a changling is kind of confusing
3176721
I'm not really sure what you mean about tension with Glitterbug. I didn't think there was any tension. There's not really any confrontation or the like between them, he's just trying to be a little friendly without letting her too close. So... I'm not really sure what you mean. Could you clarify?
I had considered him hearing about Sky from people discussing such things, but the more I thought of it, the more it seemed out of place. The crowd he's generally going after were single bar and nightclub patrons out for a good time, who are probably much more interested in partying and possibly flirting than in discussing current events (And Glitterbug intentionally avoided the subject). I haven't exactly made a habit of frequenting such places, but I never heard any sort of news being discussed, with the exception of sports and entertainment.
I don't think reading Fragments would have made any difference here (Although I'd certainly like if you read it too, even though I think it's not as well-written as this one). The only difference I can think of it making is knowing who Sky is when he's first mentioned, and possibly the knowledge that he should be out there around that time.
AAAWWWWW YEAAAAA
So happy to see things coming full circle.
And now we get to see the story tie in with Fragments!
I noticed that Nictus is (mostly) being referred to as "he/him" in the chapter, no matter the disguise. It's kinda weird since he's been disguised as a mare most of his life and referred to himself as "she/her", but I guess it's suppose to reflect his apathy towards his throw-away disguises, right?
3178269
Tension doesn't have to be physical, or even external--this tension I'm referring to is that within Nictis himself in the war between his Changeling self and pony ideals. Mostly it feels like a rehash of what he's felt before, making Glitterbug feel completely unnecessary except as a plot element that forces the news about Sky under his nose (which also feels like the entire point of this chapter; nothing else that happens feels important, especially since you've given away that this is the penultimate chapter!). Also, there's no point to Glitterbug as a character, and there's no time to get to start to feel for her as a character, so the rehashing of Nictis's past thoughts about ponies feels empty when directed at her. I feel like another character that was already introduced would have better served her purpose, is basically what I'm getting at (unless she's an important character in Fragments and has to appear here, which of course I'd be completely ignorant about).
I also have no idea about bar and nightclub life, but cafés I'm fairly certain are places people go to discuss recent events. Besides that, however, he also has to travel to these places along roads, where he would certainly overhear discussions of news, and I think the word "Changeling" would catch his attention, even if he tried to urge himself not to listen. Finally, it would be next to impossible to ignore a call like "Extra! Extra! Celestia having peace talks with Changelings!" Simply put, the fact that some kind of treaty(?) is being signed is too big of news for even someone who explicitly avoids news to not hear about.
3178808
I think you might be over-estimating the degree of news here, actually. There is no treaty being signed, or peace talks, or any other kinds of interaction with the changeling hive. There's just Sky. He's the only known changeling living openly in Equestria at that point. That's not really important to the story right now (And will be explained in the next chapter when it becomes important), but there isn't much at all going on newsworthy about changelings except for that one, single changeling.
Nictis would have avoided anyone he already knew, however. It was still tempting to bring in one of the really old characters--I'd originally been trying to figure out a way to bring Gale back late in the story--but it seemed like a bit too much of a coincidence for such a meeting when compared to just some random entomology student who finds changelings interesting.
As for her point... I think the whole chapter shows something of the contradictory nature of Nictis's thoughts and actions. He makes a big deal of trying to stay distant from ponies, but he really would like to be close to someone. I also thought it should be somewhat telling the kind of pony that he ended up connecting with. It certainly wasn't any of the random club-goers...
Glitterbug isn't in Fragments. She may well be in the next story, though. Certainly if she has anything to say about it, I would think.
3178541
Yeah, that was exactly what I was thinking with it. He's not really invested in any of the new disguises, or in the mindset of tricking ponies. Where before it was a sense of personal pride, now it's just something he has to do to survive, only because he has to.
3179035
Okay. If Counselor Sky is in Fragments then you might not listen, but I'll leave this here anyways: You might want to rethink Counselor Sky. The use of "counselor", especially in the context of "counselor of changeling affairs", made me think he was operating as a representative or similar position for the hive, as he's presented here as being the effective representative of the Changeling species at large (thus his seeking amnesty would essentially be for the hive in its entirety--"peace talks").
As for someone Nictis already knew... he could have certainly tried to avoid them, but might be approached before he could duck away and switch disguises. -or he does manage to avoid them, but "hovers", thinking about whether they've heard about the truth yet, whether thy were hurt and/or anger, and if so, how much... Meh. I see now what you were trying to do, but I suppose what with the introduction of this new character I was given no time develop emotions for, it was difficult for me to see what you were showing with Nictis's interactions with her--maybe I would have figured it out later if you hadn't said anything, or maybe not.
