...But It May Derive Some Pleasure From Such an Act
Cimmerian returned to consciousness feeling...off. He already knew that, considering what Apple Bloom had told him about the plant, he had likely been altered in some way. Shifting on what turned out to be one of the sleeping mats the stallion braced himself for the worst, standing up and opening his eyes.
To his confusion, it seemed that no one was there. He was apparently left alone, except for a single individual he didn't recognize. An older zebra sat by a campfire, poking the weak flames with a staff and muttering to herself. At his movement her ears perked up, though she didn't look away from the crackling fire.
"Foalish is the one who uses fire spells in this forest I call home," the zebra said. "Many who do so often end up buried beneath the loam. Scootaloo speaks quite highly of your intellect and caution. Tell me, what made you act in such a reckless fashion?"
"I don't understand. I didn't-" Cimmerian paused, a hoof reaching up to his throat. His voice was off, having an almost alien echo. Raising a hoof to his eyes, he blinked in confusion.
"Well I can't say I really expected that. Then again I suppose that's the point."
He continued to inspect himself even as the zebra rose from her spot by the fire and approached him. A gleaming, full black shell of chitin covered his form at the moment, while a clean deep navy blue silk hung form his head and fomed his tail. His horn was now jagged and sharp, though it's usefulness as a weapon would depend on its sensitivity; if it was anything like his alicorn-form's horn, that would be a no. Looking over his shoulder he frowned, not able to see his wings but noticing the same type of shell-covering that Zelus had over her own wings.
'My eyes probably didn't change much, but I still want to check them out. Wait, do I still have my-'
A panicked check revealed that, though once more it was altered to fit his current shape, protected by several chitin plates of its own, he was still quite male. Cimmerian exhaled in relief,
"The effects that the leaves leave are varied and odd, but I found nothing out of place on your rather large bod. Normally the effects are quite obvious, perhaps you can point out what it was that I missed?"
"Well, I wasn't a changeling a few hours ago," Cimmerian answered dryly, finally finding the muscles for his new wing-covers and wings and managing to splay them out.
The mare raised an eyebrow at his lack of panic.
"Most would be unnerved by such a radical transition. How do you remain so tranquil at such a revelation?"
"Not the first time I've found myself in an alien form, miss," the stallion replied with a rueful chuckle.
Inspecting himself further, he hummed thoughtfully
"Actually, this is kind of funny. I mean, considering the other changelings that are of this size are queen's, I'd list myself as a changeling king right now, if such a thing exists. I was also already practically carrying that title since my wife's a changeling queen. Creative, I give it a nine out of ten. Oh, if there's never been any changelings like this, maybe I can name it? I want to be known as a Changeling Lord. Ha, I'll be the overlord of the Temple of the Shadows! Wait, that means I'll lose. Nevermind."
The large alicorn-turned-changeling turned to the zebra with a suddenly worried expression.
"How's Zelus?"
"You speak of the large mare similarly cursed? She seemed untouched, I thought it would have been worse."
Cimmerian cautiously approached the huddled form of the queen, more curious than worried at this point. So far all he'd seen and heard of this weed was fairly inane changes that didn't leave the victim in pain or incapable of living, just incredibly annoyed. After all, it's not a joke if the victim doesn't survive. He stumbled as something caught his attention; a faint echoing curiosity, the emotion barely brushing against him.
'Is that Din?' he wondered, realizing he may be capable of touching the link in his current form. He attempted to let his mind push off towards the curiosity, thoughts of his lover filling his mind. He felt the curiosity turn to worried confusion and he smiled. He'd likely have to talk to the mare later on to assure her he was still alive and kicking, and that he was the one that she was reaching through the link now.
'Speaking of the link, wasn't Trixie- oh! Uh oh, she was caught in that cloud as well. Did it change her as well?'
Reaching the second bag, he lifted the covers and peaked in, finding Zelus currently curled up under her blankets. Only where the day before he'd seen a changeling queen, now he was staring at an alicorn mare with a black coat and blue stripes, the same dark colorations the queen had held.
'Oh this is going to be a riot, right until she starts panicking at least.'
Cimmerian nudged the queen, drawing a soft groan of irritation before her eyes flew open, the mare nearly jumping out of her blankets in shock.
"What happened! The blue, I, where is everyone?!" the ex-changeling shouted.
Catching the mare's muzzle with his hooves and bringing her eyes to his own he spoke quietly to her.
"Calm down Zelly, nobody got hurt. Relax a bit."
"Who-Cimmerian? Why.." Zelus' eyes soon tracked down, taking note of the strange looking form standing in front of her before her eyes noticed her own situation. She began breathing heavily as she raised a hoof, then splayed the wings of her current form. Her eyes wide in shock and her horn sparked wildly, likely trying to undo the transformation as she normally would have. After the sixth set of sparks, she lost control of herself.
"I, I can't, oh Tartarus, I can't change back. What happened to me!" the mare shouted, looking to the similarly cursed being before her.
The stallion just smiled kindly before explaining the situation.
"Poison joak leaves weird effects on those who walk through it. We ended up washed in a cloud of it. Does this really surprise you Zel?"
