2. Thought I’d Forget
Sandbar shifted uncomfortably, moving slightly away from Ocellus as the two trotted along. “You’re staring at me,” he said.
Ocellus felt her eyelids fluttering. “How can you...?” She asked, head tilting to the side even as she turned to look at him more directly. “I’m looking at everything around me.”
“But you’re staring at me,” Sandbar said. “I can just tell.”
“Ooh, is it because he and Yona were going on another date tonight?” Silverstream asked as she fluttered along above the two of them, though she quickly dropped down between them. Sandbar blushed as Silverstream continued. “What’s it smell like?”
“Cinnamon,” Ocellus said without thinking. Her eyes widened when she did, and she quickly opened her still-vibrating elytra and buzzed so that she was flying backwards and in front of Sandbar. “N-not that I’m eating your love for her, or any of your love! It’s just like, the same way you can smell a pie without eating it...”
Sandbar chuckled, waving off Ocellus’ reaction. The subtle sweetness of faith’s scent reached her. “It’s okay! I trust you,” Sandbar said, and meant every word.
Ocellus clamped her mouth shut - changelings didn’t have nostrils so their scent organs were in their mouths - and landed, trying her best not to look guilty. She apparently succeeded since Sandbar and Silverstream started talking to one another about Yona coming over to meet Sandbar’s parents.
Ocellus didn’t subsist on others’ emotions anymore, no. The little bites she’d take throughout the day were so small that only a creature extremely in-tune with their own emotions would notice. Such inner clarity was rare to the point of being unheard of. She certainly wasn’t harming any creature.
Apart from betraying the trust that they’d all placed in her and her race. That their Reformation actually meant something.
“You okay, Ocellus?” Silverstream asked.
Ocellus glanced back up, and found she’d fallen several paces behind the two on the road to Twilight’s castle. “I...just nervous,” she said, trotting back up to them. Not technically a lie, even if it was misleading. She opened and closed her elytra a few times, showing off their glow and vibrations - Professor Fluttershy had at least assured her that those would stop once she and Smolder appeared before the Cutie Map. “I wish that the Cutie Map was calling all of us at once...there’s a lot of pressure on me...”
“And Smolder,” Sandbar said.
Ocellus modded. “R-right. And her.” And the cacophony of emotions that the dragon was feeling towards Ocellus. Some good. Some bad. And Ocellus would probably be spending at least a few days with her...alone...
Silverstream had a claw around Ocellus. “Cheer up, ‘Cell! The Cutie Map wouldn’t pick you two unless you were perfect for the job. Think of it like a road trip!”
“Didn’t we have a lesson or two involving road trips...?” Sandbar asked. “We’re Apples together, Apples forever!”
“We’re off - on the road to friendship!”
“Movin’ right along...we'll learn to share the load!”
A giggle broke through Ocellus’ malaise at her two friends’ impromptu singing competition. She smelled genuine mirth, but also concern for her. Ocellus came forward and drew the two into a hug. “Thanks.”
The two returned the hug tightly. Ocellus resisted the urge to grab a quick bite of the affection before the two drew away. “It’ll be okay,” Sandbar insisted. “Just make sure to return the favor if - when, probably - the Cutie Map calls me. Might need to drag me out from under my bed...”
Ocellus giggled again as they got under way once more, and Silverstream did as well. “Plus,” Silverstream said, “the last thing we want is Smolder seeing the two of us arrive with you looking depressed...”
“Huh?” Ocellus asked. She was about to ask for more details, but a familiar pounding of heavy hooves on the poor road greeted her ears. Glancing, the three of them saw Yona charging straight for them, Smolder and Gallus in the air above her.
“Friends!” Yona exclaimed, and then it was too late - all three were drawn into a tight hug. Ocellus gasped at the sudden warmth of both yak fur and yak affection. She didn’t feel guilty about eating some of the latter since, frankly, it was rather like Yona had shoved it straight into her mouth. The former, meanwhile, threatened her exoskeleton with an early molt.
“Breathing!” Sandbar exclaimed. “Need - breathe - sometimes!”
“Water!” Silverstream gasped, then remembered herself. “I mean air!”
Yona released the three, laughing as Gallus and Smolder landed. “Yak hugs make friends strong! Tough, like yak!” She waved a hoof at the three gasping creatures. “Used to not even be able to speak during!”
“See, this is why I keep to the air ‘til she - ” Gallus began, but Yona didn’t miss a beat in grabbing and squeezing him for several seconds. The blue griffin stumbled away once released before falling into Silverstream’s waiting claws.
Smolder took a very long and determined step away from Yona, not noticing that it brought her right up to Ocellus until Ocellus herself moved out of the way. “Oh,” Smolder said, running claws over her still-glowing spines. “Um...hi.”
“Hi,” Ocellus said, trying not to grit her teeth. The tang of greed was still there, not unpleasant on its own, but it was swiftly joined by shame. Ocellus did her best not to retch at the latter’s taste as she clamped her mouth shut.
The two stared at each other in silence for several long moments. Finally, Gallus came forward, grabbing a limb on each of them and then dragging them along. “Come on, you two, destiny awaits or something.”
Smolder quickly reclaimed her claw, but nodded. “Right. Let’s get this over with.”
The six closed the last few hundred feet to the Castle of Friendship in silence. By the time they reached the doors, they were already swinging open to reveal the small purple form of Spike. “Hey guys!”
The six all waved or otherwise greeted Twilight’s assistant. Only Ocellus, keeping focus on Smolder as she was, noticed that the orange dragon seemed to tense at the sight of the purple one, and step a little closer to her. The taste of greed grew. A tiny bit of smoke escaped one of Smolder’s nostrils.
