Line #158 Fanfic/DCdt0


1	''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/250967/dc-dt-0 dC/dt≠0]]'' is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic by I Thought I Was Toast, initially published in 2015.
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3	It's presented as an [[ATrueStoryInMyUniverse In-Universe book]] about the integration of the changelings, authored by Changing Times, as described by [[TheArchmage Princess Twilight Sparkle]] of Equestria and Prince Morpheus of the Hive of the First Father, beginning with Morpheus approaching the Princesses of Equestria (with a little help from Discord) with a MagicallyBindingContract that ransoms the lives of the entire changeling population against their good behaviour. After some discussion, it is decided that, to see if integration is viable, Morpheus will stay with Twilight in Ponyville.
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5	Things quickly go off the rails, with Spike's distrust and meetings with the other Bearers resulting in ever more paranoia. Oh, and Twilight's castle [[GeniusLoci is alive]], and ''also'' doesn't trust Morpheus. Despite Twilight's planning, first encounters with the rest of the Bearers go off the rails. And then things get even more complicated.
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7	Dormant; last updated February 2018
8	----
9	!!This fanfic contains examples of:
10	* AbdicateTheThrone: After Chrysalis' [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E25ACanterlotWeddingPart1 failed]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E26ACanterlotWeddingPart2 attack]] on the ponies, and after failing to discover ''why'' it was failed, she abdicated in favour of Morpheus. [[spoiler:Third Eye is highly sceptical that she actually did this, whatever Morpheus thinks, given that she didn't tell him some stuff she should have if she actually surrendered the throne]].
11	* AbsurdlyLongStairway: Castle does this on occasion, like when there's a risk of Twilight and Morpheus walking in on Shining and Cadance [[UnusualEuphemism paying homage to Sleipnir]].
12	* AffectionateNickname: Morpheus becomes "Mo" to Twilight, possibly picked up from Errant, who calls him "Uncle Mo Mo".
13	* AlcoholHic: Morpheus, while drunk on Pinkie Pie.
14	* AlcoholInducedIdiocy: Morpheus is prone to this in proximity to Pinkie Pie, including, at one point, cooking as Dusk Shine[[note]]RuleSixtyThree Twilight Sparkle[[/note]] because she suggested it'd be easier to cook with both wings and horn, and being unable to stay female due to intoxication.
15	* AlienBlood: Changelings have green blood, and thus blush green, something Morpheus carefully doesn't mention for a while.
16	* AlienCatnip: Meets EmotionEater with Pinkie Pie, unfiltered exposure renders Morpheus ''very'' drunk. Notably, that ''[[BeyondTheImpossible shouldn't happen]]'', a Lords' metabolism is too fast.
17	* AlienGeometries: One of the rides at the park is a Ferris wheel that runs through seven dimensions.
18	* AltarDiplomacy: Morpheus briefly considers it early on, but discards the idea as the Princesses (particularly [[LoveGoddess Cadance]]) wouldn't accept the idea of a purely political marriage in time, if at all. Later on, Rarity suggests this as part of her ShipperOnDeck tendencies.
19	* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: Twilight spends portions of "Home and Hearth" studiously ignoring her Dad. Of course, it doesn't help when the photo album comes out.
20	* AntiMagic: Discord places an antimagic bubble on the room where Morpheus is waiting for Twilight, at Morpheus' request. While Twilight initially thinks it an act of good faith, Discord claims that Morpheus requested for his own benefit to avoid being attacked on sight.
21	* AssassinOutclassin: [[spoiler:Morpheus deals with General Carapace's assassination attempt due to a fortuitous end to his Chrysalling]].
22	* AuthorAppeal: The frequent computing jokes.
23	* AwesomenessByAnalysis: Morpheus makes good use of the information and processing capacity of the HiveMind.
24	* BadassBoast: Morpheus, while very angry and in [[GroinAttack quite a lot of pain]], attempts this on Rainbow Dash. Fortunately, he's slipped into Chitri, so all it gets him is laughed at and (badly) imitated due to sounding like a chipmunk.
25	* {{Beat}}: After Morpheus asks why he would demand anything from Equestria in a MagicallyBindingContract.
26	* BecomingTheMask: While changelings spend almost all their time in one form of disguise or another, the disguise tends to bleed back into their true selves, and vice-versa. Later on, Rarity and Cadance fully expect this to happen to Morpheus and Twilight in their fake romance. [[spoiler:They're completely correct]].
27	* BedsheetGhost: Rarity, after realising she's run out of time to sort a costume for Nightmare Night, resorts to this.
28	--> '''''Rarity:''' I died of shame from my lack of a good costume.''
29	* BerserkButton: Hera becomes very agitated when Morpheus is hurt or attacked, or ''appears'' to be hurt or attacked. Fortunately, [[TheStoic she keeps a lid on it most of the time]]. Also, when Shining calls Morpheus a liar, Morpheus snaps, in a case of CultureClash, as while Shining intended[[note]]For once[[/note]] only mild teasing, accusing a changeling of lying is a serious insult, and the particular subject matter was one that Morpheus has, for very good reason, had to offer assurance on regularly.
30	* TheBet: Morpheus horns in on a previous one that he couldn't last a day on Applejack's farm, with his victory meaning they have to give him a fair chance. [[spoiler:It's rendered moot when Rainbow gives Morpheus a concussion]].
31	* ChekhovsBoomerang: [[spoiler:The sensory overload effect shows up several times, due to its utility as a surprise combat technique against those unprepared for it]].
32	* ChekhovsGag: The pirate-themed General? [[spoiler:Is General Carapace, one of the changelings actively working against Morpheus. He's also vulnerable to needling about it]].
33	* BigDamnKiss: One wins Morpheus and Twilight the costume competition in [[HalloweenEpisode Night of the Living Changelings]], despite being fake (they were going as Snow White and Prince Charming, hence the winning, but Morpheus carefully made sure their lips never touched). [[spoiler:Shortly afterwards, they have a real one that triggers Morpheus's Chrysalling]].
34	* BigEntrance: Rarity is very good at this, a skill that Morpheus admires her for. The occasion that spurs the comment is her crashing through the door into a steam-filled room and yelling "[[GratuitousFrench J'accuse!]]".
35	* BigFancyCastle: Twilight's castle is huge, with facilities to house hundreds of ponies. It's inhabited by less than a dozen. [[GeniusLoci Including itself]].
36	* BizarreAlienBiology: Changelings get a lot of this to support their VoluntaryShapeshifting, but a particular standout is Chrysalling: as a changeling develops they undergo several periods of metamorphosis. The Zeroth Chrysalling occurs in the egg, and is triggered by the Breeders to create a true changeling, rather than a feral thing. The First Chrysalling occurs shortly after the larvae hatch and develop a connection to the HiveMind as well as sentience. After the resulting nymph realises what they want to do for the hive, they undergo the Second Chrysalling, differentiating into the specific castes. The Third and subsequent Chrysallings are legendary, and the triggers are basically unknown in the Hive of the First Father. [[spoiler:Not so in the Everfree Hive, where most undergo the Third Chrysalling (which confers a tribal identity) quickly after an extended stay in Equestria, and some undergo the Fourth (essentially becoming changeling Alicorns). The founder of the hive underwent the Fifth to depart from changeling society in the way he did, essentially becoming a new hive]].
