This story is a sequel to The Changeling of the Guard
To live in Everfree Forest requires one to make a lot of sacrifices. Zecora can attest to that; for years the ponies were too frightened of her and her studies to even make contact.
Then again, that's for the best; the forest has never been kind to intruders. One never does know what fate can be levied for not treating it with the respect it demands. Still, she wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
The same can't be said for her newest ward.
More future-sidequel than sequel to Changeling of the Guard, as Idol isn't starring, but something I'm going to work on in tandem with it.
Chapters (2)
Oh wonderful. This can only end well.
Huh. So that's what happened to him. Or her. Pronouns are confusing.
(ridiculous fanboy squealing)
Ahem. Sorry, I'm actually just really happy to see a sequel/side story to "Changeling of the Guard."
I haven't read it yet, but I'm intrigued to see how this plays out. I'll be sure to leave a comment once I've taken a look!
Ooooo I cant wait to read the rest of this.
Well, this was unexpected.
...Seems like quite an interesting start, though! :)
You have the popular interest. Continue.
Ohhhhhhhh WEREWOLVES. Okay. Let's see where this goes.
Now that just raises a bunch of questions about how timberwolves actually work.
*later*
*pondering story in the shower*
*realization smacks in face*
WAIT.
THIS IS APPLE BLOOM AND ZECORA
IDOL'S STORY IS HAPPENING LIKE PROBABLY BEFORE APPLE BLOOM WAS EVEN BORN
HOW LONG HAS MERRY BEEN A TIMBERWEREWOLF
6962748 She isn't. It's more like she figured out how to armor herself like one and went feral.
MEESA SO HAPPY!
6962981 Hmm, interesting theory. I'll want to see the verdict, though; the synopsis makes it clear that Merry doesn't want to stay in the Everfree, and I figure Zecora would be smart enough to tell a real Timberwolf from a pony playing dress-up, esp. if said timberwolf is regularly following her home and getting really close. But! Perhaps you're right. We shall see!
Timber-werewolves? You have my undivided attention, good sir!
You have my attention.
Okay, NOW I actually sat down and read this. And what an interesting beginning indeed! I'm with the other commenters on this... it looks like it takes place well after "Changeling of the Guard." So, Merry's a Were-timberwolf (and still gender-swapped, it seems) and has perhaps been lurking in the woods all this time? What an intriguing twist!
While the chapter was short, the interaction between Zecora and Apple Bloom was pretty great. Zecora is known to be pretty hard to write, but you're doing a great job with her character.
I look forward to the next chapter when it arrives!
6962748
Assuming that Twilight doesn't have her Cutie Mark yet in Changeling of The Guard we're looking at 8-12 years. Easy.
6964487 Yeah that's about what I was thinking, an average of around ten. That is a looooong time to be running around in the woods as a carnivorous wood-based monster.
6961584 IT'LL BE WONDERFUL!
Oh yes, MORE!
Cant wait to read more!!
Oh my.
I never knew I needed this story until I read it just now.
Oh wow this is very interesting! A timber wolf turn into pony? That's new and yet haven't seen yet.
I hope to see more!
This looks good.
6964487 Hmm why presume that? It seems that Shining is old enough, I guess that it can easily be just a couple of years before Nightmare Moon Return. Shining is both quite capable and has enough connection to get up the ranks quickly [the capabilities to get high on his own merit and the connection to PREVENT other bumping him out on connections.]
7543093
That's true, but we also have to take into account that Twilight does not have her Cutie Mark at the time that Shining joins the guard, and she also has to go through a full school career to get to the point where season one begins. I would assume that Twilight, as well as the rest of the mane six, are in their late teens to mid twenties at the beginning of season one, although I always believed Twilight to be about twenty-three at the oldest. Assuming that Twilight was 10-12 years old when she got accepted into Celestia's tutelage, and given Apllebloom's suspected age which I would say is about eight to ten years old, I would be left with a time gap of 8-12 years, possibly longer depending on what season this story takes place in, and how you interpret the passage of time within the seasons of the show.