Ocellus moved away from Smolder. “H-hi,” Ocellus said, opening her elytra wide and showing off their glow and vibrating, hoping that they were distracting. “Um...we’d like to...”
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Spike said, taking to the air and flying up to Smolder, apparently not noticing how she’d just acted. He squinted at her spines. “I don’t know how you’ve put up with that all day, I came right here when it started happening to me.”
Smolder for her part seemed to realize what she’d done. The shame probably grew, but Ocellus kept her mouth tightly shut so she couldn’t be sure. “Didn’t know that was an option,” Smolder said. “Headmare Twilight told us to come after school anyway.”
“I think all the students think it’s a fashion trend,” Gallus chuckled. “Maybe Professor Rarity can start up a line of glowing scarfs or something.”
Spike laughed at that, and flew backwards, making room for the six. “Well, c’mon, I’ll show you to the Map Room. There’s just been a few kinks to work out - ”
He stopped then as his cheeks suddenly puffed out, then Spike belched forth a gout of green fire that swiftly realized itself into a wrapped-up scroll. He caught it with practiced ease before it could fall to the ground and unfurled it, eyes gliding along it. “Oh boy...”
“What?” Sandbar asked.
“I’ll...let Twilight explain.”
The six of them had gone on a brief field trip to the Castle of Friendship before, but that didn’t stop the Map Room from being a truly impressive chamber. A vast table displaying a map of Equestria and beyond, with seven throne-like chairs surrounding it, emblazoned with the cutie marks of the Elements of Harmony, with the roots of an ancient tree suspended from the ceiling and illuminating the room with dozens of gemstones that hung from those roots.
The whole thing, save the tree roots, was also made out of crystal. Smolder didn’t understand how it wasn’t covered in bite marks, and could only conclude that Spike had willpower that rivaled that of the Dragon Lord herself. For her own part, Smolder was only able to resist the urge because her own hoard was being threatened, and protection of her stuff took a higher priority than stealing another dragon’s -
NO! Bad Smolder! The young dragon raised one hand to her cheek and pinched it tightly, trying to focus herself with the sting. Ocellus wasn’t her hoard. She was a creature, a real living being. Her stupid instincts were just being stupid. Because they were stupid.
She brought her attention to Headmare Twilight, who was standing in front of the Map Room’s table, a small pile of books next to her and sheets of parchment, quills, and ink before her. She wasn’t alone, as Counselor Starlight was right next to her. Both looked annoyed, though at least not with each other.
“I don’t know what you expect me to do!” Starlight exclaimed, throwing her hooves in the air. “I only met him once. I’m pretty sure he still wants to throw me into a bag.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, and in so doing spotted Spike and the six students. “Oh!” She exclaimed, wings flaring (and accidentally bopping Starlight’s muzzle as she did). “You’re here! All of you!”
Silverstream tapped her claws together. “Should we not have come?” She asked with a nervous giggle.
“No, it’s fine!” Twilight said quickly. “Friends should definitely see friends off! But there’s just a teeny-tiny problem...”
“Speaking of,” Spike said, flying over to Twilight and handing her the scroll he’d received.
Twilight took the scroll in her horn’s glow, read it, and then threw her hooves in the air. “Why does Pharynx have to be so difficult?”
The six friends looked between each other as Twilight, grumbling to herself, got a blank sheet of paper and started writing. Starlight rolled her eyes as she broke away from Twilight and came over to them. “Little issue with getting permission for you two,” Starlight said, waving a hoof at Smolder and Ocellus. “Or actually just Ocellus. Dragon Lord Ember said...” she levitated over a slightly charred scroll and started reading aloud, “I have complete faith in Smolder to look after herself. Smolder can feel free to bust as many heads as it takes to solve this problem. P.S. Not literally. P.P.S. Unless it makes things easier.” Starlight looked Smolder pointedly. “But it won’t, right?”
Smolder shrugged. “Depends?” She asked. It was too early to tell, really.
Starlight sighed. “I’ll take it.” She turned to look at Ocellus while also levitating over the scroll that Twilight had just read. “But you...well, read for yourself.”
Ocellus took the scroll into her horn’s glow, and started reading the back-and-forth missives on it aloud, which covered both sides, even as Smolder and her other friends crowded around.
Dear King Thorax,
It is my very great honor, pleasure, and privilege to inform you that Ocellus and her friend Smolder have been called upon by the Cutie Map to solve a Friendship Problem! This is a momentous occasion for Equestria and for the Changeling Hive. However before I send Ocellus away from school to solve the Friendship Problem, I just wanted to receive your permission to do so.
Sincerely,
- Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship
Dear Princess Twilight,
Oh my gosh! Ocellus is going to be the first changeling to solve a friendship problem? That’s GREAT news! I knew she was perfect for the friendship school!
- Thorax
Dear Thorax,
I’m very glad you feel that way! I’m so excited too! Ocellus has been doing exceptionally well in the School of Friendship, so it’s no surprise to me that the Cutie Map would call on her! However, I think you got a little over-excited. You didn’t technically give permission. Just to make everything official, could you please do so?
- Twilight
Dear Princess Twilight,
Of course I’ll
Princess Twilight,
This is Prince-General Pharynx of the Badlands Changeling Hive.
You will tell myself and King Thorax where you plan on sending Ocellus, the nature of the problem she is expected to solve, and why a pony can’t solve it.
