Field notes on Changeling Female Bonding
One would have hoped that with the presence of Canterlot royal guard in such numbers, the insanity plaguing Ponyville would have died down, but one would have been disappointed. The residents of Ponyville fought against the representation of their governance, and they fought hard. Whatever magic was deluding their minds was obviously deluding their judgment as well. Powerful mind-control magic was at play here, and Echo did not like it. Rebound had recovered from his beating and arrived at the library shortly after Echo. Twilight excused herself from the conversation to tend to his wounds, which actually were bleeding slightly.
"Ow. Twilight, I'm okay, honestly."
"No, you're not. You're bleeding, which means you're the opposite of okay."
"It's a scratch."
"A scratch? It's a laceration! You've been practically vivisected!"
"Okay, not quite sure what that means, but I AM sure it's an exaggeration."
Finally, though, Rebound decided that the best course of action would be to just sit back and let Twilight tend to the little wound. If it satiated her need to do something, who was he to stop her. The alcohol's pungent aroma wafted from his cheek to his nose, and he scrunched up a bit, yet something seemed sweet, somehow.
"Twilight," he asked, "what's in that stuff?"
"It's just isopropyl alcohol. Changelings aren't allergic to it or anything, are you?"
"No, I don't think so, but something in it smells sweet... like peaches."
"You're smelling something else." Twilight stated matter-of-factly.
Rebound, however, knew that he wasn't imagining things. Eventually, it hit him, and without thinking he blurted out, "Twilight, you love me, don't you?"
Twilight's eyes widened and she blushed, facing away. Echo's ears shot up and she whipped her head around.
You've got to be kidding. Rebound? She thought quietly to herself as she watched the scene unfold. Moreover, in the middle of a serious situation, they're having a moment? She shook her head with a grunt and left the room, not feeling like being involved.
"How long, Twilight?"
"... hush, you're still hurt."
"Twilight."
"It's inappropriate anyway. We work together; I'm basically your manager."
Rebound stopped himself from feeding as the energy poured out of her. "This is why you got so upset when I said I wasn't interested in romance, isn't it?"
"Rebound, I do not know what you are talking about so please stop talking about it now let me help you with these wounds." A run-on sentence? She doesn't just love me, she's gone mad. After a few more minutes, Twilight was done. She packed up the medical supplies and tucked them away in a cabinet before turning back to Rebound.
"Why don't you go see what Echo wants you to do?"
"I think she made it very clear that she doesn't want me to do anything at all, Twi."
"I... suppose she did, didn't she? Well... can you at least bring her back here so I can find out what she wants me to do?"
"Yeah, sure." He turned, inhaled deeply, and shouted, "Echo! Get back here, Twilight wants to talk to you." There was no reply, just the sound of hoofsteps as Echo turned the corner.
She glanced at Rebound and nodded. "I'm back. Also... I'm sorry I hit you so hard. I meant for it to hurt, not to harm you."
Rebound nodded back in response, and Twilight started to speak, but Rebound decided he wasn't quite done.
"You know what, Echo? No. Apology not accepted. I've done nothing but try to help and you've done nothing but assault me. I saved you AND Scootaloo from being killed, and what have you done? You've kicked me, you've smacked me, you nearly killed BOTH of us! Your ego is out of control... or maybe you've just lost your mind."
"Rebound --" Twilight tried to intervene.
"Twilight, stay out of this. Echo, I don't know what's wrong with you, but I've known you for longer than any of these ponies and I've done more for you, too. I've gone out of my way because -- for some stupid reason, maybe I'm a glutton for punishment -- I care about you. A lot."
"Rebound, I know you --" Echo was cut off.
"No. Shut up. I'm the one talking now. It's actually not quite accurate to say that I just care about you a lot. I love you, Echo. For some stupid reason, I love you. Yet you continually ignore me -- or ASSAULT me -- and brush me off like you don't want my help. Guess what, TOUGH. I'm going to help you and you're going to like it."
