The following is a simplified version from the beginning portion of the Book of Metamorphosistranslated by Professor Carl Kindheart of Canterlot University. Scholars believe that this text was written around 700 B.H. (Before Hearth’s Warmth/Harmony)
The birth of our race is a tale of lust, pride, betrayal, and vengeance. Long before the reign of the three blasphemous alicorn sisters Celestia, Luna, and Gaia appeared on this earth and long before the reign of Discord, there was the a fair earth pony maiden named Butterfly.
Butterfly was a poor farming pony, yet she was the most beautiful creature to ever set hoof on this earth. Her coat was as white has the moon and her mane was as blue as the sky. She was daughter of an earth pony mother named Virtue and a unicorn father Strong Horn. In those times unicorns were considered the one true race amongst ponies. Only unicorns could own land and marry into nobility. In addition, marriage between races, especially unicorn marriages, was strictly taboo. Yet despite this, Butterfly's father chose to marry a commoner. Legend has it that his own father had him poisoned shortly before his wedding days. Yet despite this, our beloved Butterfly was born.
For years Butterfly suffered the hardships of poverty, desperately trying to support both herself and her mother, who died shortly after her 18th birthday. Up until then the two of them always had each other to help them through their hardships. Now at 19 she was on the verge of losing her farm if she did not make up the money. For weeks she pleaded to her grandfather High Horn and other members of the Horn family for refuge or at the very least compensation. However, her Grandfather burned every letter the moment he learned who was addressing him.
But by a trick of fate one of her letters was mistakenly delivered to the house of Trueblood that resented Butterfly’s grandfather. Shortly thereafter the youngest of the family Red Blood began to visit Butterfly in secret. He showed up out of the blue one day and presented Butterly with the bits she need to keep her farm. Never before had she been shown such kindness from that of a unicorn. For the first time in her life she felt what ponies would call happiness.
For next few months Red Blood came to the farm to spend time with her. Each time he came he would bestow upon her extravagant pieces of jewelry, unceasingly praising her beauty. Soon she began to develop feelings for him and assumed that he did so has well. When Red Blood finally asked her for her hoof in marriage the young maiden was consumed with ecstasy.
But little did she know of the treachery behind his proposal. To “celebrate” their engagement, Red Blood escorted the young earth pony to one of her grandfather's parties. When asking her love why they were here he comforted her and smiled. At the the party the guests scorned her for being an earth pony and would pull on her dress using magic.
That is when The Great Betrayal was committed. After being separated from her love to be tormented by the other guests, Trueblood reappeared with a small group of stallions. There they cast a spell on Butterfly that made her the center of attention. Everypony’s eyes were forced to gaze at her. In addition they cast a spell that made her unable to move, frozen to the floor.
Then the vile Red Blood point his hoof and shouted. “Behold, behold! The bastard earth pony wench of the High Horn family. Living and breathing proof that their nobility is meaningless, for they were willing to lay with commoners.”
In single moment Butterfly was humiliated by the stallion that she believed to be her special somepony. She wanted to run away, to shield herself from the world, but her hooves refused to move. As her grandfather denied her existence to the guests ponies began to elevate food and drink at her. Eventually High Horn’s private army of pegasi forced everypony including Butterfly from the the ballroom. With the spell lifted, she ran into the dark forest of the Everfree. She ran as deep as her legs could carry her until she couldn't run any further. There she raised her head on a nearby log and wept.
This is when The Great Blessing was bestowed upon the mother of all changelings. A tiny queen bee that was black appeared before Butterfly. She asked her what was wrong to which Butterfly replied, “My heart has been broken, burned, and the ashes scattered to the four winds.”
She told the be her story of how her noble blood was dismissed, how she and her mother struggled through their lives, and how the stallion she loved so much had broken and humiliated her.
When she finished, silently sobbing, the black bee spoke. “Weep not little pony for I am a spirit; a traveling ghost. Your story has touched me so I will take pity on and grant you a gift.”
“No more gifts.” Butterfly cried. “They only bring more pain in the end.”
“Fear not for as long as you remain pure and innocent my gift will not bring you pain. All you need to let me do is sting you and you shall have the power to change your appearance into anything you want. You would no longer be bound by the petty injustices of this world. You can start a new life and find new love.”
“But I love him. I love him more than anything. But I also despise him with every fiber of my soul. Could your gift allow me to exact revenge on him?”