Dear Thorax and Pharynx,
I’m sorry, I guess I got excited myself! To answer Pharynx’s questions, the Cutie Map seems to be sending Ocellus and Smolder to Tiatarta, or maybe to the Nook. The Cutie Map doesn’t exactly let me zoom. As to what problem she needs to solve, I don’t know! The Cutie Map doesn’t provide that information. It just calls up the creatures who are best suited to solving the problem, and then let’s them know where they’re needed.
- Twilight
Princess Twilight,
You assured King Thorax and myself that Tiatarta was safe when it was selected for the Nook! Now you’re telling us that one of your most powerful artifacts is telling you that it’s become dangerous, but it won’t tell you HOW, and you expect me King Thorax to let you send one of our bugs into harm’s way?!
- Prince-General Pharynx
Dear Twilight,
I’m sorry for Pharynx. He’s very protective of the Hive. It’s what led to his Reformation, after all! Unfortunately he is making a few good points. I know that most friendship problems aren’t nearly as dangerous as he’s suggesting, but on the other hoof...is Starlight Glimmer there with you?
- Thorax
Dear Thorax,
Yes, I’m right here. And I know what you’re getting at. But there’s almost no chance that the Cutie Map would send Smolder and Ocellus alone to deal with a serious issue like...well, me. Tiatarta probably isn't dangerous.
- Starlight
ALMOST no chance?! PROBABLY?!
Dear Pharynx Prince-General Pharynx (I assume),
What Starlight MEANT to say was CERTAINLY no chance! I can’t believe that Harmony would put two students in mortal danger without making sure that they would be safe as could be. Some creature else would be sent as well. And the Nook will be right there, so there will be plenty of changelings to watch out for her!
- Princess Twilight
Dear Twilight and Starlight,
I might not have personally done anything in Canterlot, but I still feel guilty about it, as do all most changelings, among so many other crimes we’ve committed as a race.
What crimes, we were hungry, it’s a crime to eat now?
I’m sorry, Pharynx keeps taking the letter from me. Anyway, I promise you, Starlight, I wasn’t singling you out and I didn’t mean to drag up bad memories. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings by bringing it up, but I do need to look out for Ocellus. In any event, what Twilight says is true, so I’ll grant p
Princess Twilight, King Thorax demands that a squad of ten ignore th TWELVE warriors accompany Ocellus before permission is granted OVER MY OBJECTIONS. The Nook is not yet ready to provide for its own defense due to my idi King Thorax prioritizing the Nook’s agricultural and economic needs first, though in light of these missives that will be changing.
No it won’t! Please ignore that, Princess Twilight! The Nook is a colony, not a fortress! - Thorax
The six young creatures stared as they finished reading. “Pharynx sound like good leader,” Yona said at length, drawing the stares of her friends. She shrugged “Sounds strong, like yak!”
“So...we won’t be alone?” Smolder asked, and couldn’t keep...some tone from her voice. Hopefulness? Disappointment? She honestly wasn’t sure which she felt. She was, however, suddenly aware of how close she was to Ocellus. How one wing was spread over the changeling’s back, not touching her but stopping the others from getting too close as well. How the shine in Ocellus’ compound eyes looked particularly lustrous...she withdrew her wing as nonchalantly as possible, but couldn’t bring herself to move away from Ocellus.
Starlight didn’t seem to notice any of this, instead just rolling her eyes at Smolder’s question. “Honestly, Princess Twilight is working on that. Usually having outside ‘help’ on a Cutie Map quest tends to cause more harm than anything...remind me to tell you about the time I swapped Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s cutie marks and almost destroyed Equestria.”
Sandbar let out a small eep at that, taking a reflexive step back so that he could hide his flanks behind Yona. When Starlight looked at him, he let out a nervous chuckle. “S-sorry...”
Starlight shook her head. “It’s fine. It all worked out in the end...but the point is, if a certain purple princess hadn’t been nettling me the whole time, I might not have done it. Ever since then Twilight’s has a policy of only sending the ponies summoned by the Cutie Map in its quests.” She looked between Smolder and Ocellus. “Oh, speaking of, I guess you’re just a little too far away...” She indicated their still-glowing body parts. “Just get right up to the table.”
Ocellus advanced quicker than Smolder, which surprised her. Was she trying to escape her? Great. Smolder had become something to run away from. The dragon trudged up to the map herself. After several hours of her spines vibrating, she’d almost grown used to it, but once she set a claw down on the Cutie Map the vibrations stopped. If not for her mood it might have been a relief.
Ocellus’ elytra similarly stoped glowing and vibrating. She turned her head a little to look at Smolder, and smiled. “Finally, right?” She asked.
“Yeah,” Smolder agreed. She forced herself to look away from Ocellus and at the Cutie Map, where a simplistic image of her and Ocellus’s heads floated above a peninsula on the western edge of Equestria that jutted into the Pegasus Bay. “So...that’s where we’re going? Tiatarta or something?”
Twilight looked up from the note that she and Spike were working on. “Oh, yes!” She said. “It’s a small resort town on the opposite side of the Pegasus Bay from Los Pegasus. I’ve never been, but it’s apparently a paradise! If a bit expensive. The mayor, Delilah Dusk, wants to put it more on the map as a vacation destination. Which...actually made setting up the Nook hard...”
“Yeah, that came up a few times,” Silverstream noted as the rest of the young creatures came up to the Cutie Map. “What’s the Nook?”
Twilight grinned. “I’ll let Ocellus answer that!” She turned back to her note. “Okay, how to appeal to Pharynx’s better nature...”