"This. This is my fault," the ex queen mumbled, her head drooping in shame. "I can't, I'm sorry, I can't do this. I keep messing up, I'll just end up getting you hurt. I never should have left the hive."
Even as the alicorn mare began to walk away from the campsite, the stallion was staring off with a glazed look, feeling fairly sick to his stomach from the despair Zelus was giving off. Shaking the effects off as best he could and powering through the rest, he stomped a hoof into the ground.
"Zelus, get over here. Now."
The queen turned alicorn stopped, looking back at him for a moment, seeming to debate following the order while tears began to stream down her cheeks. He pointed to the ground before him one more time, and she sighed in defeat before approaching. Stopping just shy of the changeling she looked up cautiously, as if she expected to be struck. He didn't lash out at her though, instead he started pulling her away from the camp, just out of easy earshot from the group. He could still see the fire from the new location, so there wasn't any possibility of getting lost at this distance.
"Zelus, stop crying," he said as he turned back to her. When she refused meet his eyes he once again grabbed her muzzle, this time with his sparking aura.
'I need to figure out the differences between the types of magic, this seems to function in a weird way.' "I mean that literally Zelus, I don't know how to control the emotion-feeding, so you're making me dizzy."
He received one more burst of sorrow and shame from the queen before she picked herself up slightly, her eyes still shimmering with tears.
"Now, tell me what happened," he demanded. "You're not stupid enough to just disregard what Scootaloo and Apple Bloom told us about it, so what happened in that field?"
"I, I wanted to get out of here," Zelus mumbled, slowly picking up volume. "I wanted to fight things, I wanted to make everyone proud, wanted everyone to say how good I was at being a guard and one of the first things that didn't buckle to a single strike...
"I've been fighting things for years, Cimmerian. Ponies, griffons, minotaurs, chupacobras, reavers, quaray eels, rockadiles, jagulas, all kinds of things. I never walked away with more than a few simple scratches. Now, now I'm fully healed, I just molted with the love Queen Pandinus gave to me, gave to me so that I could protect her mate! I'm more powerful than I've ever been in my life, and that thing, it just..." Zelus broke into sobs once more, unable to contain herself.
"The power, the armor, it was useless. It didn't matter what I did, it didn't matter how hard I could hit it, or how many hits I could take. It was suffocating me. I felt so weak when you pulled me out, I was ashamed! I couldn't even stand afterwards, I was so out of it! I just wanted to go home!"
Giving a few heaving breaths to try and stabilize herself, the distraught mare continued.
"But then we found that damn field, those flowers that made us turn around. I didn't want to turn around, I wanted to leave this place, I hate this forest. So I burned it, I burned it so we could leave faster. Now I messed up again, and I screwed everything up. I can't stay here, I need to leave, before I mess something else up. Before you get hurt anymore. I can't be a guard when the one I'm supposed to be protecting is keeping me fed and saving my life. I failed, I failed my sister, my first family in so long..." Zelus sobbed, collapsing on the ground in tears.
"Now I'm stuck like this, I can't hear her, I'm alone again, and I don't understand my own body. I, I'm just so confused..."
Cimmerian settled in next to the mare despite her emotional state causing his stomach to do somersaults. He felt his wings buzz uselessly, unable to wrap around the mare like he'd intended, so he settled for using his foreleg to pull her closer.
"So you got scared and made a mistake. I've done that a few times, and a few times it's ended worse than this, trust me on that one. The biggest mistake you made here Zelus, was not saying anything about it to us. I ended up scared a bit too when I almost got eaten by a snake, but I also had Luna's memories to help me put it in perspective. Humans also don't like to think about death that much, and when we do it's usually with a touch of humor to make it more bearable. I've come closer to dying here than I ever did at home, I think. Trust me when I say this world has put me through my paces.
"So the next time things are backing up you talk to us, okay? You're not with another queen that will abandon you if you seem weak, you're not with a hive that needs a strong queen all the time. Din is pregnant right now, and when Lestidae tried taking over, who did they side with. The queen who was inhibited by her pregnancy, something that is completely alien to her species. They chose her, and the stability she brings them over your old ally's traditional rule. Din knows that if she has a problem, she can talk to me and I know the opposite is also true. That goes for you too though. If you need to talk to someone, but don't want it public, you come to Din or I, and we'll hear anything you need to say. Okay? Even if I have to stop the trip for an hour or two until you feel better, you tell me you're not feeling well."
Standing up and motioning for the mare to do the same, he smiled warmly at her, drawing a ghost of a smile from the cursed queen.
"Besides Zel, I need an expert in changeling bodies to help me adapt to this, and I don't think you're going to know what to do when your body starts sending you the signals I know it will. After the trouble you had with Trixie, think of how bad it will be when you don't have her or Crescent telling you what you need to do."
The mare blanched, memories of caring for the pony-changeling hybrid resurfacing like some suppressed nightmare. She shuddered, feeling her wings rustle in agitation and turned to glare at them. Cimmerian chuckled at her before noticing an odd muscle group near his upper jaw. He tested them almost reflexively, gagging and spitting as an acrid taste rolled over his tongue. Spewing and sputtering, the ex-alicorn coughed slightly before noticing his most recent issue.
