6658572

Well, um, that background might be a little to complicated maybe? I'm not exactly an expert at infiltration but I think the more individuals you mention the more ponies there are who can check your details and thus show that it's wrong.

Stormy asked me to write down all the changeling names I could think of, so I did. Each and every one of us is named by the queen once we molt out of our nymph stage and into adults; before that we just have numbers for "names". I don't know how she picks the names, though a lot of them are names for our body parts so personally I've always thought that the Queen might just pick whatever distinct feature we seem to have (which always made me wonder if my eyes were really that noticeable?). There are a lot more than this, but this was just all I could think of. That being said, it's not uncommon for changelings to have the same name, or similar names.

Alata
Alula
Ambrosia
Arculus
Carapace
Carina
Chaeta
Chalaza
Chelicera
Cheta
Chrysalis
Cilia
Clavus
Clypeus
Cocoon
Colulus
Costa
Coxa
Dentate
Elytron
Epicranius
Flagellum
Folium
Fovea
Gena
Glabrous
Gula
Hyaline
Imago
Instar
Labrum
Maxilla
Nervure
Nodus
Obtect
Ocellus (me!)
Ozadene
Pedicel
Pedipalp
Pharynx
Pleurite
Scolus
Seta
Setula
Spiracle
Strigae
Termen
Thorax
Trophus
Tumbler
Vertex
Venter

Hold on... "Alula"?
There's a pony in Ponyville named Alula.
(Nice gal. Quiet. Likes pottery. Insists she's not a Princess.)

... Say, Ocellus, you didn't ever assume this Alula might be a Changeling, did you?

6671217
I...hadn't considered that! But if I was able to end up in Equestria because I fell through one of those portals, other changelings might have!

...of course, if they ended up the same place I did, the Everfree Forest, then it's possible that they perished, starving to death for lack of love, or because of monsters. The forest is big and easy to get lost in, it's only by pure chance that I stumbled out into Ponyville, and even though I was able to avoid the Everfree's monsters that doesn't mean another changeling would have been able to. And that's assuming that the portals all open to basically the same spot in the Everfree Forest...it's possible that they don't. Changelings could have been scatted across the world. I've seen a globe of the planet, and it looks very wet, lots of oceans...I think that there's a good bet that most changelings that fell through the portals, if they open randomly across the planet, probably ended up in the oceans and would have died from using up too much magic trying to maintain an aquatic form (remember, for a changeling, magic = love. The more magic used, the more our love is depleted).

Still, the portals have been appearing across Protea for a long time...when I was still a nymph a portal opened in the air of the creche and nearly swallowed up one of the brood mothers, Hyaline. She was half-in it and only managed to get out because Queen Chrysalis happened to be there too and grabbed Hyaline with telekinesis and dragged her out. Hyaline was physically fine, and I remember the Queen saying that back when she was a nymph (which must be centuries ago now) the portals warped and wrecked a changeling's body beyond repair. The word "pulp" was used. Queen Chrysalis said that at least the portals were stable now even if they still occur randomly. I think the Queen is trying to stop the portals from opening. That must be what she and some of the hive lords get up to at the top of the Central Colony.

Oh, as for Alula herself, I don't think she's a changeling. I've seen her with her parents around town, and I doubt all three could be changelings. I think it's just a coincidence that Protean and Equestrian both have the name "Alula".

6670410
Humans share the same names a lot too. Ponies, it's a bit rarer. How confusing can it be with two changelings sharing the same name?

6671886
A little. If it becomes a problem we'll instead be referred to by the number that was our name in the creche. Mine was 9 of 38, or just 9. If a hive lord is really annoyed at you he or she might refer to you like that anyway: "9 of 38 Ocellus, you're getting more ooze on yourself than on the wall!" I heard that a lot from hive lord Pharynx when I first started construction after molting into an adult, when my aim wasn't good and I was still figuring out how to regurgitate calcifying ooze and get it to stay in place. Then he'd usually threaten to chop me up into little pieces and feed me to the larva, or throw me in a pod, or he'd grab my hoof and make me poke my eyes.

