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An Unusual Specimen (Tiktaalik, PM for invite)


Tiktaalik

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"...Your 'folks'? I thought that you all had one 'parent'--Queen Chrysalis. Or...is that not how it works..?"

This statement gave Aria pause. She rarely thought much about her origins, as far as she was concerned she was the daughter of those two doctors from Dodge Junction. The thought of all changelings having a single parent also made her think. She knew how ponies reproduced... but how did her kind do it? At one point as a filly she did want to have a normal family, but was that even possible? scratch that it was totally impossible for her to have a "normal" family. Even if she could bear foals it seemed unlikely they'd look normal in any fashion that she could imagine. The more she thought about this she figured it was best not to lie about what she did and didn't know.

"Well... by folks Ah mean the ponies who found me an' raised me as their own daughter. Ya see they found me in a cocoon er chrysalis thingy in the desert with a message next to me that said ta care of me. Ah don' know how Ah got there or even who left me there but... Ah'm glad they did." she said with a rather warm and nostalgic, yet still fang bearing smile.

Looking down to the floor with a blush she laugehd somewhat nervously before admitting,"So... Ah don' really know how Mah kind... multiplies"

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Nougat's confusion grew as Aria seemed to ponder his question for a bit. Though, maybe she was just debating whether or not to share that information. However, the response he got was definitely not what he'd expected. I was difficult to tell--even for himself--if he felt more disappointed or surprised. "...Oh. Well. That narrows down my list of questions I had. Including a very important one... I guess it does raise a few others, though. Hmmm..." He gave her another hard look, examining her once again, gears in his head turning.

"You've very lucky...I'd assume most ponies would have left you there. Or handed you over to the guard or something. So...wait. That means you've been feeding on your own family. Or...have you been feeding on others? And...that doesn't cause any issues?" He asked both out of curiosity...and, due to the fact that she might indeed end up feeding off of him, depending on how long she stayed.

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The changeling nodded, slowly but clearly hesitantly,"Ya see... tha's just it..." She carefully landed on the ground and calmly trotted over to the book, using her magic to move a few of the pages as if searching for something. She stopped at one... slightly disturbing looking picture of a drone feeding on somepony, the changeling in the picture's mouth hung wide open, his fang bared and almost inhaling what looked like a bright pink aura into his maw.

"Ah've never, ever had to do that... After mah parents showed me this stuff I formed a theory, that Ah can passively feed on love without needing to forcefully take it. I was thinkin' that since they told everypony that Ah was a twin of my sister. Ah was recognized as mah own pony and I was directly absorbing love that was directed at me... Ah'm not sure though if Ah'm a freak er an oddity that can do this or if every other changeling can do this..."

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Nougat listened intently as Aria spoke, looking at the book as well...doing more of his thinking as she explained her hypothesis. "But...you're still feeding off of them. So...you're still a 'leech'.", he stated, a bit bluntly. "But, er...a very friendly...leech. And helpful, I'm assuming. So, you have a more symbiotic relationship with ponykind, rather than parasitic. However, it sounds a lot less convenient than just taking it. Most species fear or hate changelings--they're monsters, effectively. It's not hard to see why your method is an anomaly... However...it doesn't sound much different than the method of replacing a loved one and intercepting affections. It's just, in your case, the prey is aware and willing."

Nougat, despite his name, certainly wasn't one to sugarcoat things. But, he preferred the truth, no matter how bitter it might be. That wasn't to say he was coldhearted, though... Plus, he didn't want to run his specimen off by upsetting her. "Of course...that doesn't make your relationship any less valid... It might actually be stronger, for them to actually accept you into their family, even after the Canterlot incident and knowing what you could do to them--what you are doing to them, every time they show you love. That's a length I'm not sure many ponies would be eager to go to, even for their own friends or relatives." He then gave her a look. "I know I'm apprehensive about it... You are going to need to feed off of me at some point...aren't you?"