'Why does my mouth feel like I've just been shot up with a ton of novacaine?'
His tongue lolling out of his mouth uselessly, Cimmerian led Zelus back to the campsite just as the rest of the guards returned with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, all carrying different plants, fruits and several large fish in the case of the griffons. All the guards gave the changeling and alicorn a cautious look as they walked back into the campsite and set about preparing the evening meal. Apple Bloom trotted up to the pair. Strange as it was, Cimmerian could literally taste the concern washing off of the farmer.
"How are ya feelin' Mister Cimmerian?" Apple Bloom asked Zelus, causing the stallion to burst into laughter, his limp tongue making it sound even more ridiculous.
Seeing the male changeling currently too busy laughing at their confusion, Zelus sheepishly corrected the group.
"Actually, I'm Zelus. Cimmerian's the changeling right now."
Even as the queen was shrinking back from the slack-jawed stares of the group, a small blue blur flitted up to Zelus' muzzle, landing right on her snout. Focusing on the little blue form, her eyes widened as she realized just what, and who, she was looking at.
"Trixie will have many hateful words with you. Many, many angry and hateful words for what you have done to Trixie!" the Tiny and Miniscule Trixie shouted, though her voice was barely heard by the changeling and the alicorn.
<-(0)->
The Queen of the Shadowed Hive was once more in her meditation, Luna watching for the dream of her mate with a bit more anxiety this time. Not only was the Everfree much more dangerous than anything the stallion had faced so far, Din was certain something had happened to the group. Her connection with Zelus had been interrupted and she still couldn't feel the mare, but something else had taken her place, something that had responded to her query with love and reassurance.
"You're certain of what you felt? And the new connection is still there?" Luna asked the queen, her worry evident on her muzzle.
Pandinus scowled as she attempted to pull more information from the distant link, but failed.
"I can't even call it a new connection. It's strange. I feel like I should recognize it, but it just feels...wrong. Like something's affected it. Something unnatural."
Luna jerked as the dream appeared to her, though she too was soon wearing a scowl. "I think I found his dream, but you're right. There's something wrong with it. We should hurry."
The two left for the newly solidified dream with a flash of magic, the blue alicorn's own power being supplemented by the queen's to cover the sheer distance between Din's own dream and that of her mate in a second.
"Cimmerian, are you okay?" Luna asked even as the queen began to inspect the alicorn, as if she'd find something out of place in the dream world. To Luna's confusion, the grin on Cimmerian's muzzle was both disturbingly similar to her own when she had some prank planned for her sister, while Zelus was looking distinctly uncomfortable at the larger queen's actions.
"You're not going to find anything wrong in a dream, Din. This is a representation of how I think I should look, remember? It's why I can shift it so easily between my two forms. I can add a third to that list now, though!" he told her cheerfully, his form shifting before their eyes.
Luna watched with open wonder as the alicorn before her shifted, his sleek fur taking on the sharp and angled forms of changeling chitin while the opposite transition was taking place with the changeling queen, Zelus. Before long, Din and Luna were staring at a dark blue changeling male, and a black alicorn female with blue stripes.
"W-what, how, I mean what kind of magic is capable of..." Luna sputtered, the changeling queen beside her completely silent.
The newly revealed changeling chuckled at their shock.
"We had a run in with something in the Everfree, poison joak. It caught Zelus, Trixie, and I and twisted our forms. We ended up like this, and Trixie...well, Apple Bloom said she looked like something called a breezie, though I've never seen one before, nor had Luna before her banishment as far as I can tell."
"Yes, Tia told us of the breezies," Luna said, nodding. "Very strange beings. Fairly useless, but strange."
Din walked up to Cimmerian, circling his form with a critical eye.
"How did this happen, and how long does it last?"
Zelus seemed to shrink in shame at the questions, taking a step back.
"The, the zebra said it was because I used a fire spell on the joak, she told us how to make the cure, but suggested against it for at least a week, especially if we're going to be moving through the Everfree for a while longer. Any other patches of poison joak may react to our presence for a while, since I attacked it."
"The zebra, she would not happen to be Zecora, would she?" Luna asked. "I remember hearing my sister mention her while we discussed some of Twilights latest misadventures. I was not impressed with Ponyville's hostility towards what was such a powerful ally after the fall of Discord."
Cimmerian nodded, "That's her. Said she felt the Everfree get agitated from the use of a fire spell, but she also said the forest isn't a fan of the joak either, it tends to mess up the natural flow of the Everfree. Joak spreads quickly, and the Everfree still hasn't generated a creature that can destroy it besides slimes. That's actually why we ran into one, I think. It was moving towards that patch we came across."
The mention of the slime had Zelus shuddering again, only to be pulled into another hug from the ex-alicorn.
"Zelus had a bad experience with the slime. Armor and power doesn't protect from suffocation. Think you can talk to her about her new form, Luna?"