37	* BizarreAlienReproduction: It's not been entirely elaborated on, but is both complex and ([[TakeOurWordForIt apparently]]) somewhat icky[[note]]Involving biomancy on the eggs of the hive[[/note]]. [[spoiler:Word Of God is that changeling reproduction shouldn't work like that, it's a response to the Hive of the First Father being essentially made up of immature changelings. Once they undergo the Third Chrysalling, they can reproduce in a much more normal manner]].
38	* BizarreAlienSenses:
39	** Rainbow Dash is able to tell something is wrong with how Snow Flurry[[note]]Morpheus, disguised as a pegasus[[/note]] does her weather manipulation because of her own weather sense.
40	-->'''Rainbow Dash:''' Normal wind doesn’t sound like a mob of ponies talking all at once.
41	:: : As later explained by Morpheus, the wind talks to pegasi, granting them the reaction speed necessary to do what they do. It's not always reliable though, as the wind is both fickle and loves a joke.
42	:: : Curiously, weather sense in this story is remarkably similar to Earth Pony magic in the older fic FanFic/TriptychContinuum
43	** Earth ponies have a tremorsense ability.
44	* BlatantLies: Aloe and Lotus excuse their lateness by claiming "an important staff meeting". They were eavesdropping at the door for juicy gossip. Also, the section title "In which, nothing of note happens". Of course, given it's ''[[NoSocialSkills Morpheus]]'', he could genuinely have missed the significance. Twilight didn't.
45	* BodyguardingABadass: {{Discussed}}. Morpheus reckons that any guard Twilight has will be more for keeping everyone else safe while [[TheArchmage she]] deals with the problem. Also, [[spoiler:Hera comes to Ponyville and ends up bodyguarding Morpheus]]. Later on, Twilight does end up with a bodyguard, Bulwark.
46	* BoisterousBruiser: Luna's tendencies in this direction were a great relief to the griffon ambassadors.
47	* BrainBleach: Twilight generally has this response to thinking about her brother's sexuality. Unfortunately, this happens rather often, either due to [[DreamWalker stumbling into]] Cadance's [[EroticDream dreams]], or [[spoiler:deliberately played to by Chrysalis]].
48	* BrainsAndBondage: Chrysalis (much to Morpheus' [[ParentalSexualitySquick mortification]]) and Shining Armor and Cadance.
49	* CapitalLettersAreMagic: Morpheus really hopes that when Zecora says she learned off [[spoiler:a "malpractitioner"]], there was no capital letter. [[OhCrap There was]].
50	* CarnivoreConfusion: Twilight exploited the mirror portal to ethically source meat for the carnivores in Equestria (and her own tastes, after the visit).
51	* CatchAFallingStar: Rainbow Dash saves two foals forced to dive out of a fourth-floor window.
52	* CeilingCling: At one point, Twilight awakens to the sight of Morpheus hanging onto her ceiling. There's an actual reason for this.
53	* TheChainsOfCommanding: Morpheus has some serious problems, being responsible for the survival (or extinction) of his entire race, and having had most of his childhood friends drift away due to protocol problems with him being a Lord.
54	* TheChessmaster: [[spoiler:Discord. He's playing both sides, probably to Morpheus' benefit, though maybe not, is trusted by Chrysalis and manipulated Rainbow into trusting Morpheus]] with a BatmanGambit.
55	* ChessMotifs: Lady Antiquity explains her delightfully cynical worldview using this.
56	* ChildrenAreInnocent: Errant is used to help calm a PowderKegCrowd, much to Webber's concern. In general, Errant's interactions with the foals of Ponyville help the integration.
57	* ChristmasEpisode: "Home and Hearth".
58	* ColonyDrop: The true ending to the [[spoiler:Love Poison story is when Ichorous]] "reached to the stars and pulled".
59	* ComplexityAddiction: A consequence of changelings' mental resources is that they tend to overcomplicate things.
60	* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: Morpheus punishes Blueblood by arranging for every meal he orders for a month to have a fly in it.
61	* CooldownHug: Fluttershy does this more than once when Morpheus is getting overwhelmed.
62	* TheCorruption: [[spoiler:Love Poisons, combined with a catalyst, believed to be true love, is one for changelings, leading to the Fall of Ichorous. This is somewhat concerning, given that the Hive of the First Father has been using Love Poisons for generations as a quick-and-dirty[[note]]And rather unhealthy[[/note]] substitute for love in a pinch. Perhaps it's fortunate that they also thought they couldn't feel true love...]]
63	* CrazyPrepared: Rarity has prepacked saddlebags for any adventure she could think of. Although the project was originally called "Around the World in 80 Dresses", it has apparently far exceeded that number since.
64	* CrypticallyUnhelpfulAnswer: Malpractitioners are notorious for it. When Morpheus complains, Applejack [[HypocriticalHumour takes some amusement]].
65	* {{Curse}}: The price of accepting Malpractice's aid is to take one, despite what Twilight may say. They're not always bad, it's just that they tend to be subtler about the upsides.
66	* CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon: Twilight threatens to turn Discord's vocal chords to stone when he's being annoying.
67	* TheCynic: Morpheus. He's unusually optimistic for a changeling, most of them are ''worse''.
68	* TheDarkArts: [[MagicallyBindingContract The Unbreakable Contract]]. There's a reason that most records of how to do it were destroyed (and, after memorising them, the last were destroyed by Morpheus). It's horribly abusable, and can lock people into contracts that override their free will or kill them if they break them. His using it even as much as he does is only because [[GodzillaThreshold it's that or extinction]]. Even ''[[PowerAtAPrice Malpractice]]'' has a better reputation than the Unbreakable Contract.
69	* DatePeepers: Rainbow Dash spies on Twilight and "Wicked Smooth"'s "First Date".
70	* DecadentCourt: Changeling nobility can get vicious. Part of the reason Morpheus wrote the contract the way he did was to try and keep them in check.
71	* DeadpanSnarker: Several characters have their moments, including [[FirstPersonSmartass Twilight and Morpheus]], as well as [[GeniusLoci Castle]] (despite being [[SilentSnarker mostly mute]]), Lyra and Third Eye.
72	* DeathGlare: Shining's default expression around Morpheus.
73	* DefectorFromDecadence: [[spoiler:The Lord of what would become the Everfree Hive 1000 years ago was exiled from changeling society when he proposed making peace with the ponies, which means that when Morpheus comes along attempting to cause just that, his successor is very on board]].
