Translator's Introduction
Changelings. Enigmatic creatures that originate from the southern regions, well past the tropical regions that are populate by the Zebras. There are several links between changelings and the Equestrian legends, including the legends of Vaporia, a land populated by ponies who relied on their love to keep the island afloat, and the previously thought legend of the Crystal Empire, whose ponies protect themselves through their positive emotions. But what eschews these theories are the sheer distance- if changelings are from the lost realm of Vaporia, then they must possess extraordinary physical endurance to be able to fly the several hundred miles from the ruins to the nearest landmass.
So, then, they will remain a mystery. But, several years ago, a ruined hive was discovered, according with several cultural facts that we were unaware of- for example, a changeling queen will feed upon the love of her underlings, while the underlings feed off of their queen's love. While this will work for a time, the hive will need to have regular intakings of love. Naturally, and in the past, this was done by befriending new countries, but it this was the case, only Hive Grey Monarch maintains their traditions- Hive Chrysalis has responded violently within the past two years, and not one changeling from Chitinus has been spotted for over two centuries. It is thought that they have died out, or their interactions are with the southern tribes.
Most of what we know about changelings is from Hive Grey Monarch. For eample, the average changeling- a worker- is instinctively loyal to the 'royalty' of the hive, which, in turn, is loyal to a King or Queen, who rule a single hive, which is then ruled by an Emperor. Changelings work in threes- for example, one emperor rules over three hives, one king rules over three to nine princes, the princes rules over three to nine generals, which each commands about nine officers, each with 100- 300 changeling warriors. The workers are commmanded directly by the King or Queen through use of a semi-conscious link- known as, for a lack of a better term, a 'hive mind'.
It was originally thought that this hive mind meant that the leader controlled every aspect of the hive. As it is revealed in these manuscripts, this was not the case, for every changeling has a free will. The link is merely a way for the Queen of King to deal with several problems at once, for when dealing with a mainly free form society that the changeling have, this is a necessity.
In order to understand this story, we must look into one deity in particular- the Hive Spinner. The Hive Spinner is a powerful being that is credited with creating the first changelings and teaching them about themselves- their ability to build structures out of natural materials, as well as the founder of the first changeling nations. Upon examining more of these stories, the Hive Spinner takes up an almost religious founding in comparison to the other deities of their pantheon. We could liken the relationship to Celestia and Luna- most ponies (falsely) worship Celestia, yet only give Luna a modicum of respect.
In the story, it is ultimately the Hive Spinner that convinces Novo that she is not a star of the sky, but a changeling that has caused her people great harm. He does this by describing the great powers of the star and commanding her to perform them herself if she is able. He then goes on to explain that her hatred for her own race of changelings was hypocritical, considering that she herself is one. In these ways, he proves himself to be wise. Indeed, the personality is quite identical to the one that is attributed to Star Swirl the Bearded. Perhaps there is a connection, as changelings were first found about the time when Starswirl published his first books of magic. But if there is, it has been lost, and there is no known way to retrieve it.
Novo's story is a prime example of the corruption that can result of pride, and that the redeemed are something to truly celebrate over.
Enjoy reading, my friends.
Professor Page T. Sheaf
Canterlot Royal Library, C.D. 1004
In the second year of the Dragon, in the hive of the Grey Monarch, lived a noble by the name of Novo. Princess Novo was a kind-hearted but vain changeling, beloved of the Grey Monarch. Under her, the generals of the hive conquered many regions of the eastern seacoast with little worry, and the Emperor's holdings near doubled.
Princess Novo was an avid studier of the stars. She would stand under the Sky Weaver's creation for hours at a time, picking out patterns of stars with some of her friends and admiring the work of the deities. The Hive Grey Monarch was well known in that time for collection of knowledge and lore of all races, including the ponies of the north, the Zebras of the east, and the tribes of water-beings to the west.
One day, at the feasts that preceded the changing of the weather, the Grey Monarch requested an audience with Novo. "What is it that you desire?" he asked. "You have been distracted as of late."
"Forgive me, my father. The night sky holds many wonders," responded Novo. "Is the work of the Sky Weaver not worth our celebration?"
"The Sky Weaver wishes for us to have several things. Yet, you have a duty to your hive, Novo. I know that you are still young, and that you are still learning. You have the best generals in the entire empire. But you need to learn responsibility, and quickly too." He turned to the sky, its murky darkness sprinkled with light. "Look at the stars, my daughter. Each of them is a great soul that has passed on into oblivion. Each has served the changeling race well through life and into death, and are rewarded by great power and wisdom."
Turning back to Novo, he continued. "It is my goal, until I die and it is my time to join my ancestors, to hang as many of my kind as I can up into the stars. And it should be your goal, too."
Novo looked at her. "But, father... how is it that I lead my people to glory?"
"One leads by example, Novo." The Grey Monarch said. "By working, you provide the inspiration to work."
Later that evening, as the changelings retired to their dens and the Grey Monarch picked his bed from among the workers, Novo sneaked off to the roof of the hive, pondering the Grey Monarch's words under the sky. Staring at the sky, she found herself drawn to it.
Determined on what she would do now, she flew up into the sky until she could barely fly anymore, and then, with the last of her energy, she became what she admired most of all. Thus, she became a star.
