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.
Very nice! Next chapter soon?
The majority seemed to believe she could possibly grow up to be a good, well behaved pony. I thank each of you for your personal opinions.
Wait this is like a pick your own adventure story where the most commented one wins? (hence the adventure tag when there isnt much of a grand journey into unknown parts involved? )
Another update? On the same day?
What madness is this?
BTW, good chapter! Hope to see more soon!
1309824
Don't put words in my mouth, but yes. I would expect an alien planet to snuff me out if I was a threat, heck even if I wasn't one I'd expect it. Now I'm not racist, but I would say I'm species-ist. Part of my existence is to assist with prolonging the species, a duty that requires I eliminate anything that threatens it.
I will admit this though: morally, I must not kill it or anything for that matter. Morally, I'm obligated to just let it be the master of its own fate. Morally, I do have to turn my back and simply trust it won't stab me in the back; however, I'm not a perfect person. I know what I'd do because I know who I am. I'd be glad if I could honestly say I'd make the honest to goodness moral decision, but the stronger part of me would rather end this before it potentially starts.
1309874 No, the readers don't make the story, I DO!
1309893
I know that duh, but thought you were influenced by the comments of the readers with the "The majority seemed to believe..." comment
1309905 No, I was just saying that to point it out.
1307757
Keep it alive and raise it, if it showed signs of being 'evil' I would put it down without batting an eye.
1309919
If you raise it you would get more and more attached to it, so putting it down would be a bigger issue then then, unless your a cold blooded heartless monster, but then the changeling would starve so better to just kill it.
1309930 I Lol'd at this one!
Well.. people are now making OC changelings... great...
1309949 I can't tell if you're mad at that, or being serious.
1309866
Yes, a perfect utopia is unlikely to work without some points were you have to be somewhat less idealistic for a bit, but there are degrees and limits. Apart from the point were i would argue that discord certaily caused some damage (even when because of his reality warping or the elements of harmony it fixes itself).
But theres a difference. What we need isnt a police state witchunt or a climate comparabke to robespierre in the french revolution "off with his head". What we need is a way of identifing changelings. And, im pretty sure we have that. Twilight was able to dispel the transformation of one, so why not throw that spell at the foal, set up a bunch of chekpoints with a unicorn that can cast it?
If the changelings are as much a active threat as you claim, then, to be honest, equestria as we know it is lost. the amount of paranoia, control, etc required to counter them aproaches 1984 or WH40k levels, and in that situation you cannot go on to pretend you are an utopia. However, since changeling invasions apparently dont happen daily, they were gotten rid of without too much damage, they barely managed to take one city for a few minutes, were really lucky that luna wasnt there, can probably identified with some spell/method etc. i would say you vastly exaggerate the threat they pose, in order to transform equestria into a child murdering, witchunting, ultra paranoid dystopia.
If that is was necessary for ponykind to survive, if things are that bad, one might start to argue for releasing discord because he will likely improve the world overall. Forgoing the argument that authorial intent etc this is a more idealistic setting, celestia would never allow that to happen. So in your "setting", equestria in any recognizable form is completly doomed, and i dont think that is true. But even then, murdering children is still morally wrong.
1309814 what? were you planning on altering the way the story progressed depending on what the majority said?
1307757 i would let her go...no matter the cost... i couldn't hurt anyone...even though Solar Flare says differently (look at avatar)
1309930 I have been told before, but I'm not heartless just have a different heart then most as I just don't hesitate to harm those who harm me regardless of how much I love or care for them.
(Think I said that right)
1309982 No, I was just thanking you all for the opinions.
1310037 oh, okay.
1309883
Honest, at least. And admitting you are morally wrong. However, i would argue that even logial, you course is not the best. Also, i would say that sometimes, people like you are exactly whats wrong with the world. But, if you admit that your actions are not morally sound, theres little use, or rather little necessity, arguing morality. What i would say is that in this specific case, equestria exists in a world with at least 5, possibly much more, different sentient species. They have existed semi peacefully ina somewhat harmonius state for a while, so here within the context of equestria you actions might not only be morally wrong, but also against the best interests of both yourself and your species. If the others (gryphons, dragons, Zebras and so on) see equestria become xenophobic/specicist, you pretty much invite them to team up against you.
So again, the action would be wrong both morally, and from a ruthlessly specicist perspective.
Also, again, whats wrong with the middle (cautious but not child-murderingly evil) approach?
Also, i find it somewhat disturbing that you jump directly from "potential threat" to "exterminate it". Seems to me, as i said, in an enviroment with many alien species to just lead to you being eliminated for being a danger to everyone else who would coexist peacefully.
1310104 Harsh, but meh... Expected.
Wow, another feature, congrats, it's like every story you do is featured now.
1310185 No, not every story.
*sees this in the morning not sure if this is good*
*goes to school*
600 years later...
*clicks on story*
Me:Hmm wonder why it's so long... I thought it was only 1500 words...
*eyes slowly drift to the number of comments*
What. The. Buck.