EDIT: Now that I've thought about it even more, I'll have to say that 8-12 years is the bottom end of my estimate; the very least number of years that could have passed. In this story Applebloom is already Zecora's student, and she already has her cutie mark. I'd have to say that this could have taken place as late as season four, or possibly even season five. So I'd say that depending on your interpretation of the passage of time within the seasons of the show Merry could have been a timberwolf for as long as fifteen, or possibly even twenty years.
Why haven't I discovered this sequel/side-story until now? Better late than never. It'll be interesting to see how it goes.
So the poison joke decided that turning Merry into a mare wasn't funny anymore, and turned him into a Timberwolf instead?
Nah, if that was true he wouldn't still be a mare after turning back. Hmm.
7543152 Hmm I think I've missed where it is said that Twilight does not have her cutie mark yet.
7544466
It's never outright stated that Twilight doesn't have her Cutie Mark yet but seeing as it's been stated that she has yet to pass Magic Kindergarten and she's still living with her parents I find it highly unlikely that she would have:
1. Gotten her Cutie Mark yet. Remember, she enters into Princess Celestia's tutelage directly after obtaining her Cutie Mark, so her still not having graduated from Magic Kindergarten makes it highly unlikely to me that she would have gotten it yet.
2. Gone through Clestia's training.
3. Defeated Nightmare Moon.
4. Settled into Ponyville.
It just doesn't check out to me.
7546472 hm the kindergarten comment can be an exaggeration, it is not clear from the show that at the beginning of her studies with Celestia that she went full board with her and it seems a bit extreme...
7547087
So I went ahead and shot out a PM to vdrake, as I figured this would be the quickest and easiest way to get a definitive answer. He sent this back to me:
ME LIKE A LOT NEED MORE MUST
*tap* *tap* *tap*
Hello? Is there another chapter in here anywhere?
Man, this story has potential to be great but sadly no news on a chapter yet... Is it still alive?
7926529 It is, but certain events are going to tie in with Changeling. I'd rather let the 'prequel' catch up a bit more before I get too far.
That said I could and should do a chapter or two for this.
7926649 ok, I hope to see more soon!
Before I read this, what is the Dark tag for ?
And how bad does it get ?
7982971 It's going to be a bit more grim than Changeling of the Guard, and focus on Merry's various issues with having been a violent carnivore for all that time.
Really, after I do a timeskip in Changeling I'll come back to this.
This was realy intersting.
I realy looking forward to it when you continue it.
what the actual fuck you make a sequel spinoff and you haven't even finished the first one for real wtf are you giving up already if so say yes ill stop reading so i want be disappointed on down the line
Snrk, that chapter title.
8173616 Think of this as a teaser for future events. People really wanted to know what happened to Merry. :D
8173774 future events come in the future, it would be better to finish the story and make a time jump in the next one to see the future plus i haven't read the tone deaf chapter and im not going to until i can see this start back on a somewhat regular basis. you have no idea how much it pisses me off to see people start on a new story because 9/10 times they get bored of the old story and quit
8174271 gonna be a while then. The first chapter of this one came out like a year ago. And it's going to touch down on some stuff I need to do some real research into.
Beyond that, Idol's story is an absolute blast to write. Merry's tale... Is going to be less cheerful. I thought I could write them in tandem but I'm focusing on Idol until the timeline gets caught up, and even then, Merry and Idol aren't going to travel the same roads. More sidequel than sequel, and I'm going to need a different mindset to write this one.
8174469 lol 2016 i did not see that, i only saw the sequel like 2 days ago so yea lol but i do hope that i get to see more of idol in the near future but like i said im not gonna start back reading till i can see the chapters come in more frequently i had enough of one chapter every 2 months wile reading FOE PH lol
8174626 fair enough. I can't dedicate as much time to write as I'd like. Have to focus on licenses and my PE, and work calls for a lot of travel.
Wait, is the 'old brute' Merry's old pet?
Also, yay! Merry! Everyone's favorite trans guard who never got any screentime! Time to start tracking this.
Interesting premise even with all his complications of being a predator for a while. coming back from the dead not necessarily an easy thing especially when your legally declared dead after a great amount of time it sounds like
7926649
Please, sir, could we have some more?
This will be interesting. I will follow this as much as the main story.