Lost, starving, and hunted by the law, a lonely changeling finds a traveling entertainer who he plans on using to restore his energy by extracting as much love out of her as possible.
Too bad his target turns out to be Trixie.
After a brief violent encounter and some mutual blackmail, the two of them decide to perform together in front of the town to raise enough bits and love for them each to go their separate ways.
It works out better than they expected.
Picture credit: Ashindo (Check out his Dark Equestria)
Now on Equestria Daily
Editors: Peter, Tek, Themaskedferret, Bluepaladin42, D48
Chapters (6)
First comment reserved for the author. Welcome to a short six-chapter fic about a terrible monster who pretends to be something it isn't while traveling Equestria and deceiving entire towns full of ponies.
But enough about Trixie.
All kidding aside, I've been intrigued with doing a Trixie/Changeling fic for a while, ever since reading The Braggart and the Bug by PointlessGizmo back around 2012 (He's been offline about a year, so darn) Leech's character was portrayed so well that he probably encouraged me to go changeling in my writing with Changelings, Love and Lollipops, Buggy and the Beast, Seven Brides for Seven Changelings, and... well, let me show you an example of his work:
Leech thought he was very good at tunnel digging, even being awarded a medal for it by Queen Chrysalis. Although it was less of a medal, and more of a piece of hive wall roughly chewed into a medal shape with a smiley face drawn on it. And instead of being awarded it, he made it himself. But Leech was sure the Queen would have done the same if she hadn't been so busy.
So pull up a chair and prepare to be amazed as The Great and Powerful Trixie presents her pet feral changeling for your entertainment. (Don't forget to tip.)
This looks promising, and you've written Trixie remarkably well. I got a good laugh out of her misunderstanding of what Mud was willing to pay her for. Plus I like a good comedy, and I could use another changeling story while I wait for the next chapter of Changeling of the Guard.
I'll be following this one.
I like your portrayal of a changeling here. Those two will make a fun pair to read about. That misunderstanding at the end was great. That was definitely not how I expected their first meeting to go.
Yep, I guess that just came out wrong.
Funny. Out of all the insects I've seen changelings compared to, I don't think beatles have ever come up before now.
In any case, this certainly makes for an interesting opening. I look forward to seeing where these two go from here. And, for that matter, how Mud survives the next few minutes.
7489258 Yeah, that's probably not how the changeling thought their first meeting would go too. He needs to trade notes with Pops to see how lucky he is.
I'm still waiting for a changeling to try disguising him/her/itself as Turing Test.
7489276 Ya think?
7489243 It's only fair, I'm following yours
Turning Test staggered around the library, clawing at her throat and making the most peculiar faces as she thudded into bookshelves and tripped over a table. Finally, she landed flat on the floor and seemed to erupt in green fire, revealing a changeling.
"Couldn't breathe!" gasped the changeling. "How do you get any air inside that thing?"
Yeah, this is gonna be a good fic.
Spoiler alert!!!
7489292 They're called beetles.
Beatles is the name of the band.
7489369
And which ones had to confront Blue Meanies?
Alright, this'll be fun! Eagerly looking forward to the next chapter.
7489399 Changelings are well-documented as resenting the use of insect names to refer to their kind, and as for music, they're all massive David Bowie fans, so it is neither a Beatle nor a beetle that is currently having to deal with Trixie.
Huzzah! Story fun to now be had!
7489310 True story: the Applejack arc was originally planned to have a changeling disguise itself as Turing Test to deceive AJ and make her think that Turing had gone haywire and attacked Apple Bloom. There was going to be a big confrontation which revealed that the changeling could only replicate her appearance, but not her imperviousness to pain or her lack of need to breathe, both of which would be used against it. Ultimately, though, since I'd already used a changeling in another arc, I scrapped it. Now I'm not certain a changeling would have the ability to mimic her metal exterior.
Ooooo, this is gonna be good, I can tell.
It'll be interesting to see how the events of the story play out.
The lack of an AU tag would suggest that it would fit in with the current canon, yet this takes place pretty close to the end of A Canterlot Wedding. And given that that's relatively early in the series at this point, there isn't that much leeway with what could result from this.
It may seem like I'm saying that it's a bad thing, and it isn't.
It's just me being kind of over-analytical about this kind of thing.
7489408
He is refering to the Beatles Yellow Submarine animated movie, wherein the Beatles are recruited to rescue the land from an evil force known as the Blue Meanies. Changeling is to Beatles as Trixie is to Blue Meanies.
7490136 I am aware of that. I was going for the Fool's Gambit, wherein I pretend to take someone literally so that I can make a joke that throws them for a loop.
7489692 Actually, given that it takes place right after the royal wedding, it means the author is responsible to reasonably maintain canon up to that point and no further. Things can absolutely deviate from there without the need for an AU tag.
7490154 The way I personally see it is this:
If a story takes place before the current point in the series, and if the events of said story would cause a different chain of events than what happened in the series itself, then the story should get the AU tag.
However, I understand that I'm probably one of the few people who thinks that way. And I have come across two others who use the same kind of logic, so I won't mind it if the same happens here.
I just tend not to think of that other option when I come across stories like this, which is why I made the original comment.
7490327 AU should be devoted to stories in which a major deviation happened that essentially changed the landscape of Equestria as we know it. For example, the new Star Trek reboot, that's an AU. Fallout Equestria, that's AU.