6670410

I don't know how she picks the names, though a lot of them are names for our body parts

I'd been meaning to ask about that. Now I know changelings don't actually have a hive mind, but do you think the Queen maybe names you after body parts to reinforce the idea that each of you is just a smaller piece of the larger whole that is the colony?

which always made me wonder if my eyes were really that noticeable?

About that... aren't "ocelli" a type of simplistic proto eye? If so, could that mean you were named for having poor eyesight or otherwise not being very observant?

Then again, maybe the Queen doesn't name you for qualities you already have, but instead qualities she wants you to have, to define your place and role in the colony?

6671920
My eyesight isn't bad! And ocelli are only "simple" because they're not compound eyes. The winged hexarachnids only have ocelli but they can see just as well as a changeling!

All arachnids have ocelli, actually, instead of compound eyes. — Snails

But...yeah, it's possible that the Queen wanted us to think of ourselves as part of the larger Hive. Although not all of us are named after body parts. Queen Chrysalis herself, or Hyaline, for example. Maybe she just ran out of names. Plus I'm not sure what could be the intent behind naming a changeling Thorax.

Well that's where most vital organs are. Maybe 'cause he has lots of heart? — Snails

No, I'm pretty sure Thorax only has the one heart, same as the rest of us.

Oh, okay. — Snails

If you happened to find a portal back to your home would you use it? Do you miss your home and fellows a great deal? If the portal is stable would you bring back a number of your kind?

6672113
Of course I’d bring everyling through! This world is bright and warm and soft, and there’s so much love for us to eat. Sure there would be a lot of us... and I guess we couldn’t really hide if there were that many of us...and we’d all be really hungry so that would be a lot of changelings to feed, more than a million of us, more if we let the podlings out...

I...now that I think about it, if we all came through at once, it might be...bad...for Equestria. So instead I think I would tell Queen Chrysalis. She’d know what to do, I’m just a drone, I can’t make decisions for the Hive.

Good call, little one.

6649709
Right, so sorry if this next question is hard to answer in character, but I couldn't really come up with any better way to ask it.

all the changelings of the hive gather together in one big room, and Chrysalis feeds on our love, just a little bit from each of us, which she’s more than earned for all she’s done for us.

So maybe this is a quibble, but that sounds an awful lot like giving up their love voluntarily, and in the show at least that was sort of a big deal, as doing so was the act that transformed the changelings into their new forms. Now I know we aren't entirely bound by the show, but I do still feel it worth discussing what breaks we intentionally make from it.

Granted Ocellus did specify only giving the queen a "little" love, as opposed to the show where Starlight told Thorax to give it ALL. Still, Thorax had already been transforming before that, having gained glittery wings from his time spent in the Crystal Empire, presumably because he'd been learning to share his love there, although I suppose it could have always just been the result of being acceptingly well nourished and stuffed full of so much love he was ready to burst, even if that seems less on point thematically to the climax of his final transformation.

Then again, given the repeated references Ocellus has made to other changeling feeding habits specifically how her molt is HERS and she won't SHARE it with anyone. So is Ocellus really being entirely honest when she says the Queen has "earned" the love she's given, or could there maybe be some passive aggressive resentment buried under that, or at least a reluctant things have always been this way and there's no other choice to be had, a bit of indoctrination that the queen must eat and that they are all taught it is a duty or even a privilege of the drones to make that sacrifice? Meaning, while the changelings do willingly gather around the Queen to feed her, the drones don't project their love, bit rather Chrysalis would still be pulling it from them?

6672836
Yeah, I was thinking that it was Chrysalis taking the love rather than the drones really giving it, and that she’s careful to only take a little from each. There’s also a subtle but important distinction that although the drones are willing to give their love to the Queen out of a sense of duty, they’re not very happy about it since it’s literally Chrysalis taking food from their plate, and the food situation overall is dire enough that they’re resorting to the odd bout of cannibalism, if you’ve noticed. I’m channeling a bit of the Taxxons from Animorphs. I’ve also been sure to make it clear that she only views love as food, she doesn’t really seem to understand the emotion in and of itself (for example, her description of changeling reproduction). Cameraderie and maybe friendship, but not love.