"Rebound -- "
"I said SHUT UP. I've put up with you mistreating me for so long, ignoring me, and for the next few minutes, you're going to pay attention." He trotted up to her, stopping a few inches in front of her face. She seemed shocked. "There's something special about you. I don't know what it is, but you've got a strength of spirit most changelings never have. Somehow, it's gotten to your head, and you think you're BETTER than us. You're not. You're spoiled because you've got good looks and friends in high places. Your bloody mother is the queen, Echo, and even if you didn't know it for most of your life, THAT'S how you always got such great luck. Stop acting like you're Chrysalis reincarnated. You aren't the Queen, even if you are her daughter." He sneered a bit before he whipped around and walked upstairs. "She's all yours, Twilight."
The two mares left in the room sat on their haunches, mouths agape at what just happened.
"He said he loved you," Twilight stammered.
"Sounded like he meant to say hated." Echo finished. "We... have work to do, though, don't we?"
"Y... yes, of course... I... uh. Wow. I was thinking that we would try some spellbreakers on Spike. Think you can grab him out of the closet?"
"Yeah, that shouldn't be too hard. It's not a very big closet so he can't be very far in there." Echo chuckled to herself as she walked over to the door, flung it open, and grabbed the angry, flailing baby dragon by the scruff of his neck like a belligerent kitten. She dragged him, literally kicking and screaming, into the middle of the room. Twilight had set up a chair and tied the little dragon to it with a length of rope.
"Spike," she said, "what's gotten into you?"
"There's a changeling in the library, Twilight! Don't you see it, right there? How can you stay so calm?"
"You knew Echo was a changeling before and you never did anything about it!"
"It was some kind of mind-control... she's got you under it too! Changelings tried to take over Equestria! They're evil, Twilight."
"Princess Luna used to be evil when she was Nightmare Moon."
"She was still a pony though. Ponies can go back to being good, but changelings? They aren't ponies, Twilight."
"Neither are you."
"I was raised by a pony, though. I grew up as a pony. Dragons aren't evil like changelings!"
"Okay. Well, let's see..." Twilight pulled over a book and flipped through the pages. "Let's try this one." She charged a spell to her horn and cast it over her assistant. He winced, and continued on about how evil changelings were. "Wow, that was the strongest spell I had to break mind-control."
"Actually," Echo said, "I have an idea. If it is changeling mind-control, maybe it needs a changeling spell to turn it off?" Echo tapped her chin. "The only problem is that I never learned any of those spells; it was never my duty to infiltrate."
"Maybe Rebound...?"
"Ugh. I hate to admit it, but you're probably right." She sighed deeply and called upstairs, "Rebound? We need your help."
"Well would you look at that. I thought you didn't need my help." He started down the stairs. "If you insist, though. What do you need?"
"I need a changeling who knows a bit more about mind control than I do. Any way you can try to dispel whatever's affecting Spike?"
The dragon squirmed. "No! Don't kill me! You're going to kill me!"
"I'll give it a shot." He walked over to Spike and put a hoof on his forehead. Immediately, he stopped moving and his head lulled forward. "First things first. It's easier to work with a subject who's knocked out." His horn glowed, and a green aura surrounded Spike. "It's definitely mind control, but it's rooted pretty deep... I think I can get it, but it's going to take me some time to figure out."
"How much time?" Twilight asked.
"Ten minutes?" Rebound shrugged. "Maybe more. I don't really know for sure."
"Well, it's all we've got." Echo sighed.
Rebound grunted in acknowledgement.
"So what do we do now?" Twilight asked.
"Beats me," Echo sighed.
"Why don't you go do some ... girl thing or another?" Rebound huffed as he worked on curing Spike's malaise. "Do each other's hooves or manes or some such thing."
Twilight looked at Echo and shrugged. Echo gave her a stare in response. "I... guess?" Twilight finally said. "I think I have a book on that kind of thing somewhere.
"Oh for the love of Chyrsalis, Twilight, you need a book to brush somepony's mane?"
"I don't have a mane," Echo pointed out.
"So give yourself one, you're a changeling."
"What's the point?"
"Well, I read a paper not to long ago that detailed the importance of mutual grooming in female-to-female bonding among ponies. Basically, doing each other's mane and hooves makes our bodies release endorphins, among other hormones, that stress a bond of friendship between the two of us. It's actually quite fascinating."
"Among ponies. I'm not a pony."