The smaller alicorn nodded, drawing the still-shaky form of Zelus away from the two changelings. Looking to his wife, Cimmerian found himself taking a instinctive step back.
Pandinus' stare was intense, as if she was checking him for the slightest flaw, or-
'Trying to memorize the new form.' "You know, I'm sure Luna could teach me a transformation spell even after I get this jynx removed. If you're good, it won't be the last time you see it."
That caused a stir, the queen's eyes immediately meeting his own. He stepped back, a little intimidated by the hunger that was present in her stare.
"I was wrong you know," Pandinus whispered, circling him slowly, "I thought it was an alternative, using the dreams to enjoy time with you. I ended up feeling even worse the next day though. My stomach was gurgling, as if to ask why it wasn't full afterwards. My body ached, not feeling at all refreshed as there was no love to pull in during our time spent together. In short, by the next day I was swearing to myself I'd never do that again. Now, now as I sit at the Temple waiting for you to get back I find out that you've accidentally gotten yourself turned into this?
"Make sure you say your goodbyes before you enter my hive, Cimmerian. Because you won't be leaving for at least a week."
With what was a cross between a hiss and a snarl the queen left the dream, opting to return to the Temple than to spend more time around the stallion. Cimmerian slumped at the frustration in her voice, even if he found himself exited by the warning. Hearing her like that wasn't something he enjoyed. He'd have to see if he could hurry the trip along a bit. Besides he missed his own bed, and the one who kept it warm for him.
Zelus stood before the blue alicorn, feeling smaller than the current form of her new drone after explaining the fights and mistakes to the blue mare. Fear and frustration wasn't something a queen was supposed to feel, it was something that could spell the end of a hive if the queen fell to them at the wrong time. Her mother would be ashamed to call her daughter at the moment, and she was certain Pandinus would be ashamed to call her sister.
"I see," Luna said, nibbling her lower lip in thought, "Power is a very strange thing, isn't it? You have more than you had before, yet you never came this close to death. The boost made you reckless, Zelus, but the important thing to remember is that you are not alone. Just as your actions can and will impact those around you, it also means that there are others nearby to rescue you from your own foolishness. I abandoned my friends as much as they left me when I fell to my loneliness and jealousy. It left me weak and easily manipulated by the Nightmare, who I first thought was just another part of my being. I allowed it to grow and fester, often committing acts that anypony who knew me would have acknowledged as strange behavior. As I was alone however, the signs went unheeded. By the time I realized what was happening it was too late and my own body was no longer mine to control.
"My sister was still there for me, though; she never gave up on me. Like I sought to defend my subjects through martial might and the destruction of our enemies, so too do you defend your sister's mate through strength and skill. Just how I fell to the idea that I needed to be strong at every turn, you too have fallen for this pitfall. You need not be strong all the time, as I'm certain Cimmerian has told you.
Luna giggled lightly, a smile gracing her muzzle, "A dumb, stubborn male he may be, but he does have several hundred years of memories as a mare to slightly offset that."
Zelus cautiously allowed herself a smile as well, Luna's mood somehow brightening her own even without being able to taste it.
The reminder caused Zelus to lose what little of her cheerfulness she'd recovered, but Luna was fairly certain she knew why.
"It will pass, Zelus," the smaller alicorn explained. "You will not be like this forever. Take this for what Cimmerian sees it. An opportunity. You have a chance to see things like we do, just as Cimmerian will see and feel things as a changeling for a while. I'm certain he's already trying things out. Did you know that your current form is likely more resistant to magic and recovers faster than your previous form? I've been laid low in combat and been on the field of battle in three days time. Broken bones, fractured ribs, the works. With a little healing magic from a unicorn to properly set everything, and my own healing trance, I was good as new and back on the field before my opponent had even been properly stabilized."
That news caused Zelus to giggle, the memory of the stallion accidentally activating his venom glands and numbing his entire mouth popping into her mind. She quickly shared it with Luna, who soon joined in the laughter.
"Oh, I see. Make fun of Cimmerian Day. Two can play at that, Zelly. Luna, you might want to explain to her what happens to all that food she scarfed down earlier. I think she's going to enjoy the fact that she won't have to regurgitate it like I would right now," the changeling stallion said with a devious smile.
Luna roared with laughter as the queen-turned alicorn blanched at the reminder.
"Indeed, I recently instructed Cimmerian in the care of the alicorn form. I would be thrilled to teach you what I know as well!"
Stepping back from the two mares, one looking way too excited for the upcoming lesson and the other likely looking how he was feeling after his own experiences with Luna's lessons, the large changeling sighed.
'At least I don't get bored here.'
<-(0)->
"Ah thwere, Ah fee ike ar-ar inks, alkin' a-oun ike hiss," Cimmerian mumbled over his limp serpentine tongue. He'd recovered overnight, but during breakfast had once more accidentally activated his new venom-glands, leaving his tongue limp as the group continued their journey.
The zebra, whom Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had introduced as Zecora over dinner the night before, was currently leading them through the winding paths of the forest, and oddly enough managing to avoid every single predator along the way. It was almost unbelievable. It would have been, in fact, if not for the issue of him already being slightly jaded to strange things.