But yeah, when I get home from work so I’m not phone posting I’ll edit that entry to make Ocellus more passive-aggressive about it all. Also when we write Ocellus and changelings in general we should probably channel a bit of Joey Tribiani from Friends.

”Joey doesn’t SHARE FOOD!”

Oh, also, I haven’t decided yet if Chrysalis should know about the fact that changelings can transform into amazing technicolor dream bugs. But I know I do want to keep a trait of hers from the comics, which is that she can be surprisingly personable and casual with her underlings, at least as long as things are going her way.

6672841

Oh, also, I haven’t decided yet if Chrysalis should know about the fact that changelings can transform into amazing technicolor dream bugs

That's a good question and I could see it going either.

I suppose it mostly comes down to how much we want to portray changeling society as being dictated by propaganda. For example the whole conceit of those technicolor dream bugs seems to be that changelings not only don't need to steel love to survive, but that the act of sharing love instead turns them into something more complete (hence the lack of holes in their body). As such the implication could be that there isn't really a feminine, but instead scarcity is instituted artificially to force dependency upon the Queen and her ability to exert power by controlling rations.

Even if that were the case, however, it might not mean that Chrysalis herself is entirely in the know, as the whole scheme could go back generations, all she knows is that her own mother taught her (and who likewise only knew it because she was taught by her own mother before her and so on) that under no circumstances can drones be aloud to share love amongst each other lest it lead to the fundamental collapse of everything the line of queens has built. Were that the case it might be that changeling selected for podding, aren't really the week and feeble, but rather "dissidents", changelings caught sharing other things or otherwise engaging in heretical philosophies.

As such, Perhaps Ocellus selfishly guarding her own molt and seeing others who share theirs as weird is more cultural indoctrination, a way the queen and possibly even hive lords as well maintain the status que by ostracizing those actions.

Of course, if changelings really can just freely share love amongst each other, all of that might sort of beg the question how things ever got this way in the first place? Maybe as a result of conflicts between the hives which eventually lead to only one the remaining? After all that's sorta of how greed can corrupt an otherwise communal effort. Sometimes it only takes one person gaining power by taking more than the fair share to through the entire system out of balance. So perhaps it started as one hive cannibalizing the others and podding prisoners, until eventually there were no other hives left to raid and those predatory practices had to be turned inwards.

Alternative, maybe there really is a feminine, or at least while changeling are supposed to be able to feed by sharing love instead of steeling it, but the same toxic "radiation" that has devastated the rest of their world also caused a genetic mutation that robbed them of that ability, leaving the race the corrupted hole ridden husks they are now, but with exposure to the ostensibly pure and cleansing environment of Equestria and its magic that damage can be undone. That through having a pony share love, as Snails did for Ocellus, those long dormant genes might start waking up.

Or maybe it could be something else entirely, just spit balling random ideas mostly.

6672861
As well, with regards to Ocellus sharing love, at least, she has a fundamental hurdle she needs to deals with vis-a-vis ponies: she sees them as food first, people second. Food she can talk to and interact with and doesn’t have to kill to eat, but food nonetheless. She’s basically a vampire.

On that note, I guess it’s time to post something I’ve been working on while bored at my job...

6672867

Well hopefully a season or so of hanging around with Snails and maybe a few other foals will kickstart her feeling some empathy towards her current food sources.

I'd been reading the lack of molt sharing to be an actual biological imperative rather than an entirely cultural thing, it obviously represents a significant investment of nutrients which should be recycled when possible.

6672949
I’m thinking a little of column A, a little of column B. I got the idea from hermit crabs, who eat their molts for the nutrients, and often have to take steps to stop other hermit crabs from stealing and eating the molt. But at the same time, if the food situation on Protea was better, I could see changelings sharing their molts with each other willingly, or maybe just a part of it. “Want to eat my head?”

