Topaz was less than pleased about the events of the previous day, even before I had the chance to explain. “Idol, you can’t just give foals away to random mares!”
Not one to be easily distracted, I nodded and continued hanging my helmet on its peg near the door. “I was not aware I had given any mares a single foal, let alone multiple.”
“I… okay, that sounds even worse when you phrase it like that, but Idol, dang it, it’s still a valid point! What were you thinking, you barely knew her in the first place?! She shows up every few months for some fresh love-”
“I begin to think you are making this sound more lurid on purpose now.”
“-maybe I am, hush- and you just decide ‘hey, this foal I’ve been looking out for and has specific needs might be able to do well with this person I barely know or trust?!”
“...It did make sense at the time.”
“And does it now?”
“Nnnnnno. Not as such.” I admitted, shifting uncomfortably under her steely gaze. “She is… troubled.”
“It’s like there should be a whole system around vetting individuals seeking to care for children, isn’t it?”
“It is, actually. Somepony should look into that.”
She stomped a hoof. I endeavored to avoid her eyes, but it is difficult for a changeling to not know they are being glared at, particularly when the glarer explicitly wants you to be aware of such. “It’s called adoption, Idol, there’s a whole field of study and bureaucracy around it. You know that, you’ve read books to the children at an orphanage!”
“I… but that is for foals without parents or caretakers. This is different!”
A small sigh. “It’s not, Idol. Not really. Sometimes a foal’s caretakers realize they aren’t cut out for the job, or they don’t want it,or they’re afraid they’ll fail something important. Honestly, you can be stunningly oblivious to anything that isn’t directly related to you, you know that?”
I tried to defend myself, though truthfully my heart was not in it. I was not even sure I was doing a passable job, but the Nurse... “That may be true- your pardon, it is true- but… the Nurse was not ill-suited for the job. Nymph was not yet ready to assume her duties to the hive, and the Nurse-”
“Brought her to you. Against your will, and told you to do it. Pretty sure you can’t skirt this one, buggo.”
I did not pout. “That seems unfair. Both the situation and the accusation; I would never.”
“Yeah, well, that’s life. And I guessed you were trying to do the right thing in that way you do. So figuring out ‘what’ next instead of ‘why’ is the big issue. What are we going to do about her?” Topaz adjusted her glasses so she could glare over them while still seeing me, and I noted her bun looked exceptionally tight. Never a good sign.
“How… are you so well informed on the topic, already? I was still trying to decide how to tell you about it in the first place.”
“Nymph showed up and told me.”
I tried not to flinch, but Topaz was clearly displeased. “Ah. That is… not what I told her to do.”
Not the correct answer, clearly. Another sigh escaped the golden pegasus, but this one was a bit more fond. “Children can be willful. I kinda think you were spoiled by Twilight being nearly perfect when it came to ‘not being a troublemaker’.”
“It does seem like she saved being troublesome for her adulthood.”
The professor snickered. “Heard about some sort of harem spell gone awry. Definitely let her hair down, didn’t she?”
“It was very much not that, thank you.” I had my own ideas of such spells, and I did not approve of the adjusting of minds in such a manner. It was one thing to coax and tweak emotions, I could not fault any changeling for such a thing, but to force them where none existed was… anathema. It was both false and unsubtle.
“I know, I know. It’s just fun to tease you. You really do need to talk to Nymph about this, though.” Topaz pulled a face. “And we need to give her a better name than Nymph. Or ‘The Nymph’, for that matter. It’s a little too on-the-nose.”
“I already have a name!” Nymph stated proudly, standing on her rear legs to push a box onto a table. Topaz looked flustered and her eyes flitted around the room, obviously trying to determine where the little changeling had come from. Under the couch, I decided, though I opted to leave the Nymph’s new hiding place undisclosed. At least, I hoped it was a hiding place, and not a new tunnel dug underneath the furniture. Children of all species tend to have questionable ideas about structural integrity. One merely needs to see a griffin’s first nest to see the truth of that.
“Other than Redshock,” I stated automatically. “Naming yourself after a color you have trouble with is only bound to cause additional strife.”
“No, not that one. When I went outside the hive I was supposed to start calling myself Cersus!”