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Aria nodded but with each time Nougat said words such as "Leech", "parasitic", and even "Monster". With each utterance of those terms the changeling winced and seemed to recoil like she was being poked in the side by an sharp dagger. Suddenly the changeling mare looked extremely downtrodden, with a sigh she managed to speak up,"Professor .. Ah didn't ask ta be a changeling y'know... Ah didn't even know Ah was feeding off my family and they never seemed the least bit tired around me... and Ah liked normal food so... I never thought I was doin' anything..."

"That's a length I'm not sure many ponies would be eager to go to, even for their own friends or relatives." He then gave her a look. "I know I'm apprehensive about it... You are going to need to feed off of me at some point...aren't you?"

the mare paused a moment,"Ah gotta admit... Ah have been feeling a weird hunger since Ah started looking for other changelings and left mah family. Like Ah said I've never fed the same way they do... so Ah could already be feeding on ya right now." she gave a shrug and decided she may as well take a few steps away.

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"And I didn't ask to be an earth pony. We both just have to...deal with the fact. In our own ways...", he responded, feeling a bit bad seeing her reaction to his words. It was the truth, though. Or...he assumed. Aria seemed to keep causing him to doubt his assumptions about her. A faint pout formed on his face. "Or, maybe I have it all wrong. Maybe you are a 'freak'. It could explain why you were abandoned. I'm...really not sure what to think of you, if what you've said is true." Nougat continued listening and pondering, as he usually did.

"There are a few possibilities I can at least assume, though. Your family could just used to being fed off and show no signs of fatigue...and you never felt the hunger until you were separate from them--now. Or...maybe you're just now maturing. If that's a thing changelings even do. Hmm... Did you emerge from that cocoon the size you are now..?" He blinked when she stepped away...and he paused to think a moment. He wasn't sure if he should offer himself. After all, what if this was just some elaborate trick? He decided it didn't really matter. She could just overpower him in the end.

"It's, er, fine... I wouldn't want you to starve. Plus, it could be an interesting experience. If I feel anything..."

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The mare thought a moment,"Well... mah folks said Ah came out the same size as a foal. Ah grew up and wound up copying my sister on the spot and they told everypony I was her twin." the mare put one of hole-ridden hooves to her chin and recoiled and she wound up poking one of her fangs,"Ow! darn... stupid overgrown teeth."

She stared at Nougat a moment after he made his offer,"Are... you sure about that?"

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Nougat kept listening, always taking her new information into consideration...and attempting to put all the pieces together in his head. "You're definitely an odd case, regardless of how or why you came about..." He glanced between her and the photos of the other changelings. "...I'm guessing you have no idea why you look a bit different than these ones, too..? Maybe...hmm...!" He perked up, as if realizing something, but rather than stating anything further, blinked at her question. Well, if he had any doubts, not was the time to share them...

He nodded, though. "...If you have to. I trust you. For better or worse.", he said, in an only somewhat joking tone.

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Aria tilted her head a moment at that inquiry, "Ah kinda figured it might have been because o' the way Ah acquired love... but It's possible Ah could be somethin' unique" The mare shrugged and looked over her wings. in the photos drones seemed to have smaller wings than she did, but they had about six of them instead the two Aria had on her and she also had a mane as opposed to a fin although it was possible that drones cute their manes to look like that on purpose.

"...If you have to. I trust you. For better or worse.", he said, in an only somewhat joking tone.

The changeling chuckled,"Ah don' think feeding would be the equivalent of a marriage to changelings... otherwise they'd have married most of canterlot!" she said in an equally joking tone. On a serious note though... she was a bit hungry in that weird way she'd only been discovering as of late. "He did say it was okay..." she thought to herself but she did still seem rather divided on this subject.

"well... uh... I'll only try and feed a little... this is my first time doing it consciously." she said with a nervous laugh. Taking a deep breath and stepping towards Nougat,"Fer research!" she said as if she was making a toast before opening her mouth and exposing her fangs, suddenly around nougat there was a faint pinkish aura emanating from him, some of the glowing energy flowing into Aria's mouth for about ten seconds before she shut her mouth tight and coughed,"uh wow.. that was...weird..."