74	* DelayedReaction: [[ShipperOnDeck Rarity]] takes a little while to react after Twilight tells her that she and "Wicked Smooth"[[note]]Morpheus, and Rarity knows it[[/note]] are dating, leading to the BigEntrance described above. (It's a fake relationship, specifically to get the [[ShipperOnDeck Shippers On Deck]], of whom Rarity is an example, off Twilight's back).
75	* DestructoNookie: According to Castle, Rainbow and Applejack have wrecked at least one kitchen.
76	* DidntThinkThisThrough: The more he learns about ponies and friendship, the more Morpheus realises this about his mother's invasion.
77	* DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu: Errant [[ShutUpHannibal interrupts]] Chrysalis mid-speech by bouncing a beach ball off her head. [[spoiler:It helps turn the crowd she's trying to intimidate against her because her response, threatening a ''child'', is something both ponies and changelings disapprove of]].
78	* DopeSlap: Twilight gets into a round of this, slapping both Shining and Morpheus when they won't lay off each other. It doesn't help, and quickly escalates through squirt bottles to [[ThrowTheBookAtThem encyclopaedias]].
79	* DreamWalker: Twilight learns oneiromancy from Luna so that [[spoiler:she can visit Spike while he's away]].
80	* DrillSergeantNasty: Drill Sergeant Sunshine has this reputation.
81	* EditorialSynaesthesia: InUniverse, because pony brains aren't designed to process the changeling HiveMind or emotion senses, Morpheus has to link the inputs to the pony's normal sensory inputs.
82	* EmotionBomb: Morpheus uses a variant, manipulating the wind and [[VoluntaryShapeshifting his own body]] to trip every danger instinct in a horde of bunnies.
83	* EmotionEater: Changelings, as in canon. It's elaborated on somewhat, with different emotions having different tastes[[note]]Distrust is bitter. Anger comes in several varieties, including spicy. Fear tastes like curdled milk. Embarrassment is rubbery, and mixes ''badly'' with cotton-candy amusement. Primal lust is leathery. Contentment is cool and jealousy itches. Pride gives everything an electric tingle.[[/note]]. They can feed off ambient emotion, or off specific creatures, but taking too much or too rashly can cause damage. [[spoiler:Morpheus accidentally causes serious damage to Applejack's love, precipitating a major quarrel with Rainbow Dash, her lover]]. The damage can be repaired, though it's near-impossible if you aren't a changeling, [[spoiler:tipping off Morpheus to Lyra's hive, as he doesn't have chance to fix it before she does]]. The diet can also affect the changeling, joy [[AlienCatnip gets them drunk]], too much love can cause cardiac arrest[[note]][[BizarreAlienBiology Not that bad if the love can be swallowed or regurgitated]][[/note]], and negative emotions produce a delightful array of unpleasant health effects.
84	** Changelings aren't the only ones, with another creature being described, a Malpractitioner. They feed off curiousity, usually by taking an apprentice and being an endless font of {{Cryptically Unhelpful Answer}}s.
85	-->The price of knowing is not to know.
86	* TheEmpath: Changelings, due to being {{Emotion Eater}}s. It's how Morpheus realises that Castle is actually sentient. Cadance also is, at least [[DownplayedTrope somewhat]], which is why [[spoiler:Celestia told her about Morpheus as early as she did, as Cadance would be able to sense the changeling nature of any disguise he used. Interestingly, it appears to be limited to the Hive of the First Father, as Lyra passed undetected]].
87	* EnigmaticMinion: [[spoiler:Discord is this, despite his apparent randomness. He might be working with Chrysalis. He might be manipulating Chrysalis. He's certainly got some stake in helping Morpheus and Twilight, but ''what'' is yet to be seen]]. Somewhat interestingly, it's entirely possible the readers (and Morpheus) have been told exactly what's going on, it's just been modulated with so much nonsense, double-talk and {{Half Truth}}s to make it near-impossible to see before it happens.
88	* EpicFail: Morpheus' attempt to brute-force snowcone making as a cutie mark talent. Explosions ensue.
89	* EroticDream: While practising oneiromancy, Twilight accidentally wanders into Cadance's dream, and then leaves very quickly.
90	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Changelings that kill love are executed. After all, [[PragmaticVillainy it's not like]] they can afford to [[EmotionEater do it too much]].
91	* EveryoneCanSeeIt: [[spoiler:Twilight and Morpheus. Seriously, ''everyone''. It takes less than a full day for his old friends to see it once they arrive in Ponyville, despite his protestations]]. Interestingly, this also happened on a meta level. They weren't originally planned to fall in love, but after writing the interactions for a while, [[IJustWriteTheThing it happened naturally]].
92	* EvilGloating: Morpheus does this [[DidIJustSayThatOutLoud accidentally]] after challenging Castle to Swindler's Chess. When he [[OhCrap realises]], he panics that this will cause Twilight and Spike to distrust him more, [[spoiler:it actually has the opposite effect on Twilight, who bursts out laughing due to the similarity to Rainbow Dash. Spike, unfortunately, freaks completely]].
93	* EvilLawyerJoke: While the [[MagicallyBindingContract Unbreakable Contract]] is no laughing matter, the opportunity to drop in a few jabs is taken.
94	* ExactWords: While Morpheus does need to have the Princesses' trust, so mostly negotiates honestly, he's not above a little of this with the MagicallyBindingContract, specifically retaining access to the HiveMind (it's a biological, not magical, function) despite most of his power being sharply limited. Also, [[spoiler:Discord deals with threats before they happen, but let both Morpheus and Chrysalis through]].
95	* ExplainExplainOhCrap: A second-hand example, via Morpheus
96	--> "Webber and I are actually talking now, but it’s just going through the numbers as always. You know, right now he says there’s a thirty-two point three percent chance that telling you I can even partially communicate with others through the Hivemind will do more harm than good? Does that even count as a conversation?"
97	--> The last analyst paused as he finally caught up to where we were in the conversation. He had been so busy with worst case scenarios that he had only just reached my most plausible response now.
98	* ExpositionBeam: How Twilight and the others learn [[spoiler:the history of the Everfree Hive]], directly plugging into the HiveMind archives.
99	* ExpospeakGag: How Twilight and Morpheus exchange information on [[KissOfLife enzyme transfer]] without Twilight dying of embarrassment. Unfortunately, [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel Rarity]] has encountered the phrasing[[note]]"Lingual lipase was exchanged"[[/note]] before.
100	* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:Third Eye lived in Canterlot for a while, but did this during Chrysalis' attack in order to avoid the subsequent crackdown on changelings]].
101	* FantasticNuke: "Bug Bombs" are implied to be this. Fortunately, Spi made sure that noling thinks they're a viable weapon.
102	* FirstKiss: [[spoiler:Morpheus kisses Twilight while she's asleep to test his reaction and try and work out if he's actually in love. It doesn't have quite the effect he's after, and he immediately remonstrates himself for doing it]]. Later on, [[spoiler:their ''actual'' first kiss triggers his Third Chrysalling]].