I blinked. “Pardon?”
“Pincers, like on an earwig.” Topaz informed me. “Or the feelers on the backside of a silverfish. Or the last segment on something like a grasshopper where there isn’t anything else.”
“N-no, I actually knew that from previous discussions. I do pay attention, I will have you know. But… Nymph, you have a name?”
“Well… yeah. I was gonna gather love.” She blinked up at me. “... so I was going to get a name. How else are we supposed to talk to each other without going ‘who here is a changeling’?”
I stared. “And… how does that work?”
She pouted. “Adults are supposed to know this. I say something about a cersus, like, I have something with an earwig pincers on it and I talk about cersuses… cersii? Whatever, I talk about them, and I seem a little weird, but if someone brings up that you can almost make out the carapace on the earwig… bam! That’s probably another drone named Carapace. Get it?” The infiltrator-in-training threw her hooves in the air, sending little green sparkles flying.
“Please do not set that rug on fire. This is the first I have heard of such a thing.”
“Well, you aren’t an infiltrator, duh.” Her hooves went over her mouth. “I don’t think I was supposed to tell anyone about that… I mean… that’s a secret, isn’t it? Aw, crickets.”
“I do not… that is to say-”
Topaz saved me from potentially being forced to lie to a child. “You probably shouldn’t tell other ponies, but I’m helping you and Idol stay out of trouble and hidden. I sort’ve need to know things so I can-” Her face fell. “Oh my Faust, I’ve had a half-dozen random ponies make absolutely inane comments about insects, one of them even pointed out the imago on a dragonfly nymph and that was just so stupid I think I might have insulted her to her face! Are you telling me that was a changeling, from your hive, that thought I was one of them?!”
“...Prrrrobably…? We had a list of words and stuff we were supposed to memorize and that’s… an adult insect?”
“I could have had so much information… years of additional data…” Topaz was slumping to the ground, slowly crushed by the weight of realization. “...so many research subjects, dangling in front of my eyes…”
“...Is she gonna be okay?”
“If she survives the despair of opportunity lost, she will be fine.” I assured the little changeling. “If you wish to help her, you could weigh yourself and let her know how much you have grown since the last time you stopped by.”
“She likes weird things.”
“She is a weird pony. But we like her for that.” I frowned. “I should… start calling you Cersus, then?”
“I dunno. I don’t think I’m supposed to use it yet… and I’m not really an infiltrator out gathering… so… maybe not? I like it, though!”
“Perhaps a name more suited for a pony so we can talk to and about you without arousing suspicion?”
“...oooh. I could be… um… Tourmaline!”
“Where do you get these words?”
“Books. Daring Do talks about finding a bunch of them.”
“...Fair enough. I suppose that would-”
Topaz snapped out of her reverie where she was no doubt cataloguing every conversation with her peers for any who might have been a changeling. “Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, Harmony, no, please. If my mother finds out there’s a filly named after a mineral in my house she’s going to make assumptions, I will never live it down. And did she say ‘crickets’ as an expletive? That’s adorable, you never did that.”
“No. I have not.” I stated firmly, shaking a hoof dismissively. “I assume it is a young changeling… thing. But Nymph, if Topaz has qualms I suggest you consider another name. She helped choose my own, after all. And this shape. She’s very good at it.”
The Nymph-Cersus looked at me with all the cutting disbelief the young are capable of when they feel you are telling them a parable in lieu of the actual explanation they desired, but she did not vocally challenge my assessment. “Aww. I like Tourma, though… how about… Wyvern!” She made a snarling sound that was far too large for her diminutive frame and ‘belched’ more green flame.
“Ponies do not have dragon names, cutie marks, or powers. And before you suggest you could be a dragon, I do not possess the pay to make that believable.”
“Aww. Can I at least be an alicorn?”
“Order, no. Never do that.”
“You’re just no fun.”
“There are a grand total of three of those and everypony pays attention to them. One is slightly pink, the other is very pink, and the third ponies are still skittish around. Beyond that, impersonating royalty is a crime. That would make things more awkward between us.”
“Yeah, I guess trying to trade me off like a sack of potatoes kinda does that.”