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Nougat shrugged. "It's just speculation. You've probably pondered over it more than I have. You're a special case, either way..."

He seemed a bit flustered at the next bit. "I wasn't referring to marriage... But, er...I wonder how many ponies could have coupled with changelings and don't realize it." This newest line of thought was interrupted as she made it clear that she was apparently going to feed off of him right at this moment. He'd expected her to wait until she needed to, but...surely, it couldn't be that bad if it was subtle enough that their prey wouldn't notice? However, he was quickly reminded that she was actively leeching of of him when she began, which caused him to tense up and shudder visibly, looking fairly uncomfortable and distressed when it was over.

Nougat shook his head a bit, and despite all of his discomfort, didn't make any complaints. "Yes...weird. Please refrain from doing that again unless you're about to starve, though." He certainly made sure to takes some notes now, so he wouldn't have to endure that a second time.

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Aria nodded a moment and her ears drooped a bit as she noticed Nougat's discomfort. She circled him a few times looking him over and making sure he didn't look hurt. The changeling was already looking worried, this was the first time she'd ever fed using this method and she was worried she might have harmed her new friend.

"Ah didn't hurt ya, did Ah?"

Nougat shook his head a bit, and despite all of his discomfort, didn't make any complaints. "Yes...weird. Please refrain from doing that again unless you're about to starve, though." He certainly made sure to takes some notes now, so he wouldn't have to endure that a second time.

She could only nod in a rather sad gesture. Something about the way she was feeding made her feel... dirty. Just the thought that this method was even capable of harming ponies or other creatures made it disturbing to her. What made that feeding session even more distressing for the naive changeling was that she did actually enjoy the "taste" she gained from feeding off of the stallion.

"Ah promise Ah won't" was all she felt was right to say.

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"No no...I'm fine. Relatively. It was just a little...well...draining." As he looked back to Aria, he saw she seemed even more distressed than he was. "Don't worry. That was hardly the worst experiment I've endured. I am an earth pony: I'm very durable, despite my size.", he said in an attempt to lessen her obvious guilt. "Hopefully, we'll become close enough friends that you won't have to resort to that again." Though...he was tempted to ask her again, just to see what it might look like while wearing his goggles. He wasn't eager to do it right now, however.

"Well, then. Moving on..." Having now managed to remember the goggles, he lifted them from hanging around his neck and affixed them over his eyes, looking at her once again--though, he seemed as if he was seeing something entirely new, though he remained silent.

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"Hopefully, we'll become close enough friends that you won't have to resort to that again."

The changeling looked up at Nougat and smiled,"Thanks, Professor. Ah look forward ta bein' friends with ya... and no more feedin' like that. It's a promise." the changeling offered her hoof to the stallion to show her promise was genuine. Aria arched a brow as she noticed Nougat putting on the goggles and going back to inspecting her she idly buzzed her wings and looked back at the stallion again. Nougat had been looking her over for awhile and now the silence was starting to get to her.

"So..." Aria started out thinking for a moment on a topic of conversation,"What exactly do those goggles let ya see?"

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Nougat reached his own hoof out to shake Aria's, noting the odd texture of her perforated limb... "Don't worry so much. I'd prefer that to, say...electrocution...", he commented, as if he had experience with that sort of thing. Then, of course, she inquired about his goggles--something he was always glad to explain to strangers. "Oh! Just...magic. I enchanted them myself..! They're one of my most successful projects.", he said with a bit of smugness.

"And...well. You have roughly the same magical properties as a unicorn might. So, I doubt I'd have been able to tell you apart if you hadn't came in contact with that poison joke... In case you wanted to know." Surely it must have been a bit reassuring to know guards or whatnot couldn't just detect her. At least, not my measuring her magic. Possibly.

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"And...well. You have roughly the same magical properties as a unicorn might. So, I doubt I'd have been able to tell you apart if you hadn't came in contact with that poison joke... In case you wanted to know."

