This story is a sequel to Advanced Lessons
Twilight's managed to accomplish the impossible. Peace between ponies and changelings. Everything was ready for this truly historic step...now they just need to move thousands of changelings hundreds of miles without causing a panic. Easy-Peasy.
Sure, Twilight had managed to find a way for the two species to live in harmony. Maybe she'd managed to come to some sort of understanding with the prickly Queen Chrysalis. Perhaps she had even convinced Cadance to give this crazy idea a chance. But with changelings flung far-and-wide, hiding all throughout Equestria in a time when ponies became nervous at the mere mention of changelings...?
There was still one big hurdle left to go.
How exactly does one move so many changelings across a country without everyone freaking out?
Mostly by train.
-Another interquel like my other story Intermediate Lessons. Mostly to help me to get back into the swing of writing. Hopefully enjoyable.-
I wonder if there will be any changelings that don't wish to move up to the Crystal Kingdom and rather stay in whatever town they're in?
Why would changeling sell sofas?
Oh, it's Sea Breeze. She's generally amusing. On that note, is there any canonical evidence that Big Mac is above average in terms of attractiveness (as opposed to simply above average in terms of size)? Unlike, say Fluttershy, who is apparently good looking enough to be a model, I don't remember anything indicating that for him, though I might have forgotten something.
7188619
Why would they sell anything? Presumably to support their cover identities. The real question is who has he been eating the love of and will they miss him.
7189047 I'm not really sure if there's anything in the show that suggests he's better looking than average, but it seems like something a number of fans have inferred it. I might have just picked that up from them reading stories. Plus, that's just Sea Breeze impression of him.
7188619 ForSpite has the right of it. It's a lot easier to blend into an area when you're actually part of an area, by having a home, business, or 'family' there already.
7188516 That'll be touched on some in the future chapters.
This is going to go just swimmingly, isn't it?
Hah, I like the two bat ponies already.
It's good to see you are back, and I am very happy to see Sea Breeze again. She is tons of fun and should make the inevitable shenanigans far more amusing.
7190439 Yeah, Sea Breeze is fun. She's only going to be having a couple of scenes total in this whole story, so don't expect too much, but she's good for dropping in a bit of humor and levity.
And I'm glad to have found my drive for writing again. I'm already working on my next update.
7190478 Well, it is very good to hear you are back in the groove and will be putting out more chapters soon, although I am a bit disappointed that Sea Breeze won't be doing much in this story. I was really hoping to see her play off Rainbow and Pinkie at the party because that should be all kinds of fun and create a terrifying new friendship to play with in the future in addition to the fun of watching her try to keep AJ from killing her, but it unfortunately looks like she is going to be stuck guarding a door.
7190598 Well, I don't want to run into the issue of overusing Sea Breeze; it's fun having her show up where appropriate, but this isn't really a story about her so...But worry not, she is going to have her own arc across my stories. I've got it all planned out. Something of a background storyline. She'll even be interacting with the Mane6 in the future, though not very much in this story.
Just gotta make sure everyone gets an appropriate amount of time in the limelight.
7190673 Ok, that works. I definitely understand why you can't let her take over, and that is honestly part of the reason I feel this way about this story. I feel like there won't be many opportunities for her to be close to them in general because of the different circles they usually move in so it is important to take the opportunities when they arise. Oh well, at least the train should offer some good opportunities for her to interact with them some even if she can't get too involved in the party.
7189047 He does have mares fainting after seeing him in concert for his acapella group, so that's something.
7193038
I saw that as more of a mockery of how intense band groupies get, which can be pretty independent of how physically attractive the singer is (see Mick Jaeger or for drummers, see Ringo Starr).
7193062 So he's a big strong dude in a band with intense groupies, but not necessarily handsome. So Big Mac is Meatloaf?
7193072
That works.
7193217 As an alternative, Sea Breeze also has a bit of a crush on Luna. So, maybe tall ponies are her 'thing'.
Sea Breeze: "Has anyone ever told you that your legs go on for miles?"
Big Mac: "Eeeeee-..."
Luna: "Fool! Hast thou forgotten your own Princess' glorious legs!?"
Sea Breeze: "I am not worthy!"
Celestia: "May I ask just what is going on here?"
Sea Breeze: "...Has anyone ever told you that your legs-"
Luna: "Traitor!"
Sea Breeze: "I'm weak!"
Big Mac: "...I'ma go buck some trees..." *Backs away slowly, before running away*
Celestia: "...I've never noticed just how tall that stallion is."
Sea Breeze: "Traitor!"
Celestia & Luna: "What?"
Sea Breeze: "...Weren't we doing a thing?"
EDIT: How can there be no 'Luna' emoticon?
7196629
No Chrysalis/changeling emoticon either. This site's emoticons are rather lacking, really.
You know something is going to go hilarously wrong when Rainbow Dash is the most insightful character in a story
Here I was just thinking yesterday "It's been a while since I read a good Chrysalis story, I hope Dungeonguy88 updates soon". And lo, my wish has been granted.
