History Fanfic / TheChangelingOfTheGuard

-->''Idol Hooves:'' Sergeant Bigflank did not so much... ah... push her buttons, as it is that he... typed a very improper letter with a great deal of bad grammar.

--->''Idol Hooves'':“But… but who chose her to lead them?”
--->''Rough Shod'': “Nopony did. Colt, they just followed her. That’s how these things start. Nopony points at somepony and just says ‘there’s your leader’, what kind of bucking sense would that make? She knew what she was doing and where she was going, they bucking didn’t. If they hadn’t followed her, there wouldn’t be a caravan. She’d still be pulling her own cart and these folks would be trudging along and waiting for a barge.

* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Chrysalis banishes Idol from TheHive simply for questioning its structure. [[TheWoobie And poor Idol, not knowing any better, doesn't blame her in the least for this...]]

* TheHive: It's the story of a changeling being exiled from his hive, and what happens afterward.
* TheIngenue: Idol is a male, but he otherwise fits this to a tee. Seeing as he's recounting his first time exploring the world outside TheHive, his naivety is understandable.

* ChekovsGun:

* CheckovsGun:

* AudioAdaptation: Beginning in November 2017, the youtube channel [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI7HD3B0Md0jewkhsg-UD7Q Fanfiction Reader]] began featuring this story as read by a computer voice. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0Kizf2_iaA&list=PL9t4yi6D1qAln1_87UWgrIiFRA7F1szb5 Begin listening here.]]

* CheckovsGun: After completing his guard's training, whilst alone with Shining Armor and Cadance, the two ponies wonder if Idol Hooves mightn't be some kind of time-displaced refugee from the Crystal Empire. The thought nearly knocks Idol off of his hooves as he triggers an Order from Queen Chrysalis demanding he '''stay away from the frozen north'''. Whilst that gun hasn't fired yet, it's a pretty obvious hint that the origins of the changelings may lie with the Crystal Empire.

** Idol Hooves himself -- it sounds like "idle hooves", a ponyfication of "idle hands" (distracted or lazy).

* RefugeInAudacity: Invoked; Topaz explains to Idol that, since most ponies are exotically colored and characterful, bold color schemes and the like just fade into the background. By comparison, deliberately bland ponies like his earlier disguises stand out more ''because'' they're so unremarkable.
* ReallyGetsAround: Due to a series of [[SustainedMisunderstanding sustained]] [[OneDialogueTwoConversations misunderstandings]], Idol has developed something of a reputation for the scope of his (imagined) daliances. It's gotten to the point that even Celestia is aware of his prolific reputation and is eager to remain ignorant of the specifics.

* [[WanderingTheEarth Wandering Equestria]]: Though Idol stays for quite some time in a Saddle Arabian caravan, he eventually leaves to wander on his own.

* ReallyGetsAround: Due to a series of [[SustainedMisunderstanding sustained]] [[OneDialogueTwoConversations misunderstandings]], Idol has developed something of a reputation for the scope of his (imagined) daliances. It's gotten to the point that even Celestia is aware of his prolific reputation and is eager to remsin ignorant of the specifics.

* BeePeople: Changeling society and hive structure is expanded upon in great detail, though very little of the story actually takes place in TheHive itself.

* TheExile: Queen Chrysalis banishes Idol from TheHive for going against the established order.

* [[ShapeShifter Shape Shifters]]: The changelings, obviously. Idol explains the mechanics and technical aspects of shapeshifting quite thoroughly. [[spoiler:He can even take on the form of an alicorn, though not without rather serious consequences... see WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity below.]]

A sequel called "Changeling PErspectives", an anthology of short stories from the perspective of Idol and others, has now begun and can be read [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/411141/the-changeling-of-the-guard-changeling-perspectives here]].

* LiteralMinded: Sort of like a Changeling version of [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Drax]], Idol tends to have trouble understanding metaphors and figures of speech. There are quite a few [[ExpospeakGag Expospeak Gags]] relating to phrases he finds confusing, some of which are very subtle.

* AchievementsInIgnorance: Because Idol's character is wrapped up in just how astoundingly ''ignorant'' of the world outside of the Changeling Hive, and the naivety that ensues from that, he sometimes manages to achieve incredible feats without even realizing the enormity of what he's doing.

* CallBack: In chapter 41, there is mention of a Daring Do book featuring Ahuizotl and a and a figure on the cover that looks suspiciously like Idol.

* CrazyAwesome: In chapter 24, Idol comes up with a suggestion for dealing with a [[{{Planimal}} Timber Wolf]] that falls squarely into this: to stop it constantly [[HealingFactor reassembling itself]], [[spoiler: he and Shining Armor smash it to pieces and ''eat its heart'']]. InUniverse, everyone can't believe Idol actually managed to think up as something like this.