WXOAKmf.jpg

The notion that the changelings weren't ... entirely different from unicorns put her mind at ease, a smile working its way onto her face again. It was nice to know somepony could find her genuinely intriguing rather than disturbing or creepy. "Well Ah think they're pretty cool, snazzy too!" she said with a sort of playfulness before turning around and pretending to strike some poses for her friend,"Ah hope those goggles got mah goodside too!"

"But, seriously Professor um you had a kinda weird look a few times when you were inspectin' me...What was that about?"

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"Oh. Well...thankyou. They took some effort and luck to make. It's never easy working with magic. Considering I can't actually wield it. I'm hoping to fix that...eventually...", he responded, a hint of determination in his voice in the latter statement. He blinked under his goggles when she then turn and posed for him...

"Er...yes. You look nice. In your own way...I suppose.", he said awkwardly, his social skills more then a little rusty from being cooped up here for so long. Female ponies liked being told they looked nice, right? Same principle with her, he hypothesized, turning a simple interaction into something probably too complicated in his head.

His head tilted slightly at her question. "No, no...I was taking a close look, is all. Hmmm...now what else is there...", he muttered, placing a hoof to his chin in thought of what more to ask of her.

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"Er...yes. You look nice. In your own way...I suppose."

"No, no...I was taking a close look, is all. Hmmm...now what else is there..."

WXOAKmf.jpg

The changeling blushed a bit and smiled at the first statement,"Well thank ya Kindly!" she said taking flight again and putting her hoof to her chin and pulling it back with a slighlt yelp of pain,"Ow!... darn oversized teeth..." buzzing a bit lower so she could speak with Nougat easier she thought on his question.

"Uh... perhaps you should look at me through the goggles while I take on somepony else's form?"

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nougat perked up slightly, nodding at her suggestion. "Yes, that seems like a logical next step. Though...I think that'll be all for now. Or maybe not. Hmmm...", he responded, rambling a bit. His eyes then shifted back and forth a bit under his goggles.

"...Why don't you try copying me? That would be...amusing, I guess.", he suggested, a bit playfully, despite his practiced straight-faced expression. He wondered how accurately she would get him on the first try.

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  • 3 weeks later...

WXOAKmf.jpg

"...Why don't you try copying me? That would be...amusing, I guess."

Despite this being pretty much her own idea, Aria was given pause. She had enough time to study some of the stallion's mannerisms, but this was honestly the first time she would be copying somepony other than her sister. Not only was this pony of a different build, but he was the opposite gender of the typical shape she took. Would she even be able to accurately mimic his form? Would she be able to match his voice?

"Well.. there's only one way ta find out..." she muttered to herself before taking a few steps back and looking at Nougat carefully... then closing her eyes.

Soon her body engulfed by a magical aura that resembled purple flames, her body coated with the magic as she gained Nougat's color scheme, grew to his size and matched his physic. It took a few moments but eventually Aria opened her eyes and looked around,"W-wow... This is incredible! A'hm you.. Ah mean yer you but ah look like you do!" After speaking fro a few moments she realized she was speaking in nougat's voice as well,"Ah even sound like you... welll uh I guess minus the accent."

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  • 4 weeks later...

Nougat leaned forward a bit out of curious anticipation--and let his jaw hang open out of wonder as he watched her match him perfectly. He looked her over a few moments before removing his goggles to get a clearer look, his eyes wide and lit up. "This might be the neatest thing I've ever seen up close..!", he commented, dropping his somewhat forced scientist act completely. "You got me right on the first try. You even sound like me..!" His excitement faded a bit though as he eyeballed her...or himself...or whatever, further. "Hm...I really am scrawny and small for an earth pony, aren't I..? And I sound about the same...", he said as if thinking out loud, shaking his head.

"Not important, though..." He didn't waste much time grabbing his own notes on changelings and adding to them, stopping to ponder a bit more. "Anything else you think you could tell me that ponykind might not know about changelings?" He made another pause...wondering if he might be 'grilling' for info to incessantly. Especially after she came all this way for him... "Or...anything you'd like you share about you in particular..?", he asked in a much less academic tone. "You could ask something about me, too. I wouldn't want this all to seem so, er...one-sided..."

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