//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Banished // Story: Replica // by Netap //------------------------------// What makes magic Magic? That is a question that has eluded me since the beginning of my second stint in life. If books are written about a certain magic and research has explained how it works, does it not count as science? Magic is something that cannot be explained by science, no matter how hard you try and find the explanation, how outlandish the explanation may be, or how scientifically impossible the feat is. Magic, on a basic level, no matter how simple or complex, can not be explained with science. My new body feeding off of Love is magic. There is no scientific explanation for how or why Changeling can consume love. Because what is love? What constitutes love? Love is such a broad concept and idea, the mere fact that it can be quantified by a living species and used as a source of nourishment is Magic. Consuming love is Magic, but shapeshifting, changing the structure of the body into a different form, is magic. With a lowercase m. Changing form, for a Changeling, is something that comes as naturally as a bird flapping its wings. It can be researched, and some of it can be explained with other words pertaining to magic, but it is supernatural in its simplest form, not really breaking the rules of nature, but bending them. That is what I have decided to explain magic and Magic as, after four years of living as a shape-shifting insectoid species. Bending the rules of the universe, and outright ignoring them. "Looper, What are you doing?" A meek voice asked the changeling who was scribbling words into a piece of bark he appropriated from somewhere. Deep beneath the ground outside of the outskirts of Equestria, the hive of changelings bustles and buzzes. From Changelings entering the hive from one of the many tunnels, to Changelings flying to and from carrying whatever they were ordered to, The Hive was a place where the movement was constant. From Changelings taking care of Grubs to Nymphs taking their first flight, Workers climbing and Drones flying, no matter where you would look, something was in motion. Anywhere over than with Looper, an outlier in the hive. Born from a batch of grubs four years ago, Looper has showcased signs of maturity long before his siblings. He did not socialize with his sibling, he does not cry for a caretaker's attention, Looper simply does not act his age. "I am writing a note on the difference between Magic and magic, Honey. Is there something important that you wish to tell me of? Because if not, then I will ask that you leave me to my research," Looper answered the question asked by the meek Changeling before returning to his tree bark, a small knife-looking organ extending from his front leg carving into the wood. "Oh, Umm, It's just that-" Honey tries to say something but stumbles over her words, causing Looper to grow agitated at the distraction the young changeling is causing. "Out with it, I am busy and you aren't doing anything," Looper tries to hurry her along so she would reach the point she is trying to tell him. "It's about that, Umm, you see, Queen Chrysalis wants to see you." Honey finishes out, quickly averting her gaze from her brood brother as he turns and looks at her. Waiting for her to expand on what she said and coming to the conclusion that she won't, Looper decides to get whatever the queen wants from him over with, no point in wasting time. Queen Chrysalis is as much a queen to her people as an Ant is. She doesn't rule, she orders, and all the mindless drones fulfill her bidding like the slaves that they were raised to be. "This is the one that hasn't been working?" The large Changeling asked the young Changeling groveling on the cold stone floor of the throne room. "Yes your Greatness," Honey manages to squeak out, "This is Looper, the changeling you requested." Looking at the other young changeling in front of her, Chrysalis frowns as she notices that not only is he not bowing before her, but he is looking around the room as if the wall behind her is a more interesting subject than the matter at hoof. "I see," Queen Chrysalis muttered before giving her full attention to the young Changeling, barely a year of Adulthood, "You are Looper, yes?" That question managed to finally grab the attention of the young changeling, Chrysalis needed no more time to think of a solution to the predicament that was originally brought to her. When she heard of a Changeling who wasn't working, she didn't think much of the subject, 'it must be a nymph that isn't working towards their role, they'd learn in a year.' But that wasn't the case. It wasn't a Nymph, but a mature changeling, who simply sat in a dark corner and tried to experiment with his magic. How heavy an object can he lift? How small or large a creature can he shift into? If it was just those two little things Chrysalis wouldn't have had a problem with the boy, her hive has a clear lack of Changelings with brains, but she simply couldn't ignore the third point about his experiments. "What is love?" When she heard of this, she immediately had someone bring him to her so she could asses him personally. Chrysalis knew, before the boy entered her throne room, that there were only two outcomes to this meeting. He will either find himself a place as one of her personal assistants, a mind like his could bring so much success to her hive, The Ponies wouldn't be able to contest! Or he will be banished from the hive, She has no use for changelings that only think of themselves. If he is not willing to put his all into working and protecting the hive, then he will be kicked out. Like removing the guts off a carcass before skinning it. No need to keep the boy if he would bring more trouble than his worth. And with how Looper has acted since he was called to see her, Chrysalis knew that the second option is what was going to happen. She needs not to explain herself to him, he must simply accept that fact. That the moment he made eye contact with Queen Chrysalis, he was banished from The Hive. And when he left her throne room, taken by a group of guards down one of the many tunnels leading to the outside world, Chrysalis sighed in disappointment at another failure of her species. "If only the smart ones knew what was good for them," She mumbled quietly to herself before evicting the young Changeling still groveling on the floor in front of her throne. 'Perhaps the next generation will have someone as smart as the boy.' And with those thoughts, Chrysalis spread her wings and took off.