1310205 I know... I've started... something... I don't know what... but it's something...
1310194
Right, make that every non clop story
1310248 No, Friendship Is Gambling was featured.
1310103
I won't say it won't cause trouble. I won't say it's the best decision to make. I can't say for sure what would happen once the die are cast. Yes, morality does go out the window. It's a shame, there's no getting around that.
Sure, we were coexisting, but for some reason the changelings decided to rise up. I fear that if there are no repercussions for their actions, they will rise up again. I'm ignorant to their deeper intentions. If I knew more, I'm sure I could make a better decision. Is it a stretch to do away with a changeling child? I don't know. Smells more like Trojan Horse than Benign Bacteria.
Survival means the elimination of danger. The only problem I have with the middle road is that it's flimsy. It's not resolute. It's not a "let's be wrong" or "let's be right", but more like "let's be careful" or "let's tread the line". When I've learned all I can, I tend to polarize. I'm right or I'm left. I'm good or I'm bad. It's a personal thing for me. I stick to my guns when I say that I know the world is painted black and white.
To coexist peacefully is a beautiful sentiment. It's a sentiment painted in moral integrity and truth. I would love to coexist peacefully. Now that the boat has been rocked, I don't want to be the one who shows up to the fight without a little blood on his hands.
1310452 I pointed many issues out with this... Religion in Equestria is only one of them that I was able to bring to your curiosity.
1309968
You're right, Twi did cast a spell to reveal a changeling. What's to say that a lesser unicorn can master it? That it's foolproof? That changelings can't simply avoid the checkpoints? You'll also notice that this Celestia hasn't cast any such spell yet. She's trusting a changeling she hasn't even confirmed isn't an enemy in hiding yet.
Now, let's assume our little changeling is really a child. What's to say she hasn't already been indoctrinated into the changeling way? What's to say she has any free will? The changelings seem very ant-like, with a Queen bearing large physical differences (she's larger and has more developed horn/wings) and responsible for reproduction (she does refer to the changelings as her children once, right?) and a large number of faceless 'drones' who would be responsible for most of the work, like tearing apart Canterlot. Such a structure would indicate that, like ants are theorized to have (and which indirect evidence supports), changelings have a hive mind - which would mean that no changeling from the same hive would ever do anything contrary to the interests of the hive.
Even if the changeolings aren't like social insects and have a more traditional reproduction and organization system (egg-nymph-adult, individuals), where did this changeling come from? It's at least old enough to understand Celly, so she must have spent time with her changeling parents, and has been exposed to changeling ideals and concepts, at least indirectly. It's an enormous risk bringing it into the household of the God-Empress of Ponykind, and Celestia is showing a surprising lack of intelligence about it all.
1310414
Somehow you sond calmer, and if you excuse the term, saner, than in your last post.
I admit you have some points there. If we just let the attack on canterlot go, we might appear weak in a world that isnt as peacefull as we once thought. Depending on how exactly the victory at canterlot played out in detail, some repercussions might be necessary. (If the shield and being thrown halfway across equestria already did a lot of damage to that force equestria might already appear everything but weak) If they got mostly away, then everything from asking for some reperations/change in leadership or marching to the hive in full and demanding an unconditional surrender else things...get ugly may be the right idea, but arguing about what exactly should be done about the changeling race is getting off topic.
If we can confirm that its indeed a child and not a shapeshifted adult, then again its an innocent. Call it a refugee or a prisoner of war, its with a bit of care in no position to do any damage. You speak of showing of bloody, but adding the blood of an innocent child to that... i dont see how that improves your position in any way exept make you sink to the same (or lower) level then your enemy for no advantage.
Yes, at its most primal. But guess what, were civilized. This does not mean weak. Civilization means organization and cooperation for mutual benefit. Earlier there were cutoffs between diferent families or tribes, here in equestria its now species. Cooperation survives for the most. Admitedly, total pacifism goes down. But so does extreme agression. In this case, the flimsy middle of the road works far better than any extreme. (again, exact detail to be debated, but i would argue if anything the "ideal aproach" is closer to the diplomacy then the war end of the scale)
Ok, how to state this nicely, but this..NO. you are wrong, as simple as that.
The world is complex. its not black and white for the most, it never was, and probably never will be. In so many things there are far more than one approach, compromise is how coexistance functions. Could list some example, but dont want to veer of into discussion of politics and history.
Your personal thing, "sticking to your guns" on seeing things in black and white. Yes, you can do that. But you say yourself you are painting the world. Why i dont know. but in many cases, sticking to your guns to see things in black and white means nothing more than sticking to ignorance.
Im not saying there is no right and wrong, that not some things have clear solutions or clear villains, or that there arent situations were one side is simply wrong. But to say that the answer is never in the middle is just as wrong as would be to say it always is.
For the case of the changeling child, it seems clear, that depending on how changelings work the friendly but with caution , aka middle of the road, could be the best aproach. Please dont tell me you would kill it because your personal philosophy disaproves of compromises. If that is what you are saying, then...Im not sure how to finish that sentence but it would be difficult to make it not sound hatefull or like an insult.
WHAT HAVE I DONE?!
