//------------------------------// // Part One: Right or Wrong? // Story: A Changeling Named Sin // by Art Inspired //------------------------------// A Changeling Named Sin Right or Wrong? “The devastation count rises with every calculation of the Canterlot city and palace. Those who were there have a new kind of fear and know to avoid changelings, so why is it that so many fear a changeling? Princess Celestia is with us today in the Canterlot throne room to discuss the issue at hoof… We’re entering now.” As the news pony reporter entered the room, Celestia could be seen speaking to one of her guards about the recent rush of events. The reporter respectfully asked if her highness was ready for her interview. “Of course, please… ask me anything.” “What was your initial reaction to the changelings?” Celestia lowered her head, and explained, “Well, you see, this was an upsetting development. As princess of the sun and ruler of the day, I am entitled to say that I love all living things… but these changelings take on a new form of threat to the pony civilization. I cannot love something that steals love away from others… I’d like to point out that there may be other changelings that weren't blasted away in the explosion of Cadence and Shining Armor, so with all this in mind, I currently have multiple guards in search of hidden beings around the palace, and the outside city as well. If you see anything, please, inform me at once.” The reporter nodded his head and continued with his next question. “If you do find one… what will happen to said pon- … uh… changeling… thing?” Celestia looked around the room, searching her thoughts for a proper answer, but all she could muster was, “I don’t know…” Her highness looked at the reporter's worried eyes and continued, “I guess, if it comes to that, I won’t have much choice but to carry out the worst punishment imaginable… Death.” Soon, the other questions, which were basic for the interview and not needed as additional information but just juicy knowledge the news columns wanted in order to make the report more enthralling to the audience, ended, and the princess was left in silence while she signed some notifications, prepped the other guards for their nighttime duty, and was just about to leave the throne room when a guard busted through the door panting. “Your highness,” he said in shock. “There’s… a changeling! In the dungeon, hurry!” As her highness quickly followed the stallion to the cells, the two passed many halls, circled corners and finally descended a flight or two of stairs to reach their destination. As her highness asked where it was, the guard walked to where two of his own were standing. Each one had lances at the ready, pointed threateningly at the bars. Through them, Celestia could see a small, yellow; almost golden maned filly changeling, bawling her poor eyes out. Celestia stared at the young monster for a moment, considering her options, but this was a tough call on her part. During the interview, she meant changelings that could actually threaten her subjects and loved ones, but this young, harmless filly didn’t look to be beyond three years of age. She probably couldn’t talk or chew her own food, assuming she didn't just eat love, that is. The left guard raised his head, sat his lance down and said, “Your highness, would you like to perform the deed, or should one of us?” Celestia, finding her words hard to grasp and even harder to spit out, cleared her through before saying, “I’ll do it. Just leave us.” Once the guards did as they were commanded, the one who informed her unsheathed his blade, a golden handled, straight edge sword, unused and ready for the job. As he looked into Princess Celestia's eyes, he asked, “Are you sure you wish to do this?” Celestia grunted at the question and said, “I… don’t wish to, but if I don’t, who knows what could happen.” Looking at the young being now, she found herself morally unaligned. This wasn’t yet a monster, but a child whose mother abandoned her yesterday, and needed a family, not death. The princess knew this. Was this right, or was it all just one big outcome that didn’t need to occur? “We could banish her to the Everfree Forest, perhaps.” The guard chuckled and said, “Yeah, so she can die a slower and much more gruesome death, or even worse, come back after so many years with a new army of changelings and takeover the land... I think this is the quickest way of resolving the matter.” As his sight turned from the young fiend to the princess, he saw her eyes to be worried and sympathetic, something scary in this position he found himself in. “True… The being isn’t safe in the forest, but what about here?” her highness asked. “This is your decision, but my personal opinion of this matter is that… thing needs to be put down.” While the guard exited the room, all that could be heard was the filly’s cries as it bellowed with tears running down its face. Celestia opened the dungeon cage and entered with the sword ready by her side. Slowly, she pointed the tip to the monstrosity’s chest and let the very tip slide in, just enough for a small drop of blood to escape, but then it retreated. Red; the color found of all living things dripped thick and warm on the concrete where she stood. Celestia bit her bottom lip in bafflement on how she couldn’t bring herself to go through with the procedure. This wasn’t something she planned on doing today, nor was it something she thought she could carry out in the first place. Her choices were always just and for the right reasons, but now, something prevented her from being able to end the life of somepony who could endanger every living thing in all of Equestria. That force that stopped her from ending it all was her moral alignment, her conscience and love for all living things. The sword was dropped to the floor with clanking sounds, and her horn was flared up as she mended the wound she inflicted. Her body lowered itself to the ground, the changeling leaping to her with open hooves. The small filly hugged tightly as her eyes closed and her cries slowed to small sighs. Celestia felt a small tear of her own escape when her hoof wrapped around the young changeling. This thing wasn’t a thing, at least it didn’t have to be in this case. The only reason other changelings turned out like fiends was because of Chrysalis always torturing their minds with lies and propaganda, but this filly didn’t need to die today, not for reasons she didn’t commit, and certainly not because of fear among other ponies. All she needed was some love, and moral guidance that Celestia might be able to provide for her. The changeling crawled up and onto her back while grasping her neck tightly. “Okay…" Celestia began. "Well, if you’re going to be my adopted… uh, daughter, I suppose… I guess you’ll need a name. Let’s see here.” Her highness exited the room and wandered out with the changeling riding on her back. Once the guards saw the two, they all gasped in sheer terror. "Princess C-Celestia!" one of them called. Her highness simply calmed them with a wave of her hoof as she explained the new arrangement. Soon, she returned to her quarters with the young filly and placed her on the bed while Celestia thought long and hard about what to call her. “Changelings… and I almost committed a horrible sin… Sin? Hmm, that sounds good… What do you think?” she asked the young filly. “Do you like Sin?” The changeling hopped on the bed in excitement, signaling she indeed enjoyed the name. Eventually, the next day would come, and with the new day came the news reporters wanting answers about the rumored changeling adoptee, which her highness answered each question truthfully. This was a shocker for the city of Canterlot. One second, the news articles explained each and every changeling that was found would be executed, and the next day, they were filled with the story of how this changeling, Sin, was spared. Celestia herself was on the cover page with the changeling sitting behind her back looking happy and blissful. In time, the changeling would be accepted by many ponies, while others would outright dislike her every step of the way, just because they thought her to be a threat that only wanted to feed upon love. Celestia understood, though, that Sin would ultimately compose herself and restrain from constant feeding, especially considering there was only one of her and so many other ponies that now welcomed her. It wasn’t an entire colony of changelings, just one that fed, and this wasn’t too bad, just as long as she didn’t develop extreme lust for love with the years to come, or something around those lines.