'I swear, it's getting to the point where nothing would- no, don't do that, that's when weird shit starts to happen more often.'
A tapping on the inside of a shoulder plate nearly caused him to jump, but he focused on the plate, shifting it enough to open the natural storage pocket and allow his passenger some fresh air. The miniscule pony flitted up to the top of his head and settled in just outside of his ear.
"Trixie wishes to thank you for not leaving her in Silver City, and for thinking of her safety after her transformation. Trixie was very, put off by her new situation, but she believes you are correct. At least like this she is mobile again."
"Goak can's pwank ew ith ew can's 'oove," The stallion mumbled, wincing at his garbled English. He spat, accidently releasing yet another dose of the venom into his mouth, the sixth one in the last two hours. His eyes narrowed in frustration. At least he was learning the triggers for that muscle-group. Zelus was having her own issues, and he watched her mutter and walk off the trail, likely to take her tenth toilet break of the hour. She was quite upset with her new needs, and her lack of understanding of just what her body was capable of. He'd have loved to explain that her body could wait, but he was trying to keep his own speaking to a minimum.
"True. Being so small and easy to miss, Trixie would likely be quite irritated at such a turn of events. However, while Trixie will not remember this with any fondness she is quite pleased with the increased mobility."
A slight rustle of the branches over the changeling's head caused the mare to yelp, literally diving into his ear for cover. It took a great deal of willpower, and yet another spurt of accidentally released venom, but Cimmerian managed to settle for just pressing his ear down as additional cover instead of flicking the mare out of his ear and into the open.
"S-sorry, Trixie finds herself quite ready to be out of this forest, much like Zelus. The sooner Trixie is no longer fearing for her now much more vulnerable life, the better she will feel." the mare spoke softly, doing her best to keep her wiggling to a minimum so as to not tickle him too much.
"How is Sapphire?" Zelus asked as she caught up with him, looking tired from her own string of learning experiences. Between not having any hive connection anymore, not having innate transformation magic, learning her bodies new wants and needs, and sweating after trotting around for a bit rather than buzzing her wings to fan herself (something that often left Cimmerian feeling too hot or too cold as he couldn't find the right amount of time to buzz to keep comfortable), the mare looked absolutely miserable. Realizing it would be a good chance to be rid of his passenger for a while, he pressed his snout up against Zelus, holding it there while raising his ear for his ear's occupant. Seeing the offered ear as a much softer ride as well as someone who would not mind endless chatter, the breezified Trixie flitted across the small space into the alicorn mare's ear.
Zelus, who had begun to flush at Cimmerian's proximity, immediately sobered up, realizing he was just dumping her drone back on her. The two began chatting about every little thing, from the sky, to magic in general, to things they'd seen or would like to see, even what they thought of their breakfast. The mares seemed fairly good for each other actually, Trixie still reveling in having someone to talk to, while Zelus needed the constant chatter as reassurance that someone was nearby.
'In her ear is about as close to in her head as Trixe can get,' the stallion contemplated.
Cimmerian grinned as for the third time the alicorn went silent for an unnatural length of time. It had become obvious she was attempting to use the link to talk to Trixie, but kept forgetting no such connection existed between the two of them. The changeling was brought out of his musings as a large form stepped into the clearing. A manticore, easily twice as large as himself, and with a large pattern of scars crisscrossing its body.
The guards all tensed at its appearance, even Zecora, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo all preparing to fight the creature. Cimmerian saw it though. A small scrap of cloth tied lovingly around it's right paw just as the mare had told him several nights ago.
'We'll see if her name still carries weight in these woods.'
Walking past the guards cautiously and getting as close to the creature as he dared, he took a calming breath and spoke to the manticore.
"Miss Fluttershy is expecting us, Mr. Whiskers. We'd like to pass by so we can see if we can help her."
The large stallion winced as the manticore roared in challenge, as if ignoring his statement.
'She better be right about this. I'd prefer to avoid this fight, but I'm not getting filleted by this thing for being too nice.' "What would Fluttershy say, if she saw you talking like that? I bet she'd lay into you, don't you think so?" he said with a disappointed tone. Surprisingly, the thing recoiled as if he'd physically struck it.
"I said that we're friends of hers, and we're trying to get through the forest to see if we can help her. Are you going to let us pass, or will I have to tell Fluttershy that I got into a fight with one of her animal friends because he was being mean?"
That seemed to do it. The manticore took a few steps off to the side of the path, cowing its head as if the mention of the shy Pegasus was akin to invoking the wrath of an angry god. Or, considering how the mare had cared for animals, a disappointed mother.
The group passed by the manticore uneasily; even Zelus seemed more eager to get past the predator than to add to her collection of trophies at this point. The second the last guard had passed it, Cimmerian reached into a bag and pulled out a large jar of honey, popping off the lid and setting it next to the beast.
"Miss Fluttershy may not be able to care for you much right now, but she still asked me to give this to you if you were nice," the inept shape shifter explained. "Enjoy, and thank you."