Smolder had a feeling that was a lost cause. She found herself looking back to Ocellus, though at least the rest of her friends were also looking at her, so hopefully her stare didn’t stand out. Ocellus wilted somewhat at first at so many eyes on her, but shook her head after a moment. “U-um...well, the Badlands Hive is getting a little crowded,” she said. “Actually, it's been crowded for awhile now. That's part of why Chrysalis did...what she did, in Canterlot. Too many changelings and not enough to eat. Reformation letting us create love ourselves helps, and with Chrysalis' throne destroyed the Badlands aren't actually so bad anymore so we can actually grow more food...but that really only put off the problem, it didn't solve it.
“So King Thorax has been negotiating with Princess Celestia to create colonies. Exclaves of the Badlands Hive. And the first of those...” She waved a hoof at Tiatarta on the Cutie Map, “is the Nook.”
“Like in beekeeping,” Twilight said idly, tapping her quill to her mouth. “A nuc, N-U-C, short for nucleus, is an offshoot colony. Although somepony started spelling it N-O-O-K at some point, but King Thorax liked it so the name stuck. Say, Ocellus, I'm not sure if Pharynx knows that Smolder is a dragon. Do you think that would put him more or less at ease, knowing you're going with her?”
Ocellus' eyes widened. “Um...well, I think he likes Dragon Lord Ember. Although not as much as Thorax.”
“So they both like her? Great! Maybe...” she got back to writing.
Ocellus turned back to her friends. Smolder tried not to think about how much her eyes resembled finely polished gemstones. The kind you treasured rather than ate. “Anyway, Tiatarta was selected by Princess Celestia because it's small, out of the way, subtropical - which is the kind of temperature we changelings like - and basically could serve as a proof-of-concept for an exclave being set up near a pony town without causing issues for either the ponies or the changelings.”
“Wait, why not just have changelings move to Manehattan or Los Pegasus?” Sandbar asked.
Ocellus shifted uncomfortably at that, turning her head away. It was Starlight Glimmer who answered as she came up to them. “Not many changelings have useful skills,” she said, then winced at her own words. “I mean. of course, they have a lot! But...I mean, for getting jobs. Higher education wasn't a huge priority for Chrysalis. That's changing, but...it takes time. And King Thorax and Princess Celestia don't want to basically deliberately establish a low-class neighborhood that could then be exploited. If changelings want to move to the cities on their own, they can, but for setting up exclaves they thought it was better to start in a more rural area.”
“There, done,” Twilight said off to the side. She rolled up the scroll and hoofed it to Spike, who sent it on its way. “Now we just hope...”
“Not to mention that no matter how much has changed,” Gallus ventured, tapping a claw to his beak, “I can't see ponies reacting well to, what, a couple hundred changelings just showing up all at once? More?”
If anything, Ocellus folded up even more on herself at that. Smolder felt herself growling as she turned to Gallus. “Maybe the ponies should learn to deal with it.” She emphasized her point with smoke.
Gallus backed away, “Whoa! Hey! I wasn't saying I agree with it...”
Silverstream, meanwhile, had taken to the air, hovering over the Cutie Map and looking down at its miniature depiction of Tiatarta and the Nook. “That actually sounds really fun, though!” She said. “It's like a game! Establishing a whole new town, building it up from scratch, figuring out how to make it self-sufficient, learning to get along with the neighbors...ooh!” She looked to Smolder and Ocellus. “And that should make things super easy! If there's a friendship problem, I bet it's you needing to smooth things over with the ponies and the changelings!”
Twilight let out a groan. “I should have thought of that - ”
She was interrupted as Spike once more belched green fire and produced a scroll. He grabbed it and unfurled it, reading it aloud for every creature to hear.
Dear Princess Twilight,
I'm giving permission for Ocellus to go to the Nook, and she can do whatever she likes there, but she must be accompanied by Smolder when she goes into Tiatarta and for the entire trip there and back. I've convinced Pharynx to not send any warriors as well as long as Smolder stays with her constantly while they're in Tiatarta, by her side at all times, and provided the two of them obey an 8 o'clock curfew to return to the Nook. I really, really hate to phrase it like this, but the next time I see any of you in person I'll ask to make sure every creature did as I asked, and I'll know if you or Smolder or Ocellus aren't honest with me, and Pharynx will know too, and none of us want that or what I'll have to do if you aren't honest.
Also Pharynx is saying that you should use your Princess pull to get Ocellus and Smolder an express train straight to Los Pegasus, then they can be ferried across the bay to Tiatarta, and I'll agree with him on that, too. I'll send word to Ecdysis that Ocellus is coming so that she can meet Ocellus there.
Sincerely,
- King ThoraxIs Smolder there? Because if anything happens to Ocellus then I'll transform into the prettiest she-roc ever just so I can convince all the male rocs to hunt her down and bring her to me as a trophy. THEN I'll start pulling one scale at a time fr
Ignore that. - Thorax
Smolder swallowed. More than a year with a changeling like Ocellus - delicate, shy, and kind - among her closest friends, while also being the only changeling she knew, had made her forget that the race had consumed entire kingdoms in the past, both covertly and in open conquest. Pharynx had brought that fact back to the fore. Not that she was intimidated by words on paper, of course, but she couldn't help but wonder if Ocellus or Pharynx was the more typical representative of the changelings these days.
“I think you could have skipped that last part, Spike,” Twilight said.
“Yona like Pharynx,” the yak repeated. “He tough, but Yona can tell he soft too. Like yak!”