“...Ah. And how long is this going to hang over my head?”
She rubbed her chin, thinking it over carefully. “How long can I milk it for?”
“Fair point. I shall let you get away with it until I no longer do.”
“Well that doesn’t seem fair, how am I supposed to use that?”
“The changeling filly attempting to leverage guilt on me for trying my best in a situation beyond my control claims I am being unfair. Woe is truly me.”
“Pffffff.”
“Truly a loquacious argument. If I may interrupt your pontificating, I would like to speak with Topaz alone.”
“Well… okay. Don’t touch that box. I’m just putting it up here until I get a cocoon made. I don’t want it getting wet.” With that, she went back into Topaz’s basement.
I, of course, immediately checked the contents, which only made my landlady sputter in outrage.
“Idol, she just told you-”
“And I did not agree to those terms. Cards, several comics, a… plush figure of Daring Do… a number of various ribbons and gifts I can only assume she has gotten from her friends.” I shook my head. “It is not appropriate for a changeling to keep mementos of such things.”
Topaz firmly closed the box and pushed it away from my hooves. “And? You keep mementos.”
“And… nothing. They are hers. Besides, I am not a very good changeling; I am an exile. Hardly an individual to emulate, in any case. I am not sure how a changeling is supposed to be raised, and I intend to defer to you on these matters.” At Topaz’s spluttering, I tilted my head. “Is there an issue?”
“Me? Why would you trust my judgement?!”
“My own proves questionable. I… told Mothchaser I am not a pony.”
She blinked. Then, with a slow groan, she put her face in both hooves. “I thought you couldn’t do that! Why would you do that?!”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time. I may have imbibed a beverage at Princess Luna’s insistence that left me in an altered state of mind. Quite good though. I think.”
She stared at me from between her hooves, over her glasses. “He thinks. I think the Guard has an unhealthy fixation with drinking. You’re killing me, Idol. So she knows you’re a changeling?”
“Not that much,” I admitted. “There do seem to be certain compulsions against revealing myself outside of specific conditions. I perhaps could have told her, but… that I am not ready for.”
“You can explain yourself but not intentionally reveal yourself. But you can reveal that you aren’t a pony, so long as you don’t say you are a changeling, unless the person already seems to have a general idea of what you are?”
“That seems complex but accurate. Perhaps a compulsion to prevent directly revealing ourselves to other infiltrators?”
“That would be a really dumb way to get caught, I guess. Honestly… it seems like a lot of these orders are about basic things. Don’t get caught, don’t go north and freeze to death, which would probably get you caught, don’t have children, which… your children would apparently be eggs, which would be weird, and you’d get caught… I wish you could be fascinating without raising my blood pressure. Regardless, Mothchaser?”
“She showed up at my room.”
“Oh?”
“She had… expectations.”
“Oh.” Topaz bit her lower lip. “That must have been… awkward. Did you at least let her down easy? I mean, she deserves that much for not being… you know, an absolute mess after the whole thing with Discord.”
Flinching, I tried to explain, but… “I could not give her what she wanted, but I believe I was able to give her a sufficient massage in lieu of the other. The explanation came after.”
“...You gave a mare what was probably the best sensual rubdown of her life after inviting her into your room, told her you weren’t a pony, and then sent her on her way?”
“That seems to be the way of it. I have done similar for you.”
The mare covered her strangely reddening face with one hoof, shook her head, and began marching away, apparently intent on checking on the Nymph. “You’re a monster, Idol.”
“What? What do you mean? Topaz? What is that supposed to mean?”
The Moon Princess bounced on her hooves in a manner most reminiscent of my young charge. Having had several weeks with Nymph-Cersus in close proximity, I was immediately worried. “Yea, good Sir Idol, I am given the clean writ of health!”
“Bill,” I corrected, relieved. The young changeling was proving most… rambunctious. Though entertaining, I was strongly concerned that I was somehow failing to raise her as a proper changeling. But no, I focused on my current situation. It would not do to let my mind wander during other duties.
“I am neither avian nor being charged for his services. Tis a writ.”
“Is it written down?”
“...Tis not.”
“Then it is a bill.”
“We do not think thou art correct, but your confidence leads us to question. We shall then defer to the standard parlance.”