"You're right!" Twilight gasped. "I can write a paper on the effects of mutual grooming as a bonding mechanism between a changeling female and a pony female! This is a huge opportunity! You have to do this for me, Echo." Not giving Echo any time to retort one way or the other, Twilight grabbed her by the hoof and dragged her upstairs, leaving Rebound alone with Spike.
"You and me, Spike. We're the only sane ones in this library, and you're knocked out under a mind-control spell. Also you're a baby. Also a dragon." He sighed. "Yep. Here I am, standing by myself, talking to myself. This is madness."
______
"Twilight, you're kidding me, right? In what world is this appropriate?" Echo struggled as Twilight grabbed her forehoof to paint it a bright shade of red.
"In a world of profound scientific curiosity! The world must know, and I can tell it!" The machines that monitored both of them were clicking and whirring periodically, running tests on an automated schedule.
"I don't want my hooves painted."
"That's beside the point."
"How long have we been at this?"
"About twenty minutes."
"Rebound?!" She called downstairs, "Are you done yet?" There was no reply. "Horseapples."
"See? Now we can pass the time."
"Why are we painting my hooves?! They're just going to get dirty."
"Only if you go running around in dirt!"
"Ponyville's streets are dirt, Twilight."
"Ponyville's streets aren't safe for you right now anyway."
There was no arguing with Twilight Sparkle when she got an idea in her head. Chrysalis was right. My sweet merciful stars, Mother was right about something. Echo groaned and rested her chin on her free hoof.
Another ten minutes passed, and finally Twilight was done painting all four of Echo's hooves. "There," she said happily, "now let's take a look at the results..." She walked over to one of the machines and started to look over the readouts. "Fascinating! This isn't what the previous paper would have suggested." Twilight beamed up at Echo. "If I had to guess, this says you hated every minute of it!"
"I could have told you that and saved us all that time." Echo waved her hoof in the air as if to try and get the paint off. Eventually she got up and walked downstairs. Her heart nearly stopped when she reached the bottom. Rebound was laying on the ground, and the chair was empty. The rope was in a coil on the ground. "Rebound!" She ran over next to him and shook him lightly. He didn't respond. "Twilight! Quick! It's Rebound! Spike is gone!"
Twilight nearly flew down the stairs. "What happened?"
"I don't know!"
"He said he was going to take a nap," came a familiar voice from the kitchen, not too far away. Echo looked and saw Spike standing there with a glass of milk. "I kind of know how he feels." As if on cue, Rebound's prostrate body emitted a loud, almost earth-shattering snore.
Echo rolled her eyes and let Rebound's head fall softly. "Spike? Is that you?"
"Yeah, do you know any other baby dragons?" He laughed as he laid back on the couch.
"You don't hate changelings anymore?"
"Honestly? You scare the horseapples out of me, but I don't hate you. Never did. Why?"
Twilight beamed at the unconscious changeling and hugged him. "You did it!"
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5568832 Read the end of Adaptation to clarify.
Short answer, Twilight put a spell on Chryssie keeping her from using combat magic. It doesn't just neutralize the spell, it knocks her out.
5568990 I hope you enjoy it.
woot :)
Yes! so happy for more chapters. Can't wait for the next but why did rebound just crash after he removed the mind-control spell?
5569952 Beside the fact that he just flew a marathon, got beaten up by Echo, and then spent 30 minutes or more of time concentrating INTENTLY on breaking a mind-control spell?
Beats me.
5569955 forget I asked.
I was kind trying to read while doing chores... and chat before I thought it through
5570003 It's all right.
No worries.
Woah, this chapter had copious amounts of Rebound! This is that "senpai noticed me" moment.
On a serious note, Twilight liking Rebound seemed very possible in earlier chapters, could be adorable. Don't forget the confession about Echo, can't wait for her reaction to that as well. I'm glad Rebound let out all that pent up anger, and the little bit of snide commenting about not needing him was good.
5570519 Lol, actually I was already planning on a Rebound chapter, which is why I was so interested in why you liked him so much. Seemed perfectly timed.
i.imgur.com/nRigNiT.jpg
5568993 So when's the next update?
ALSO TSUNDERE ECHO!
5572360 It-- it's not like she cares about Rebound at all.
B--baka.
