The Reluctant Changeling

Arista…The new name felt heavy on her tongue, and on her mind. It felt like a stamp, a guarantee her life would never be the same if she accepted the name as her own. Still, Mystax assured her she couldn’t keep her pony name. He joked it’d be like naming a pony hay-burger, making her shiver slightly at the implication. Still, after standing in the small room with a rather bored looking female changeling for nearly ten minutes, deciding her new name out of names Mystax suggested fairly randomly, she was happy to be moving. But not as happy as her new companion.

“Gena, Gena, Gena, Gena!” The female changeling near sang, seemingly overjoyed as she moved alongside her two new friends. Unlike Arista, this mare seemed to love her new name. “Oh man, this is so awesome!” The new changeling said, smiling widely. Gena, even in her new changeling body, had a long mane, though it was filled with holes, that brushed against her chest on either side, swinging to match the excited female’s head.

“I still don’t know what you’re so happy about…” Arista murmured glumly as the two turned another corner in the tight hallway, now beginning to head up a flight of stairs. “Don’t you realize we’ll never go back to being the ponies we were?”

“I know!” Gena responded, her face splitting in a grin. “I don’t know about you, but I think that’s awesome!”

“Why?” Arista couldn’t even begin to comprehend her new companion’s thoughts. To her, she’d miss her life, and it was the thought of going back to her old family and friends that made it all worth bearing. Made it possible to soldier on.

“I don’t know about you, but I was an Earth Pony. I couldn’t fly, I couldn’t do magic, I couldn’t do anything! Not to mention, my family wasn’t exactly the closest it could be. Nopony will likely notice me gone. But the changeling that brought me told me that the changelings were, like, super tight-knit.” Gena chirped happily.

“Wait, you spoke with the changeling who husked you?” Mystax asked with a blink. He looked shocked. “How?”

“Well, truth be told, when I went to see him, I got a little excited and went to his house a little early. I opened the door, hoping to surprise him, and got a huge surprise myself! So, he started getting all aggressive, arching his back up and hissing, like this-“ she paused in her explination to mimic what she had just said, the hiss being little more than the female saying “Hssss”, but it got the point across, before straitening up and continuing. “and I ran up to him and started asking questions. Boy, did he look shocked!” She said with a laugh. “After he stopped being confused, he told me all about the swarm, and how it all worked. I asked if he could make me into a changeling, and, well, here I am!”

“But why would you want to throw away what you are? Who you are? I mean, I just don’t understand?”

“I didn’t really have anything or anypony there for me, so really, why not?” Gena said with a smile.

“Alright girls,” Mystax cut in, coming to the top of the stairwell. “Here we are. Welcome to the Hive.” As he spoke, the three came through another doorway, this one leading to a walkway overlooking the entire spire.

Both females took in the sight before them in astounded silence, seeing the central hub of the changeling community. Illuminated by both their eyes natural ability to see in the dark, as well as a few torches scattered sparkly around the circular drop, they saw changelings, much more than either of them had imagined, flying back and forth, coming from holes in the wall, both small and large, flying or crawling along the walls, just going about their lives. Some held young changelings, little more than small black shapes with a horn, big blue eyes darting around curiously, eager to take in this new world they’d arrived in. Two changelings flew side by side, one holding a strange green, nearly liquid orb, both chatting and laughing like any normal pair of friends would. The site was something that Arista could’ve never imagined. Changelings going around, just living in their day to day lives, not planning and plotting the destruction of pony-kind, not scheming how to bring down Celestia, just…living. Arista couldn’t help but just stare, baffled. Mystax noticed the female, and smiled.

“That surprised? Yeah, most ponies think that we just exist to harass them, or that everyling is the same, going out to destroy them.” Mystax chuckled. “But then again, nopony seems to know that we actually eat love. “  Arista was quiet, thinking on what he said. Until Gena spoke up.

“As cool as this view is, where are we going Myst?” Mystax chuckled once, then nibbled on his lip, a habit that Arista recognized as having to say something he didn’t want to.

”Well, we have a sort of…tradition.” Mystax said slowly, choosing his words carefully, leading the two along. “A tradition that we follow whenever we welcome new changelings to our ranks.”

“Mist…” Arista slowly started, her tone warning. Changeling or not, this was still the Mist Chaser she knew for so many years. “What does this tradition entail?”