“The softness is just a thin, porous layer that surrounds more toughness,” Starlight groused, rubbing the back of her neck as though in memory. “Me and Trixie...well, it's a whole story. Good lesson to it, though. If I ever have to substitute for you, I'll tell it.”
Twilight spread her wings and set her horn glowing. “Right! So now that that's been dealt with, I had a speech prepared...” she trotted over to her chair at the table and hopped up onto it, then turned around to face the six students as Starlight and Spike joined her, Spike standing in his own chair while Starlight stood on the other side. Twilight used magic to dim the lighting in the room. “Smolder, Ocellus...this is a momentous occasion. The Cutie Map is a direct link to the Elements of Harmony, the most powerful magic in all of ponydom. The virtues of honesty, generosity, laughter, kindness, loyalty, and magic that make up the Elements of Harmony have brought so much light and goodness to Equestria, and Equestria has always sought to help spread those virtues beyond its borders so that the whole world can prosper.
“Six ponies, myself and five of my many dear friends, used to bear the Elements of Harmony. We had to give them up in order to restore the Tree of Harmony to its full grandeur, but I think that there may have been another reason as well.” Twilight angled her wings forward, indicating the students. “And I think that reason was shown when a yak, a changeling, a hippogriff, a pony, a dragon, and a griffon all came together to help restore magic to Equestria. The school you attend was founded on the idea that all creatures are deserving of, and are capable of expressing, the magic of friendship. On that day the Elements of Harmony showed us that they were not just the greatest magic in ponydom, but the greatest magic of all creatures.
“But the magic of friendship needs help. It's something that must be worked on, nourished, maintained. And for that, the Tree of Harmony occasionally asks creatures to aid in maintaining the harmony of the world.” Twilight waved a hoof at the cutie map. “And just maybe, in helping others remember the magic of friendship, you'll help it grow inside of you as well. So...Smolder the dragon, Ocellus the changeling. The Tree of Harmony has called on you. Even if the problem it sends you on seems small, you should know that you wouldn't be called unless you were needed - no other creature but you. Will you answer the call?”
Smolder found herself blinking. She knew that Headmare Twilight had a thing for friendship speeches, but she'd never been the target of one before. Truth be told, her first instinct had been to say “no“, just for the laugh...but she found herself nodding instead. “S...sure,” she said.
“Yes,” Ocellus responded as well. She lifted a hoof and looked to it for a moment, then turned to Smolder and held it out to her. “No matter what...we'll do our best. Right?”
Smolder's hand reached out and took Ocellus' hoof without thought. She wrapped her claws around it tightly, not tight enough to hurt, but enough to hopefully let Ocellus know that she would be there for her. She'd do her best too - particularly, her best to not let whatever it was that she was feeling for Ocellus get in the way. The dragon exhaled a long breath, trying to push out everything but her friendship with Ocellus as she did. “Right. Plus, y'know...Pharynx will kill me if I don't.” She chuckled.
Ocellus licked her lips, then stood up straighter, smiling herself. Both looked to Twilight. “Okay,” Ocellus said. “So. When do we leave?”
There was a pause. It took several seconds before Twilight realized that everypony was waiting on her. “Oh, right,” she said, and chuckled as she restored the lighting to normal and tucked away her wings. “I'll see about using that 'Princess pull' that Pharynx mentioned to get an express train. I can probably have one here by tonight. It's about a day and a half to Los Pegasus.” Her eyes widened. “Oh! I have to talk to everypony to make sure you have plenty of homework...”
Smolder groaned, while Ocellus giggled, withdrawing her hoof from Smolder's grip. Smolder only belatedly realized that she hadn't attempted to keep hold of it, and decided to take that as a good sign. “We're going on some kind of friendship quest and we still have to do homework?” Smolder asked. “What if there's some kind of major disaster we have to deal with? We won't have to do it then, right?”
Twilight laughed as though Smolder had told a joke. Silverstream was between the two of them quickly, one arm around each of them. “Don't worry! Like Headmare Twilight said in her letter, if the Cutie Map was sending you somewhere dangerous, then it would send along creatures that could help! So I'm guessing you'll have pleaaaanty of time for homework since it's just you and Ocellus. Whatever you have to deal with can't be that bad!”
“Can I buy a ticket to Tiatarta here, or do I have to wait until Los Pegasus?” Chrysalis asked the pony in the ticket booth. She was currently disguised as a fairly nondescript unicorn, dressed in a wide-brimmed sunhat, sunglasses, and a simple but elegant summer dress.
“I can fix you up,” the pony responded, accepted Chrysalis' bits and passed back a pair of tickets, one with a train on it and the other a ferry, as well as a brochure for Tiatarta and its attractions. “Enjoy the vacation!”
“Oh, I fully intend to,” Chrysalis intoned, horn lighting up blue as she hefted her suitcase and the shadow's wooden home. She made her way into the train car, stowed her case, and set the shadow down in an aisle seat and herself at a window seat. Another pony attempted to sit where the block of wood was, but she hissed and he fled. At least she could still do a proper changeling hiss.
“You know,” she said to the shadow as the train began moving. It had come out of its home. “I've heard stories that I actually like lurking in dark, dank caves. And they do have a certain appeal, don't get me wrong. But I am actually looking forward to a week on a beach in the sun. Just me and the sand and the waves. Grab a bite to eat...the solid kind and the ephemeral kind. Relax, take my mind off of world domination for awhile. Doesn't that sound fun?” She looked to the shadow of Twilight Sparkle, who stared back, then nodded once. “Exactly! Maybe we'll work on your tan while we're at it...” she saw, through the shadow, a pony across the aisle staring at her. She glared back. “What are you looking at?” she demanded. The pony quickly turned away and buried his face in a newspaper.