5572437 THAT SHOULD TOTALLY BE A SCENE!
5572445 Lol.
I have a plan for the little romantic snafu here. No worries.
5572946 Don't get me wrong, I have no illusions about this being a great story.
I started writing this whole thing with Adaptation a pretty long time ago. My ability as a writer has improved since then. I picked this back up because I can't have it just die, and I'm doing my best to preserve the pacing as it was -- flawed though it may be -- to keep the story from feeling inconsistent.
I think when I finally get around to writing a new one, it will be better.
Thanks for the honesty though.
5572789 But will it be a scene?
5573306 Lips are sealed, don't want to spoil anything either way.
5573326 ARGH! Fine...
Yay for updates.
Well good job Rebound, now to do it for every single citizen
5573811 Sorry.
5575143 Agreed. Yay.
5579048 Poor Rebound.
now they got a solution.........................but who EGSACTLY is the problem? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...???????????????????????????????????????????????????
5645522
Um.... mirror, perhaps?
5663779 lol I have no clue as to who that is or you know who that isn't.im stupid
5664024
this chapter mentions Mirror
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/88031/10/integration-part-two-of-a-changelings-story/on-changeling-biology
5664047 oh ok that makes sense now sory derp
Ok, caught up on everything.
I didn't think Adaptation was well-enough written for me to fave it, but this one is much better. The pacing is pretty nice, usually, though sometimes it feels like you're trying to write too many subplots at once and they're fighting for control of the story. A few of them could easily be stories in their own right, such as Scootaloo adapting to life as a changeling, but I'll respect your decisions on what directions you'll take this story.
I am enjoying reading this story, and you are clearly improving as an author. Speaking of which, don't sweat about keeping us waiting. Good work takes as much time as it needs, and not a moment less. Heck, I've been writing the new chapter of Desert Spice for over half a year. I'm a very slow writer.
Peace!
Love triangles.
That is all.
You see, Twilight? And Rebound. This is what comes from falling in love. Easy answer; don't do it.
Now... to break the mind siege of Ponyville.
I remember a poem I read as a kid that seems relevant to the problem of telling male from female Changelings
Consider now the humble flea
You can not tell the he from she
But he can tell -and so can she
Sounds like something Ogden Nash wrote but IDK & I'm too shiftless & incompetent to look it up
That scare at the end was awesome ^^
Madness??? THIS IS PONYVILLE!!!!
Poor Rebound, this just isn't his day. At least he can start removing the spell from ponies now that he knows how it's done.
5910801 Indeed.
Bear in mind that chapter was written a long time ago. My writing has changed since. I'm currently working on getting the last chapters finished.
Thanks for the comments though. I appreciate your effort. :)
5910652 Slender Scootaloo.
Cap.
_________________
Needs end quote marks. Also who's speaking in the next line?
_____________
5911629
What's a Slender Scootaloo? Any good fics on that out there?
5911455
You're welcome. And all in all, while the pacing is somewhat fast. It's a pretty good series so far. A few interesting moments, and while personally, after this mind control arc is over with. It'd be good to see more SoL moments and growth with Echo, Chryssy, and Scoots. That was a huge draw for me reading the original, and reading this fic. Seeing the problems, growth, and changes of those three in a society where they aren't really fully expected (and the big source of conflict at the end of the first fic.). Kind of sucky that Twilight like's Rebound, but Rebound likes Echo. Still, it has potential. But the addition of the Pony Mind Control Arc (while technically a sub arc of the Ling Civil War still raging on and happening), could have been introduced better. It's still not all that bad.
5912250 Southern by blood. Using it singularly is more than just a faux pas... it's heresy.
I exaggerate, but I've never understood how people can't use it. It's really simple.
5912474 mmm, it's a story where Scootaloo is Slender pony's daughter... and as for good ones Im sure if I look throughmy favorites I'll find it... unless the writer removed it, then Im not sure
5912554
I mostly blame transplants from the north, or those who say it because it's fun to say rather than what it actually means (No offense to northerners). But yeah, I never got how something by its definition is plural (like youse, or you-uns) could be mistaken as singular.
As far as the story goes. After this gets wrapped up, do you think we'll ever see a more family oriented (Echo, Scoots, and Chrysalis) / SoL Integration fic. Where we see them grow and develope as families? Or are they going to go from the fat into the frier?
