Twilight Sparkle has been abandoned.
After an expedition into the badlands is torn to tatters by an unprecedented monster attack, Twilight finds herself stranded in a hostile environment with no safe way back home. With no supplies and no survival training, It all seems hopeless for the scholarly unicorn until she is discovered by a type of creature she has never seen before. A changeling named Thorax, a native of the badlands.
With Thorax's knowledge of the environment, he is Twilight's best chance of getting home safely. And by that same token, perhaps Twilight is the best chance the timid, pacifistic drone has of discovering something he has lived his entire life without.
Set well before the Season 2 Finale.
Cover art was drawn by me.
This is a spiritual successor to The Bug in The Herd, and The Bug in The Basement.
Edited by Mister Hypothetical.
I'm glad to be editing for another one of these sure-to-be Mastercrafts of feels, changelings, and general mayhem. I can't wait to see how this story pans out, I can only hope for the best.
First non-editor comment!
Hmm. Interesting start so far. I'm betting Thorax knows a bit more about those worms.
Nice work looking forward to the next chapter
No survival training? Does this take place in some alternate universe, where Twilight was never Princess Celestia's student? And where she never went off on expeditions to take down monsters, and threats to Equestria?
9983202
I'm so jealous of you. You truly are superior to everyone
9983323
9983323
I mean, he edits for a fair few of my other stories, so... he usually gets the first comment by virtue that he knows it's up before anyone else. This time, though, he's not an editor for this story. I still sent it at him when I first posted it, though, hence the first 'non-editor' comment.
9983289
Self-defense and combat are significantly different from wilderness survival. Wilderness survival requires the knowledge and ability to acquire edible food, safe drinking water, make or find shelter, and maintain all three of these things reliably for a prolonged period of time.
Looking forward to more of this.
Strap in, boys and girls, we're in for a grand adventure with our favorite pony and changeling!
Let's just hope a certain Queen doesn't stick her nose where it isn't needed.
9983215
*nods nonchalantly*
A tatzlwurm, if I'm not mistaken?
A hassle, those things are. Takes two Alicorns some time to deal with. Better run before you're gobbled up, miss.
9983509
Around 25 chapters of grand adventure, to be precise.
Also, everything about this checklist makes me violently happy.
9983510 Gobbled... or whatever else it does with those tentacles... *Alondro performs an analysis of available research literature on the subject... composed entirely of various hentai manga* I see...
Consider me thoroughly invested. Let’s do this!
Ok, the first chapter alrady seems promising, so I'll follow the story.
Good start!
It's an Alaskan Bullworm!
Jokes aside, great start to the story! I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. It's real refreshing seeing unicorn Twilight again.
isn't this, lyk, already a story or something?
- MLP: FiM
- Dark
- Random
Ponies at school say that there's a cave full of treasure close by. All you have to do is go in and get it. And make sure the Bug Queen doesn't catch you while inside.9984345
I did not know that existed. The premise appears to be largely different, though.
9983869
Well yes, that was inevitable.
I know of a few examples myself. The things you see when you dive into derpibooru with no filters…
9984349
I'm kinda wondering how this will change canon Thorax's friendship with Spike. You have my like and favorite already! And it's only on the first chapter too.
Love this story already!
Anyone else hoping that we get one of those screaming jokes? Where Twilight screams, causing Thorax to scream in response? I could see that happening.
If you’re a giant monster: Eating Twilight doesn't sound like a good idea. She could attack you from inside your mouth, or worse, your belly.
An unconditioned upvote has been offered.
Curious, will this Twilight befriend the changling race as a whole, and by extention help ole chrissy find a way to feed her hive?
But then suddenly, the worlds all crossed randomly and this happened...
t11.deviantart.net/mjQM-BO8sJGxp3_BfjLFLETUXHs=/fit-in/700x350/filters:fixed_height(100,100):origin()/pre15/da4f/th/pre/i/2013/029/8/d/princess_twilight_muad_dib_by_pixelkitties-d5t6t0r.png
Wait, I thought for sure this has been on my read later list for a while.
Edit: I have "The Bug in the Basement" on my read later list.
9986066
I can understand the confusion. I used the exact same font and stylization for the title. Still got a good chuckle outta me, though. :3
9983869
The best part of your comment is that tatzlponies are a fanon thing. The worst part of your comment is the random asshat who downvoted it (as opposed to the random asshat who posted the comment, or for that matter the random asshat posting this one)
...Wait a minute, you've gone two entire comments on this fic without even mentioning the dreaded cherngelerngs? Who are you and what have you done with Alondro? (For those playing at home, that's his spelling, not mine)
9986133 Oh the show's over now, and Cozy was the worst villain in any show ever. Like, worse than the live-action "Mortal Kombat 2" villains.
Maybe on the level of "Home Alone 4"...
But basically, cherngelerngs ain't so bad after seeing what a truly awful villain is like.
good story so far
i completely forgot you authored that gem too
Bug horse, meet Book horse
Book horse, meet Bug horse
nice work
Love it already
9987311
Did the naming convention and cover art's title font not give it away? XD
9987323
Yup
Twilight has no idea what a changeling is aside from Thorax looking like some filly's nightmare of a pseudopony... or a burn victim? Although once she gets over her fright, Thorax might want to run before he's studied to death, heh.
Thorax x Twilight OTP?
9987446
No romance here.
Yeah, that's exactly how Thorax would begin first contact all right.
9987474
Too bad. I think they'd make a cute couple.
P.S. ( I think you meant Pharynx when you wrote Thorax. )
9987428
Twilight: "Must examine!"
If changelings have never seen ponies before, they might be frightened by how the ponies' eyes do not glow, because if changeling eyes always glow, that means that a lack of glow means the creature is dead. Therefore, by changeling standards, Thorax is looking at a walking corpse. A zombie.
I would be terrified, if I was him.
Twilight x Thorax Ships Ahoy!
9987588
The fate of that ship.
9987531
Not necessarily. Plenty of creatures inhabit the badlands without glowing eyes, including the Tatzulwurm he just got done running from at the end of this chapter.
9987474
Heh. A pity: It would have been very fun to see Twilight and Thorax together like that. Cute Introvert Bug Horse with Cute (former) Introvert Book Horse.
I can, however, completely settle for a really good friendship. That's what Twilight's destined to do, and with a shy, different Changeling – one who's never had much experience with friendship, love, and lots of heartwarming pony antics – we have a very good road ahead of us.
There will of course be bumpy parts and pitfalls, but I anticipate seeing them overcome those, together.
He might be in trouble for running away, but Thorax did spot the damn thing and he did save his squad leader/brother's life before doing so. So he's going to be punished for sure but hopefully his actions will at least mitigated it a little.
9987632
But the Tatzulwurm does not resemble a changeling. A pony kind of does, according to the second to last paragraph:
I figured there'd be a subconscious aspect to it, similar to the Uncanny Valley effect. Something that looks familiar, kind of like a person, but isn't quite right. Food for thought.