A cocoon.
An egg. a tiny egg, stuck onto a leaf.
A moth starts out as a larva. Crawling out of it's egg, it immediately begins to feast on leaves on order to grow. When it has eaten enough, it forms a hard shell around itself, called a Cocoon. Then, inside, something truly great happens. Something few can ever do.
It changes.
Inside that hard little shell, the ugly larva transforms into something new. Then, when the change is done, it breaks out of the cocoon, and spreads it's wings. It has changed into a beautiful moth.
But what happens if the Larva cannot do that? If it tries and tries, but it can't. What if it stays an ugly larva, just waiting to die, no purpose in it's life now that it's only one has been destroyed? What if it is unable to make its cocoon?
What if it cannot Change?
When a changeling is born- no, wait. A changeling is not born. It hatches out of an egg. When changeling wakes up, all it sees are shadows. Inside it's egg, it sees shadows marching by. There is only itself, cooped up in it's egg, all alone. When an egg is laid, the embryo develops, growing until it fits the egg's shape perfectly. Then, when it can grow no more, it opens it's eyes. But it does not see light when it opens its eyes. To be born into the light- what is it like? The feeling of warmth and love- that you are not alone. That there is one who loves you, with all their heart. That they would give their life for you.
There is only darkness when a changeling wakes. Only Dark.
Light. That is the very first thing Cocoon ever saw.
It was a glorious day in the Changeling hive. The insect-like creatures buzzed around, preparing for the celebration, while whispers flew through the hive : "The Princess! The Princess is coming! The Queen says she is coming tonight! It shall be glorious!
Soon, a huge crowd gathered around the Royal Palace, buzzing in excitement. They gradually got louder, with the guards trying to calm them down, but it only got louder and louder until:
QUIET!
Immediately the crowd lay silent. For what changeling in their right mind would disobey Queen Chrysalis?
The Queen was in the Birthing Room, surrounded by Nurse Drones. She was pale and sweaty, but still managed to look regal, as the Nurses buzzed around her.
"Tea, my queen?"
"Hot Towel, my queen?"
"Entertainment?"
"Blanket?"
"Hoof Massa-"
"Didn't I already say QUIET?! All of you, leave now. Except you, Doctor. "
The Changeling Doctor walked over as the nurses went out of the Birthing Room.
As one of the most prestigious Doctors in the Hive, Doctor Pus was chosen to be the doctor to deliver the Queen's foal. Going over to the Pregnant Queen, Pus used all his willpower not to fall to the ground and bow. There, in front of him, was his Queen! The one who led the hive, the one who directed and controlled it, letting their colony flourish. She was the one who infiltrated Canterlot, the one who disguised herself as a princess, the one who almost led their hive to glory! All ruined by those ponies. Oh, how lucky he was to be-
"Ahem. Doctor Pus, if you are done yet, my foal is about to be born."
The Changeling smiled sheepishly, and then wiped the sweat off his brow.
Outside, the crowd of changelings hummed with excitement. One small changeling asked an adult,
"Why is the Princess so special? Isn't she born from an egg, like everyone else?"
The older changeling turned and said, "Hush little one, that is where you're wrong."
"You see, The Queen starts a colony by laying eggs, which hatch."
The young one huffed. "And a changeling comes out. I know that!"
"Don't interrupt. Then, a day comes when The queen gets older. She knows without her, the hive will collapse into chaos. So, she gets ready to have a foal. But this foal does not come from an egg. Instead, the Queen becomes pregnant, where a tiny foal grows in her womb. When it has grown enough, the Queen gives birth."
The younger changeling cut in. "So? We all come from the Queen. Why is she so different?"
"I told you not to interrupt! I was getting there." The older said, annoyed.
"Ordinary Changelings, like you and me, are born from an egg, but as soon as we emerge, we get to work. You see, we are created with one thing in mind: to serve the queen. Our instincts are to work, get love, and obey the queen. So we already know what to do as soon as we emerge from our eggs. The Princess, if born from an egg, would act like a drone; like us. We can't have that, so by giving birth, the Queen ensures that the Princess learns how to be a Queen. So someday, The Princess will be a queen."
The small changeling nodded. "Oh. So that's why."
Then, there was quiet. The little changeling flittered his wings, trying to see what was going on, until the older one hoisted it up on it's shoulders. It saw, out on the balcony of the palace, a squire.
"Ahem. Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Today, on the Thirteenth day of the Spring Cycle, in the year 1256, We celebrate…"
The Squire paused.
"The Birth Of Princess Cocoon!"
The crowd roared. Changelings danced and sang, overjoyed at the arrival of their new princess.
And inside the Palace, in the birthing room, in Queen Chrysalis's forelegs,
Cocoon opened her eyes.
And she saw light.