The second he was back with the guards, he was assailed on all sides by question, causing his senses to flare up at the focused curiosity and excitement. He stumbled for a second, unable to see the path. With one last step he fell on his face, the stallion who'd faced a giant snake and talked down a manticore laid low by simple questions and excitement.
"Back off, you idiots," Zelus roared, shoving them away from the heaving changeling. Their curiosity had shifted to concern, but once more it was all focused on him. "He doesn't know how to shut out emotions, you're overloading him!"
"Push it, Cimmerian. Push the feelings that aren't yours out," the mare coached, and the changeling hacked and wheezed, slowly vomiting up several blobs of multi-colored gel. He seemed to settle down at that, though he was still shaky. Zelus made sure her own gear was secured, then carefully levitated Cimmerian onto her own back. Though she was loath to admit it, her new form was likely as strong as she was when running on pure love, so she barely felt the male and his gear being added to her own considerable equipment.
"So what, we can't even be concerned about him right now?" Scootaloo asked, trying to keep her mind off of the large changeling.
"It's not that concern is bad for him, it's that he doesn't know what to do with it," the blue-striped alicorn explained "I think he also still feels something from the Temple. I don't believe he'd be able to get within a day's journey of the Temple in his current state, not without going into a love-coma."
The group came to a halt as Zecora raised a hoof, turning to gesture to a small, rundown cottage just a little farther down the path. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom began muttering about how unfair the world was, while Zelus stared at the hut slack-jawed. Looking to the thestrals and griffons, she could tell they were similarly confused, one even staring at a map and looking from the hut to the path they had followed. After a few changes between the sights, the griffon began laughing. It wasn't a happy laugh either. Zelus couldn't taste the griffons emotions, but she had a feeling the creature was quite distraught. The black alicorn turned to the zebra, looking at her with the obvious question burning in her eyes.
Zecora just chuckled at the confusion of the group, waving a hoof back to the forest.
"When one understands the Everfree as I, one learns where all the shortest paths tend to hide."
Her confusion slowly shifted into irritation, and Zelus trotted up to the zebra mare. Not two paces away from their striped guide, the alicorn growled in irritation.
"That's bullshit."
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Good call man, good call...
Wow, Luna has an amazingly disrespectful and sexist attitude toward Cimmerian. Not just this, but the whole "lol I know you're going to be super-horny but I'm not going to warn you" thing a while back, not to mention her dismissiveness toward his problems with polygamy. That's a pretty nasty attitude to have for someone who's basically his mother.
This isn't the most off-putting depiction of best pony I've read, but it's getting up there.
6818355 I don't remember that part about polygamy but "A dumb, stubborn male" is hardly sexist unless you're as easily triggered as a tumblr SJW.
Looks like fimfic is easily trigged. I'm lol'ing.
Not only did you deflate trixies ego in a way, but if you think about it since it was like she was pretending to be a bug( granted against her will). She now is one in its own way.
This chapter was funny, I enjoyed the fact that Zelus had to learn to go to the bathroom while Cimmerian constantly numbed his tongue with poison and now has to deal with an extremely horny wife that wants nookie with the very first Changeling King in existence. Thanks for the chapter.
Congrats on getting featured again
6818355 I kind of got the feeling Luna was living vicariously through him. In that she was playing around with his love life because it was the only thing she could do to stave of loneliness based dementia.
... really? I'd rather call timber saw and make the path
6818355
Because Its going to be awhile before I fall asleep as I'm watching AGDQ Fundraiser I might as well break this down.
The complaint about the blood rage is unfounded. As Luna specified the side effects were not dangerous and the only possible negative outcomes Luna did actually help prevent. She completely had Ted focused on Din with the conversation in the dream realm the night before the blood rage kicked in. Ted even acknowledged it in the following chapter when he said this:
Of course she dismissed his views on monogamy and polygamy so simply. She's a 1,000+ year old being whose lived in a polygamous society, the idea of someone just popping up and saying they're purely monogamous is going to be ridiculous for her. Its probably incredibly rare in her society.
Lastly, if "a dumb, stubborn male" is enough for you to claim sexism then I can only imagine what would happen if you came to some places in New Jersey where I hear black people, myself included, going "nigga" to each other on a regular basis. Consider that word even if you put an "a" at the end of it instead of a "er" holds much worse connotations. God help you if you look up Donald Trump on the internet. What he says about females is actual sexism.
Not only that but you're taking it completely out of context of the situation.
1) Its being said in a "girl talk" situation.
2) Cimmerian is not easily offended by it. Its basically like Rainbow Dash calling Twilight "egghead" all the time.
3) Zelus is feeling down and it was an attempt to cheer her up.
4) She's not even referring to all males as dumb and stubborn and if she is its most likely in jest. In other words. See point 1.
6818355 Just because she's his technical mother does not mean she is going to understand him. Hell, my mother raised me and is of the same species and mostly the same leanings as me and we have things we don't understand each other about or just simply don't see eye to eye on. Besides, he's more that teen that shows up on your doorstep and you find out that drunk one nighter with that chick you really didn't like but was kinda hot and you were very drunk nearly twenty years ago actually produced a child who you never met until now. It just isn't the same relationship as a 'standard' mother-son bond.