3179101
You seem to be jumping to conclusions. A counselor is just someone who offers counsel to someone. I've frequently seen various people working for some level of government as a "counselor on <whatever> affairs" or the like. It certainly doesn't carry the connotation of a foreign representative (In fact, it seems to rather imply that it's a domestic position). In this case, he's the "counselor on changeling affairs" because he advises Celestia on matters about changelings (Or at least, that's the plan; at the moment it's more like a placeholder, having neither known Equestrian changelings nor further interaction with the hive itself). In fact, I think this chapter rather suggests he isn't some representative of the hive. Why would a foreign representative have a home in Ponyville?
Amnesty is a rather different thing than peace talks, so I'm not sure what connection you're drawing there.
Though at that moment, Nictis has no idea about any of this. Most of it (Or at least, what is relevant to this story) will be covered in the next chapter when it becomes important, and of course, Fragments covers its side of things, too. But right now, he has no clue what's going on... and really, at this very moment, it's largely irrelevant. What matters at the moment is that there's another changeling in Equestria, going about in the open. He has yet to discover anything more.
3179193
I never considered him a representative of the hive, but a representative of the species (which would cover the hive, but not "only")--big difference--and whether it is official or not, he obviously has some kind of power, even if it is only sway over public opinion; while he may not be a representative in job description, his work would/does directly influence the position of Changelings in Equestria. Also, I wouldn't call it "jumping to conclusions" to assume someone is actually performing the expected work of the title they hold...
Amnesty is the forgiving (more technically correct: "forgetting") of past wrongs. It may yet be jumping to conclusions to say he is seeking forgiveness/forgetting for what the hive did to Canterlot (there may be other incidents involving Changelings yet to be known, after all), but given that the attack on Canterlot was an act of war, if this was the case, it wouldn't be too far a jump to "peace talks".
KNEW IT!
That twist hit me like a sack of bricks.
3179239
But you are making a lot of assumptions about what that expected work is, which is painting a very wrong picture of what's going on. Once again, this is going to be clarified in the next chapter, when Nictis learns anything more about Sky than his title and species.
Amnesty is a blanket legal pardon given to a group or class of people. The only times I can think of amnesty ever being aimed at the citizens of a belligerent in a conflict by their opponent has been in civil wars and rebellions, where the nation giving amnesty asserts some sort of jurisdiction over those citizens and is promising to "forget" that those people raised arms against them. I can't think of a time that I've seen it applied to the citizenry of a foreign power after a war with that foreign power (There may have been instances of it, but it's rare, and generally not what one thinks of when talking about amnesty).
In fact, the connotations of seeking amnesty for changelings in the hive in relation to peace talks is rather dark. That would imply that Equestria considers the entire citizenry of a foreign sovereignty to be criminals subject to legal penalty or imprisonment because of the actions of their leaders, and suggests that it handles prisoners of war rather harshly. That puts Equestria as significantly below what we would consider proper for diplomatic behavior and international relations. I don't see Equestria as being that cruel and, for a lack of better word, inhumane.
3180837
... I'm not even going to bother commenting on Counselor Sky again. I tried to get my point across using as many rephrasings as I could think of, but I've obviously failed...
As for amnesty, I still don't understand exactly what Sky is asking amnesty for if not Canterlot, but I've already admitted it could be something else. (Also, your definition fits within my more broadly phrased one.)
3181458
I understand what you're saying about him. I just disagree with it, because you're drawing a lot of conclusions off nothing more than an incorrect assumption about what his title and species mean. It's particularly weird when they're essentially meaningless side-details at this point, and Nictis will be finding out about most of it early in the next chapter anyway.
I don't think Glitterbug knows that Nictis is a changeling exactly, but she might either suspect it (from behavior) or perhaps she does, but not because he's dropped his disguise, but because she can see through it magically somehow. Or perhaps Counselor Sky has told her how to figure out who is a changeling? One has to wonder if she knows this "Counselor Sky" or another changeling personally, since she's drawing pictures and Nictis seems to think they are all of the same changeling.
3184918
I'm flattered, but I'm afraid I can't accept praise for such an accomplishment. It is, at most, tied for most stereotypical changeling hive.