6672949 6672951
I was aware that certain animals eat their own cast off molts, and especially with how desolate Protea was described it would make sense not to let any resources go to waste. However, the added and recurrent emphasis by Ocellus that, "MY MOLT IS MINE AND NO ONE ELSES," seemed oddly out of place with an otherwise communal hive based society. Jealously guarding their own cast off remains in a way not unlike their inability to share their love with each other, an analogy for how the hive structure as instituted seems to isolate individuals in a way that makes them entirely dependent on the Queen.

So, Ocellus. how's winter going for you? I'm gonna guess this weather is a massive out-of-context problem for you?

6674171
It'zzz too cold! Hhhzzzkkk...

Protea is a cold world, but not like this. At night it can drop a little below freezing and during the day it's never exactly what you'd call hot, or even warm. I can usually see my breath during the day, and always at night. But the Last Hive is built near the equator, so we don't get much in the way of seasons, and within the hive the body heat of tens of thousands of changelings plus most of our tunnels being located deep underground means that the Hive is usually what you'd call sweltering. It helps, too, that calcified changeling ooze is a great insulator.

Changeling bodies don't take the cold very well. Even a changeling that's been able to gorge on solid food will have very little body fat, and our carapaces don't offer much protection from the cold either. We are warm-blooded, but our bodies are adapted to the Hive. Work on the Hive's exterior is always done in shifts, no changeling outside for more than two hours at a time unless they're being punished, and even then not more than four, and never at night unless the work is critical. Protea is also much, much drier than Equestria. You can sometimes see ice or rime forming on the dunes or the Hive's exterior, but it's never rained or snowed in my lifetime - all of our water comes from underground aquifers. I'd heard stories about rain, but I didn't even know what snow was until a few days ago. Snails seems to like it. I'm...reserving judgement for now.

As for my own little burrow...I don't know what I'm going to do, honestly. I've insulated it at best I can with calcified ooze and sleep inside of a pod for extra insulation, but every morning I can feel the cold a little more; my own body heat just isn't enough. When I'm awake I shapeshift into a pony, I can deal with the cold better as one of them, but I can't maintain a form while I'm asleep, it just doesn't work like that. Snails has suggested that I build a fireplace in my burrow, but I don't know how and calcified ooze will liquefy again when exposed to significant heat anyway so it's not tenable (and also I don't know how to make fire...there isn't really anything on Protea to burn), and also the smoke would give away where it is and I don't think that's a good idea. And Snails says that the real cold hasn't even started yet...

6674413

I think there's a Filly Scout pack in Ponyville, there's certainly one in Hoofington, they train some survival skills (Spout keeps telling me they're good enough that she could come into the Everfree with me, but I disagree) maybe you could watch or even join in with some of that. They would show you how to make a fire and things like that.

Alternatively maybe try to learn the shape of some winter adapted animals, it might burn through your love supply quicker bit it would be better than freezing to death. There are even one of two thinking species which are adapted to the cold, Yaks and Moose for example.

6674454
I could also turn into a pegasus to deal with the cold while I'm awake - their natural magic, which I can emulate, makes them very resistant to temperature extremes. It's the nights which are a big problem...I can't sleep and be transformed at the same time.

6674413
Don't be hard on Snails, Ocellus. To him this season means snow and fun and holidays.

I'd send you a heater or something, but I don't think that'd work too well. Sorry, dudette. :(

6674467

Well I think we need to come up with something before out research sub... um, friend freezes to death. You may have to adapt your normal building style for Equestria. Maybe a hybrid stone / ooze structure which can withstand a fire, you only need to light the fire once and then you can keep it smouldering with the ample wood supply in the Everfree. Perhaps you could turn into a dragon or some other fire generating creature if you can't manage another method. On a similar front there are various Everfree creatures which you could, well not to pretty things up, kill and skin to obtain a workable blanket.