* Workaholic: In the ten years Idol Hooves has served in the royal guard he has never once used one of his vacation days and has accumulated enough vacation days that he could take almost half a year off of paid leave if he wanted to. Eventually Celestia intervenes and has to practically threaten him into using some of his vacation days.

* AlmightyJanitor: By the time we catch up to canon, Idol has served in the royal guards for almost 10 years but is still only ranked at the very bottom. Celestia makes it clear that he's long been overqualified for a rise in rank.

* AlienCatnip / ICantBelieveItsNotHeroin: Changelings have ''interesting'' reactions to honey or anything sugary. They ''are'' insects, after all...

* CloudCuckoolander: To be fair, Idol hasn't exactly had a whole lot of experience outside of TheHive, but some of the things he does are... strange. Such as filling his saddlebags with cement mixture after his first encounter with it, and mistaking a prison cell for comfortable lodging space.

After being exiled from TheHive by [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Chrysalis]] for the crime of questioning the rigid protocol of changeling society, RogueDrone Idol travels Equestria in search of his own identity, meeting other ponies along the way and attempting to satisfy the curiosity that got him exiled in the first place. The problem is, drone changelings like Idol aren't exactly equipped to blend in for long periods of time... and of course, his natural form would be most unwelcome among ponyfolk. Is there any place in Equestria that Idol can truly call his own?

* AudioAdaptation: Beginning in November 2017, the youtube channel [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI7HD3B0Md0jewkhsg-UD7Q Fanfiction Reader]] began featuring this story as read by a computer voice. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0Kizf2_iaA&list=PL9t4yi6D1qAln1_87UWgrIiFRA7F1szb5 Begin listening here]]

* PunnyName: Wasta Matter's name is a two-fold one. Firstly, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasta "Wasta"]] is a concept in Arabian cultures that refers to getting things done through favoritism instead of merit using one's connections (basically {{Neopotism}}. Secondly, it sounds pretty close to "Watsa Matter" (a lowbrow English pronounciation of "What's the matter?"), which fits his laidback, easy-going, borderline irresponsible personality.

* AchievementsInIgnorance: Idol manages to find his way into a temple [[spoiler:right before Daring Do and Ahuizotl show up]] - and marvels at the imagery on the walls, grows annoyed when loose stones cause spikes, darts and arrows to try to impale him, and eventually just passes by all the (undoubtedly trapped) loot within to grab a mysteriously enchanted gob-er, chalice. He then escapes without qualm or concern, completely and utterly failing to realize what he's just done.
** He later joins the Royal Guard by accident.

* RogueDrone

* WorthlessYellowRocks: While Idol was exploring a temple, he ends up wandering into a treasure vault. He's more interested in the architecture of the room and regards the piles of gold as being too soft, and the gemstones to be too small, to use as building material and is confused why anyone would bother stockpiling it.

* SuperToughness: Nothing much seems to hurt Idol, demonstrated when he explores a crypt and is only [[AnnoyingArrows mildly annoyed]] by the constant booby-traps... [[AchievementsInIgnorance the booby-traps he even notices, anyway]]. He later demonstrates this to a very alarmed Topaz by jumping off a very high roof and landing in front of her without a scratch while wearing his unicorn disguise. His exoskeleton does have its limits however such as when he catches Shining Armor after he falls from a climbing exercise and the impact ends up cracking his carapace fairly severely.

* SuperDrowningSkills: Idol doesn't seem to quite understand the concept of swimming. During training, when the trainees were ordered to jump into a pool of water and swim to the end he sinks to the bottom and [[WalkDontSwim trots to the end]] and sits there when he realizes he couldn't get back up until it's implied that he ends up passing out from lack of oxygen.

* ExtremeOmnivore: Idol Hooves naturally. Besides the fact that he [[EmotionEater feeds on emotions]] he has no problem eating meat as well as vegetation and he's not picky about the meat either, whether it be snakes, scorpions or insects. During his guard training he eats six [[MasochistsMeal MREs]] and asked for more, to the sheer disbelief of his commanding officers and fellow trainees. Later still he eats a stew that Topaz made for him that had crushed egg shells in it by mistake without seeing any problems with it and in the morning is shown to have no problem drinking said stew while it was boiling hot ([[HilarityEnsues Topaz on the other hoof...]]). [[spoiler: Then of course there's him suggesting that he and Shining Armor ''eat'' a timber woof's "heart" to keep it from regenerating (noted to taste almost like meat with the texture of wood)]]. When he's questioned on the subject by Topaz he admits that his only standard for food is that it's edible and doesn't make him ill.