103	* FlorenceNightingaleEffect: Ichorous and Radiant Dawn.
104	* TheFogOfAges: [[spoiler:Third Eye/Father Arachne]] is subject to this, being over a thousand years old.
105	* ForcedSleep: Looming Slumber is a carnivorous Everfree plant that induces sleep and then digests those caught by it. Twilight crashes into a bed of it during a Wild Storm.
106	* ForegoneConclusion: The [[ATrueStoryInMyUniverse nature of the story]] guarantees that Twilight and Morpheus survive and that the changeling integration is at least partially successful.
107	* ForeignQueasine: Meat is this to most of Equestria, but Twilight publicly eating it (with Morpheus' encouragement)[[note]]She acquired a taste for it on the other side of the Mirror Portal[[/note]] helps to change that. She also teases Rarity by eating some real-world {{Stock Yuck}}s (snails and squid).
108	* FullNameUltimatum: Cadance uses this on Shining Adamantine Armor.
109	* TheGadfly: Discord, as in canon. Also, the very wind itself, as Rainbow learns while learning how to use her BizarreAlienSenses.
110	* GenderBender: Changelings have no problem using their shapeshifting for this.
111	* GenghisGambit: [[spoiler:Chrysalis' plan, to help the integration. Probably]].
112	* GeniusLoci: The Friendship Castle is sentient and capable of [[MobileMaze an awful lot]] within its walls. So long as no-one sees certain changes directly. Of course, given it also has control over the lighting, this isn't much of a problem.
113	* GeometricMagic: The [[MagicallyBindingContract Unbreakable Contract]] takes the form of this, with many, many layers of sigils.
114	* GirlfriendInCanada: Discord claims that the butterfly collection is not his, but belongs to a [[IncrediblyLamePun Caneighdian]] friend. In this case, it's a form of SuspiciouslySpecificDenial. [[spoiler:But not the form you think. The butterflies belong to Chrysalis]].
115	* GodzillaThreshold: Morpheus does what he does because there is simply no other option. He ''must'' convince Equestria to permit 5000 harvesters to enter inside a month, or they will cross the point of no return.
116	* GrammarNazi: PlayedWith, Twilight isn't one (knowing the history of grammar and how arbitrary much of it is), but Morpheus manages to ([[PronounTrouble apparently]], he's actually right) go wrong enough that she gets annoyed[[note]]In her defence, she was also rather stressed at the time[[/note]].
117	** Unfortunately, the chapter was rewritten; this was downplayed in the rewrite.
118	* GroinAttack: Rainbow does it to Morpheus. Fortunately he's not in a form where this matters overmuch. It still hurts, due to him having previously redistributed his chitin to counter a [[UseYourHead headbutt]].
119	* HalloweenEpisode: "Night of the Living Changelings"
120	* HeadDesk: Twilight and Morpheus, several times, when discussing her encounter with Queen Chrysalis, out of embarrassment. Later on, this is Morpheus' initial response to Zecora, who knows more than he does, knows it, and ''won't stop rhyming'', though he suppresses the urge.
121	* HeroicLineage: In this 'verse, Twilight is apparently descended from Luna.
122	* HeroicRROD: Twilight suffers acute mana exhaustion after the Manehattan riots. While the hospital has mana reserves for this kind of case, she takes up all of them, plus Rarity's, to just stabilise, and a long effort from Morpheus to revive her[[note]]Although the main reason it's time consuming is that he decides it's probably best not sticking his tongue down her throat when there are witnesses[[/note]].
123	* HeroSecretService: Despite her protests, after the Manehattan riots Twilight is assigned a bodyguard from Celestia's guard until she can select her own cadre.
124	* HiddenAgendaVillain: Chrysalis. Her actions are apparently contradictory and self-defeating, but it's implied that she's actually up to something with her XanatosSpeedChess. [[spoiler:Discord might know what's going on, but isn't telling. Yet]]. Morpheus thinks [[spoiler:it might be a Genghis Gambit to help the integration]].
125	* HiveMind: Changelings have one, but are also individuals. It acts as a form of racial memory and allows them to run simulations to inform their actions.
126	* HopeIsScary: Morpheus' successes scare the changelings, making them suspicious because it's going better than they dared think it might.
127	* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: GenderInverted, [[spoiler:Twilight gets a brief one from Hera after her Relationship Upgrade with Morpheus]].
128	* ImTakingHerHomeWithMe: A young Twilight Sparkle apparently once did this with a [[EldritchAbomination Hound of Tindalos]].
129	* IneptMage: Cadance had to learn magic as an adult, and her many {{Magic Misfire}}s apparently were even worse than the tribulations of raising Flurry Heart (according to Morpheus, she single-handedly induced a population boom in Istallia). She's outgrown it by now, though.
130	* InhumanableAlienRights: Some Equestrians argue for this after changelings are revealed. Fortunately, this doesn't go over well with the ponies actually in charge.
131	* InsistentTerminology: Antiquity isn't a [[ShapeshiftingSeducer "Widowmaker"]], she's a "Corruptional Enthusiast".
132	* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne: When Rainbow, asking for details about [[spoiler:Morpheus and Twilight's]] sex life, is told that she's as bad as Rarity, Rarity objects, claiming that she has no interest in their private life, [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel just the dramatic romance]].
133	* IThinkYouBrokeHer: After Twilight gets a look inside a changeling hive.
134	* IWantGrandkids: [[spoiler:''Princess Celestia'', of all people,]] asks this of Ichorous when he is believed to be courting their daughter. In the present day, [[spoiler:Night Light and Twilight Velvet]] are also very keen, and thorougly unsubtle about it.
135	* JustTheFirstCitizen: [[spoiler: The Lords are an inversion. The changeling word for the caste is closer to "clerk", and they're meant to manage, not rule. That is the role of the Shaepherds. The Hive of the First Father, lacking them, is not just incomplete, but ''wounded'' by the Fall of Ichorous and the corruption of the Love Poison]].
136	* KissOfLife: [[spoiler:Chrysalis rejuvenates Twilight by feeding her crystallised love and then transferring the enzymes needed to digest it. There are simpler ways of doing it, but she enjoys making Twilight struggle with the taboo undertones of feeding her her own brother's love. For bonus points, she's wearing Twilight's form at the time]]. Later on, [[spoiler:Morpheus has to do this to revive Twilight after he accidentally overfeeds on her]].
137	* KissOfTheVampire: Changeling venom has a similar effect.
138	* KnightOfCerebus: Lady Antiquity Antipathy.
139	* KnightTemplarBigBrother: Initially {{Averted}}. Despite his instincts on the matter, Shining knows that Twilight can handle herself. [[spoiler:He does send Flash Sentry to discreetly guard her, though]]. It doesn't last, unfortunately, as he becomes increasingly wary of Morpheus' closeness to Twilight.
