Dear Reader,
I must admit I was not expecting the events to unfold like this after heading into the streets of Trottingham during the Hearts and Hooves day festivities. It was a very odd thing indeed. Ponies keep talking about those love at first sight events in their romance novels, yet it never struck me that it was something which could happen in real life. In fact, when I had walked solemnly in the streets that night, I expected to find some poor stallion who would fall in love, yes, but I never expected this to happen.
I suppose I should introduce myself. I go by the title of Queen Mariposa. I am the queen of the changeling hive located roughly twelve miles from the city. I only made the trip as there was some festival going in in the city at the time. My hive is actually in the top percentage of hives for health and unlike most other changeling hives, we don’t quite have a strong negative relationship with the ponies nearby. In fact, we hardly spend thoughts on the other at all.
Now, you may be thinking what kind of event could be so bewildering to me that I cold not comprehend what was going on for a short while. The fact of the matter is it goes against everything changelings are about. We feed on love energy, similarly to the other large hive on this continent, which is under the rule of Queen Chrysalis. We collect our food from other species. These two facts would lead to one obvious conclusion. This conclusion is a simple one; changelings do not feel romantic love. The queen feels a love for her subjects of course, but that is more of a motherly bond as we are the matriarch of our hives. This bond would obviously form. It is the lack of the romantic love which is the thing behind my interest. Changelings, at least as far back as any recorded history goes, have never fallen in love. It is just something which does not simply happen. This has been true for generation upon generation; centuries upon centuries.
Why do I decide to bring this up? Well, anyone who has deduction skills can work this out, but for those of you still struggling to come to the answer, or have many ideas; today a changeling fell in love. I know this for certain as I am that changeling.
I met him not too long after the sun had begun to set and the festival was starting to wrap up. Some of my drones had infiltrated the festival earlier on and now it was my turn to finish up and feed as much as I wanted. Most couples waited until the sunset as it was, to them, a more romantic atmosphere and looking back, I strangely must agree with them. I was in a simple disguise. A tall slender unicorn mare with a mid-blue coat and an orange mane.
Now may come the time where I should acknowledge that we are different than the normal interpretation of changelings that ponies had ever since Chrysalis’ partially successful invasion of Canterlot. We usually make our own forms to not cast suspicion onto ourselves whereas Chrysalis’ changelings take the form of other, already existing ponies. We also have slightly different appearances; Chrysalis has a lot of greens in her palette whereas I have quite a few oranges, hence why I chose my orange mane as I already knew how that would end up looking.
So, in this disguise I had been walking around the outskirts of the festival for what seemed to be a long time but in reality was probably only three or four minutes. I had spotted my first targets then and had started my way towards them when I found myself crashing into that pegasus stallion. Something was… different about him and only now looking back can I realise what that may be. While most of the others I had seen were all wearing make-up and wearing their best suits or dresses, he was dressed in a simple shirt and didn’t seem to really care much about his mane. Sure, it was obviously neater than it would have been naturally, however, it was much more, how do I say it, natural? I suppose that description would have to suffice for now. He was rather well-built, showing he was active, but not one of those athletes who never stop training. His coat seemed to be a pale red, though under the lighting conditions could have been orange as well. His mane was a deep brown and his eyes… his eyes were ice blue, refreshingly cool, as we had recently had a heat wave in this odd time of year for one.
I apologised quickly, of course. As a queen, I did have quite a polite upbringing. I was in the middle of my exit when he called after me. I stopped and turned back. We had a discussion about ourselves lasting quite a long while and all I can do is thank some divine power that changelings at masters at their craft as I had to make up some false information that made me seem more like a real pony and not just an imitator. I realise now that what I told him may not have been a complete lie. Though it is too late to turn back now. His name was Evening Gale and he was staying in a small hotel for the week and this was his second day. At his departure, I made a stupid promise to meet up with him again, not truly of my own volition, I can say for sure as he seemed to be a love struck puppy who wanted to stay with me, which I personally enjoyed on some deep sadistic level all changelings have to at least some degree. I hadn’t, or should I say wouldn’t, have put much thought into him if I had stayed a pure changeling but I could not stop thinking of him. It may sound romantic so far but there is a reason I am telling you this.
I need your help. I am a changeling and this is something changelings should not, and up until now I though could not, do and I feel lost in my own thoughts. As the others in my hives are drones they do not offer up much wisdom if any, and all say it is up to my decision. Of course they would say that. I am their queen. So now I write to you, hoping that you can offer up some counsel. As one of the only non-changelings I have heard of who does not despise my species I humbly ask you for your aid in this time of my life and if you respond I will be forever grateful. I believe I love him but fear that if I announce this to the world or even to him that his love would end up killing me as I would never be able to reveal my true self to him. I did not mention this earlier but he comes from Canterlot and was there when Chrysalis invaded. This, I fear, puts the final nail in my coffin unless you can help as if I let him leave, he will haunt me for the rest of my days and if I tell him, I do not know what to say and if that could lead to my demise.
Either way,
Yours Faithfully,
Queen Mariposa