Heh, yeah, a little stereotypical, but for some reason... I dunno, it seemed to fit. Of course, we've got so little to go off of from the show, so who knows what the changeling homeland is really like. This way they have a home that's very well-hidden, and they really don't need all those silly luxuries ponies need. Pfft, beds...
And yeah, his introduction to pony life is going to be interesting.
Hmm... I could split it into two sentences, but I don't think splitting it there would work. That'd make the first half of the sentence (Now a single sentence) incomplete. Maybe with some rewording...
3186103
Abandon the hive? Why that's just... just... unthinkable! And... unchangelinglike! Lured in by all those meaningless pony luxuries like soft beds, cooked food, desserts and sweets, hot baths, time off from work...
...Hmm? What hive?
I'm so good at making errors that I can slip ones in that remain unspotted for almost a year despite being picked up by any spell-checker ever. Go me!
Just want to reiterate that I'm really enjoying this series.
Also I need to address changelings again in my fic very soon so all this is delicious braincandy.
(And the particular situation with the changelings doesn't have any exact real world equivalent. Sanctuary might be as good a word to use as amnesty.)
3185153
[edit]
DERP. I somehow missed the fact it was "but if (...), if (...), then". Which makes the second "if (...)" part extra information correctly added into the sentence by surrounding it with commas. Sorry. There's nothing wrong with the sentence. I messed up, there
[/edit]
3186173
3189260
Hmm, what? Nah, this couldn't possibly come back to bite Nictis in the flank. Pssh. After all, it's just a scared colt on nightmare night. Who ever heard of creepy pony-bug monsters, anyway?
Yeah, those are probably the darkest moments of the story, and it kind of illustrates one of the things I really like about writing it. Even though Nictis is the protagonist, and even though plenty of people are rooting for him, he's done some really bad things. I could do a story covering some of the same events and easily make him the villain of the piece, just by showing the exact same events from a different perspective.
I find myself very sympathetic for what he's gone through, and deeply disapproving of what he's done.
Ugh, tell me about it. So much pronoun confusion! But I guess that's what I get for making the male changeling's primary disguise a mare. I keep catching myself writing the wrong pronoun fairly regularly, particularly around any time he changes form and gender. Hopefully I caught them all... but from the amount of stuff you're catching, I get the feeling I might have let a few slip on accident.
Thanks for those catches, by the way. It's kind of embarrassing to think that I've had some of these glaringly obvious errors in there for so long, so I really appreciate you pointing them out to me.
Particularly embarrassing as most of them I look over and just think about how I know better than that... I managed some really dumb ones.
3186369
Thanks! And I really need to make the time to read your stories some time (Why must there be so many stories vying for my attention?! ).
Also, both amnesty and sanctuary will be discussed in the next story.
3189660
Yeah, that could work. Then again, this gave her a solid (And true!) backstory going back about 4 years, and you can milk a good amount of sympathy out of being a young orphan
And I would say around 16-17. Somewhere mid-to-late teen.
She was getting to it! She was teaching them basic pony interactions first before subjecting the poor nymphs to that kind of horror
3189789
I don't know, living in a place with a bunch of (at times rowdy) kids probably teaches you that no place is entirely safe
Although that makes me wonder about the whole concept of bathing privacy for ponies. I imagine it's still improper to barge in on someone bathing, but at the same time, it's not like they'd be more naked. Eh, silly thoughts. I'm with Applejack on this one.
I was ready to be all happy and proud about this... then I open up the chapter to a random spot, and my eyes immediately land on two errors. How do I keep doing this?
3190336
Hrm... he was adopted, but I guess the wording was rather vague, and without later word on the subject, some of the earlier narration does seem to imply he ran away. The "news" Crimson Heart had passed on after him leaving was supposed to be news of his adoption (Since he didn't bother saying goodbye to anyone). I'm going to go tweak that a little.
Aw, crap. Someone did the two-g version in the comments, and then I kept finding myself typing it that way. I thought I kept an eye on it for the actual writing, but I guess I slipped up. Which probably means I did that at several points later on, too. C'mon ctrl-f, we've got a bunch of chapters to go looking through...
Edit: And a quick search finds no more. Either I got it right the rest of the time, or I fail at control-f-ing...
3190818
I really like Bigs as a character. He's just fun to write for some reason. It makes me wish that I had more scenes with him than I did! Even though they'd both probably be quite happy to never cross paths again
3191043
But... but he's right there! Being all... him!
"I'm going to get back at him by helping all the ponies myself!"
3190074
Three words, man. wet mane Rarity
So, I am slipping, then
3190557
Yeah, might be for the best
3191172
Muaa ha ha haa!