“Hmph,” Chrysalis scoffed, horn glowing as she took up the brochure for Tiatarta. “Let's see...Cloud Spirit's Sky Diving into Los Pegasus bay, that sounds fun...relax and indulge at Sundance Spa, I definitely think I will...a coupon for Patios and Pancakes? Is it for the patios, or the pancakes? Well, I'll look into it...come and see the wonders of the newly established Nook? What is...”
Chrysalis managed only a single line before she had to use magic to morph away her vocal chords - else she would have been screaming at the top of her lungs.
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By the way, could you tell I had fun with Pharynx in this chapter?
Fun fact: apart from Queen Chrysalis, no changeling is depicted with nostrils, either in the show or in the comics as near as I can tell. Between that and her eyes, Chrysalis is actually just downright weird-looking for a changeling.
In any event since I like to needlessly expand on little things like this, I figure that most changelings have their scent organs in their mouths. It was that or their feet like a spider. Apart from smelling emotions, though, I like to think of changelings as actually having a very weak sense of smell.
9871391
Oh boy. Pharynx was a riot in this chapter. Should I be concerned that Yona's beginning to like him based on what we've seen here?
Silly ponies, there's a difference between "perfectly safe" and "these two individuals should be able to handle this" (which I know they know, but still).
Lol, Chrysalis just can't catch a break right now. :D
that ending is comedy gold
Oh my, this is a stitch. Pharynx the overprotective prince is just great, and he gets to play the bad cop to Thorax's 'I'm trying to be reasonable but I DO have responsibilities as king...' They make a good team.
Twilight does give a good friendship speech. She's had practice.
The funny thing is that an antisocial pony chatting animatedly with an inanimate object isn't really that odd. Chrissi isn't actually going to get much more stares than Maud. Wonder what that says about ponies.
9871391
This was awesome! So glad to see this updated!
I do like both Smolder and Ocellus grappling with their instincts and, yes, the dueling editorials and corrections in the letters by Thorax and Pharynx were hysterical. And can I just say again how much I love your attention to detail? Like with mentioning how Changelings, without regular employable skills would end up quickly becoming low-income neighborhoods if they tried to settle en masse in urban areas. I don't think many authors would've even thought about stuff like that. Or about changelings sensing emotions with their mouths or the psychology of the two species. I just love the detail!
And yeah, good call about mentioning how both Starlight and Twilight made things worse in "A Royal Problem." One of my beefs with Seasons 6 and 7 was that it kept falling back on the trope of having Twilight be overbearing and bringing a lot of pressure down on Starlight without realizing it and then Starlight cracking under said pressure and doing something wrong (see: The Crystalling, No Second Prances, Every Little Thing She Does, A Royal Problem ... and the fact that I just listed pretty much every Starlight heavy episode in those two seasons should be a clue how worn out this got).
But yeah, my favorite line in ALL of Season 7 was from Pharynx: "I put you in a bag, I thought it went great!" That just instantly sold me on Pharynx. He was the MVP of the season just for that. And for forcing Smolder and Ocellus to spend more time together, he's shaping up to be the MVP of this story too. XD
I can't wait to see Smolder and Ocellus on there own on the trip, and for them to encounter Chrysalis. This should be great! Why am I thinking the friendship problem will be between Chrysalis and Shadow-Twilight? XD
Also, the pony selling Chrysalis the train ticket? It really should've been that crazy, maniacal-laughing guy from the end of the line that Applejack and Fluttershy encountered in "Sounds of Silence."
Oh, Pharynx is a shotgun dad!
Another brilliant chapter, I wonder what kinda of adventure is in store for both sides. Also it's interesting that Chrysalis might not be completely crazy when it comes to the log.
Oh hell yeah
9871618
H E double hockey sticks to the Y E AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!! MY FACE IS MELTINNGGG!!!
how did you wrote this on october 8 if today is october 7
9871865
OMG thats right
Gotta love Uncle Pharynx.
9871865
It's already October 8 on some parts of the planet.
Oh! I remember this one!
Okay, that was funny.
This brings to mind something from a christmas special that I saw once.
You hope,
And I'll hurry.
You pray,
And I'll plan.
We'll do what's necessary, 'cuz
Even a miracle needs a hand!
As I've taken to saying recently, "Do you like your words baked, boiled or deep fried?"
Now which obvious meme should I go with?
bigmemes.funnyjunk.com/comments/You+just+jinxed+it+_4c65721c6f1147b44af324dbe10d8ceb.jpg
https://imgflip.com/i/34vm3k
I’d ask how unlucky you could get Chrysalis, but we’ve seen more than a few examples that hammer the point home.
Fantastic chapter as always.
Oh god this is so cute! Imagining Twilight doing this is wholesome too.
Gotto love Chrysalis's antics with Twilog. Wonder if she's still concious or Chrysalis is just that crazy.
9872144 Twilog floats away in the ocean waves as Chrysalis cries out in desperation from her dilapidated raft, "WILSON!!!"
Discord pops in with a cross expression, "Oh sure, I start a 4th wall-breaking trend and now EVERYONE thinks they can Deadpool like the best of us!"
Really like the description of the changeling senses and how much thought you've put into them. Really does a lot to make the changelings feel more special and also have a bit of a struggle with dealing with others. Though if they can sense that emotion in each other too that has to make certain interactions really difficult and at the same time easier amongst themselves since they'll know whatever the others are feeling. It's a little bit of a shame you don't go into a tad more detail on the actual shapeshifting though and what that feels like and if that changes their thought processes or anything else in addition to the feeding element. Would add to this too. Though maybe that'll come when Ocellus changes form at some point.
