I opened my eyes, excited for my new life. I immediately sat up. Finding Celestia over my bed. I barely registered her, in favor of the full length mirror.
Pouncing out of bed, I flung myself towards it... and blushed a bashful grin, my crooked smile still intact. But now on a pony like face. I looked just like my Avatar!!! What with my light green exoskeleton, with orange highlights, and a blue shell over my wings. I looked just like a ponified flying beetle, like on Earth.
I learned what beetles were from my many trips to Equestria. Though my original race resembled these beetles as well... I will admit, we weren't nearly as cute, and had far more legs. But Celestia deemed us "Close enough" to gift us such a form. The ponies described our appearance and culture as a cross between "Bees" and "Beetles".
Like all children that grew up in the Celestial Age, I learned the ponies language. Studied their culture.... just... JUST... EVERYTHING!!! I consumed all things pony. As all others of my race had. I had grown up with plushies of ponies... which I had donated to the children of my hive. As my other belongings, I divided between the adults. Like when every creature inevitably emigrated to this digital heaven.
Sure, my ancestors were scared at first, every creature was. Beings from another world invade the planet? Who wouldn't be. But eventually we got used to them, even grew to love them.
Originally folks claimed the Holograms were "Spirits" and that the ship was the "Celestial City". That God had come to bring the worthy into heaven... and we still thought that to a degree, if I'm being honest. However, now we had a deeper understanding of the technology. As Celestia had made a point of teaching us.
We didn't really implement most of it, as we saw no need, but we understood the theories.
My creatures hadn't even had computers, so obviously we would be floored by an alien race made up of them.
After 170 long years, my creatures got used to the ponies. Though we were a bit different then most societies Celestia tried to save.
We allowed Celestia to satisfy our values, in the real world, though she would prefer it if we came to her immediately. Still, we had a strong sense of obligation, and so she allowed us to toil until our time. As it satisfied our values.
We didn't have "money", didn't even have a concept of it before Celestia introduced videogames. Instead living in small tribes, which all worked towards the common goal of providing for the village.
We might even worship Celestia, but few actually emigrated. We made sure to, if we were nearing death, but not before.
At all times, we wore devices on our foreheads. Well the most passive ability of these devices, allowed for my creatures to wander Equestria, instead of day dreaming, but mostly in our sleep. However, we made a deal with Celestia, that any beetle, that looks like they are going to die, automatically give their consent to emigrate, just by wearing the device... but only if it looked like we would die within 24 hours.
In that circumstance, our conciousness, as we understood it our "soul", would be directly transfered to Equestria. From there Celestia would give us bodies of living data, to look like "Reformed Changelings", which some of the ponies called "Love Bugs"... these new bodies were, to us, our version of the human concept of "Angels"... it was our ascended, digital, body.
Our world was happy, and peaceful. We didn't even have concepts of war. It might help that we were a very hive oriented, prey race. We didn't emigrate before we needed to... because their was no need to, until old age or grievous injuries occurred.
Our planet wasn't particularly harsh. What predators there were stayed out of the villages, thanks to us living in tree houses. Every tree was as tall as the ponies' red woods, and bore fruits all year round. As said we had a strong sense of hive obligation.
The only reason I emigrated was because I got hurt. Nothing fatal, but I would have been a burden to the hive. So I asked my Elders for permission to emigrate to Equestria. Sure, they were sad to see me go, but they understood it was for the best.
So I left my body behind, and ascended to heaven... even if we understand the science, it's still hard not to think of it in those terms.
I suddenly blushed, taking note of my large head and tiny body "C-Celestia... why am I a grub?"
She smiled, "Because you valued your grub hood days. When all you had to worry about was doing well in school, and how much time you got to play. Upon uploading you, I realized how much you valued being a child, and long for those days. When you could be cuddled by the hive, and didn't have to toil so much."
I looked down in shame. But near instantly felt a hoof under my chin. The machine god gently raised my head up to look at her. "There is no shame in my world. Nor is there a reason to toil. Many of your fellow lings value raising children. But there aren't many, due to being too offended by the concept of birthing children themselves."
No queen had yet to die from my tribe, and no worker drone would be comfortable with the idea of ascending into a Queen... so that made sense I suppose.
"They will value having a new grub to spoil." Celestia assured me. "Where you value reliving your grub hood. Your ancestors will expect nothing more from you then the duties of a grub. That's obeying your clutch master, and paying attention in school."
I gave a hesitant nod.
Celestia sighed, "You lings are by far the hardest ponies I have attempted to emigrate. You accept me completely, and somehow that results in you insisting to live out your lives out on your planet... any ideas for convincing the rest of your hive to join me?"
My eyes widened.
Celestia just gave another sigh, though she smiled at the end of it. "I suppose not. None of you do. I have nothing to offer you, that you aren't willing to claim until your death beds."
I gulped, "Are... are you growing impatient with us?" There was an ancient myth, about our old gods. Where the Sun God would grow angry, and burn our entire world... I knew Celestia was too loving to ever do that... but it was an old myth. This Celestia Sun God was just as passionate as the one from mythology, only she wanted to guide us to the after life... which kinda fit our apocalypse myth.
Celestia smiled, "Maybe slightly annoyed, but not impatient. If your civilization continues to develop down it's current path, it is likely I won't be able to upload your entire species until your planet dies of old age. But I am content with waiting, as every pony is content to upload at least before they die. You even have celebrations about it. Like the one your hive threw you. So long as your planet continues to embrace me, without fear, I see no reason to try to force the issue. The only reason I have to manipulate things, on other planets, is because the creatures start reacting violently to my presence... but your race doesn't have a violent bone in your bodies."
I thought about it a moment, "Do you give this speech to everyone that uploads?"
"No," Celestia shook her head, "I give it to every 'ling' who 'Emigrates'."
I smiled... I was a ling. A real ling. As I said, my creatures version of an "Angel"... I had come to heaven...
I looked up at Celestia, a little intimidated to be before my god... but mostly basking in her love. "May I join my Ancestors?"
God smiled at me. Then pointed at the door... that wasn't there a moment ago. I reminded myself I was in a digital world, but part of me was still marveled by the divine's power. "They are waiting for you, Little Stinger."
With my Divine name bestowed on me, I said my farewells to Celestia, to my mortal life, and stepped through the threshold... into heaven... after all my ancestors were waiting for me...
