This story is a sequel to The Freeport Venture
Kukri Doo has a good life in Freeport. She's almost twelve, her parents are warm and loving, she has a big sister to look up to, and Sunset Shimmer--the very same magus the young changeling met on the Venture--might be taking her on as an apprentice soon.
But then her big sister comes home with word that one of her jobs has gone wrong, and now the entire family is in danger. And now something ancient and evil has started stalking Kukri in the night...
Chapters (4)
Perfectly timed for Halloween! This is shaping up to be a really fun, spooky with everyone's favorite adorable changeling. And that cover art? All the d'aaaaww.
So what's the update schedule on this going to look like? Same as Auction Night?
I actually got shudders from this story. Interesting narration, considering the Changelings' way of speech. And Kukri is a Doo and both the Doos and the Strikers have clan holds in Freeport? Looking at the dialogue and writing, I'm guessing that Kukri's mother is a pegasus of the Doo clan?
A rather interesting take on the changelings... A few questions of course...
1. How are free minds different from drones? Are they unseelee who've achieved their own mind or just those who escaped after chrysalis made them smarter?
2. How does illusion work in this verse? I've been writing it as two tiered, the first being the illusion or shift, the second an aura which dampens others abilities to discern irregularities in their own... in short, it looks like a pony, sounds like on, and acts like one, but most are still unsettled when the aura isn't there, and a infiltrator is noticed pretty fast at close range.
3. Do they feed of each other, or do changeling free minds spread out across the land, a few families in an area, one tiger to one hill as it were.
4. They certainly have a very polite way of speaking... Is that a choice or habit?
5. Does breeding have to do with free minds? Like a pony changeling pair produces a child who, while changeling, is smarter and more sturdy the a hive born? In the wedding we see a group of six mares with no combat experience go through entire squads like bead curtains, and I imagine the same happened in the winningverse. So were the changeling officers half breeds or am I reading to much into it.
6. Strikers are still around? Kinda hoped Shadow did the world a favor and slaughtered the lot, but of course she had to have scruples and leave the foals and pregnant mares alive. And before you ask, yeah. I said that. The Strikers were an absolutely barbaric lot with little to no redeeming qualities. They elated in death and were draconian in their training, ensuring their foals grow into the next gen of sadists.
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Yup, new chapters daily, with the story at four chapters long.
Kukri!
And it sounds like someone was angry enough to resort to dark magic summoning for revenge?
Also, typo spotted in description:
Either "Something" or remove the "and"
At last! The return of the super adorbs Kukri! <3
I am PISSED at this thing trying to fuck with Kukri though! That's NOT COOL!!
I hope whatever it is dies a painful, horrible death @.@
I'm having a scary feeling about the parents now, what with how I'm thinking they were replaced with something else, like reverse changelings (As in the old folklores of children being replaced by fairy children, not the MLP definition
6575636 Cool, I'll read it once it's finished.
6575636
You devious author you, you,
So the story will conclude on Halloween?
PLANNED this, didn't you?
Looking forward to either Sunset, or maybe even Kukri herself kicking flank once they nail down whatever this thing is.
Oh man, that was spooky. Had music from The Shining playing in my head through the whole "nightmare" sequence. Speaking of, I half expected the monster to crash through the door and say "Heeere's Johnny!"
Can't wait for the next installment, Chen
Sounds like Kukri's mom is a pony while her dad is a changeling. so is she a half changeling or is her mom her step or foster mom? I wonder what differences, if any, there are between full and half changelings. Changeling biology / genetics could be really strange.
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Yes, I did.
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Not really...
Well, for one, changeling are skinwalkers of a particularly nasty sort, less coyote and kitsune and more unseelee bady snatcher. As such, they would have to be able to become anyone, from a barn dance with the apple to hob nobbing with nobles, so they would have to all basically be the same, both in spirit in genetics. As such, I'd imagine their are fairly flexible, in the case of Puzzle, who we see is a stallion, got an idea of his mates genes and adjusted his accordingly. Of course in this case the foal was our lovely little cuddle bug.
Theoretically, Puzzle could have just taken any form he wished and knocked her up with a normal foal... or more darkly could have forced the fetus into one form. Of course, and this is my theory, such pairings result in the hybrids we see. Unlike your usual grub or even free mind, a hybrid is born is leaps above drones in terms of intelligence and strategy... of course this means Chrysalis would have to offer one hell of an incentive to keep them loyal.
tldr: Puzzle took a bit of his dna and the mares dna and randomized the sequence, and 11 months later out she popped. Makes more sense then Magics of Wuv don't it?