“It easily could but I would stray from such thoughts. For If you allow yourself to give in to lust and hatred your heart and as well as your body will become hollow should I grant you my blessing.”
Butterfly replied “I will try but I don’t think I’ll ever be happy until I see him pay.”
With that the bee stung her on the neck and her eyes turned bright green. She thanked the bee for her generous gift as it flew away back into the world of spirits.
The event that followed is known as The Great Ascension. Butterfly returned to from the forest with her gift of transformation. She could now take the form of any living creature except that of a dragon. By taking the form of a unicorn and selling the trinkets that Red Blood had given her she was able to set up a small tavern within the capital.
For about a year she remained happy and content. Till one day the vile Red Blood waltzed into her tavern demanding drink. His entire estate had burned down by mysterious circumstances which could only be described as fate. When she recognized him feelings of love and hated began to flow into her. Remembering what the black bee told her she tried to keep her composure as she served him drink after drink.
While under the spell of alcohol, he began to court her just like he used to. Although he didn’t know it was he talked to her just as affectionately as a year before. Her life wouldn’t be complete until he was her’s. At the same time, it wouldn’t be complete until he had suffered. Then an idea struck her, perhaps she could sate both her desires.
As fate would have it Red Blood offered himself to our beloved maiden and she accepted. She escorted him to her private bedroom where she prepared to lay with him. As the two of them entered the room she bolted the door shut with her magic.
After her lust for him had been sated, she turned to her former lover. She waited until he had slithered up before confronting him. “Consider what I just did a late engagement present, now it’s time I rid you from my life once and for all.”
Her horn glowed bright green as her magically tossed the sheets off of the bed. Her body was then engulfed by the green flames which restored her to her true earth pony form. Red Blood gasped in horror as the mare he thought died in the dark forest stood before him like the grim reaper.
“I loved you Redblood.” she said as fangs began to sprout from her mouth. “In a way I still love you, you sneaky little bastard. I don’t blame you for wanting to humiliate my grandfather, but I can not forgive your false love. You played with my heart and you broke it. Now it is hollow.”
Just then her skin started to peel away and holes began form around her hooves. While Red Blood was utterly mortified our goddess paid no heed to her changing body. Vengeance and passion were the only things she cared about. Whatever was happening to her body could wait.
“I am no longer a mere earth pony. I am something far greater now. I can become anypony and everypony. I could even be the unicorn of your most vivid fantasy. I can be your greatest desire or your worst nightmare made flesh.”
Her body began to grow larger as large insect wings began to sprout from her back.
“You're going to die and I’m going to enjoy this. You were amazing in bed by the way, even when you were drunk. It was everything I thought it would be and more. Now I’m ready to exact my revenge.”
The last change was a new horn as long and as proud as any unicorn. While it started out a magnificent white it slowly darkened becoming a chitinous black. It was jagged, cracked, and jutted out just below her now ragged and disheveled mane.
“But this time I’m the only one who going to enjoy it. Welcome to hell.”
The next few hours were filled with screams of agony as our vengeful queen conducted unimaginable tortures using her newly acquired magic. When she was done the only thing left of Red Blood was, ironically, his blood, the walls of the room smeared with it.
That night, Butterfly was able to sate both her lust and her hatred. When morning came Butterfly gazed upon her new divine form. She thought she was beautiful in our eyes though the pony scum of the world say she was revolting.
Shortly thereafter the black bee appeared before her and buzzed into her room.
“You have ignored my warning and now my blessing has become a curse. I foresee that your darkness will carry over into your kin, who will become just as hideous is you. You and your offspring will forever need to feed on affection of others in order to live. Until your kind can become one with ponies your bodies and and hearts shall forever be covered with hollow holes.
Our goddess, not yet realising her beauty, pleaded with the spirit to lift the curse.
“Please!” she begged. “Turn me back into a pony. I’m sorry!”
“I can not my dear, but there is something I can do. You are pregnant right now with 128 healthy eggs carrying female offspring. You must raise them to be healthy so that your new race may thrive and spread the throughout the world. In about two years they will become full grown adults. Once they mature you may come with me to my realm and become a spirit so that you may forever watch your children. I see this as the only way for you to atone for your vile and inexcusable sin.”
From that day forth Butterfly was forever know has Volucris. Even to this day she watches and protects all the changeling hives so that we may devour and consume the love ponies. One day, when the meaning by the black bee’s words becomes clear to us, the holes which cover our hearts and bodies shall be filled.