Nice work with the comparison to Princess Celestia by the way. That's a character that's more complicated than a lot of people want to make her out to be. She's genuinely benevolent but she's willing to do some shady things on the way to her goal of helping people.
I get the impression Dash applies this motto to a lot more than the current situation.
Fluttershy really has universal appeal, I see. Now this is set before Twilight realized what was going on with Celestia and Chrysalis, so cross-species romance isn't on her mind. I wonder if she's going to revisit this conversation after that little revelation or will have just forgotten about it?
7381491 Yeah, I do feel the creative juices flowing now. Indeed, I'm probably going to start on the next chapter tonight, so I don't lose my momentum.
As for RD's thoughts on Celestia, I wanted to make sure that it didn't come off too harshly on her, but still brought up some reasonable criticisms. For someone like Rainbow Dash, it seems pretty in-character to care more about her friends than the plans of others, even when that other happens to be a nigh-godlike ruler.
Things have generally worked out when Celestia is pulling the strings, but RD doesn't feel like she has to like the danger it puts the individuals she cares about in.
And, I also think Rainbow Dash is overall fairly perceptive and sharp. But, as in the show, she doesn't really put it to much use outside of the things she cares about. Which mostly consists of flying, the Wonderbolts, and her friends. And if she comes across as a bit more considerate than usual, this story does take place shortly after Intermediate Lessons (Mostly finished, but I'll finish it up properly soon) and the character development she picked up there in regards to changelings and being there for her friends.
And you are correct. It hasn't really occurred to Twilight yet that changelings might be attracted to ponies, or vice versa yet. She's still thinking of them from the angle that they are an entirely different species, rather than being fairly close to equines overall. So, Phyll's little infatuation just flew right over Twi's head. Rarity obviously has more of an eye for this sort of thing, and RD and AJ basically just view changelings as funny looking ponies, so they were in the right mindset to pick up on things. Eventually figuring it out will have an impact on how Twilight views changelings, so worry not on that account.
EDIT: Also, yes. Fluttershy does have canon on her side in that regards. And with the changelings natural empathy, her compassionate nature has its own appeal to changelings. Meanwhile, her fretful nature has a tendency to draw out the urge for a changelings to help and protect her...kinda like with people and kittens.
EDIT.EDIT: Plus Phyll just likes her. That too is a major component.
7381460 It helps that this takes place right after Intermediate Lessons, where Rainbow Dash has already learned about changelings and is putting an active effort into being of more use to her friends when they need her. She realizes all the problems she caused Twilight on that trip, so she's actively trying to avoid slipping into that again.
This was excellent. You really did a great job of showing off what makes Rainbow who she really is here which is always a great thing. Sure she may generally not worry about a lot of things, but she is the smartest member of the cast (with the possible exception of The Pink One who defies categorization) which is why she sees these things that the others miss and can pull these kinds of performances off in a way that utterly confounds people like 7381460 who see the laid back facade and mistake apathy for ignorance. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more of her in the near future along with the rest of your cast since it sounds like you are finally getting back into the swing of things.
Also, Fluttershy and Phyll are adorable and I'm looking forwards to seeing how things play out there since at least Rainbow and Rarity are clearly looking to get that ship moving as soon as possible.
Interesting chapter but what was the deal with the eggs exactly? Am I missing something?
7382022
You're probably missing the same thing Twilight Sparkle is. Why would a male pony-shaped creature that doesn't actually eat eggs keep going to Fluttershy's house to buy them? And be embarrassed when confronted with these actions? What kind of motivation would then compel him to keep pretending he had been interested in eggs because he couldn't bring himself to say the real reason while being something Rarity would support?
7382022 ForSpite has got it. Basically, Phyll is very much fond of Fluttershy and can't spit it out.
7382735 Ah so that's it, he has a thing for Fluttershy and is using eggs as an excuse to visit. Clever move.
7196629 I just had a funny thought. If "tall" is her thing, it would be hilarious to see her meet a human. Preferably a new arrival who isn't totally settled on the whole "talking pony" thing and has no idea how to respond to Sea Breeze's special brand of flirting.
7384217 Heh, maybe one day, when I'm feeling like doing some goofy stuff. I always have lots of-...I guess you could call them scrap ideas? Ideas I can't work into something that makes sense. I might just grind those out into something one day.
7384334 Heh, fair enough. You can't really fit that kind of thing into this continuity after all, but a scrap bin or some independent short stories would be a good option and might be a useful way to get back in the groove next time you have trouble.
7384217
7384334
Of course, if 'tall' really is her thing, there's one person we skipped mentioning her hitting on. Someone taller than Luna or Big Mac, someone as tall as Celestia... Chrysalis.
7385415 Now that sounds like a fun idea.
7385415 Sea Breeze sees Chrysalis coming down the hallway:
Sea Breeze: "Well, hello."
Chrysalis: (Pauses) "...Hello."
Sea Breeze: "I don't know if anyone's ever told you this, but you are the spitting image of tall, dark, and beautiful."