Also quite enjoying the character interactions. You're always really good at giving that kind of thing depth and that's definitely the case here. Looking forward to reading more and thanks for sharing.
You do write some fantastic Student Six interactions.
"Either would be nice right now!"
I feel sorry for Spike. Having to be the courier for all of that mail couldn't have been fun. Or easy on his stomach.
The question is whether she'd have succeeded in her mission if Twilight hadn't meddled. The Cutie Map has a unique relationship with causality; its missions seem more like self-fulfilling prophecies than emergency alerts. Those guards could turn out to be instrumental to the mission in a way no one but the Map can foresee. (Or not, since they aren't going
)
I have to appreciate Pharynx's revenge. Simply pulling Smolder's scales off himself isn't enough. No, Prince-General Technically-Reformed has to go for the seduction ploy to maximize the carnage. Says so much about him.
"Sonic the— Wait, sorry, mixed up this speech with Contingency S-364."
Real subtle with the hiss, Chryssy.
9871536
"Oh, you'll get there. You'll get there. Hehe. Bwahahahaha!"
"I enjoy a good cackle as much as the next mare, but could you be more specific?"
"About four hours. Have a safe trip! Muahahahaha!"
"A strange pony, wasn't he, Twilight?"
9872306
Oh God, you have no idea. Mwuahahahaha!!!
Speaking of cackles, I didn’t have the Cackling Pony because I’m pretty sure what would have resulted is an evil laugh-off that would be great if animated but wouldn’t be quite as funny when written out.
9872249
If there’s one thing I’m good at as a writer, it’s worldbuilding. With a minor in characterization. Those are the only two things I really hold sacred.
We’ll deal with changeling shapeshifting eventually, probably. I’m already extremely exposition-heavy at the moment and need to balance things out.
9872237
I genuinely enjoy your posts, Alondro. A few months back your name came up during a discussion I was having and someone said “no one takes his posts seriously”, or something to that effect, but I said that I do. I take every response to my stories seriously, actually, but I specifically dismissed the notion that I ever ignore yours. Even if you are trolling, I think it’s always important to have someone around to take the piss out of things. Hugboxes and echo chambers are my greatest fear as a writer.
There is no joke, just me being appreciative.
Never stop never stopping.
9872144
False dichotomy, it could be both.
9871966
Yay, someone got it! Dug-a-doon, dug-a-doon, footloose and fancy free!
9871887
Yes. We do gotta love Pharynx. And perhaps Tempest as well. Poke. Prod.
9871618
Oh, right, I completely forgot back in Midnight Rendezvous that you had also written Ennui. Senpai continues to notice me~~!!!
9871536
Personally I liked Pharynx’s “the Hive looked better with holes” line. Because...well, he’s not wrong.
9871484
That Twilight’s scale was completely off when she said “everypony in this town is crazy” back in Season 1.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention: as a side-effect of everyone reading and liking this story, Queen Chrysalis Reforms (Accidentally) has been in the Popular stories tag for the last few days in its own right, apparently doing a mini comeback tour as people read it again - or for the first time! And my story Midnight Rendezvous has been continuing to do pretty well.
Thanks a ton, everyone!
9871484
At a guess...
img.memecdn.com/mlp-foreshadowing_o_302525.jpg
9871391
Oh, yeah. Does it help or hurt I'm with Pharynx 100%? :p
Anyway, I now have Belinda Carlisle's voice in my head. This is a 100% good thing, as I love her singing, either as part of the Go-Go's or her solo career. Summer Rain might become the fifth song on my almost-always-changing top ten list of favorite songs. Bohemian Rhapsody, Eternal Flame, Heart of Rock and Roll, and Dare to be Stupid are always on it, but other than that it's always changing. Summer Rain might join them...
9872406
Personally I only know my favorite song of all time is “Run Runaway” by Slade. I don’t think I could ever really narrow down any other songs to form a list beyond that, I tend to just limit myself to favorite songs by band.
Oddly despite being an unabashed optimist and generally congenial guy, my favorite Queen song is “‘39” and my favorite Beach Boys song is “Sloop John B”, both fairly depressing songs (the latter much more so than the former), even if both sound peppy and happy.
I also always feel like such a hipster when I say “‘39” is my favorite Queen song. “Oh, my favorite is one of their early pieces, you’ve probably never heard of it.”
On the other hand it’s not like misery is all that dominates my favorite songs. “Run Runaway” is a silly nonsense song that isn’t really about anything at all, for example, and as I mentioned a few days ago I love “December 1963” by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
9872414
Oh, believe me. Aside from those songs, what constitutes my favorite songs can change hourly or even by the minute.
As for being a hipster? Please! :p It's one of my favorite songs of theirs, too.
9872435
That just means we’re both hipsters. Or old. Or both.
Thanks for the chapter.
9872321
Give me any halfway decent Smolcellus and you have me for life
I really appreciate your enthusiasm for my stories—the feeling is mutual
I must scream, so I have no mouth.
9872321 The day I stop is the day my heart stops... and sets off the antimatter bomb I tied in to my pulse!
I mean, what would the world be without me anyway?
Antimatter bombs are the bestest. No way to disarm them! As soon as the magnetic containment field drops... KABOOM!!! An equal mass of matter and antimatter mutually annihilate instantly and seething blast wave of unyielding high-energy gamma rays and neutrinos careens out in all directions at nearly the speed of light, vaporizing everything in its path! That's what Egon was talking about in "Ghostbusters" as a possible consequence of crossing the streams. The particle beams could have reversed each other's spin, turning them into antimatter. That would have been... bad.