“It…entails being shown around, introduced to how you eat, and…well…Meeting the queen.”

“What!?” Arista shouted, her wings flaring in surprise as she nearly reared back.  “You mean Queen Chrysalis!?” Gena blinked, looking between the two in surprise. She had only a single word to input regarding this news.

“Neat!”

“Now, listen, there’s a few rules when meeting Her Majesty. First is general royal stuff, bow when you walk in, and keep your eyes lower than hers. Don’t meet her eyes unless she tells you otherwise.  Call her your Majesty, and only respond when spoken to, understand?” Both females nodded, feeling two very different emotions. Arista was scared, feeling fear racing along her back at the thought of meeting the changeling queen face to face, something that terrified her to the very core. She, as many other ponies had, had heard horrible rumors of the mysterious queen. That she was stronger than Celestia, and far crueler than Discord was at his worst. Gena, on the other hoof, was excited. She’d never met royalty, and she was excited to do so, and thought no more of it. The trio stood in front of a great wooden door, carved with beautiful swirling patterns that depicted a perforated heart, though one with strange proportions, much thinner than what Arista was used to seeing.

The door opened, splitting the heart in two, and the sight that greeted the trio was that of regality. The Queen sat upon her throne, placed a full ponies body higher than the floor, with a pair of perfectly identical Changelings standing in front of the small stairwells that lead up to the platform that the throne was placed on. Chrysalis sat upon her throne, regarding the three Changelings that stood at her threshold. Mystax whispered to the pair, his voice low, but enough to carry over to the pair of females.

“Walk with me. Stay about the same distance, and stop when I do, then bow your head. Let me do the talking.” Moving forward, the females followed his instructions, stopping a few steps short of the guards, and dipping his head, bending his knee in a bow.  “My Queen, I bring before you two of our newest members of our swarm. They were both formerly ponies, and have chosen the names Arista and Gena. I have brought them before you to greet you and be welcomed into the Hive.”

“This is the one that you brought to me, isn’t it?” The voice of the Queen filled the room, coated in confidence. As though she, and everyone else, knew that she owned the world. That the entire planet would bow to her whims, and beg to kiss her hoof. Idly, Arista noted that the heart shape on the door was those of the holes in the Queen's forelegs.  “The one who’s life you ruined, and brought danger to the swarm?” Mystax winced visibly, sending a pang of sympathy through Arista. She had blamed him for ruining her life. But she couldn’t help but sympathize with being scolded by royalty. “Arista… Raise your head. I wish to see you…” Arista raised her head, looking upon the Changeling Queen. Shockingly, the mare’s eyes were soft, kind and gentle.

“Y-Yes, you’re Majesty?” She asked slowly.

“What life were you taken from?” The Queen spoke slowly, compassion in her words. “Who were you, little ‘ling?”

“I was…I was Autumn Heart. I had…a brother, and I ran…I ran for the Running of the Leaves, all over Equestria.”

“A lot of ponies knew you?”

“N-No, you’re Majesty. At least, not personally. I-I mean, plenty may have recognized my face, but…” She trailed off, pain flaring in her…heart(?) with the knowledge of she no longer looked anything like what she once was. She hung her head, closing her eyes. She needed to let that go. She’d be back soon, right? She heard a soft buzz, followed by a soft thump, shocking her out of her melancholy. Looking up, she gave a soft gasp at the Queen right in front of her. Chrysalis’ face was unreadable, examining the former pony, before she brought a single leg up, and wrapped it softly around Arista’s shoulders, bringing her into a hug.

“There now, little ‘ling. I can feel your pain…” She said softly, comfort in her voice. Gena looked up in surprise, her eyes catching Chrysalis. The Queen’s eyes were closed, her head dipping into the hug. “I know, it hurts to leave everything behind. But such is life, my dear. As you yourself know, fall must give way to winter, and winter to spring. Change is the very nature of life.” She said softly, comfortingly. Releasing the mare, she turned, and ascended the stairs. “And, you, Gena… What do you think of this?”

“Oh, me? I’m happy to be here! I’ve never really had a family Ma’a- Erm, Majesty! And everything I’ve heard about Changeling’s seems great!” Chrysalis gave a soft smile. “But, um, miss Majesty?” Gena asked slowly, looking up to her. “Um…when do we eat?”