140	* TheLadysFavour: A variant is an old pegasus tradition, gifting a flight feather to their beloved. Rainbow does it to Applejack, on the advice of Rarity, who's advice she'd sought on how to show affection without "ruining her reputation". Morpheus considers this a rather devious prank, given just what it actually implies[[note]]It's a sign of true devotion, and could be considered a sign of commitment tantamount to proposing.[[/note]].
141	* LargeAndInCharge: The true form of [[spoiler:Third Eye/Father Arachne]], much to Rainbow's delight.
142	* LimbSensationFascination: Morpheus has a brief bout after [[spoiler:rebuilding his body during the Third Chrysalling]].
143	* LossOfIdentity: Pony methods of [[ExpositionBeam memory transference]] have this risk. The changeling version is [[DownplayedTrope much less dangerous]] and what merging does occur is temporary (although it does have a tendency to result in using changeling pronouns when referring to the memories).
144	* LovecraftianSuperpower: The results of the fourth and subsequent Chrysallings is a [[SubvertedTrope Subversion]]; despite the [[PowerUpgradingDeformation aesthetic]], it's a natural part of the changeling life cycle and [[spoiler:achieving it is made much easier by friendly contact with ponies, making the Defector From Decadence-originating Everfree Hive the only changelings have achieved it within recent history]].
145	* LoveDodecahedron: Briefly {{Discussed}} when Twilight tells [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel Rarity]] to not say anything on Morpheus' [[DoubleEntendre innuendo-laden]][[note]]Though completely platonic, Rainbow is both happily taken and gay[[/note]] [[VitriolicBestBuds relationship]] with Rainbow Dash.
146	* LoveGoddess: Princess Cadance knows how this sort of thing works, so [[spoiler:knows well in advance that Morpheus and Twilight's fake relationship will grow into true romance]].
147	* LovePotion: The love poison from [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E17HeartsAndHoovesDay canon]] and its origin story is important. [[spoiler:The "Prince" was a changeling, Ichorous, and the princess was Radiant Dawn, the daughter of Princess Celestia. To save Radiant from the poison, Ichorous drank the tainted love, an action that triggered his Chrysalling, but also tainted it, driving him mad. Later, after she tried to save him, he was forced to save her from the swarm]]. [[HeroicSacrifice He did so]]. [[ColonyDrop Comprehensively]]. Given that the Hive of the First Father has been using {{Love Potion}}s as quick pick-me-ups for generations, this is somewhat concerning.
148	* LudicrousPrecision: Changelings, occasionally, due to their HiveMind-enhanced processing capacity.
149	* MagicallyBindingContract: Morpheus' opening offer is an Unbreakable Contract that locks him and the entire changeling race into good behaviour, and kills them ([[FinalSolution all of them]]) if it broken. [[spoiler:Celestia, furious[[note]]As in, the only reason Morpheus is not less than ash is because it would condemn the changelings[[/note]], reforges the contract so that the only changeling signatory is Morpheus, with some added clauses to prevent further use of the Unbreakable Contract]].
150	* MasterPoisoner: House Antipathy has this reputation.
151	* TheMatchmaker: Harvester caste changelings are notorious for this. Of course, given their duties, it's not too surprising.
152	* MeetTheInLaws: Much of "Home and Hearth", where [[spoiler:Morpheus meets Twilight's parents]].
153	* MercyKill: The reason Morpheus was willing to build a kill switch into the [[MagicallyBindingContract Unbreakable Contract]]. If the negotiations failed, then there would be no hope for the changelings.
154	* MotorMouth: Twilight is in possession of one that kicks in when she's in {{Squee}} mode, a particularly notable example being her first time inside a hive, when her mouth outruns her brain.
155	* {{Munchkin}}: According to Spike, Morpheus is this when playing [[AlliterationAndAdventurers Ogres and Oubliettes]], MinMaxing diplomacy to redeem the villains.
156	* MustHaveCaffeine: Apparently Twilight shouldn't drink coffee after two in the morning due to the [[AcidRefluxNightmare strange dreams]] she gets. This doesn't always stop her. Morpheus is slightly less manic about it, but not much.
157	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Morpheus, after he discovers [[spoiler:that there are hives outside the Hive of the First Father, making his kill-switch in the Unbreakable Contract unnecessary]].
158	* NaiveNewcomer: Twilight is one to the Princesses, as demonstrated when she asks what "genocide" means.
159	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: The name for [[spoiler:Zecora's]] healing profession [[spoiler:is ''literally'' Malpractice]].
160	* NarrativeProfanityFilter: Morpheus filters out Spike's extensive (and [[CurseOfTheAncients a little ancient]]) profanity. He also does it for himself, not even relying on PardonMyKlingon (although interestingly, he ''doesn't'' censor "lies", a profanity in Chitri, translating it to Equestrian in the account, [[InvertedTrope Inverting]] PardonMyKlingon).
161	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:Forcing only Morpheus to be bound by the Unbreakable Contract seriously messes with Morpheus' plans, as he has to divert resources to keeping the other Lords under control]].
162	* TheNicknamer: Lyra.
163	* NoBiologicalSex: Changeling nymphs, including Errant.
164	* NoodleIncident: The Night of Broken Baths, which resulted in six new intimate relationships (five couples and [[{{Polyamory}} a herd of five]]. The only one surviving longer than three months was Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Also, exactly what [[KillerRabbit Angel]] and [[RealityWarper Discord]] did to Bulk.
165	* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: [[spoiler:The lords believe the founders of the Everfree hive long dead from starvation]].
166	* NoSell: Discord is completely unfazed by Twilight's attempt at a "To The Sun" voice, comparing her unfavourably to Celestia, who apparently honed the technique on Discord.
167	* NoSocialSkills: Twilight's attempts at romance have a habit of failing due to her approaching them like a science project, much to [[ShipperOnDeck Rarity's]] dismay.
168	* NotAMorningPerson: Both Twilight and Morpheus, much to the rest of the Bearers' amusement.
169	* NotInFrontOfTheKid: Twilight Velvet chastises Cadance for discussing sex (admittedly hidden behind innuendo) in front of Flurry[[note]]To Twilight Sparkle's relief[[/note]], and says the discussion should be continued after Flurry has gone to bed[[note]]To Twilight's horror[[/note]].
170	* NotSoAboveItAll: [[TheStoic Hera]] joins in the ribbing of Morpheus during the training sessions with Rainbow and Applejack. She also ends up [[LaughThemselvesSick Laughing Herself Sick]] after she learns that [[spoiler:Rarity planned Morpheus and Twilight's romance basically step-by-step]].
171	* NotWhatItLooksLike: Morpheus' introduction to Shining.
