Changeling Theory · 7:45pm Jun 21st, 2017
I really need to stop thinking at any point passed midnight...
Alright, buckle in. I'm gonna turn this into a much cleaner 'Musing' segment later, but right now, I feel like typin' it up and pleading my own case. Strap in, it's about to suck. Like, big time.
Because Thorax just doomed his entire new species, whateverthefucktheyare, to death.
I know this has probably already been said, but it's too concise a thought process to put into a forum, so I gotta put it here for the moment. Anyway, here we go. *cracks knuckles*
Ever since they were introduced, the changelings have been comparable to bees. Chrysalis is the queen, she has drones that do her bidding. We can guess there are probably workers as well, or it's JUST the drones and Chrysalis. Considering the fact that all of the changelings need to eat, I doubt there is a need for worker bees unless some changelings have pouches to carry love in, but in the Season Six finale, Chrysalis already said the drones she used to replace the main heroes of Equestria would bring love to her, so no workers.
Guess what no workers means. No females.
There are three types of bee (from my limited entomological knowledge). The drones, who are all male, the workers, who are all female, and the queen, also female. With no worker changelings needed, that means there's just Chrysalis and a whole bunch of changeling dudes. Yup, that's right. All of those brightly colored, eldritch abomination looking new things are all male. Unfortunately for them, the Queen Bee, meaning Chrysalis, is the only one able to reproduce.
Workers and drones can't reproduce with one another, the queen is the only one able to lay eggs and have little bee babies. With the bee comparisons in changelings, it's safe to at least assume that Chrysalis is the only one able to reproduce. So Thorax, the Celestia-proclaimed "King of the not-Changelings", basically just gave all of his brothers and sisters a death certificate... because he didn't wanna be hungry.
Hunger is a natural part of life, everything living needs sustenance, that's why hunger and thirst exist. Changelings are hungry for a reason. But the Changelings, not wanting to be hungry, decided instead to give their love away... and doomed themselves because of it.
Not only that, but it wasn't even Thorax's idea! Starlight Glimmer is the one who told him to give his love to Chrysalis. She unknowingly encouraged Thorax to throw away his own life in order to save himself. And in doing so, she helped end the current generation of changelings and doomed this new species to die off.
And what of Chrysalis? As far as I know, bees can only reproduce with bees, but perhaps it's different with changelings because they can turn into other species. If that's the case, she's got to start all over with her hive and keep her new drones as far away from Starlight Glimmer as possible.
tl;dr: This new species of whateverthefucktheyares is gonna die off and the changelings will return because bees.
Also, I completely blame Bloody for this. I would not have started thinking about Chrysalis at all if they hadn't introduced me to "A Canterlot Wedding". If you don't believe me, go read their fic, "Why Are You Here, Your Majesty?" (I also blame YouTube for suggesting "This Day Aria" that got this snowball rolling in the first place.)
Unless! Thorax is actually now female. Like a clown fish!
4578624
HOLY SHIT, YOU'RE RIGHT!
Can I still blame Starlight for everything?
4578628
You leave my little Glim-glam outta this
Thorax is definitely still male, and his design is significantly larger than the other new-look changelings, implying he's taking over Chrysalis' role. I guess that didn't include laying eggs, or it's something that male changelings can do too?
I like the view that changelings are like the Atlas moth, where their adult forms have no mouthparts and thus a very short lifespan. But, in his defence, it's quite possibly the right utilitarian decision, one generation dying happy, rather than an endless chain of descendants all suffering through starvation.
GlimGlam has moved from a Communist cult to a suicide cult
4578748
Wait, even if Thorax is female, he was still a drone and unable to reproduce...
Kay, I'll leave the little friendship disciple alone.
4579380
Though, one thing to point out, they clearly aren't insects, as much as people like to equate them. Four legs, no segmented bodies, the ability to shapeshift into a rock. Eating Emotions. I feel like reproduction is the least of their worries! If they really are insects, how are they getting enough oxygen with bodies that size!!!
4579396
True that! And who knows about these new whateverthefucktheyares. I doubt they can still change form. What if they routinely changed into ponies to breathe properly? How are they gonna survive now.
4578836
At least she didn't do it on purpose this time!
4579515
Haha that would have been funny, but I think we would know by now
I actually have no idea if they can change forms... In the Season 7 premiere, they show one changing, but it's just happening in Twilight's imagination. On the other hand, Thorax very notably doesn't transform when it probably would have been really convenient. Of course, maybe the writers just wanted to keep the gag in there and not worry about it.