The Biography of Ocellus: A Student of Friendship
by MixMassBasher
Edited by Neko Majin C
Headmare Twilight once said it's best to put your thoughts into words when she mentioned how the Friendship Journal came about. So, I'll try my very best.
Where do I even start with this? I don't know, honestly. I guess I'll start at the very beginning. Or rather, the end, depending on how you look at it. The beginning and end of the changeling race.
Queen Chrysalis had hatched another plan to take over Equestria and was close to success. I wasn't a part of that plan as I was just a growing nymph being trained for the new world that the Great Queen was making for us.
Ironically, the new world the Queen got wasn't what she'd anticipated. The usurping of her own throne.
The betrayer, or what most drones know him as, Thorax, had come back to the hive to save Equestria. With him, he brought along Trixie the Magician, Discord the Trickster, and Guidance Counselor Starlight, though, she wasn't a counselor, yet.
I wish I had met her back then. I could really have used some guidance. But we can't change the past.
Despite their small numbers, it wasn't power that won the day. It was their unity. Their newfound friendship. Although I didn't fully learn about this until later on. I never saw Thorax defeating Queen Chrysalis. I was patrolling somewhere in the hive far away from the throne room. But I did share my love like all the other changelings once I saw the way the older changelings changed form.
Despite all the Queen had taught us, there was an even greater power she did not fully understand. Sharing love was many times more powerful than taking it. Perhaps that's why Princess Cadence and Shining Armor could beat the Queen with the very thing she fed on during the first failed invasion of Canterlot. Which the Queen forbade us all to ever mention again, I might add, or else we'd face her wrath.
Am I afraid of mentioning it now? No, not really. I have gotten past my initial fear of the ex-queen.
I'll confess, though, I always liked the color blue. It was quite fitting I became this color when I changed.
As we newly rebirthed changelings danced in the ruins of our old kingdom at the crowning of the new and improved King Thorax, I had... mixed feelings about the whole thing.
The change was liberating. It felt good. I felt the freedom of choice for once in my life.
Yet, why was I so afraid?
Metathesiophobia; the fear of change, as Headmare Twilight explained to me later on. It was because I was now out of my own element. In an environment that was now different than it was when I was growing up.
A changeling afraid of change. Who would've thought?
I don't know why, but that fear just made me bury myself into whatever books or scrolls we managed to have in what remained of our old hive. What was shocking was that we changelings had no true history or culture other than the centuries of warring, deception, and constant hunger for love. I had hoped back then that time would change and we'd find new ways to make our mark in our world. A positive one this time.
Thankfully, that proved true.
The rest of the next season was spent rebuilding our hive, creating our culture and integrating ourselves into pony society. Shockingly, King Thorax somehow manage to strengthen ties with the Dragon Lord, of all creatures. This event proved that a changeling can change. For the better.
It was also after expressing my own feelings in our self-made Feelings Forums that I stopped being afraid of change. Instead, I came to fear the exact opposite. Turning back to our old ways. That was probably the cause of the recurring nightmares of turning into our old Queen. Thankfully, like all my other fears, I grew out of it with time and with friends.
And then came the School of Friendship. That was a whole other new experience for me.
Meeting other races without any disguises was frightening. Our original black hues help us hide in the dark of the night. Away from foes. But our colorful hues, like Pharynx once said, made us vulnerable.
That's what I felt when I entered the school. Vulnerable.
It also didn't help that I was representing my entire species in this brand new School of Friendship. Did that also make me a pawn once more? For the betterment of my race? Strangely enough, that's not really a bad thing. In fact, far from it.
I will say now that I never regretted coming here. If I didn't, I wouldn't have met Sandbar, Yona, Silverstream, Gallus, and Smolder. Five friends whose company I couldn't stand to be without. Kind of like how Headmare Twilight felt about her own friends, our other teachers, in her humble beginnings. Learning friendship was possibly what opened my eyes to what made Equestria truly strong.
‘Cause a true, true friend helps a friend in need, of course!
I listened to every word our teachers taught me. Call me a teacher's pet, if you will. I don't care. This is who I am. But that doesn’t stop me from getting in trouble now and then... Hehe.
From camping in the Castle of the Two Sisters to seeing the Tree of Harmony, every day was an adventure. My friends stuck with me through thick and thin. They became my second family.
Gallus, with his funny, sarcastic way of thinking. Sandbar, with his chillaxed, as he called it, attitude. Silverstream, with her bubbly enthusiasm. Smolder, with her snarky personality. And, Yona, with her cheerful personality disposition.
And then there was Cozy Glow. She was an enigma in and of itself. Although she acted all cheerful and sweet, I never did feel those emotions coming from her. I thought it was another part of my changing biology, like how I could feel love radiating from my friend Sandbar from time to time despite never figuring out at whom it was directed... I still haven't figured that out, to be honest.
But now I know better. Cozy Glow might as well be the old queen in disguise with how she acted. She betrayed us. Our friendship. Was this how Princess Luna felt in the past when she was neglected by the ponies of Equestria? If so, I have a better appreciation for the Princess of the Night. Maybe next Nightmare Night I can give her more of the candy that I'll be collecting with my friends.
But, as always, friendship always wins. In the end, she was punished for what she had done. Sentenced to Tartarus, surprisingly. Hopefully, she'll change her ways, like how Starlight once did. Everyone can change for the better. Just look at my entire race!
All in all, I'm happy where I am. The creatures I met, the friends I made, the experiences I had, I sincerely hope the next season brings forth more friendship among all races.
Sincerely,
Ocellus