“So… a bill, then.”
The Princess gave a grumble. “Yes, yes, a bill. But no matter, I am free! Free of this accursed tower and this accursed castle and admittedly-quite-nice room! Free to roam about on our own recognizance in full!”
“Just in time for Nightmare Night, as you had hoped.” I cheerfully offered.
She hesitated, but nodded. “Tis but a few nights hence, indeed. Though perhaps we are overzealous in our desire to rejoin society on that, of all nights...”
“I shall hear none of it.” I informed her, firmly. “Your highness has been looking forward to the event for months and I shall allow no crisis of confidence to besmirch your preparations.”
A bitter laugh. “And how shall you go about preventing my descent into self-doubt?”
“I believe I owe you a brief tour of Canterlot.”
She brightened again, and the stars in her mane actually glittered. “Sooth, you did indeed promise me such. In fact, Niece Cadance has been guiding me in the usage of a spell for just the occasion.”
I tilted my head, then closed my eyes and allowed myself a sigh. “‘Emerald Glen’, your highness?”
“Just so!” And suddenly the Princess was wrapped in a bit of magic and the familiar mare was again before me, though… slightly larger, overall. And a unicorn instead a pegasus, as Cadance tended to prefer. More to the point, it was also notably more stable than Cadance’s own.
Interested, I prodded lightly at her side, and almost immediately felt wings beneath. “Are you quite sure you wish to hide wings instead of horn?”
“It does occur that if one is not aware of my horn, they could gouge themselves quite badly. Besides, thou art possibly the only person in all of Equestria who would so grope the Royal Wings. Thou art quite fresh with this familiar form, we may yet have word with our niece.” I yanked my hoof back as if burnt, and she grinned at me. “At ease, at ease, merely a jest. In truth, I may have flicked Cadance’s horn out of curiosity. I would rather avoid a repeat performance of something that could so easily shatter the disguise.”
I felt relief wash over me. “Could you perhaps adjust coloration somewhat? Emerald Glen has been seen in the company of Lieutenant Armor on occasion and he is very familiar with it-”
“Do tell, I never would have imagined~”
I gave the princess a flat look and continued as if she had not interrupted. “Unless he is with Cadance at the time, he will likely believe you to be her in disguise. Such an interaction would be…”
“Say no more, say no more. Though such could be fun, I would not torment my niece so. And the Captain-to-be is hardly my type.”
“Just so.” I nodded, and she gave me a look before the color seemed to bleed from her disguise, leaving her a lovely shade of gray with a pearlescent mane which grew longer, then still longer until it was nearly as long as her ethereal one was. On her slightly taller body, it was quite striking. “More practice, I take it?”
A cheeky smile. The princess was an artist, and I could tell she was enjoying herself. “If we are going to go out, why not as a pony out of someone’s dreams?”
“No Emerald Glen, this.” I acknowledged.
“Let us call this one… Lady Moonstone?”
“Fair enough. Shall we inform the castle of our leaving?”
“Bah! Our sister slumbers, no doubt. If any know of this form it will defeat the purpose of holding it. We shall sneak out, as our niece does!”
I briefly considered denying the accusation, but I was beginning to strongly suspect Cadance and Shining rendezvoused more often than even I knew about. I could hardly blame them; their courtship was stretching long. Captain-to-be, Luna had called him. Soon enough. The thought warmed me for him, and I decided to support this bit of whim. “As you command, your highness.”
Princess Celestia raised one imperious eye as she looked down upon me and her formerly and perhaps not-so-formerly wayward sister, currently in disguise and sneaking out of the palace. I carefully did not notice that the co-ruler of Equestria tried to hide a small plate of freshly-baked and frosted cookies behind her back, but I did allow myself a small moment of solidarity against our dietary overlords and their caloric tyranny. Unfortunately, I then realized that I was also in something of an awkward position.
“...I can explain.”
Both eyes now widened. “Harmony help me, Idol, that isn’t necessary.” She cleared her throat. “A moment of your time? If I may steal him from you?” She nodded to Not-Luna, then motioned for me to step aside with her, very carefully concealing her snacking paraphernalia under the wing she used to guide me away.