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Per my fanon, a changeling/non changeling pairing always results in a changeling. Why? Magical genetics. Plus it fit nicely with the classic folklore take on changelings. Though I could see changelings picking up traits from their other-species parent, like a pegasus-spawned changelings being better fliers or unicorn-spawned ones having a knack for magic.
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Most of your changeling questions are answered by The Incredibly Valuable Contract of a Sellsword Changeling and the previous fics in the Freeport Venture series, and both are among the better fics in the Winningverse and are worth reading. If you don't care about minor(very small) spoilers, read the rest of my comment.
1. Free minds are fully conscious and are on the same level of sapience and free will as a regular pony. A regular changeling normally is under the control of Chrysalis, and Chrysalis has the ability to possess any of the non-free mind changelings at will. The free minds were a project by Chrysalis with the hope of changelings the were more autonomous would be able to better blend in with pony society, but soon rebelled since the changeling hive is a cruel dictatorship that only the mind controlled could bear living in. This all happened a couple hundred years ago I believe, but Chrysalis still has a grudge against free minds.
2. I don't believe there's been any level of detail in the Winningverse describing illusion. The basics of it would be a changeling wants to look like a pony, and they look like a pony. I think if they're severely hurt they shift back.
3. Free minds cannot feed off other free minds. I don't recall how many ponies it takes to feed a single free mind, but I don't think it's many. Maybe even only one committed pony, and Kukri's mother is enough to feed the father and Kukri.
4. Changelings use 'this one' because they value their individuality highly, having come from a mind controlled society, and consider saying 'I' or 'me' bad. I'm not sure the exact type of badness, possibly arrogance or lack of caring about origins.
5. I don't think there was any breeding with free minds, but I'm not sure. Chrysalis created the first generation herself somehow, I forget or it was never stated the details.
6. The Lunar Rebellion happened 750 years ago. It wasn't just the Strikers doing horrific things, it was the culture at the time. The Striker's were among the worst, but it's not fair to call for their extermination by judging them by today's standards. I think there was something about all the old pegasi families besides the Kickers being disbanded in Equestria too, and that's why the Strikers and the Doos have to have their compounds in Freeport instead of Cloudsdale.
Ruh Roh Raggy!
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Thanks for the reply, that clears that up^^
A bit of a goof there... I didn't do they feed of each other, I meant how is the free mind structure set up. To many in one spot in starvation and angry villagers breaking down your door at night. I don't think they'd fight, but stake out territory... as I said, one tiger to a hill. Of course Kukri and her family are probably all gassed on their mothers love...
odd. one would being individual would be a must... of course they need go no further then their bathroom mirror to know who they are. Of course one shouldn't let autonomy go to ones head...
Well, changelings can breed with ponies, though the foal is a changeling. And with both genes and mana mixing in the coupling, it makes sense. Certainly seems that way for the Puzzles brood.
It was, from the word go, and absolutely moronic and senseless endeavor. The infliction of war for wars sake, the soldiers failing in their sole duty, the people, to fall aside so they could enact their military socialist cults to all of Equestria. The Doo's, prime examples of the useful idiot, went with it because they truly believed their nation was failing under alicorn rule, a sort of mother not letting a child grow. The Chargers... not sure with them. Bright seemed to agree with Rightly till her daughters death, then because of her favortism towards her went alicorn level of cunt on all and sundry. And lets not forget her cries of murder of the matter... the stupid bitch had the gall to actually send her daughter to war and then get all enraged when she gets killed? Her right to her anger ended the moment she put the filly out there on the line... she had no right to hold a grudge.
And the Strikers... fucking Strikers. Tribalist, dogmatic, sociopaths the lot. .They viewed the abuse of foals as proper means to make soldiers, that beatings and whatever other sick traditions in place would make the ideal warrior. The other clans are hardly blameless with them due their silent consent, but the Strikers we're monsters. And culture... so what? Tradition is a guide for wise men, and a rule for fools, and the righteous know they are made from no more nobler clay then other folks. The Strikers were everything wrong with pegasi in one clan.
Not only is there black bagging fair, it was the best course of action for Equestria. By clan logic, the second they dismissed Celestia, they were traitors all. But there is the honorable way, the easy way, and then the right way. Shadow choose life when killing would have been easy, hell, if her dads were there they would have disowned her for letting traitors live
It speaks volumes to Shadows character and who she was at heart. Golden hearted under all that Striker/Kicker gruffness, and an around good egg.
Well... that's not good.
Even worse if the "monster" actually planned on giving them a fright in order to lure them out.
Not good at all.
But as usual, well written! Let's see what happens next!