Plz continue
1310650 I will... tomorrow or sometime later. I'm tired.
I was a bit skeptical in the first chapter... But you sold me on the second one, I really like where this is going so far and I hope that it will continue on for a long while.
1310661 I'll do my best!
1310635
Started something amazing.
1310671 I need to learn to keep my hands on the fiction and not ask questions on the first comment.
1310681
What, you don't like controversial discussions pushing your fic's comments past a hundred?
1310692 I just don't want there to be any argument in general, but don't let me stop you from your debate. You can continue.
1310709
I don't know about anyone else, but for me this is all just in fun ;p
1310565
In this case, suprisingly we seem to have reached an agreement. Having that suspicious child right next to the princesse/the palace is a risk. From there i would, however say, that if we forgo the complete idealistic approach (although here i think celestia might have deliberatly gone in the other direction (explanation below)) Theres nothing wrong with placing the child woth a foster family in a non palace/critical position and keeping a bit of an eye on it as it grows up. From a security perspective this could be the best way to learn more about changelings, wether it suceeds or fails. It is pretty much our lack of information that is the main problem.
Expl regarding celestia: She might just have decided to choose the most idealistic aproach possible, simply to prove herself right. Celestia believes in the teachings of harmony, and, possibly horrifying herself with coming close to killing a child, she might just have choosen to rack up the idealism even more, as a complete refusal to sink to her enemies level, and promote her peacefull, understanding aproach more than ever. Whether thats wise is another matter, but i can see it as something celestia might do. Also if she can but convert one, and that one manages to integrate into equestria, she might just believe that that serves as a magnet to other changelings weary of hiding and fighting. She could defeat Chrysalis by turning her peaople against her, as soon as its proven that a peacefull coexistance is possible, others might just turn to equestrias side if life there is better. Cynically said, there are other ways than open war to completly destroy an "enemy", providing better conditions/lifestyle and thus drawing people and absorbing them into her own society might be just what celestia is going for.
1310726 Fun is good. I like fun.
1310635
Thus sayeth the pebble that started the avalanche.
For me its mostly in good fun, but somehow, as soon as i saw someone arguing for what looked to me like murder of children, not just somewhere on the internet but whithin the brony comunity, i couldnt stay silent.
1310758 I just don't know what went wrong!
1310737
Honestly, I'd put her less in a foster hone and more a comfortable secured vault with plenty of friendly pony interaction and 24-7 monitoring. A foster family is vulnerable to, among other things, changeling abduction, random crimes, stressful domestic problems, and trouble from the neighbors/neighborhood kids. We don't want our live specimen to be harmed, do we? Once she reaches adulthood the !!SCIENCE!! can commence, and we can find out much more about the changeling physique, mentality, biological processes, and magical capabilities.
But Celestia... she hasn't confirmed the identity of this little changeling nymph, she hasn't taken any security measures, and she hasn't asked WHO THE FETH PUT THE THING THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. Isn't it a bit strange when a changeling nymph barely young enough to cry appears in the dungeons of a heavily-secured palace? If the palace isn't secured tot he point that a changeling nymph can get inside, then she deserves to wake up with a bad case of death. And if the nymph was put there by someone, like, say, HER PARENTS, wouldn't that mean her parents wanted the nymph found? She either fell into the changeling's hooves or has pretty piss-poor security for the head of a country under attack by shapeshifters.
1310758
Oh, I love playing the Devil's Advocate. Makes for much more engaging discussion than everyone agreeing on the least controversial method.
Just my two cents:
The only thing really pushes someone who was either good or neutral into a dark and abusive mind set set would be a catastrophic trauma, either psychological or emotional, that would put whatever morals said being has into a very twisted state in which their horrific actions which would, in the affected beings mind, be completely justified to either protect or guarantee the safety of the being's loved ones.
Furthermore, Celestia is a chess player. She plans many things far ahead of time in the form of long term plans and fail safes.
1310627
I'm sticking to my guns. The world is black and white, but I'm not the one who paints it. If I'm ignorant, everything will look blurry. If the line looks blurry, I'm missing information. I can't know everything and I don't expect everyone else to.
Yes, there are times cooperation and compromise hold the right path. Never easy to riddle out where the truth is, and no man does it alone.
But all the high-fluted talk of morality isn't the issue at hand for me here.
The question was what would my decision be in Celestia's situation, and I'm certain that if it was me in her shoes I would have decided to kill the changeling. It would just be a decision made on merit on the fact that Canterlot was attacked by changelings and this changeling appears to have been among them. It's a move in defense of my people. Whether or not it is or isn't right, I know I'd worry too much about its potential to consider taking it under my wing; I don't know enough about it to say for sure if it's a thing that is inherently evil. My immediate thoughts would have governed this decision. All this back and forth wouldn't have occurred in my mind.
At my best, I would have left her in that cell and meditated on it before making my final decision, but I won't give myself that much credit.
1310768
I don't think anything went wrong. Good ol' fashioned back and forth of ideas is a heck of a lotta fun. Heck, I wish stuff like this would happen on my stuff. You made people think enough to spark a lively debate. It's a wonderful learning experience.