“Your majesty, I-”
“Hold, Idol,” sighed the sun princess, fondly. “I am aware of your proclivities and that is your business. To my knowledge you have been almost completely dedicated to your duties towards my sister with very little time for...indiscretion even in your personal time. I can overlook an unauthorized tour of the palace for yourself and a friendly mare, you are by no means the first to do so. I only ask that you not make a habit of it, and try not to tarry overmuch before returning to my sister’s side. She is already nervous about her upcoming visit to Ponyville. It is good for her to have someone to encourage her to be more outgoing.”
Relieved to finally have the elder sister’s blessing, I nodded fervently. “I shall return to her and continue to encourage her outgoing as soon as we finish speaking,” I assured the solar diarch, quickly. “Of course, I went to her before even beginning my shift-”
Celestia politely coughed. “I should have known Luna would encourage you. She has always been more… open-minded about such things. I trust you will relieve her worries about her upcoming trip when your… tour is complete?”
“It shall be done.”
“Wonderful. You are dismissed, Corporal.”
“If I may, your Highness? Cookie tends to hide excess buttercream vanilla behind the pickles when the day’s baking is complete. Merely a bit of gossip. I scarcely know why I mention it.”
She gave a small ‘hmm’ of intrigue and her eyes flicked back down the hallway. “Perhaps I should… take a small walk back to the kitchens. Just to stretch my legs one last time before bed.” She gave a nod to myself and to Not-Luna, and we scampered away, Luna only barely stifling a hearty chuckle until we had finally fled far enough from the castle.
Not-Luna grinned with absolute delight. “My sister remains none the wiser? I thought surely I would be confined in my tower posthaste!”
“You are not a misbehaving filly, your majesty.”
“I certainly feel like one! Most invigorating. Though her ire was most certainly focused upon you. If not for that, I dare say she might have discovered my ruse.”
I deigned not correct her, but… then again, had Princess Celestia noticed that it was, in truth, her sister I was escorting? I had thought she was ‘in’ on it, but upon closer consideration of our discussion…
“‘Tis unlike my sister to show such jealousy. How interesting, young guardstallion.”
My thoughts ground to a halt. “Your highness, please!”
Luna’s grin broadened, gleaming as if it were a sliver of the moon itself.
“Art thou entirely sure about this?” Not-Luna questioned with some skepticism, nervously tapping a hoof as she eyed the neon sign with its archaic symbols and animated tilting wine glass and the pointy-toothed logo. “Idol, I do not think this is an appropriate place for me to be any of the time. Though perhaps thematically appropriate for somewhere to go before a harvest festival themed around my own fall from grace, a bar…? Tis a far sight from a potter’s guild, true, and the play was most entertaining, but this?”
“Nonsense, your highness. Officially it is a club, not a bar, and I have it on good authority it will be entirely to your tastes. And the food is good as well.”
“‘Twas our understanding that clubs usually had waiting lines and the like…?”
“This one caters to a slightly different clientele as a rule. Canterlot does not have quite the bustling nightlife of Manehattan, but I think you may like it.” I knocked on the door, and a small eyeslot opened. I was quite jealous, in truth; I had argued that the castle doors should have such slots, and was informed that there were large portholes in each, but nopony liked carrying a ladder to and fro in order to use them, and as a rule the castle doors tended to be opened or guarded from the outside. Still. I approved of the extra security. “One Lady Moonrock and escort.”
“Moonsto- nevermind.” She gave a nervous smile to the peering eyes, and the door slowly opened for me to lead the disguised princess into the dimly lit building. “I am still unsure of this place. What even is the name of this establish...ment…?”
“I believe it is ‘The Night Mares’, my lady. And as for why I brought you here, specifically…” I shrugged, eyeing the other patrons. “I believe they are, as they say, ‘your people’.”
Luna’s mouth fell open, and she stared in wide-eyed amazement at the ponies dancing around on the colorful floor, the flashing lights… and the very distinct lack of stallions. Several of the dancers did seem to be emulating very stallionesque courtship movements, but I was confident the princess would recognize that…. But no, she seemed to be staring at me now. Odd. “H-how… we don’t… we aren’t-!”