5913142
Please drop me a link when you find it
, I look forward to reading it. Thanks.
5913200
Yanks. I'll never understand 'em.
As far as a SoL for the 'Lings, I think I might give that a shot.
I'll tell you now that the Scoota-ling arc has a purpose, and may not be what most are expecting.
I'm sorry its taken so long to get chapters out, but life has been really pummeling me with all the bull it can throw my way. I'll come through it and this story won't die.
Again, I'd like to thank you for all your constructive points. In answer to one of your previous comments, yes, I do read all of them. One thing that I decided pretty early into Adaptation was that I would take corrections into account for future stories, but due to the nature of how I write (putting it onto a word doc and then copying it into FiMFiction) keeping the live copy and my master copy in sync is a pain. Rest assured, I've been seeing your corrections and your notes.
I agree the pacing is off for this story, but mostly that's because I write it in a different way than my usual, non-pony fiction. This is my junk food -- what I do just because it's fun -- and as such I don't always give it the attention it deserves; this fault is on my shoulders, admittedly, but I hope that despite its troubles, the story is enjoyable.
Echo started life as just another OC for me, and since I created her, I've had some second thoughts. Her heterochromia, in retrospect, feels contrived and a little bit too special-snowflake esque. There are other things too. I will probably address those in any future stories to feature Echo.
I think the hardest thing for me will be some day having to let Echo rest. She's a bit part of me, and I love her as a character very deeply. It's funny, isn't it, how attached we can become to an individual that exists solely in the mind?
5913377
Personally I use Gdocs. It's easier to work with, transfers over to fimfiction.net pretty well, has a strong chapter set up (much like individual chapters on fimfic), and can be shared for editors easily. Really its a wonderful tool.
I totally get Scootaling (and I can logically see it happening, what with cross contamination of the transformative powers of changeling blood, and a ponies susceptibility to magic). The Civil War arc though, I've felt has detracted from things a bit. Although you do a good job on integrating the past fic with their current prediciments. Although I think that some time to work with what was there conflict wise and build up the suspence would've been a boon for this. Show how not all ponies are accepting (even more so now what with them about to be un-mind raped), and the conflict of Echo and Chryssy's integration. All the while buidling up this current affair (hopefully the next one over the horrizon will wait a bit. Give time for things to settle, and plot points to build up).
Still I can totally get this being junk food (albeit a healthy junk food. Like Fried Mushrooms, or some seafood from Gator's or Crabby Bill's.), and I know how IRL likes to take a dump all over ones life from time to time. Best of luck to you in that regards by the way. As for character's growing on you. I know how that can be too, especially with all the emotional energy you invest with them. Thankfully Echo isn't too Marry Sue, and her eye thing isn't too different from Rainbow Dash's super sight. Just more honed, and trained. And she has had her butt handed to her a fair amount of times, so she's not unbeatable. Which really goes far with giving her a sense of relatability / connection. Although it'd be interesting if her and Candlelight ended up running into eachother at some point (if only to clarify if CL's dead as some are wondering, and not which I think is the case).
Best of Luck to you, IRL and writing wise. I look forward to the next chapter when you can get to it ^_^.
5882410
I have got to cheer for you, good sir/madam!
YAY!
6206935
that or that, i don´t really care, it is mostly a character that i would probably like, but i think he is to much for mlp, at least in my opinion.
But i don´t say anything against people who like it.
OK dude its been 8 months time to come back and finish the story
please
fuq'n cliffhanger mate, finish story pls because this cliffhanger is ridiculous
And so Rebound lets it all out at Echo, possibly given a bit of bravery now that he knows Twilight loves him so he's not too worried about getting over his feelings for Echo.
Twilight, Twilight, Twilight, Ponyville's been brainwashed and under attack by the Royal Guard and you're still worried about your research
Could... could it be? A caliginous romance? Echo <3< Rebound?!
Aaaaaaaaaand I hav catched up
Woo that was intense
reminds me of that "chaos theory" line in Jurassic Park...
No
This
IS
SPARTAAAAAAAA
Btw you've been 'taking a break' from this for over a year
COME BAAAAAAAAAACK,!!