172	* ObstructiveBureaucrat: One of Morpheus' agents in Canterlot is Celestia's least-favourite taxpony. Given that this is a department with rules on improper pronking, and headed up by a pony that could get a petition that all of Canterlot hates him, this is rather impressive. It's because he was used as a distraction by trapping Celestia in incredibly boring meetings.
173	* OddCouple: Rainbow and Applejack confuses Morpheus, but there's no doubt they're devoted to each other.
174	* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Twilight dealing with a [[CelestialBody Pisces-infested]] [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever Aquariai]] ''and'' an [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E6BoastBusters Ursa Major]] while travelling in the Everfree occurs offscreen.
175	* OhCrap: Several times, but PlayedForLaughs when Morpheus learns that there are more than three Cutie Mark Crusaders now.
176	* OmniscientDatabase: The changeling HiveMind is a {{Subversion}}, as while it's very good, it's still essentially a Wiki editable by the entire hive, leading to a few mistakes or cases of deliberate interference.
177	* OneTrueLove: Rarity's something of a sceptic of the traditional formulation, despite her [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel choice of reading material]], but firmly believes it is a thing, it's just that "True Love" is what you make it.
178	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Twilight knows for certain to take the piece of GeometricMagic[[note]][[MagicallyBindingContract The Unbreakable Contract]][[/note]] in front of her seriously when [[GreatGazoo Discord]] takes it seriously.
179	* OralTradition: [[spoiler:The changeling commoners have been maintaining one to keep information too dangerous to let the higher-ups know, so it can't be stored in the Hive Mind, including information about the later Chrysallings]].
180	* OrganicTechnology: Changeling hives work on this.
181	* {{Paparazzi}}: They become a lot less of a problem once Hera shows up.
182	* ParentalSexualitySquick: Morpheus becomes incredible embarrassed whenever Chrysalis' sexuality comes up, particularly given [[BrainsAndBondage her predilections]], and Twilight is not keen on discussion of her father's solution to more grandfoals not being likely in the near future.
183	* {{Polyamory}}: Apparently more common and accepted in Equestria than in reality. The newspapers periodically print (false) suggestions that Twilight is part of a herd.
184	* PowderKegCrowd: One forms outside Castle when the negotiations with the changelings are formally announced. Later on, Twilight teleports into another one in Manehattan. [[spoiler:The first is calmed, but the second is deliberately ignited by Lady Antiquity]].
185	* PowerAtAPrice: Malpractice always extracts a price, a curse on the one helped. In the case of [[spoiler:Morpheus, the price is "A song, a dance, an unnamed favor". He's apparently unusually lucky, as the price inherently contains a boon, not always a guarantee]].
186	* PowerNullifier: Mage's Bane disrupts a spellcaster's ability to magic, and can't be detected by antipoison spells, as well as masking any other poisons, making it extremely useful [[spoiler:to Lady Antiquity when she needs to disable Twilight, allowing her to feed Twilight a low-power paralytic]].
187	* ThePowerOfLove: An important part of changeling life-cycles, [[EmotionEater somewhat obviously]]. As Third Eye theorises, [[spoiler:all the Chrysallings are the result of this. The zeroth is love of life. The love of another sparks the first. Love of the Hive sparks the second. Love for another life (friendship) sparks the third. Love for another, the other half, causes the fourth. Complete self-sacrifice in dire extremity, love for the Hive and being willing to die for it, sparks the fifth]].
188	* PrimalScene: Shining apparently got TheTalk when he walked in on his parents making Twilight.
189	* PronounTrouble: Changelings use singular pronouns to refer to their own experiences, and plural ("ve") when discussing experiences and feelings derived from Hive knowledge.
190	* PuppyDogEyes: {{Discussed}}, as Flurry doesn't understand why Twilight doesn't use them, after all, they always work for her, and Momma uses them on Daddy! Errant also makes use of them, with the advantages of VoluntaryShapeshifting.
191	* RealDreamsAreWeirder: While changelings don't exactly dream, some of Morpheus' resting simulations have their moments[[note]]Seizing the sun by connecting Princess Celestia to a potato clock?[[/note]].
192	* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: [[spoiler:Third Eye/Father Arachne]].
193	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: [[spoiler:Twilight uses one to try and calm the riots in Manehattan]].
194	* RecordScratch: Twilight accidentally causes one by interrupting [[spoiler:Morpheus while he's under the influence of]] the [[RhymesOnADime Malpractice]] {{Curse}}.
195	* RedshirtArmy: According to Discord, the Equestrian Royal Guard.
196	* RelationshipUpgrade: [[spoiler:Twilight and Morpheus, triggering his Chrysalling]] at the end of Night Of the Living Changelings part 2.
197	* RhymesOnADime: Zecora, as in canon. She also inflicts it on [[spoiler:Morpheus, as part of the price for using Malpractice to help him heal]]. It's not as bad though, it's nowhere near constant, but does mean that certain phrases result in song.
198	* RoomFullOfCrazy: Castle, during Nightmare Night, writes "Ick k're-t'ched", all over his own walls to add to the ambience, much to Morpheus' embarrassment[[note]]Castle learned the word when Mo used it to describe Twilight, and although he told her it meant she looked great, it's far closer to "you're beautiful", with ''all'' the romantic overtones[[/note]].
199	* RoyalHarem: It's apparently still legal in Equestria, but none of the princesses have one.
200	* RuleOfThree: While looking through the post, there are three times the danger of kitchens comes up, an ad for insurance, a [[Magazine/{{Cosmopolitan}} Cosmarepolitan]] cover article and the horoscopes. Somewhat hilariously, upon entering the kitchen, Morpheus is put in danger, [[spoiler:though not of the type meant, but instead because Shining and Cadance have come for a surprise visit]].
201	* SadisticChoice: [[spoiler:Lady Antiquity inflicts one on Twilight, forcing her to choose between saving Morpheus from assassins or calm riots blazing through Manehattan that could kill many more innocents. Fortunately, the choice is made for her when Morpheus breaks out of Chrysalling in time to defeat the assassins, allowing her to remain to deal with the riots]].
202	* SecurityCling: Cadance claims to once have {{Invoked}} it to help one of her guards get started with a maid he had his eye on, because [[TheMatchmaker of course]] [[LoveGoddess she did]].
203	* SelfMadeOrphan: Antiquity entered her second Chrysalling when she fed her mother a cyanide apple.
204	* SensoryOverload: There's a reason that [[TheEmpath changelings]] learn filters. Also, when Morpheus is trying to teach Rainbow and Applejack to use their [[BizarreAlienSenses wind sense and tremorsense]] their vast raw power compared to a changeling causes this[[note]]Rainbow Dash is drawing information from as far away as the ''Crystal Empire''[[/note]]. In Applejack's case, in everyone nearby with earth pony magic, something she realises she can weaponise. Later on, {{Downplayed}} when [[spoiler:Morpheus emerges from the Third Chrysalling with a massively increased bandwidth connection to the Hive Mind and has problems parsing the data for a bit]].