3192888
...Okay, you make a convincing argument for ignoring societal standards.
Don't feel too bad. I make so many mistakes, I wouldn't expect any one person to keep up with them all!
3193691
I do love the irony of it, but it's definitely not the irony Nictis is thinking of.
Spark might be hoping things go well enough that they only needed one bed, but arranging for just the one might be a little too bold for him... even though he totally should have.
Yay, not an error! And yeah, that's intentional. Either way is fairly common, but I rather strongly prefer the Oxford/serial comma.
Also, added an attribution to that sentence you mentioned, as it was neither Spark nor Meadow speaking, but Thunder Chaser.
Took the silly changeling long enough, didn't it?
And promptly ignored it! ...Well, I guess it's still a step in the right direction...
3194970
Yep!
Very heavily inspired by the original ORCA and various other twin-rotor aircraft, both fictional (Such as Starcraft 2's Banshee and Avatar's Scorpion) and real (Such as the V-22 Osprey). Naturally, Spark not only goes for one of the most complicated methods of flying (Rotory-wing aircraft), he has to go for a more complicated method of that.
I looked through the earlier chapters, but I couldn't find any place where he (Or any other pony) saw Coal. The only characters I could find who saw that disguise was the security guard she brained and the store clerk she got to help him.
Whoo, finally got through it all! One more chapter to go, then?
So, I'm gathering that Glitterbug saw right through the disguise, simply from everything she learned about changelings? Well, the history of emotional manipulation might've been quite a hint, too.
Now if Nictis remembered these drawings well enough, he could go compare them with that picture of the "Counselor on Changeling Affairs"
For the next chapter, I'm expecting a tearful reunion with Spark at the end! And half'ling babies! You better deliver!
3195171
Oh. I guess you're right. I assumed that since he invented Coal to mess more with Bigs, he might've seen her occasionally, but indeed, it says no such thing
3195308
Quite a bit of reading you did there. When did this get so long? Eesh. Anyway, yep, one more, plus epilogue. I'd originally hoped to get it done by this weekend, but that's not happening, and I rarely get any writing done during the weekend itself, so hopefully I'll have it up by next weekend.
A bit of that, combined with her observations: magic color, the behavior of the strange same-eye-color stallion shortly before Moondancer showed up again, her behavior, etc. She wasn't entirely sure, but she certainly had her suspicions the whole time. She didn't want to scare him off in case she was right (Or in case she was wrong, for that matter!). Though after asking him his opinion on changelings, she was probably very close to just outright saying it.
...I, uh... I'm not going to post any spoilers. Especially since I've been tossing a few ideas around, so exactly what happens is a little flexible at the moment...
In completely unrelated news, I'm going to be picking up some body armor and a nice big sign that says "There's another story coming!" before posting the final chapter, just in case...
lol... it's your story, finish it however you want. I was quite obviously joking
Though you saying they can change their body at will to a very complete level, including giving themselves stronger muscles that actually WORK as stronger muscles, did make me wonder about the reproduction issue. I kinda like the way An Affliction Of The Heart handled that part... though it did leave me wondering about how much illegitimate half'ling offspring male changelings (well, changelings acting as male ponies) would have, if it was as simple as "being transformed to the same race". Wouldn't make much sense.
Well, I doubt you'll need that body armour (unless you're going to milk that Sad tag for all its worth and crank the Sad up to 11 at the end), but either way, I'd welcome a sequel
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Heh, I know, but I really have been tossing around a few ideas in my head about how to handle the ending. Mainly it's not so much about how to end it so much as where. I'm not even 100% sure I'll have the epilogue when I'm done. I know exactly what parts I need to get in for the ending, but the rest I want to work over a few times to make sure I like how it works.
As for the reproduction issues... I've actually not decided on that. First instinct would be to say that, yes, that's how it works. I imagine that if a changeling can modify such things as muscle tone, they might be able to alter fertility as well. At the same time, just because they've used magic to make themselves physically indistinguishable from a pony doesn't mean they're genetically compatible, so... I don't know. Or heck, maybe their natural ability to change means they can be cross-fertile with any other species, so long as there's enough love going on from both sides to fuel the change. That might actually work... allows for cute little half'ling babies without them popping up all over the place.
Also, "half'ling" amuses me far more than it should
Why do you think I keep using it?
Of course, if they do have the ability to change their own body at will... I can easily see them simply keeping themselves infertile to avoid complications.