This story is a sequel to The Changeling of the Guard
This is a collection of various stories, short and otherwise, to go along with The Changeling of the Guard.
They aren't absolutely necessary, but the intention is to provide some background or additional material. Things like Topaz's research notes on Changelings, stories involving the other characters, and various insane things Idol has done that don't quite fit into the main plot. They might be chipper, they might be sad, but they're all canon to the main fic... or to whoever from the story is relating them.
Chapter 1 is the Nurse, mentioned briefly in Moonlighting, who brought Idol the Nymph.
Chapters (1)
You really shouldn't use the same password for everything
WHY DID SHE HAVE TO DIE!?
'm not crying... 'm not
Neat.
I love these changeling names: "the nurse" "the guard". very direct. Looking forward to more of these
Idol Hooves.
Idiot Anomaly that should have been discovered and/or killed within his first week according to other Changelings.
Headstrong and dutiful Guard known for his clever wit and impressive ways with all genders according to all of ponykind.
Plain Love-able Idiot according to Topaz.
Only one pony knows him for who and what he is.
But only he understands himself.
Thank you for granting Heyyu happiness, at any rate. It's nice to see him find happiness and peace.
I quite like the sidestory idea. It will give us an interesting window into how Idol is viewed by other changelings. I quite like the idea of him becoming some sort of changeling folk hero, like John Henry or Paul Bunyan. Johnny Appleseed of the changelings.
Well, nice to see Heyyu is happy where he's at, so there's that.
And it's...telling...to see just how much of a contrast Idol is in comparison to every changeling else from this perspective. Really drives home just how much of an oddball he really is, even to his own kind...especially to his own kind. Yet one can't deny that it works, and works well.
Man, I love characters like the Nurse. Duty as heavy as mountains, death as light as a feather...
This was sad, but beautiful. I loved it.
Also, glad to see Heyyu is doing well. I like him.
And thus, her work is done at last.
Idol Hooves has a reputation with Exiles as "The Guard", I would have been an ecstatic to find that out in some throwaway paragraph but here you went and made a short story out of it. Have I mentioned you're my favourite fimfiction author?
Yay! So much backstory! Heyyu, the Nurse, Nymph! Questions are answered! *CHEERS*
It's great to see that Heyyu is happy. He was rather bitter and unhappy before. Makes me glad to see he has success when he was probably expected to fail and die.
^This made me giggle.
Also, I made this. :)
I really like this. Both this entry and the idea as a whole, I mean. It really fills out the missing pieces of the story we got in the main tale, and lets us see Idol from another perspective. Guess I'll be faving and tracking this one as well.
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It makes sense; they're roles, not names. Names and faces aren't constant, but Nurse can't not be nurse, and it's taken years for Idol to be anything else.
Heh, even a changeling used to giving all emotion to the nymphs can't stop herself from being offended at Idol's stupid amount of good luck, despite how little effort he goes to to hide what he is. Paper thin disguise, virtually no change to his speech pattern or personality, ten years in the same persona... The nurse is right, it shouldn't have worked. But the fact that it did work is utterly hilarious.
Also, that cover art is super cute.
Wow, I dunno why, but the ending had me tearing up. It's been.. years since a fanfic has done that for me. Well done.
Wait what, Idol looks like a changeling in his disguise? Oh, or is the Nurse just talking about how his expression is so straight all the time like other changelings?
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His pony coloration is all changeling colors. Basically, if you got a glimpse of Idol shifting from his normal form, you might think it was just a trick of the light.
Its nice to see that Heyyu is doing alright. And that Idol is, in fact, building a pseudo hive of networked exiles, hopefully they band together enough to resist attempts to out them after the wedding happens
A hero if I ever knew one. Good night, Nurse. Well done.
a very bittersweet ending and I see that Idol isn't the only one that can twist orders. now we have had the nurse I wonder what Nymphs point of view and thoughts would be during this journey and what her days with idol are like.
Wonderful first chapter!
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... You're going to use that in a future chapter to bail Idol out of a tight spot, aren't you
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He actually already did that, sort of (or at least set up a way he can explain it away.)
Sad.
But on the bright side, her death helps hide the one she cared for.
Just ow.
Aww, poor Nurse. I really liked her character, from the short time we got to know her. And it was fantastic parallelism from start to finish.
And it was great to see Hey You again. Makes me happy to see that he's settled in and is living a good life.
It's nice to see that Heyyu's found their place.
You can take the teacher and caretaker out of the Hive, but you can't take the teacher out of the changeling.
It's sad about the Nurse, but it seems like she knew what she was doing.
I guess she had enough experience to mollify the commands when she felt them, just like with a whiny nymph.