Chrysalis: (Stares impassively)
Sea Breeze: "Uhhhh...so are you, like, the shy type?"
Chrysalis: "...You understand that I am in a relationship with one of your princesses?"
Sea Breeze: "Uhm, two questions...Which princess are we talking about here and what's everyone's comfort levels with guests in the bedroom?"
~5 Minutes later~
Star Shade: "Sea Breeze! What are you doing out here? I thought you were patrolling the palace."
Sea Breeze: (Slowly picks herself up from the ground) "Don't worry about it..."
Star Shade: "I feel like I should."
Sea Breeze: Nah...So, hey...you know that really tall changeling that hangs out around the palace?"
Star Shade: "Queen Chrysalis? Why do you ask?"
Sea Breeze: "...Do you know what 'defenestration' means?"
Star Shade: (Narrows eyes) "It means to be thrown through a window...why do you ask?"
Sea Breeze: "Just curious."
Star Shade: "Is that broken glass?"
Sea Breeze: (Shakes some broken glass from her mane) "Nope..."
7387546
Cute. I'm just going to move that and your little "Traitors" comment into a newly created text file I've named "Advanced Lessons - Omake".
7381518
To address your earlier concerns, I think you pulled off just the right mix, being critical without being harsh. It's something a lot of people seem to struggle with, tending to either treat Celestia as perfect or horrible but you managed to capture it quite perfectly. And it's a line of thought that seems in character for Rainbow Dash, which is equally important.
7389631 Perhaps I'll start doing these little omakes more often. They serve to amuse and they're a good outlet for getting out some of the less story relevant quirks of the characters (For example, 'defenestration' is one of Chrysalis' favorite words). And I'm glad you approve of the interactions in the story; it's too easy to get caught up in wondering if a character's portrayal is coming through properly or if my perspective has been tainted.
7390138
I find a good thing to do if you feel like your perspective on a character is wandering off-model is to watch a couple episodes of the original show (or re-watch). Or read a couple chapters if they're from a book. Just reacquaint yourself with the source material.
7390404 That could be a good idea. I've fallen a bit behind on MLP:FiM episodes anyway. Probably wouldn't hurt to review my own stories to remind myself of the direction I've been developing things in. Thanks for the advice.
Heh heh. It's a simple kind of story, but still definitely worth reading.
I look forward to incoming chapters.
7422217 Yep. It's not a grand adventure spent fighting monsters or discovering lost worlds. When you get down to it, it's a story about everyone finding out more about their neighbors, while in the middle of helping them move.
7422244 Except all the neighbors are shapeshifters
Ah, cultural differences...
Well, that was interesting, and your logic definitely makes sense. Chrysalis definitely has a vested interest in keeping the Elements online for situations like Discord, and the combination of feeding and spying you described makes perfect sense.
Hah, nice to see my suspicions confirmed. "Weird" indeed.
It was a very exposition heavy chapter. Little bits of humor helped carry it but it's probably best if we don't have too many that are this heavy in the story as a whole. Variety is the spice of life and all that.
7422244
Well, it does have the Slice of Life tag, after all.
7422951 Yeah, after this chapter things will be focused more on current events, lighter, more current events. Just felt like the right time that Twilight and the others would want to get their questions out of the way. After this, they'll be focused on what's up with Ditzy, going around town meeting with changelings and dealing with minor issues relating to that, with some looks at what's going on back at the library, as more changelings head there and encounter the Pinkie-Party waiting for them..
7422944 Yeah. As I've mentioned before, I like finding ways to reconcile things in the show with a bit of realism. Why didn't Chrysalis, a supposedly cunning and ruthless villain, simply take out one of Twilight's friends permanently to disarm the Elements of Harmony? Maybe because she recognizes that they're about the only thing that can stand up to individuals like Discord.
7422465 Yep. Despite not being very big on art, my take on the changelings does endow them with their own culture, with its own differing values and mores. They do have some fundamentally different takes on certain things than ponies, despite their ties to ponykind.
7424320 Yeah, I'm the same way. Unfortunately the writers don't seem to be terribly interested in logic or continuity lately, but at least the way they ended season 3 does give me an easy way to write everything after that off by assuming Twilight died and everything after that isn't real.
Awww, I thought it would have been way funnier if Derpy/Ditzy/Muffins was the only member of the post office who wasn't a changeling.
On another topic how many writers a rushing to get their changeling fics done before August 20th and a canon nuke drops on them?
7425087 Hm? Oh, I've already accepted that my stories have heavily diverged from canon. I've embraced it. I still enjoy the show, but it's not gonna interfere with long-term plans I have for these stories.
And, like I said, there's more than meets the eye here.
vary worthy of a up vote.
I like this story ark
This is awesome and hilarious, can't wait for more!
GOD I love Derpy. And she certainly does rock that uniform.
This bit actually did feel a bit like something one might see on an animated show such as MLP. I liked it, it drives home just how weird Ponyville really is, as explored in episode 100 of canon.