Also, "Dumb, stubborn male" is teasing. No ill will. Lighten up.
So... what?
Was Fluttershy's cottage, like, right where they started or something?
Sorry. Couldn't quite discern it in the story.
6818367 I agree so imma thumb you up. A couple of times he did act dumb, and knowing Luna she was only being playful about it and didn't mean it in a mean way. People are too sensitive these days,
Wait, unless you mean the Zebra race, you mean Zecora herself in your storyverse has been around several thousand years? -Since the time of the Age of Chaos?
Guynan, move over, there's a new ageless bartender in town...
6818367 Muh tiggurs amirite?
She totally didn't mean it either. The fact that some people can't tell a simple joke from blatant sexism is actually really funny and sad at the same time. Luna is at least a thousand years old and is royalty, she knows exactly what she is saying and who she is saying it to.
Luna is awesome here.
6818513
Sounds like the Everfree absorbed it... or Discord moved it.
Mr Whiskers would not have been guarding it if it was still on the outskirts of Ponyville.
Then again, we only got a vague idea of where they are at any given point these last chapters.
6818541 That... seems to be a rather significant error... I... Hope...
. . .
Meh, the Poison Joak bit seems a mixed bag of decent and missed possibilities.
Breezie Trixie is good, she trades cripple status for rodent size
Alicorn Zellus is fine, lifelong shapeshifter gets forcibly shapeshifted
Changeling Ted is... adequate, but that's about it.
The guy has TWO things to call his own, his Gender, and his memories.
The memories were leaking and we had the crisis of Tuna... which was resolved with Luna.
But the Bait and Tackle has not been threatened yet.
It is still the last bastion of personal identity that has not yet been under threat.
Now Alicorn Zellus has to carry the day till Ted gets debugged. She has to, as he is utterly useless.
Or at least he should be.
A strong emotion seems to send him into gel heaves, so he can't fight, or even function near a fight.
I get the vibe you plan on having Zelluscorn prove she isn't a complete failure, but at the same time... What i fear is that Ted's current disabilities may be dismissed for plot advancement at the cost of character development.
6818571 I read that as "a dumb, stubborn mule", but yeah, that's probably insulting to mules.
weren't those quarry and cragodiles respectively?
Me, that was me! Although, I didn't realize Trixie would have been caught in it as well. Would never have been able to have guessed that part.
I love and enjoy the story immensely, keep going and keep having fun writing it.
can Trixie still use magic? if so, buzz into an enemies ear and zap the brain/weakspots
if not, bite and kick.
6818513
Same here. I don't understand what happened, but it seems like the characters do.
Isn't the amulet to summon Discord in the cottage? Not sure if I'm transposing details between stories right now.
6818571 I agree, wish this sexism and sjw crap would just die already.
6818519 Quick we better build a safe space on here LOL we might break there delicate feelings with our criticism and common sense.
So what exactly was the reason for the griffons laughing at the end of the chapter? I don't get it.
6818821 I guess it was a forced laugh, since they didn't understand a thing. Or one of those awkward laughs when one was just one upped.
Oh yeah, Discord is coming. Did he visit Tuna's world? Will he help? Will he just stand by the sidelines to watch, as it is chaotic enough? Will Tuna finally learn to control his poison glands? Tune in next time for possible answers for your questions!
Also: Great and powerful Breezie! At first I thought you changed her to a kid, since she tends to act like one (it might help her recovery from changeling). And she should be rather old by now. Actually how long will she live? Did those love powered parts gave her some extra decades?
And most importantly: Where is that Strike force heading to the Temple? I'd like to see either Din kicking ass, or Cimmerian flying into a rampage if she gets hurt/kidnapped. Now that I think about it, that changeling connection is awfully useful if somehing happens......
6818541 Reasonably sure she means that other fall of Discord; our first introduction to him and his chocolate rain.
Fun chapter! Eagerly awaiting more, as always.
6818819 no kidding right?
6818821 I believe it has to do with how the map probably showed the cottage still quite a walk away, and it's right in front of them. So I'd guess it's one of those. "Hehe fuck this shit" kind of laughs.
Good thing the slime they met wasnt Bob. He doesnt have a brain. Turns out you dont need one. I think MIT prooved it through emergent behaviour of cooperation of simple organisms, like Slime Mould.
Zecora getting much older, I forgot about, given I was thinking of her potion making and daily training letting her be like Cohen, active and deadly until the time of her choosing. Then she leaves.
Given how much mouthing off the leader of the Breezies was giving, makes sense for Trixie to get her spech back in the only form that it makes no difference.
Cimmer now has the problem that Din wants to get him on the boil?
Cain't have no rubber Trixies. Not around these parts.
Nice chapter, again in record time.
Death by snu-snu?
No rubber Trixie? Too late! Muhahahahahahaha!
6818588 I understand your statement of 'his gender is that last part of his personal identity that hasn't been under threat' being the justification for why it is what should be swapped by the poison joke, but isn't the fact that he has been stripped of literally everything except his gender mean that taking that too would just be... cruel. I've never enjoyed the gender-swap shenanigans/'jokes' in this fandom because it always seems to be done to mock the transformed or at least find pleasure in their psychological pain/discomfort.