Damn, this hit me in the feels. She died doing what she loved, in the end. Providing for a new generation. Shame she couldn't let herself die a with love, at the very end
My muse provided the chance for a bit more of Idol to shine through.
As the light from the stones glittered across her eyes, she felt a question rise to her lips, working its way past her resolution of hardest granite to focus only on the needs of her charge. "How?"
The Guard nodded slightly. "My landlady provides whatever I require. While it is not in my rental contract, per se, she is quite willing to help fill the stones."
A sharp look. "She knows?"
"Of course."
Threat. Unacceptable danger. "You will dispose of her in a manner that does not–"
He frowned and interrupted. "If you threaten Topaz again, I will kill you in ways more painful than even our queen can imagine."
Shock. So reminiscent of the misassigned protector from long ago. How very unusual. Could this be part of why he was exiled? Still, a Nurse was nothing if not a voice of authority. "The risk–"
He moved his head very close, causing the Nurse to draw back slightly. "Have you defeated a manticore single-hoofedly? No? Then drop the subject."
She relaxed and nodded, despite herself. Perhaps her intuition about him was correct. She also recognized when it was pointless to argue. His peerless dedication, however, would be useful if she could convince him to look after the nymph.
"Not near enough for three. Two, sure, but barely enough for one and a nymph."
Meaning, to be sure I've got it right, that he has enough to support two adults, barely enough for one adult and one nymph (nymphs having higher consumption), but not enough for three adults and definitely not two adults and a nymph?
"He remained one of the few guard drones who had a name"
And I suspect I might be able to guess that name. :)
Very nice! An excellent start, I think, even if it did have some sad parts.
Alright, I'm in.
Man, right in the feels. Its nice to see more of the story fleshed out. Good to see that Heyyu is doing alright. Can't wait for more.
Man, The Guard is such an awesome nickname. Kind of up there with The Courier or The Lone Wanderer. Honestly, The Guard is better than both of those in my opinion. Something about it just rings importance and prestige in a way that not many monikers do. Which makes it kind of hilarious that it belongs to someone like Idol Hooves.
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Nailed it!
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Ah, thanks. :)
Cries Manly Tears.
Oh really
Loved this chapter and the whole concept as well. It's quite fascinating to see how others view Idol, especially changelings.
While the end was sad, given what we knew of The Nurse going in it is a better fate than what Chrysalis may have given her. Also seeing Heyyu happy and doing well for himself helped take the edge off.
Yes yes yes! I'm so pleased you went ahead with the sidestory idea! :D What a great story, and while I'm sad the Nurse died, it's good to know that Idol and the Nymph will be safe a while longer. My only critique of this chapter was that you switched character viewpoints several times in the exchange between the Nurse and Heyyu - a bit writing no-no, it makes it confusing and difficult to keep track of each perspective. Can't wait to see more of Idol's world! :D
It occurs to me that if Chrysalis learns about Nymph she'll want her destroyed at all costs. Because Nymph doesn't have any of Chrysalis' subliminal commands imprinted the way the exiles do. For a being as paranoid as Chrysalis Nymph is too great of a wild card to allow to exist.
This chapter as well as another brings up a huge question. If Idol was as known as a pony who brought a lot of ponies home (aka changelings), we may assume at least 1 time a month a new ling was brought to him. That's about 12 changelings a year , meaning 120 total. Atleast 120 changelings living in and around Canterlot... That makes the Canterlot Wedding very interesting....
It's sad but I do remember the Nymph from Idol's story and she turns out allright at least.
8965302 Well, if the ponies weren't all idiots who never once thought to check for changelings among them after wedding, there'd be no hope for Idol.
However, the ponies ARE idiots who never once thought to check for changelings among them after the wedding, so Idol and pals are safe.
The show writers gave the ponies plenty of Idiot Balls which whacked them repeatedly in the head until they developed severe Plot Amnesia, and thus no bug ponies were ever found, because no pony even considered the possibility they'd come back.
Because no character in a little girl's show ever needs the use common sense!
And now we can see that Chrysalis is a horrible tyrant who mind-controls her entire race and slaughters any that do not conform to her desires.
DEATH TO DA CHERNGLERNG DICTATOR!!
Wow. The sheer mental gymnastics required to circumvent the Voice... All to save the Nymph.
It actually felt really quite heroic. New respect for the Nurse.
I like how the nymph came to be "the Nymph" in the Nurse's mind by the end.
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Especially, considering the amount of love she's been absorbing so far. The amount of love Chrysalis collected from Shinning Armor let her beat Celestia so what about Nymph collecting it over months/years?
I am very happy with the current situation.