I murmured quietly. “Your highness. Much has changed in your absence. For one thing, such interests are no longer relegated to quiet places for the most part. In truth, only those who care for lineage, old families and the nobility truly care about such things anymore, and even some of those will happily prepare alternative arrangements to ensure continued bloodlines. But occasionally, it seems courtship is more easily performed when one can focus on… other interested parties?”
“But how?!” came the insistent near-whisper. She seemed quite shocked, but ponies always did when I caught on to this. As if a changeling could ever be not aware of the tastes of the ponies around them. Love and lust were simple terms for a variety of flavors, after all. With time, one could even learn to distinguish the nuances, to some extent.
Gently, I urged her on, though her legs seemed to have locked and a little more force was required to keep her mobile. “Lady Moonstone, of all those seeking your favor, I would say you did show the most interest in the armonica player. I am many things, but not always a fool.”
“And they will… reciprocate… the interests I may show…?” There was a hopefulness, even something of a hunger in the princess. But fear as well. I tried not to think on how the world had apparently been in her youth, and I would not pity this divine being. Pity was beneath her, but sympathy I was developing in spades. My kind could never show interest in anything of the sort, but perhaps I could enable her in some small way.
Still, I could make no promises for others. Princess Luna’s faux shape was fetching, but less lovely than the dark form that was so complemented by her beloved night sky. “That is for you to find out. A shot of liquid courage before you approach the dance floor? Whatever the special is, please. Two.” I motioned to a husky unicorn bartender whose mane seemed to glow in the odd violet light of the bar.
She eyed me curiously, but nodded at the ‘Lady Moonstone’ before preparing for the both of us a stout glass of… clear fluid with coffee beans. To my concern, the beverages were lit on fire, and gently but not with extreme caution slid over to us. A bit of violet magic matching the overhead lights extinguished the blue flames, and I noted that the result smelled rather pleasant. I toasted Luna with my own, and we downed the beverages. Luna gave a small cough, but nodded appreciatively before taking a deep breath, placing her glass down perhaps a bit harder than absolutely necessary, and striding to the dance floor.
I allowed myself a small smile, and turned back to the approving bartender. “Another, please?”
So they make coffee by melting beans in water?
Oh, Idol gonna Idol, always
He simply has no idea of the power he wields. Personal friend and hero to the entire Royal Family, both current and future, and a symbol of dedication and loyalty to the troops, the shining example of what it means to be a Royal Guard.
I wonder how smart Chrissy's going to be about it when she finds out.
I always love it when a new chapter releases. Idol being the complete I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s so good.
Now this. This is just too lovely.
Nah, there clearly can't be another changeling named Carapace! Nope, none at all. And he's totally not an amazing author. Nope.
Also, Luna in that club. Luna being nervous and being introduced to a gay club made me smile so, so much.
He is a smooth and silver-tongued devil
...except when it involves himself directly, and then he's still a clueless fool.
9920973
Sambuca, actually. A traditional way of serving it is to set 3 coffee beans in it, light the drink on fire, and then put it out after just a few seconds. It toasts the beans just a bit and you can eat them while you drink. Supposed to represent health, happiness, and prosperity.
Wow! Jealous Celestia? And Luna wrapped about his hooves? Idol's gonna end up seducing both Regal Sisters by accident! Shining oughta honestly be careful letting cadence spend time around Idol, at this rate Cadance is gonna end up marrying Idol just shapeshifted into Shining and Chrysalis will only realize once it's too late! XD
This one was realy touching. Good work!
This can't possibly go wrong.
This chapter is so good! I love all of these characters. Luna is an adorable awkward gay, Idol gossiping with Celestia is beautiful (as is Celestia's misunderstanding of the situation), Idol misunderstanding the situation he just got out of is always a classic (though, to be fair, I'm oblivious enough to not get it either), and Nymph/Cersus is still Best Changeling. I hope she finds a good pony name that she likes soon.
And thank you, author, for creating this! It's always nice to read it.
This chapter was adorable. It's rather memetic that Lunas preference is of the female kind with all the TwiXLuna fics out there, but it's still sweet that she doesn't have to hide it, as it's clear that she'd been forced to do in the olden age.