She was at once encompassed with how beautiful she was, and how powerful she was. She was one of the great souls of the universe. What could stand in her way of her judgement? The Grey Monarch or even the Emperor himself? She continued to think upon this until she was convinced that her entire race was corrupt. The servants looked to the upper classes, and what for? So, she took it upon herself to inflict her vengeance upon the others.
So she looked down upon the empire and saw, far below, a single changeling, weeping in fear and pain. Using her magic, she took aim and destroyed him, changing his body into ash and his mind into vapor, leaving nothing left of him.
But she found herself unsatisfied with this vengeance, and set herself on more.
So she looked down and saw an army of changelings in the Zebran Desert, seeking to win more glory for the changeling race. So, with a blow of magic, she cast an intelligence dampener on the chief general. He placed himself in a mountain valley, where the Zebran army destroyed the army and pursued the survivors many miles into the territory of the changelings, razing homes to the ground and killing families.
But she found herself unsatisfied with her vengeance, and set outside for more.
So she looked down again and set her eyes on the Hive Chitinus, where the Emperor of the Changelings was visiting to celebrate the midwinter's festival with the changelings there. Preparing yet another spell, she redirected the course of a large meteor. It drove into the hive, killing many changelings, as well as several of the unhatched, as well as the Emperor himself. The meteor scorched the ground and ripped the entire hive in half, and this is why the Hive Chitinus is known as the ugliest hive, yet the most formal, warlike, and artistic, for they believed that the meteor was a sign from the heavens.
But she once again found herself unsatisfied.
Wondering what that she would do to ease her hatred, she pondered quietly to herself for a long period of time. She eventually decided that there was only one thing that could exterminate her rage- the complete destruction of what was enraging her. As she prepared a spell to stop the sun and moon in their tracks, both scorching and freezing all life off of the planet below her, a voice talked to her. Glorious, yet yet subtle and humble, and infinitely wise and kind, a bright white light appeared next to her, and the Hive Spinner spoke.
"Novo, princess of the Hive of the Grey Monarch," the Hive Spinner began. "Why have you wrought terrible judgement upon your own people, when they are undeserving of the endless abyss of death? You fancy yourself a star, a beacon of light in the darkness beyond. Where then is your wisdom? Why do you prepare to destroy your own kind, princess?"
There was a silence, for Novo could not find herself to speak truthfully or logically to the Hive Spinner. Where her insatiable rage was, moments before, was filled with shame and regret.
"If you are truly a star in the sky, then show me your power! Rend the moon into pieces, and then repair it to what it once was! Attract to you the attentions of multi-dimensional beings, of which there are many, then, without the merest speck of dust to help you, drive them away! Take on the Master of the Void, the Root of All Evil, and come out victorious!"
Novo answered, her voice like a summer's breeze in comparison to the deity of the hives, "I am unable to do this."
"No?", said the Hive Spinner. "Then why do you take it upon yourself to wreak havoc amongst your own kind? Your kin, with whom you are friends. Your King, the Grey Monarch. Even your emperor, my prophet, you have struck down merely to sate some ill-gotten desire for freedom from responsibility! Why should I not do the same to you? Besides, if you take it upon yourself to be a god, yet you cannot handle the power, you are quickly destroyed. As well, if you wish to destroy the entire changeling race, you are a changeling as well."
Novo found that, once again, she could not answer.
The Hive Spinner sighed- a long sound that could be equated to the sound of an avalanche. "You have two choices, princess of the Grey Monarch. One, you can choose to die for justice and atonement for your crimes, as the destruction of so many changelings is well worth this punishment. Or, you may choose to live, but your magic and rank will be stripped from you. Your penance will be reparation- everything that you have destroyed, every life you have taken and destroyed or shattered, so it will be upon you. Make your decision."
Novo was silent for a long period of time, thinking it over. She then spoke up. "My soul is unready to depart this world. I have done wrong, yet I leave it to it's fate without at least trying to repair my crimes?"
"Are you certain this is your final answer?"
"Indeed it is."
"Then you have shown bravery, wisdom, and goodness, for it takes a humble changeling indeed to give their life in reparation of their crimes. Perhaps you are not beyond redemption. Now, go, and ensure that I do not have to speak with you again until your time has come."
And so Novo was stripped of her magic and cast back to the land below. Her horn was made to vanish, and she resumed the form of the changeling. She found herself alone down below. She wept alone for a week before she sighed and, remembering her promise to the Hive Spinner, she turned and moved east to begin her reparations.
And so she worked, sometimes alone, sometimes with others, always in absolute silence. The rest of her life was lived out in solitude, both physically and mentally, as she toiled without magic to repair what she had fixed. She died at the age of fourty-seven, and her funeral was much mourning, yet in celebration. Mourning of the passing of a great member of their race, despite all that she had done before her redemption, and celebration of her life that it had passed in humility and harmony. It is said that the greatest feast ever known in history was held there, and that the new Emperor himself was her chief mourner in her passing.
And in the skies above, a new star was born, as the soul of Novo joined with her ancestors, through wisdom and humility. And there is proof that, in mercy, there is always a chance of redemption.
---[Author Unknown]---
Author's Note
A short little one-shot inspired by BlackWater.
I might do several more on changeling lore and history. It certainly was fun.