Another train of through is what happens if bits of you are removed while you are shape changed do they return to your normal form or remain as they were? If might be possible to turn into a sheep or goat and have yourself shawn and then use that to make a coat. However the overall complexity and likely the number of ponies involved in manufacturing such a thing probably makes it highly unfeasible.

6675711

If might be possible to turn into a sheep or goat and have yourself shawn and then use that to make a coat. However the overall complexity and likely the number of ponies involved in manufacturing such a thing probably makes it highly unfeasible.

I'd imagine it'd just be much simple for Snails to loan her a blanket or maybe a few sweaters. I'm sure his family must have a few spares laying about the house. Baring that, Ocellus could probably sneak around and scavenge one from some farmer's attic or basement.

6674467
Anyway, speaking of research, if Protea is supposed to be a kind of "buggy" world, does that mean either of these two things are among the native wild life?

6675758
Yeah, I recognize both of those creatures. The one on the left is a winged hexarachnid. Which, I know that it doesn't look like an arachnid, but that's just what we call them. I think they used to have more legs before the war that ruined Protea and their exposure to the poisoned lands. Two of their legs became wings. They're probably the most dangerous creatures on Protea after Queen Chrysalis and the tatzelwurms. They're solitary, patient predators that can go for months without eating. They lurk near the Hives and pick off changelings that get too far away from the others. We have hunting parties that try and wipe them out, but they're really good at digging, are super-strong and agile, and always seem to know when to cut and run. That, plus their hides are thick and their fangs are full of venom. The only safe way to fight them is for four or five changelings to transform into hexarachnids themselves and take them out like that. But since they're so big that takes a lot of magic on the part of the changelings to maintain the form for even a minute or two, so if they don't take down the hexarachnid quickly the changelings will shift back to their normal form and be vulnerable.

The other major problem with hexarachnids is that even though they don't seem to form swarms or communicate with each other, hexarachnids will come to each others' defense. If a hexarachnid sees one under attack, they'll defend each other.

The other creature is a chasme. They're big and dangerous, but clumsy fliers. You need to watch out for the stinger and their grasping claws, but warrior changelings who are skilled enough can get to their wings and drop them to the ground, then swarm them, careful to avoid the tail. Chasme usually travel in groups of ten to twenty.

As of the end of 'Just Us Big Sisters,' Snails has been going to Canterlot on a regular basis to help gardeners by getting their bugs to pollinate flowers and churn soil more effectively. While there he of course might run into all sorts of interesting ponies. Do you want to accompany him on any of his trips so you can see Canterlot?

6676267
Sure, that sounds like it could be a lot of fun, plus now that I know that there's all sorts of different kinds of love, I could try even more while I'm there!

6676282
If you do go, then for the love of God, don't get lost! Don't wander off or anything like that, Ocellus.

6676303
I learned that lesson a while ago, during my first year as an adult. I was above ground for the first time ever, learning how to repair the outside of the hive, but my molt was near and I was all itchy and the other changelings could tell I was gonna molt soon and so were crowding me looking for a chanzzze to zzzteal my molt (hhhzzzkkk...). So the first chance I got I snuck off a ways from the hive and burrowed down a few feet. I thought I’d stay there until I molted, like what I used to do as a nymph. But then it got really cold that night, and then a tatzelwurm nearly ploughed into me beak-first, and almost ate me. I flew back to the hive, but the tatzelwurm followed me, and lord Pharynx and a bunch of warriors had to drive it off. Fortunately no one was hurt.

Lord Pharynx was furious, though. As a punishment he and the warriors peeled off my carapace early and ate it themselves. It was scary because they were all around me biting it off and I was told not to move or fight and I was too scared to, and it hurt a lot since a bit of it was still attached to me here and there. Like peeling off a scab too early, and then since it came off early my new carapace took longer to harden...and I didn’t get to eat my own molt! But I deserved it for what I’d done. It was my fault. Lord Pharynx was really mean to me for awhile after that as well, but I deserved that too. I’m just lucky I wasn’t podded. Lord Pharynx did back off and started treating me like everyling else after I saved Thorax, though.