Timing is important. There exist some stories which have been going on for many, many seasons, and people cannot and should not be expected to keep up with canon in it's many changes. I do actually get your point, as deviation is deviation, but all fanfic can be considered a type of AU, whereas the AU tag should be reserved for really major stuff.
7490346 That last sentence is part of the reason one of the other authors I've talked to decided not to put the AU tag on their stories.
I completely understand what you're saying as well. If one went back, and took a look at every story written for the series, and decided to put the AU tag on any that don't fit what happen in the series, including episodes that happen after said story was written, then I think it's safe to say that a good 80% or more would end up having said tag. Some of which are obvious (like stories that involve DT or SS changing their ways, or stories about RD and Gilda reuniting), others in more subtle ways.
It's especially difficult to write stories that would fit in with what's happened in the episodes since A Canterlot Wedding, since that's only at episode 52 vs the 80+ that have come after, so if the auther DOES end up causing deviations from what happens in those 80+ episodes, I won't mind that much.
7490400 Heh. Well, it's especially hard because some of the show writers seem to have little regard for their own series' established canon. (I'm looking at you, Habar.) Could be worse, though. Whovians can and often do go mad trying to make all the canon mesh together.
7490425 Honestly, I think the writers do a pretty good job for the most part. Especially Haber. (I don't feel like spending much time on this, since this is kind of going off on a tangent, but I personally found the season 5 finale and season 6 premiere to be the best of each).
Plus, it's kind of mitigated by the fact that the series itself has a bit of a shifting timeline. It's difficult to put all the episodes into a chronological order, and the best that can be done is creating "anchor episodes" that are definitive beginnings/ends to particular eras.
7490485 Oh, they are fine. I just mean that Haber disregarded established canon about Luna and Celestia being born alicorns. Not terribly important, just a pet peeve of mine.
That's a thing that happens when shows stay around long enough, the writers make things up in their own way rather than adding to the continuity. It's inevitable.
Well, that cover art isn't suggestive in the slightest. I'm going to have to follow this one.
/CRY
REMINDS ME TOO MUCH OF BUG IN THE CITY!
I miss Leech and Trixie misadventures so much~!
/foreverwaitingoncompletion
Nice, will add this to my track list. Gimme some 8k more words, please. Pretty please~?
(100k shouldn't be too hard to type out in a short amount of time, amiright? Ikiddontkillme!)
Fun story, keep at it!
Oh, hey. I remember when you mentioned this idea way back. I was actually wondering when we'll se it.
7490554 Actually, if you pay attention to the line, that's not what was said.
The line was: "The birth of an Alicorn is something Equestria has never seen!"
The wording implies that Luna and Celestia WERE born alicorns, however said births occurred before Equestria existed.
7491118 Oh, I'm right there with you, but he's said in tweets that he doesn't pay attention to canon established by other writers. And that phrase is ambiguous enough that people are convinced it meant that Luna and Celestia ascended.
7491142 To be fair, most people probably don't read the other stuff, and just watch the show, so it doesn't affect that much.
Never try to con a con artist. Also, Trixie is aware of what a 'Freudian Slip' is, right?
Oh yeah, this is every bit as entertaining as I thought it would be. I'm really enjoying this interaction, and you write both characters so well. I don't suppose you could stretch this out into a million-word epic, could you?
7491441 Of course, Freudian Slip was the great psychologist and physical comedian. Although he was well remembered for his hilarious routines he was even more famous for his quote of "sometimes an éclair is just an eclair" and his bringing psychiatry into the popular lexicon
I love it! Can't wait to see more!
7491722
No, that looks correct to me.
Hmm. No confetti, but we still have a changeling coming to with something packed in his sinuses.
In any case, now that neither's trying to incapacitate the other, these two have fantastic chemistry. Of course, being who they are, it'll take them a while before they'll recognize the full implications. Still, Mud's going to have to step up his game if he wants to get one over on Trixie. Of course, the winning move may just be not playing the game, but honesty is an even more unpleasant and alien sensation for most changelings than wintry cold.
I dunno, maybe bugsicle would sound better? It rolls off the tongue more easily, at least.
Liking where this is going so far.
7491830 Ah, yeah, that makes sense. Sorry about that.
Its like Wile E Coyote verses Bugs Bunny and Road Runner, but both Trixie and Mud are Coyotes.
I really hope Trixie dosnt try to use the trick of the illusion that cant be dispelled, and the illusion is that of a Changeling. Then again, its amazing what most of the Mane 6 will allow you to get away with.
7491578
That last scene, my sides will never be the same...
Here I was all ready and stoked for a heartwarming scene of Trixie sharing the warm bed and- nope!
That last couple of sentences had me laughing. It wasn't just what SHE did. It is the fact that the changeling had all these plans and they didn't pan out. He was informed of this in a single moment of mildew tasting wash cloth stuffery. Something about that made it more than just slapstick. Hmmm. I think I learned something about humor today.
Trixie is the Great and Powerfully Amusing here.
7491722
No, he's right. She is saying that the water is not hot, hence "the hot water is not," because it isn't considered hot water yet.
Yes of course that doesn't sound in the least but creepy.
That poor changeling made a big mistake becoming associated with Trixie. He's in for a rough night.
Trixie's just pissed he called her out on it so quickly.
7492273 Somebody else told me already, but, yeah. I got it. Thanks anyways.
7491441 ...Also known as the infamous underclothing worn by some actresses, the "fraudulent slip." It causes the audience to think they're seeing more than they expected, while still keeping things legal.