(Alondro plans to go out with a bang... a 'Big Bang', as it were... "My Little Physicist: Science is Witchcraft".
)
Great chapter, had a good laugh and it's original but now , TIME FOR SOME BIOLOGY LESSONS !
If we consider that changelings are bugs (which they ARE if we trust their hierarchy which is much like an hive mind and their physical attributes which are much like ants or flies or whatever bug you want) then they actually breath with "tracheaes" : tiny tubes that cover their entire bodies which serve has lungs . This thing is a direct cause of WHY insects are not giant because those holes , while way smaller than lungs , are only able to get oxygen so far , rendering a giant insect unable to breath , even if there is enough oxygen .
"But there was giant insects that existed !" you'd say , and you'd be right ! But it was during an old era , before even the Dinosaurs existed , called the "Carboniferous" where Oxygen was way more present than today (I don't have the number , sorry) making insects able to breath even while being bigger .
To conclude , this would mean that Changelings , if they ARE insects , cannot not smell even if they wanted and has a sidenote , this would also mean that Equestria's Oxygen levels are through the roof to have insects that big !
Yes , I used real life things to prove other things in a magical world full of talking-pastel-colored-magic ponies . No , I have no regrets
PS: I know that not only Insects but also Arachnids and possibly other animals breath like this but "Bugs" and "Insects" are more general and everyone will understand it
PSS: I know reformed Changelings don't work has an hivemind after reformation (to my knowledge at least) but I prefer using unreformed ones has a basis for all changelings (is this technically racism ?)
Also, as part of my continuing efforts to spotlight my favorite two of the Student Six...
https://www.deviantart.com/sintakhra/art/Student-Six-187-789435906
https://www.deviantart.com/sintakhra/art/Student-Six-294-812101313
https://www.deviantart.com/sintakhra/art/Student-Six-313-815199227
Feel free to be inspired by these, RDD. XD
9872801
Ermagerd Smolder looks so great with a kerchief yes.
Also I think I know this blog. Did Ocellus (accidentally) reveal that the first dragon lord was actually a changeling at some point in it?
9872786
Oh, I am so far ahead of you, you don’t even know.
When I get home from work I’ll type up my Thoughts On Changelings as succinctly as possible.
9872786
Right! Home from work. Let's see..
Changelings, as I write them, don't really fit into any traditional classification. For one thing, they have both exoskeletons and endoskeletons, That being said, the bones of their endoskeletons are somewhat "loose", allowing them to rotate their limbs in unusual ways even without their shapeshifting. Remember that creepy thing that Chrysalis did with her head once, turning it both horizontally and vertically 180 degrees? All changelings can do that. They do have lungs. I just can't cotton to the idea of something as big as a changeling relying on spiracles. They're also warm-blooded, as evinced by Thorax seeming to still be pretty active and capable of movement even in the cold environs of the Crystal Empire. Though that being said they prefer warmer weather.
They're not a hive mind when I write them. The show and the comics have never really demonstrated such, and actually there's evidence to suggest the contrary - during the Battle of Canterlot the changeling drones didn't notice that Rainbow Dash was hidden among their number, while when Starlight and her band of misfits invaded the Hive, Thorax wasn't even suspected as being disguised as Starlight until a nervous tick on his part revealed his shapeshift. Likewise I don't really buy into the idea that they need a Queen to reproduce...mostly because it opens up awkward questions as to what happens to the Hive without Chrysalis in it.
Anyway. I did a lot more thinking on how I personally want to view changelings in the Lunaverse in this thread in the Lunaverse forums, and a fair amount of that will probably bleed over into this even though it's not a Lunaverse story.
9872817
Yep, she did! https://www.deviantart.com/sintakhra/art/Student-Six-285-810626851
9872910
Changelings would probably need something like lungs to be able to talk even if they aren't really for oxygenating their blood, um, haemolymph.
The have something like compound eyes letting them focus on multiple thing and eyelids!
Oh, a sequel!
9871391
That would explain why when we first met Thorax, and when he encountered a big glut of love, his jaw would pop open and his tongue started swirling all around.
9873778
That’s the direct inspiration, as a matter of fact. Plus why I think the tongue is the organ that lets changelings eat emotions.
9872910
Dammit ! Curse you , your knowledge and your very plausible headcannon !
Oh well , at least some people learnt how IRL insects breath so it compensates.
9873868
There are\were creatures like that on earth. Mixed skeletal structure was prevalent among aquatics though. Not to mention variety of digestive and dental systems. You would not like to encounter a fish with jaw designed like a circular saw.
9874258
Aren't Lampreys and Leeches the last kind of animals with circular jaws today ? Has for mixed skeletal structure , armored fishes come to mind , they are not mixed per say since it's only bone and not anything else but if we go by the brute definition , then they kind of are . Has an exemple , the most well known Armored Fish isthe Dunkelosteus , an armored "shark" that was alive before the dinosaurs .
And gosh we just transformed that story into a paleontology/biology lesson .
9874275
Oh, but we also have armodillos and various relatives of them, while their armor is primarily defensive, it bears part of load normally applied onto spine. Imagine evolition making a samersault around the idea, and we get ceratin\chitin armored quadruped.
9874326
Oh yeah , those things exist . Strange how sometimes , your brain looks automatically for the hardest answers when it's really easy to find one ...