It occurs to me that, if there are other changelings in Equestria, you might run into them at some point. Especially if you start taking day trips out of Ponyville. Would you be able to sense each other if you were both in pony form? Would the others get mad at you, since you're doing your own thing instead of doing a mission for the hive?

6676345
No, changelings can’t see through another changeling’s disguise; the only way I’d be able to spot one in disguise was if I tried to feed on the love of one, and couldn’t - changelings can’t feed on changelings that aren’t in special pods (except the Queen). It would hurt the changeling I’d tried to feed on as well, so they’d know that a disguised changeling just tried to feed on them and they’d know I was very close. This works in reverse , too, if another changeling tried to feed on me.

It wouldn’t be the nicest way to meet another changeling, but personally I’d be relieved. And I can’t think of why the Hive would be mad, it’s not like I wanted to come here, and I have no way of contacting the Hive.

Wait, if changelings can’t feed on each other’s love, then why would it hurt? You sure it’s not just because a changeling would be fighting against having their love taken? What if a changeling did what I did and tried to give love? - Snails

No changeling would ever do that. We juzzzt can’t. We’re zzzo hungry, we’re not gonna zzzhare food!

You’re getting buzzy again. - Snails

CHANGELINGZZZ DON'T ZZZHARE FOOD!

Okay! I’m sorry! - Snails

Hhhzzzkkk...hhhwait...wait, Zzznailzzz! Snails! I’m sorry, come back! I’m sorry...it’s just...you’ve never been hungry like we get. Never starved. Never gone days, weeks, without eating. The thought of just...just giving away food, especially love...

It’s okay. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you mad. - Snails

Scared, Snails, not mad. The thought of not having food, of something taking my food, is scary...

Well, you scared me a lot on Nightmare Night. So I guess we’re even. - Snails

I guess. And I’ll never go hungry in Ponyville. I...I’ll try and be better with sharing solid food. But I won’t share love!

To put it a different way then--is there anything the Hive expects you to be doing now? Like, would they expect you to be meeting up with other changelings to form your own colony, trying to find a way home, etc? Are there rules for what changelings who fall through a portal are supposed to do?

6676937
No, at least, I haven’t heard any. I didn’t even know the portals went anywhere, we all just thought that the changelings who fell into them disappeared and were dead.

The idea, for the record, is that most changelings don’t know about Equestria, just a select few hive lords and Chrysalis herself, plus teams of specially-prepared hive lords and drones that have gone through the portals. Chrysalis and at least a few previous Queens have been working on building a large, stable, permanent portal to Equestria for centuries, the side-effects of which are the random portals. The first few changeling scouts sent through the portals were strictly one-way affairs, determining the lay of the land and expected to live out their lives in the new world. Within the past few decades the changelings have finally been able to create portals that allow for two-way travel on a semi-regular basis, and Chrysalis probably has a new hive being built somewhere underground and in secret somewhere on the continent.

Chrysalis and other previous Queens have kept Equestria largely a secret because if they can’t build a large, stable portal that can allow tens of thousands of changelings to move through it at a time, then the Hive is doomed because the evacuation of Protea can’t happen, but they didn’t want changelings at large to get their hopes up only for them to be smashed, probably resulting in chaos and anarchy. Plan B in that case is probably to have the Queen abandon the Hive with a small cadre of changelings and establish a new tiny colony in Equestria, leaving the Protean changelings to their fate (a slow death on a world that is all but dead).

Fortunately plan A (build a huge stable portal) is working. Very soon Chrysalis will reveal Equestria to all the changelings, a new, vital world that has been prepared for them by the advanced scouts. Chrysalis will be the savior of the changeling race. Ocellus was just dragged through a random portal a little too early to be around for that reveal.

Also until recently the random portals were very unstable and lethal. It’s only in the past few years that a changeling could reliably survive a trip through them, a side-effect of the progress on the main, massive portal.

