“Chrysalis?” Twilight asked as she entered the underground throne room which was just one part of the series of interconnected chambers and tunnels that formed the Changeling Hive beneath Ponyville. It had been almost a year since the Changelings had arrived in Equestrian territory and while things were less tense it didn’t mean things were completely fine either.
Chrysalis looked up from here work, “Hello Twilight, you’re early.”
Twilight huffed, “There’s a reason for that.”
Chrysalis got up from her work and walked over to the annoyed Alicorn standing at the entrance. “You know if you were early I would have thought it was because you had a surprise in mind or something.”
“It’s something alright,” Twilight muttered darkly. With a flash of magic she had a flask in her telekinetic grip, the fluid within glowed faintly blue. “Mind explaining what this is?”
Chrysalis shrugged, “Chemicals, Twilight. You’re the scientist between us surely you know what exactly it is.”
Twilight began to pace around the Changeling Queen, “Explain than Chrysalis why I found it from one of your Drones then? I know several of your Drones went out of town to fetch supplies. When they got back one of the attendants noticed a lot of flasks and vials in their saddlebags much like this one.”
Chrysalis stepped in front of the pacing Alicorn, “Supplies as you said, some of the chemicals you Ponies have created are useful for us as well.”
With the looming Changeling Queen stopping her pacing Twilight instead settled for a glare, “This is an explosive! Not some chemical that could be used for anything else, but as a component in explosives.”
“We need to excavate through rocks and explosives make it easier than magically forcing our way through,” answered Chrysalis trying to take the flask from Twilight to no success.
“I’ve studied the local geology, there’s one deposit of stone that breaking with magic would require far more energy than it’s safe to do so and that’s on the outskirts of town.” Twilight’s glare intensified, “It’s about that statue in Fillydelphia isn’t it?”
Chrysalis sighed as her composure dropped, “Fine, it is. That statue is horrific and I doubt the town will miss one small statue!”
“Small? That statue is the center piece of one of the larger parks in the city. I’m certain everypony will notice its disappearance,” Twilight retorted.
“Does that matter? The statue has a heavily armoured Pegasus standing-“, Chrysalis began her voice rising in volume.
“That’s the memorial for Centurion Storm Strike of Clan Thunderwing-“, Twilight threw in with her voice just louder than Chrysalis’.
“-over a pile of dead bodies. All of them are Changelings, there’s no other-“
“who led the 3rd Century of the 7th Cohort of the 12th Legion, the Northwind-“
“-species. He’s standing over them like they were a carpet!”
“-and defended the town from Changelings during the Battle of Gust Plains.”
Both Alicorn and Changeling were panting lightly from trying to yell over the other.
“Fine,” Twilight said as she tried to slow her breathing, “maybe that statue is horrible, but its history and you can’t just destroy it.”
Chrysalis had managed to mostly get her breathing under control, “Fine. Not destroyed then, but maybe removed! Shouldn’t it be removed given how much this nation is about harmony and such? That doesn’t seem like it would be a good gesture for peace and co-operation if there’s a public statue depicting dead Changelings.”
Twilight sighed, “You are mostly correct yet we can’t destroy it. His descendants would be furious if his memorial was destroyed or removed.”
Chrysalis snorted, “Why is that?”
“Cultural. The Pegasi were and still are the most militaristic of the Three Tribes and they believed strongly in ancestral memory. Honour the ancestors and it’s from them that one can find protection and guidance, that’s why Pegasi memorials from simplest wood and stone to more expensive cloud-iron and skystone tend to depict their ancestor in their moment of glory. No matter how horrific that moment was. To remove it would be to disrespect their culture and their beliefs.”
Chrysalis sighed, “Fine, if it’s cultural than I guess I shouldn’t try destroying it.”
Twilight exhaled as she tried to relax, “I know it is not the best thing to see, but it is an element of culture here regardless of how long ago that was or how things have changed.”
“It’s just frustrating that nothing can be done,” Chrysalis said.
“Learning of other beliefs is difficult and changing how others view yours even more so. All you can do is challenge those perceptions and work towards changing them and in time you will be able to find success,” Twilight recited quickly.
After a pause Twilight continued, “That’s more or less what a few Ponies have stated before from some of the books I’ve read. It wasn’t easy to integrate three nations together and it took a lot of time. I think Changelings are on that same path now and it will take time for cultural perceptions to fade, but it is possible.”