And always, as lovely to see this update. Never do I fail to drop everything and read when a new chapter is posted.
9920980
Still expecting Celestia to take him as prince consort.
I just love the in-castle conversation between Luna and Idol. So many authors mess up Luna's archaic way of speech, but you not only nailed it, you took it to another level.
Idol Hooves: Accidental Stud muffin.
Yay. And wow, 16 comments in 1 hour.
Aw, that was sweet. It's wonderful to see
Redshockthe Nymph again, as she's always a bright spot of actual colour next to Idol's Idolness. And poor Topaz, going all Twilight Sparkle for a little while over missed opportunities. Plus, Idol carefully sneaking Luna out of the palace (unbeknownst to her sister, who has never, ever done exactly the same thing) and finding her a spot where she can find a partner for the night is a delight.With how profound Idol's 'Lothario' status has become over the past few years, though, I'm sure the bartender must be having a fairly large mental disconnect over seeing him sitting quietly in a lesbian bar.
This story never fails to bring a smile to my life.
70 active readers! I feel like I'm in a live studio audience!
Noice
Now that you mention it--it does, doesn't it?
Oh, for the love of--did you HAVE to go and make me associate that with the Want-It Need-It spell?
...What am I talking about? Of course you did.
I forgot for a second there that this is still before Twilight's ascension to alicorn-dom...but since we're on the subject now, I wonder how Idol will react when he learns of Twilight, seemingly spontaneously, becoming an alicorn?
So, you know...it wasn't ALL bad...
This is obvious by now, but it's pretty cool just how well Luna and Idol get along, even understand each other on certain levels. Definitely a good choice assigning him to watch over her.
On Idol's Orders...personally, I've been wondering if Luna's "moonshine" did something to partly or completely "override" them...
Went from hilarious to touching in a snap, what an amazing gift to give Luna.
Idols just as good at setting up dates as accepting them?
Vdrake thank you for another amazing chapter! have a pellet.
I hope luna has an amazing time. But I'm just thinking of some mare rubbing against her and finding her wings.
I love this chapter, i hope we see more of Luna's outings
9921037
We bring you yet another instalment of Idol Hooves does
nothave a herd: Lesbian Alicorn editionSeriously though at this rate it'll be easier to count which Mares aren't in Idol's harem rather than which are
"am,hush"
"am, hush"?
"out ‘what’ next instead"
"out ‘what next' instead"?
"to hide small plate of"
"to hide a small plate of"?
A nice chapter (and some nice art); thanks! :)
grate righting team a awesome chapter.
I can't completely understand what they talking about in the last part.
Idol was indeed a monster with Mothchaser. The ultimate blue balls syndrome right there.
Topaz and him are circling around the idea of adopting Nymph but I wonder if both even realize they are going in that direction. But yes please give her a mineral name, the misunderstanding grandma will be glorious.
And Idol: best wingpony anybody would want. He will drag you out of your home to end those thousands years dry spells. Hehehe, new reason to tour Equestria for Luna: visit all the gay bar in the country in a celebration of debauchery. She did just get out of jail after all. Ha! Maybe that's what all her conquest would say about Lady Moonstone: she make love like mare that just gotten out of prison.
I love how conspirationnal he was with Celestia against Dietary tyrant and how understanding of she was of the situation. I truly wonder if she did know that it was Luna in disguise. And really Idol? The potter guild and a play? That soooo you.
That last pic REALLY needs its own side-chapter.
...Lucky 'Ling gets all the mares, wish I had his charisma... Then, mayhap I would have a chance with Flu- *ahem* ...Mind me not.
...Also, I am not a connoisseur of alcoholic beverages (nor coffee, for that matter)... That drink makes no sense.
9921118
...I mean, clearly, that was the spell's original purpose. What other purpose could such a spell serve? Barring such things as a (mundane, not Changeling) infiltrator causing a distraction or an unscrupulous salesman trying to drive sales?
He took the god-queen of the moon to a gay bar?
Does he have adamantium power-cannonballs for testicles?
I am very happy to see that you're adopting the canon naming schemes, which hopefully means Thorax and the Neo Changelings are still on track here.