It always come off as callous towards the unhappiness and indignity of another. I would rather their transformations be something strange and disorientating then have multiple chapters of Ted being unhappy and distraught while Luna/Zeluz/Pan mock him and just be complete assholes (which is what always happens in those situations). At least in this situation they are brought together and bond further.
6819003
Hmm, considering he went from a pretty good looking alicorn stallion to a hot changeling stud, that's probably Din's fantasy right there. If I'm guessing right, there are no such things as changeling "kings", just heat-induced wishful thinking... which is frightfully real (for Cimmerian) until he gets cured.
Death by snu-snu would be the least of his worries, I'm hoping Din doesn't wear him down to a nub.
Pretty sure Zel is keeping her own little fantasies to herself with longing side-glances at the new chitin-y Cim. Wow, and if the rest of the changelings get a gander? I wonder if he's like the Fabio of changelings now? Probably just as well they don't wear clothes-- just thinking of all the panties thrown at him by giddy females.
did you mean to spell joke joak?
What? You don't want her running away to become a pirate or something?
6819194
Panties? Panties? Cim wishes! Now, when he walks by changelings, all the females will just happen to have their backs turned and their tails flipped up. He's going to be walking through fields of blossoming 'flowers' as long as he wears this form.
Nice chapter.
And now, because I finally have linking access to it, I can share the fan art I made using Ponylumen's 3D Pony Creator with everyone else too!
orig07.deviantart.net/d017/f/2016/003/e/e/the_substitute_demon_by_reiko_foxx-d9mo2k2.png
As a reminder to everyone, Reykan has previously stated that he has his own reasons for using a Substitute Doll for the title image of this fic. However, he might feel inclined to use this (or someone else's fan art) as the title image for possible sequels or spinoffs. So please just view this pic as the sign of my appreciation that it is, and my desire to share it with the rest of you.
Oh - and feel free to show off any of your own The Substitute Demon fan art as well, as long as it follows the rules and guidelines of FimFiction in regards to images in the forums: keep it Safe For Work; don't just pics without also making a text entry; etc, etc...
Because Lord Cimmerian currently needs love to feed his new form! And this is the only way I can think of to send any to the Father of Shadows...
That was fun, may I have another? Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
6819151 personally, I think the swaps were perfectly in line with the shows version of poison joak.
Not cruel, just annoying and slightly funny. It would not be outside purview to temporarily gender swap, but I don't think it would do it if you'd have a mental breakdown over it.
Well done, Writer! A species-swap, giving the impression of a gender-swap instead, and not as done as a body swap. Very nice.
6819230
It's a pun off of Poison Oak.
i'm actually incredibly worried about the hive right now. if cim is not an alicorn and zel is unsure of how her aura works, does that mean that the hive link is visible to twi?
Just enjoy it, Trixie. Once the cure for joak has been applied, you're gonna be incapable of using your voice once more for Faust knows how long. That said, I find it utterly hilarious that the three were racially-bent. We've got little Faerie Trixie, Cimmerbug, and Zelucorn to enjoy for a while. That should prove entertaining, especially with Cimmer's repeated 'Jar-Jar Mouth' episodes.
Jus' be careful when ye get back t' th' Temple, Cimmer. Th' kind o' lovin' tha' Din's be givin' ye could give an Alicorn a love-coma.
This question has a period on the end!
*Trixie
6818355
Oh Em Gee, so #Triggered
Time to know what is feels like to be queen!
Nuts! NOT that I wanted Din/Tuna lesbian action. Heh, that would be weird...
And stuff.
I want it.
I'm still not laughing, there is no name pun.
Uh, what about the field Tuna creates; will the Mad Queen find him now?
Is it getting hot in here?
Wonder what the changeling phallus is like then.
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orig03.deviantart.net/c98a/f/2011/159/d/9/smiley_fluttershy_by_mattyhex-d3id271.png
I mean, uh, nooooo. That's icky and they should feel bad.
img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120305171024/mlp/images/6/62/Frowning_Fluttershy_S2E19.png
But I know what is gonna happen.
I get the feeling there will be a lot of hurling pink fluid. Too bad Cimmer isn't going to live through that experience.
"Oh gawd wwwhhhhyyyyyyhhhhuuuurrrrrrrrgh!!!"
And the means by which he arrived. If not for that weird tempt of fate, he would not have met Din.
Eeeeehhhhhh, maybe I'll allow it. Still on the fence, I want a pink goo fountain out of Cimmer's mouth.
Stupid alicorns and their stupid strength. Why is Zelus so large? What followers does she have?
pbs.twimg.com/media/CFPBlAOWoAAGeKe.png
Actually, I don't like Trixie so I even avoid jokes and puns about her. Most times.
We know Din liked Cimmer as an alicorn. I wonder what some analogy would be for her perception of alicorn Cimmer vs changeling Cimmer.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. Jar-Jar was going to be awesome, until Lucas chickened out. (Okay, so the theory didn't pan out...but it should have!)