It is 1000% intentional that this resembles the Promised Land victory (AKA Best Victory) from Civilization: Beyond Earth

6677095

What is Chrysalis's plan on this side of the portal? So far we've been given the idea that there are changelings infiltrated at various points in at least a few countries governments (although the not being able to hold a shape while sleeping would seem to make this a bit harder, however, it might be that trained infiltrators can maintain their shape while unconscious while a builder drone like Ocellus doesn't need that skill). What is the next step? I can see various routes with various levels of evil.

1) The portal officially opens in a fairly out of the way place in an inhabited land and the changelings come out telling more or less the truth, they are refugees from a dying planet. The infiltrators help grease wheels of the government (and other governments to stop a war) and the changelings move in and set up a hive. Once established they can be as peaceful or warlike as they want.

2) The Changelings actively invade a country using their infiltrators to sow confusion in that land.

3) The Changelings use their infiltrators to spread dissent between two or more countries causing a major war, they then invade on mass once all their possible enemies are weakened and take over the world.

6677118
My idea was that Chrysalis plans to push Cavallia and Zaldia (at this point the latter is all but a changeling puppet state anyway) to the brink of war, right up to the two nations having troops in the field staring at each other, while Equestria is stymied by changeling infiltrators and prevented from acting. The castigation of the Night Court partially derailed this plan, but Celestia’s return does a good job of putting it back on track as Equestrians are far too focused in internal matters, namely the fact that Luna is trying desperately to push Celestia back into co-equal ruler status over almost everypony’s objections (notably, even Celestia’s own to an extent) way too quickly.

With Cavallian forces committed to the field, the Hive, or at least a huge portion of it, can be portal’d in and attack Roam and Cadance directly and quickly, with the goal of podding Cadance and seizing control of Cavallia before anypony is the wiser (if Cadance can be podded earlier than this, all the better). Then Cavallia and Zaldia can be made to back down from each other and “a new era of trust between the two nations” can begin. Translation: the rest of the Hive comes in and turns Cavallia into a smorgasbord, unite Cavallia and Zaldia into a single polity, then turn their sights to Equestria.

The goal of Season 3 is stopping the invasion of Roam before it starts while still trying to find a way to save the changeling race.

6677128

Is Ocellus going to play much of a role in the whole thing? Presumably from the Changeling side unless one of the infiltrators trips over her they won't even know she exists.

If the mane 6 find out about the Changelings and Snails gets to see one of them then he might spill the beans about Ocellus or at least hoofs it back to her to tell her what's happened.

If Ocellus does meet up with another Changeling she would presumably at least in the short term want to work with them and do what Chrysalis wants at least until the point that she mentions that she's planning to chow down on all the ponies particularly the long legged yellowy ones because they taste so good then Ocellus might have a bit of a crisis of conscience and reveal some of her story to the mane 6.

6677146
That’s a little further than I’ve planned. As well, I think Thorax should still be the “main” good changeling, so I’d want to wait to see how we develop him in Season 3.

Everything is in the air right now, though I do think that at least initially Ocellus would love to get back to other changelings.

Would 'bad' types of love--i.e., a love that is extremely possessive and controlling (like Puissance to her family), or a love that is obsessive and self-destructive (like Solar Flare to Puissance)--taste bad to you? Would it make you sick? Could you eat it at all?

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I don’t know, I’ve never really encountered many types of love before. The podlings’ love all tastes the same, the pods they’re in make them dream about whatever they love most, and for changelings that probably means dreaming about not being hungry. It all mixes together in the crèche anyway into this kind of bland but nutritious love, though if you get right up to a particular pod you can taste the individual flavors.

In Ponyville I’ve encountered different kinds of love for the first time. I think romantic love is tastiest. If I had to liken it to a flavor, it would be...strawberry ice cream, with different romantic partners having different toppings. Always topped with cherry, though. Familial love is just as nutritious although not quite as tasty, though it’s close. Not really like ice cream, more like...potatoes. Really good mashed potatoes.