Sad that the bar's name is not the Blue Mare (from A Literary Appeal), that would have totally made my day.
Baby gay Luna at her first gay bar brings a smile to every face tho. I kind of wonder if Tuna is in the cards later on.
9921118
"Surely that was Celestia's plan all along"
9921051
So I'm having the mental image of a new (gay) maid being nervous about what the famed Idol might do...
OR a couple of stallions talking about how surely Idol can turn a lesbian straight.
Within Bartender's earshot.
And Bartender goes "Wrong, sir, WRONG!
Idol Hooves is a Good Ally who would never! What Idol Hooves with a lesbian is he supports her and brings her to a gay bar.
I've seen it with my own eyes! She looked like Hearth's Warming came early when he brought her in. Poor girl must have been from one of those really backwards noble houses that are all 'blood purity' - she did say whe was a Lady and even talked really old-timey, her family must be incredibly obsessed with the past. Filled her head with centuries old bullshit about how we're treated!"
etc. etc.
I really hope I'm not interfering with a future chapter of Changeling Perspectives here.
9921240
So I have an innocent mind that doesn't always jump straight to the lewd conclusions.
9921244
...and then Celestia admits that she hadn't actually planned it at all.
Seriously though, I have wondered about that--the show never explicitly makes it clear just how Celestia did fit into all of that. I mean, she clearly knew it was possible and may have been trying encourage Twilight go the route to make it happen, but I have doubts she actually had it all planned out like that...meh, not that it matters in the long run, I guess.
9921262
Well none affected by Want-It-Need-It showed any sign of lust, only a singleminded obsession with possessing the item, so.
Well sending Starwirl's journal does not betray any sign of a plan, it's a perfectly reasonable gift for Twilight. And Celestia's main concern when sending Twilight to Ponyville was "what if she doesn't get along with anypony?" which certainly doesn't suggest her having planned any major development ever. Sure, she doesn't look surprised when Twilight shows up in the Astral Plane and starts ascending, but at Celestia also canonically has premonitions and in the comics alicorn Twilight has sent herself way to the past so Celestia could just have known it was going to happen that way.
Very good pictures for chapters 10 and 11 by the way.
9921304
Frustratingly, there are a lot of blanks just across the board about Twilight's ascension--not helped by Magical Mystery Cure being, frankly, a rather shoddily written episode--and the show never bothered to clear them up, and the comics were always of questionable canoncity (Hasbro's approach seemed to have largely been "they're basically canon, until the show says otherwise because it takes priority" and so they, more often than not, ended up not being canon).
Meh...assuming we ever get that far, maybe Idol can help sort it all out for us in due time.
really Idol first Bold and Wispy and now Princess Luna at this rate you are going to put Cadance out of the job
Yeah! Get it Luna!
9921051 Or maybe his legend gets even bigger!
memeworld.funnyjunk.com/pictures/Ok+hear+me+out_cb9f21_6332251.jpg
Oh no...
9921242
The following video is inappropriate for certain people, so if you’re certain people, don't play it.
It’s great to see how much Idol has changed for the better. They’re more observant, acknowledges their own faults, and tries to bring out the best in those around them.
Now they are just starting to learn they don’t have to hold the world on their shoulders.
9920996
She wanted Idol to teach Shining some of "that" remember?
9921242
Of course not, don't be ridiculous, Idol's just an idiot; he has no idea what's he doing, he just thinks he does.
Now, that being said, I'm sure this will completely NOT backfire in anyway and NOT cause a complete disaster of unspeakable proportions and then NOT work out in such a way that everybody is happy and everybody learns something to better themselves.
Never gonna happen.
Is this some idiom I'm not aware of?
Edit: Or am I just dumb and just the armonica player was a mare, and everyone else was a stallion?
9921537
I'll admit, I assumed that folks, no matter what their gender or species, would attempt to woo the new Alicorn of the Night, and completely missed the fact that the glass armonica player was female. It kind of got lost in the idea that a glass armonica player would try and shove such an unwieldy instrument over a castle wall.
9921216
It was commissioned for the chapter in which he was Discorded.
9920980
Even if he ever did realize it, he would immediately return to his post and resume his duties.
Idols gonna idle, after all.