205	* ShapeshifterWeapon: Changelings occasionally do it, although Morpheus' attempts onscreen (he doesn't actually want a weapon, just a can-opener) are stymied by the Contract.
206	* ShapeshiftingSeducer: The Echo Triplets set up a kissing booth at the carnival, becoming whoever their customers want them to be, so long as they aren't real. [[spoiler:After some pressure though, they begin turning into real people. Fortunately, they only went as far as kissing by the time Twilight found out]]. Morpheus also does this ''accidentally'' with "Quick Wit", who turns out far hunkier than anticipated, and also [[TheImposter Shiny-er]] than expected.
207	* ShapeshiftingSquick: The usual response of a pony when getting a good look at changelings mid-shapeshift (with the exception of Fluttershy).
208	* SheCleansUpNicely: Although not initially presented as ''unattractive'', Twilight dressing up for Nightmare Night leaves quite the impression on Morpheus.
209	* ShipperOnDeck: Much of Ponyville wants Twilight to find ''someone''. Rarity in particular is rather...''persistent''. Twilight herself is rather pleased to hear that [[spoiler:Lyra proposed to Bon-Bon]]. Twilight and Morpheus end up in a fake relationship in an attempt to appease the more enthusiastic of them [[spoiler:Rarity sees through it in seconds, much to Morpheus' surprise. She doesn't mind; after all, that's how some of the best Adorkable romances get started]]. [[spoiler:She's right, of course]].
210	* ShowerOfLove: Rainbow and Applejack having these apparently distracts the Echo Triplets, to Big Mac's annoyance.
211	* SilentSnarker: [[GeniusLoci Castle]].
212	* SinsOfOurFathers: {{Downplayed}}, but Rainbow transfers her hatred of Chrysalis to Morpheus.
213	* SleepCute: [[spoiler:Twilight, Morpheus and Errant]] at the end of Night of the Living Changelings. Later, after Twilight falls asleep while snuggling with Morpheus, it's enough to cause Celestia's wrath to be delayed to the next day.
214	* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Morpheus and Castle play chess. While normally changelings are ''very'' good at normal chess[[note]]Due to their ability to simulate hundreds of possibilities, much like real-life computers, allowing optimised strategies[[/note]], he rapidly loses to Castle. He proposes a variant, Swindler's Chess, much more fitting to the changeling's mindset, where each player is allowed to break five rules, chosen before the game, and neither player knows the other's cheats until they're used. Later, Twilight also plays.
215	* SmugSnake: Lady Antiquity Antipathy.
216	* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: Twilight is able to identify [[spoiler:Wyrman, disguised as a reporter trying to rile up a Powder Keg Crowd]] when he gives a very changeling answer and Twilight only becomes certain Morpheus has [[spoiler:emerged from his Third Chrysalling when she receives a message saying that she needs to make up for a broken Pinkie Promise with lots of orange flowers]].
217	* SpeedEchoes: The suddenly-leaves version is parodied in chapter 11:
218	-->The Pinkie-shaped cloud of dust she left behind continued to dance with Fluttershy. “Umm… I know you’re supposed to be Pinkie, Mister Cloud, but could you not step on my hooves as much… if you don’t mind, that is….”
219	* SpitTake: Twilight, not infrequently, a particularly notable example being after she discovers [[spoiler:Rarity knew her relationship with Morpheus was fake, at least until earlier that night]].
220	* {{Squee}}: Twilight's response to fascinating new research projects.
221	* StalkerWithACrush: Prior to the story, Twilight had an attempt at romancing Flash Sentry. Of course, being Twilight, she approached it like a scientific study, and began by collecting data without tainting the subject. [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten It took a while for the jokes to die down]].
222	* StarfishLanguage: Chitri, the changeling language, has its moments, as while it is primarily audio, it's very different from the pony tongue, and emotional transmissions play an important role in changeling communication, as well as noises ponies find extremely difficult to emulate without the right anatomy.
223	* StealthHiBye: Morpheus introduces himself to Twilight this way. It gets him kicked in the face. [[spoiler:Discord put him up to it as a requirement of his help]].
224	* StealthPun: The changeling afterlife, the Azure Veil, [[spoiler:is a play on the Blue Screen of Death]].
225	* SuddenlyShouting: Due to being somewhat desperate, Morpheus drops into this when subjected to Twilight's questioning during their first meeting.
226	* SuperStrength: Part of being an earth pony. Morpheus is glad Twilight [[AntiMagic doesn't have access]] to her earth pony magic on their first meeting.
227	* SupremeChef: Spike has long since surpassed his teachers in the art.
228	* SurpriseParty: Pinkie throws one for Morpheus, not a good plan given his usual state is ProperlyParanoid. [[spoiler:The presence of changelings from the Hive of the First Father doesn't help]].
229	* SwanBoats: {{Subverted}}, despite Morpheus' initial impressions, the boats for the Summer's End Carnival Tunnel of Love are carved to approximate [[LoveGoddess Princess Cadance]].
230	* TalkingWithSigns: Pinkie Pie's Mime costume, [[RealityWarper as per usual for Pinkie Pie]].
231	* TheTalk: The [[BizarreAlienReproduction changeling version]] is apparently so complicated and embarrassing that standard procedure is to give the nymphs HiveMind coordinates to appropriate bits of the archives and just leave them to it. Shining himself defers giving it to Flurry by promising her [[FoodAsBribe a week's worth of pancakes]] if she doesn't ask certain questions until she's older.
232	* TeleportationSickness: Third Eye is not particularly good at portals. It shows.
233	* ThereIsOnlyOneBed: After the Manehattan riots, Celestia teleports Twilight and Morpheus to her suite in the Nickerbocker Hotel and gives them strict orders to stay there and recover. Morpheus resolves the obvious problem by pointing out that the floor is still in the top-ten best beds he's slept in. Not that they stay there anyway, shifting down the hall to Twilight's suite. Which has the same problem.
234	* ThinksLikeARomanceNovel: Rarity, to Twilight's annoyance.
235	* ThinkUnsexyThoughts: Morpheus switches from warming the lake he's bathing in to cooling it after Rainbow Dash starts preening.
236	* TortureIsIneffective: Morpheus knows this, and likely wouldn't try it inside [[GeniusLoci Castle]] anyway.
237	* TrackingDevice: Morpheus leaves a magical one on Pinkie Pie, due to wanting some warning if The Unsolvable Puzzle is in the vicinity. [[OffscreenTeleportation It doesn't help]].
238	* TranquilFury: Celestia very carefully modulates her tone while angry. "Cold Fusion #2" allows the person she's addressing the luxury of believing she's not mad at them. "Cold Fusion #1" [[OhCrap offers no such option]]. The tranquillity breaks when she discovers that the [[MagicallyBindingContract Unbreakable Contract]] will kill all the changelings if broken.