Somehow, that monster face. but I can't not remember when and why.
This one maybe? :)
Ok, that is a special level of creepy. Stalker-ninja creepy.
…Holy FUCK. What the hell is this thing?!
Is Kunai a ninja? I meant to ask before, but…she's an assassin, has a name like that, so...
Ok, no wonder this story has a dark tag, that's creepy (and appropriate for this week). Seems like this is starting to go from "just" an assassin to something supernatural maybe, considering how far they've already gone for security. Guess Sunset will be called in sooner or later? Hopefully sooner.
Could get worse. The wall art might be two-dimensional living organisms that drag ponies and three-dimensional objects into their plane of existence and dissect them for nefarious purposes.
If that be the case:
camo.derpicdn.net/c9ee72be5a9ae36a74a3b282d6d2286618f1e5c9?url=https%3A%2F%2F38.media.tumblr.com%2Ff4bfe4ddc95e82ea496ee371c3ebaf90%2Ftumblr_not33dWyCd1tq4of6o1_250.gif
That guy sure is dedicated, creepy but dedicated.
I think it's time to call Sunset. And possibly a priest. Lets make that two priests.
6579951 Sunset, 3 priests, and maybe Celestia too.
Hm... eats liver. Devious. Ancient evil...
El Chupacabra!
OMG! I am so freakin happy you decided to add more to this story-verse! XD Thank you!
A new Freeport story so soon?! You spoil us CQ
6579810 Dr Who reference?
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Better just skip the intermediaries and douse the whole island chain in holy water.
6580125 Aye.
So... it likes to play games does it? Big bad sneak shade slipped pas the best and brightest of the Doo and right under the paters grey furred muzzle, and left a gift to tell a little girl he was thinking of her. He had play fight with mom, and left a token of appreciation to the daughter ...
Oh dear, the oldest one flew away to play with others... Who could he possibly have to play with now?
Kunais less then thrilled papa is at the board now... and you made his little girl cry. Lets see how our playful scamp deals with a real stallion then some terrified child. Oh, and the fellows bought one of them new fangled Flim and Flam tape voice thingies so he and the misses can fall asleep to the screams of a coward. And course send the Striker mater a hearthswarming gift of appreciation for her dopey clan mates attempts at their lives
A shadowman? well, Shadow pony? a creature made of shadow stuff. Anyway I have a question, is both of Kukri's parents are changeling right? As for the carving in the wall, that is very intricate psychological warfare. I love it!
6580291 I think the mom is a Pegasus. She hasn't said "this one" and is related at a normal pony.
Oh, the downsides of being a changling!
Still, that is really, really creepy after Kukri was being so sweet as well. I think they might need to being the Shimmer mare into this one, she'd probably be happy to deal with the what ever the tartarus it is to get back her sweet little bug.
Are those the normal Meteor Hammers or some pony variant? The normal one being a rock at the end of a rope.
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6580291
Nailed it in one, Kukri's mother is a pegasus.
6581018 Oh ok. so there can be hybrids between ponies and changelings then? But it does make things interesting either way
I feel bad for Kukri. I mean, she seems like such a sweetheart. She doesn't deserve to be going through this all because some Strikers are heard headed lunatics. I just get a little more irritated than usual when people mess with children, and I'm sure most people understand my feelings on the matter as well.
It's obvious by now magic is involved. Carving out stuff taking hours aside, only magic could accomplish most of the feats mentioned thus far - throwing your voice over obstacles, vanishing without a trace, intricate art without making a sound (I imagine that earth ponies and pegasi can't achieve the amount of finese required to be so detailed)
And since some of the previous stories introduced demons as a thing that can be summoned, I would not put it past a wealthy merchant to pay off a demonologist to make Kunari suffer the loss of a sibling as well.
Slendermane is out there, little ling. Don't. Blink.
quickmeme.com/img/c5/c55c3a2738e8391f29c771d22eb3f22b90f586f220a7962ab136215e77f1d980.jpg
Just a few errors to point out here:
pulling
nervously, and nix the extra period
Well that's not good at all. Wonder what this monster is.
Well, shit.
Well, that was a hell of a cliffhanger. I hope this updates quickly!
Not so much "The Monster In The Closet" as "The monster in the bathroom"...but still a great chapter! Can't wait for more.
6582805 Or add a third period and make it a proper ellipsis.
Well, that escalated quickly. But now that this thing is directly threatening Kukri, it's time for the Shimmer-mare to deliver one of her most epic beat downs. I almost fell sorry for the thing... almost.
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Well, the original name IS "water closet", sooo.... :-P