//------------------------------// // Part Two: Speculations Compared to Facts // Story: A Changeling Named Sin // by Art Inspired //------------------------------// A Changeling Named Sin Speculations Compared to Facts Three years have gone by since the day Celestia made her choice, and though the adopted daughter acted spoiled at times, there were more incidences which she behaved commendably. Her outbreaks were obviously due to her age and the mentality of a child that was present, but it had been a few months since her last temper tantrum. With the days going by, Celestia grew curious if Sin could change her form. Her highness could normally be found in the throne room. Huge pillars lined the walls with statues of old and amazing idols like Star Swirl the Bearded. Ivy of shimmering gold flowed on the pillars towards the ceiling, which reflected ones image clearly on each leaf. The young changeling entered one day and cautiously looked around to see her mother and aunt discussing general topics. Luna never did approve of her sister's choice of letting the young, yellow maned filly live, but had no real say so in the matter. She saw the innocence approach and hinted to her using a hoof. Celestia turned her head and smiled. As the changeling gazed at the two royal sisters with a beaming face, she said, “Mommy, aunt Woona, watch!” Slowly, her petite wings began flapping, making a strong humming sound. Her body rose off the ground while her expression was curled up in devotion for flight. Once she stabled herself thoroughly, floating in midair, her parent smiled blissfully while saying, “That’s marvelous, Sin! How’d you manage to grow up so fast?” The changeling landed back down and gazed at the princess of the day in some sort of trance. Now, most would wonder if a changeling is able to see the aura-like material known as love, and this was actually true. Celestia’s fluently developed love could be seen emitting from her being, purple and shimmering. Only Sin could see the awe inspiring substance enter her holed hooves. When it did, she felt the energy that came with it, powerful and robust. The smell of admiration intoxicated the changeling, making her feel as though she just had dessert before dinner. Celestia’s interested face inspected the young being as she fed, and asked “Sin, are you alright?” The small girl smiled, and claimed with closed eyes, “Fine mommy, it’s this… stuff! It tastes good.” Celestia nodded her head, levitated a note pad and quill and began to take notes. Subconsciously, she felt weaker, but not enough for her to actually notice it. She questioned the little one about what exactly she saw while documenting the answers. Luna just sneered at the child while trying hard not to lose herself in anger. The changeling was dismissed, and Celestia asked her sister, “You hate my child, don’t you?” Luna’s averted looks gave her sister the answer she searched for. “Hate is too strong a word… Distrust is the better way of putting things. She IS a changeling after all.” “But she has yet to show any real, threatening powers. I’ve never even seen her morph into… anything. She’s been the same, young daughter that I’ve learned to love, and even enjoy her company. She’s obviously not like Chrysalis, but she hasn’t fully grown yet, either.” The documents she’d been jotting down lofted to Luna and presented themselves to her. "What's this?" “See," Celestia explained, "three years have shown her to be the same as any other child; Playful, serene and mostly innocent. The outbreaks were her being a child, not a monster. What happened all those years ago, it wasn’t the changelings that did it, but Queen Chrysalis, the mastermind and puppet ruler of her army. She alone manipulated each changeling into believing they needed to feed on love forcefully. I've been researching the events of that day all this time, and I'm confident this is true. This young daughter of mine has had love given to her, and I’ve been raising her to develop a good mentality, not one that is corrupt, but one of a good nature, and pure intentions.” Luna brought a news article over, and while she did, she debated, “But look at these.” The news article showed the changeling army picture next to Sin. “Depictions of old folklore say that all changelings will eventually revert to their original, evil ways with time. It’s written in their biological code to behave and feed on other’s love. In other words, eventually, that young, playful filly will find herself wanting more, and more... She could devour everypony’s love ruthlessly once she comes of age! This, we're sure of.” Celestia giggled and said, “Still not use to the new way of talking, huh?” She shooed the paper away. “Well, this is all just talk, and we have no consecutive evidence of her being evil. Not at this point in time, and not for a couple more years, but I stick with the thought of her becoming a respectable pony, and not the love eating beast you say she will become.” Luna looked around the room and pondered a new subject. “Celestia…” she began. Her sister looked at her and asked what she wanted. “Has she been able to… morph into anypony yet?” Celestia looked down at the floor and snickered. “Oh, Luna… No, she hasn’t.” She looked gleefully at the princess of the night and continued. “She has shown no changeling powers like morphing, or any form of magic either, and I think that it’s good she hasn’t." Luna nodded. "Yes, but..." "Someday," Celestia picked up, "she will undoubtedly attempt it, but for now, she still hardly knows what befell the palace during the wedding. Soon, I’ll explain everything, but I doubt she would attempt to try and change into somepony as she has no need to do so. This will probably be a power that will never be discovered, but when I say that…” She lifted her hood and knocked three times on the wooden handle of her throne. She then looked back at her sister and said, “Just in case of jinxes.” Luna chuckled sheepishly before stating, “I didn’t know you believed in superstition.” “And I didn’t think I’d be raising a filly changeling, but I am… and I really do hope she turns out alright. It would be dreadful to find out all this time spent on her, trying to get her to behave in an orderly manner, wipe out all dark fallacies in her head and provide a constant flow of love for her... was all in vain.” Sin was regarded by many ponies as a demon infiltrating the castle wearing the skin of an angel, but these accusations were just improvable at this point. Years would pass before the filly would be considered truly harmless to the public. But, in time, just as everything in life, many would learn to accept her for who she was. Sin never did attempt to change form, but she did experiment with her magic. She would often try spells like summoning flowers for her mother, or making her bed. Magic wasn’t her specialty, but despite her lack of talent, she still persisted with her abilities of magical control. Some years later, she would be considered a princess. Thanks to her strikingly amazing beauty, which was catered for from being royalty, she caught many eyes of gentlecolts. She wasn’t like other changelings who were grotesque and scary. Her eyes almost shined with kindness, and her overall appearance seemed to mesmerize stallion guards every time she trotted close to them in the halls. She was about the same height as Celestia, but a tad bit shorter. Her mane shined like the sun itself; yellow, nearly golden and flowing freely like the waves in the ocean on her shoulders. The only problem with her was the insecurity she felt when feeding on the freely given love her friends and family gave to her daily. The mare felt like she still stole it somehow, but with no way of stopping herself from constant feeding, she would try not to interact with the ones that loved her the most, especially her chamber guard, Silver Blade. He'd been on the job for roughly eight years now and was a bit older than her, only by a year, though.