239	* TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour: [[DeliberateValuesDissonance Cultural disagreement]] on what counts as this causes some friction with the Ponyville parents' reaction to Errant's understanding of romance and sexuality.
240	* ATrueStoryInMyUniverse: As noted, the work consists of the FirstPersonPerspective retelling of events by Twilight and Morpheus to Changing Times, and is presented as being an InUniverse document written to help show there is no reason for the ponies to distrust the changelings.
241	* TrustPassword: Morpheus, Hera, Rainbow and Applejack set one up. Unfortunately, when he needs it, Morpheus' a couple of passwords out of date and told to get it from Hera. Somewhat fortunately, his exasperated expletive turns out to be accidentally correct (he's also certain there's a story behind it, as Hera isn't that stupid).
242	* UnbrokenVigil: Hera tried to pull this off after Morpheus [[spoiler:enters the Third Chrysalling]] but had to take over some of his duties, much to her annoyance.
243	* UncannyValley: [[invoked]] Part of the problem with changelings that aren't actively trying to blend in, they're close enough to ponies to creep everyone out, but not close enough to treat like ponies. Twilight becomes much less afraid of Morpheus once she internalises that ''he isn't a pony''.
244	* UnderestimatingBadassery: While training Applejack and Rainbow, Morpheus becomes increasingly stupefied that Chrysalis used ''conscripts'' to try and defeat them during [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E26ACanterlotWeddingPart2 the Wedding]].
245	* UnderTheMistletoe: Some mistletoe mysteriously appears over Mo and Twilight during ''Home and Hearth''. They're too bothered by working out how it got there for the usual traditions to kick in.
246	* UnPerson: [[spoiler:Lyra's hive was erased from the archives by vengeful Lords]].
247	* UnusualEuphemism: Morpheus frequently swears by the Azure Veil, the changeling afterlife. Also crosses over with PardonMyKlingon, as the Chitri word for "lies" is vulgar.
248	* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: [[spoiler:The Fall of Ichorous, and thus the corruption in the Hive of the First Father, is entirely the result of Radiant Dawn's use of a Love Poison on herself]].
249	* VaguenessIsComing: Castle is told to warn Morpheus about Twilight's relatives visiting unexpectedly. It does so by mail:
250	--> Bill. Bill. A letter from Shining and Cadance. An ad for insurance saying ninety-five percent of household deaths happened in the kitchen. Another bill. A Cosmarepolitan whose main article was on keeping the kitchen stallion-free. Another Hive-forsaken bill. At least twenty fan letters from foals – half of which were in crayon. A very pink and glittery invitation to a Pinkie party. And a copy of this week’s bogus horoscopes telling me to avoid the kitchen at all costs.
251	* VerbalJudo: An art form amongst changelings.
252	* VerbalTic: Changelings using "ve" is initially seen as one (see PronounTrouble, above), and when connected to the HiveMind, Twilight slips into it as well.
253	* VertebrateWithExtraLimbs: [[spoiler:Morpheus has six legs after Chrysalling into an Imperator]].
254	* VillainousRescue: [[spoiler:Chrysalis rescues Twilight from the Everfree after Twilight becomes stranded]].
255	* VitriolicBestBuds: Where Morpheus and Rainbow's relationship stabilises. Also Morpheus and Castle. [[RuleOfThree And Morpheus and Shining]].
256	* VolleyingInsults: A round of this is how Morpheus manages to get somewhere with Shining.
257	* WalkingSpoiler: [[spoiler:Lyra, due to being a changeling who's been living in Ponyville for years]].
258	* WaterWakeUp:
259	** How Discord gets a reluctant Twilight out of bed, although, [[RealityWarper being Discord]], he does it by transmuting her into a seapony and dumping an ocean's worth of water on her. Twilight [[DiscussedTrope comments]] on the unusual methodology.
260	** Later on, Rainbow and Pinkie wake Morpheus by sending him "sleep-surfing" down several flights of stairs into a pool in the basement[[note]]Twilight is certain [[MobileMaze that the basement used to be a lab]][[/note]].
261	** And even later, Rainbow drags a raincloud into the room to wake Morpheus.
262	* WeirdWeather: Everfree Wild Storms have thunder precede the lightning.
263	* WeNeedADistraction: [[spoiler:Lady Antiquity sparks riots in Manehattan to stop Twilight interfering with General Carapace's assassination of Morpheus]].
264	* WetwareCPU: Changelings use their dead to expand the memories and space available to the HiveMind.
265	* WhamEpisode: Chapters 30 and 31, with [[spoiler:the story of Ichorous and the revelation that the Hive of the First Father is broken as a result of his fall]].
266	* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Although changelings are aware of the ''concept'' of spousal love, the ability to feel it was bred out centuries ago, much to [[ShipperOnDeck Rarity's]] displeasure. [[spoiler:Lyra's hive, having been separated from the main Changeling society for 1000 years never got the update, fortunately for her and Bon-Bon]]. [[spoiler:It also means that when Morpheus begins falling in love with Twilight, it takes a while for him to realise, as he believes it impossible]].
267	* WillNotTellALie: Changelings, due to being an entire species of TheEmpath, very rarely actually lie (the Chitri equivalent of "lies" is profane). They are, however, very good at [[HalfTruth not lying]].
268	* WriterOnBoard: InUniverse and acknowledged, Changing Times is biased towards the changelings, and admits to deliberately writing to show them in as good a light as he could.
269	* WomanScorned: Lady Antipathy hates Morpheus because he turned her down. She dresses it up in fancy language, but Twilight sees through it.
270	* WouldHurtAChild: Chrysalis threatens Errant after they (metaphorically) [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu flips her off]]. [[spoiler:Fortunately, it's a Subversion, she respects those who openly stand up to her]].
271	* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: InUniverse, [[spoiler:Third Eye took up writing fiction as a way to retain information while cut off from the hive mind]].
272	* XanatosSpeedChess: Morpheus is running a game of this to try and save the changelings and stop the other lords screwing it up. Chrysalis is running a game to do [[HiddenAgendaVillain who knows what]][[note]][[spoiler:Discord knows]], apparently[[/note]]. The other lords are running games to advance their own interests.
273	* {{Xenofiction}}: {{Downplayed}} for the ponies, though the herding instinct does come up periodically. Changeling culture and mindset play it straight though.
274	* YouGotGuts: Discord, when the sheer nerve of Morpheus is demonstrated during initial negotiations.
275	* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Applejack responds poorly to being told she'd given a [[YouDidntAsk changeling-style]] answer.
276	* YourMom: Discord makes a petulant joke when asked where he learned how to [[PardonMyKlingon swear in Chitri]]. Maybe. It's entirely possible he was telling the truth, given the "mom" in question is Chrysalis. [[spoiler: Yep, of course it wasn't a crass joke. Or maybe it was ''as well'' as being the unvarnished truth. Or instead of: He could even conceivably have learned those words from a completely different changeling]].

Context Fanfic / DCdt0