What your describing sounds complex, a mix of several emotions. There’s love there, but also fear. Fear of loss. Dread, that’s the word. Parsing the love from the dread would be difficult, I’d probably end up eating both. The love would sustain me but the dread would make it taste horrible, like warm melted ice cream mixed with sour milk.

There's a mare called Puissance who has a bucolic colony for unusual creatures, where she gives them food, housing, and anything else they could want no matter how rare or expensive in order that they not want to leave and can be 'hers' alone. As a changeling, you'd no doubt qualify as unusual, and if you moved there you'd get all the food, shelter, warmth, and love (from the other occupants) that you wanted and never have to work again, but if you went there you wouldn't really be able to see Snails or others in Ponyville again. Would you want to live there?

Some clarification: this thread presumes that it’s only been a month or two since ’Ling. Some questions might have very different answers if they were asked of Ocellus later, as she becomes more acclimated and comfortable with pony norms.

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...maybe. That sounds really nice, especially not going hungry. But I’m not going hungry in Ponyville either. Being able to live openly would be nice, but I do think I’d like to keep spending time with Snails. I’m learning a lot about Equestria from him. But I think I could learn a lot from others, too, I guess...I think I’d want to scout out the new place first. Let’s call it a tentative “yes”.

Aww... - Snails

I have to look after myself, Snails, same as everyling else.

Would you miss me? - Snails

I don’t think so. I have pretty good aim.

That’s not what I mean! Never mind. Forget it. - Snails

Wait, what’s wrong? You taste upset...what did I do?

6680942

I haz a sad for Snails now!

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Changelings do “co-workers” and “comrades”. Changelings can be friendly. But changelings don’t really do friendships. All changeling relationships are built around give-and-take, and discarded if something better comes along.

That’ll change for Ocellus over time, though. But for now Snails is a friendly pony who’s a reliable source of love snacks and good at helping her understand where she is and what ponies are like while also helping her not feel so lonely. She appreciates him. But he’s not her friend. Yet.

Have you met Snips? Do you like him?

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He’s nice! He offered to cut my mane and tail if I wanted, but I turned him down. Any disguised part of me that I lose will revert to its natural form. My spine and tail in changeling form don’t have nerve endings so it wouldn’t hurt, but it would ruin my disguise.

Snails wants to tell Snips about me. Like, the real me. I don’t think I’m ready for that, though. A lot of the foals around Ponyville still talk about the “Transformer” and alternate between being afraid of “it” and thinking “it” sounds cool. Though they don’t talk about me around Dinky, Pipsqueak, Twist, or Snails since they think all four are still afraid of “the Transformer”. Which the former three are, I can taste it. Snails goes along with it.

I am getting to know most of the foals. So far here’s what I’ve worked out:

- Dinky: I think she’s a noble (“noble” is what Snails told me is the equivalent of Hive Lord in Equestria), or will be as an adult. Good organizational skills. Other foals defer to her without her realizing it. Could probably excel at any task.
- Diamond Tiara: Another noble. Obvious leadership skills, bad at physical labor. Brood mother, maybe, I imagine she could keep larval foals from eating each other.
- Scootaloo: Probably a noble, but lacks the discipline or intelligence of one, yet the foals still defer to her. Would work well as a lieutenant soldier.
- Alula: I’m told she’s a princess (the pony term for Queen), but she seems much too timid compared to Chrysalis (admittedly, the only Queen I know), and I think there might be a translation issue. Honestly if not for the wings and horn I wouldn’t even think she was a noble. The foals defer to her but she doesn’t seem to exert authority. On the other hoof, I have seen her design a number of hives.
- Silver Spoon: Obvious noble, but very subtle in her execution of authority. I don’t think the other foals even realize it. Lieutenant to Diamond Tiara. Another good brood mother potentate.
- Pipsqueak: Soldier drone if ever there was one. I can personally attest to the strength of his bucks. Natural inquisitiveness suggests he’d do well as a scout.
- Applebloom: Worker drone like me. I think she would be a competent working companion. Could also tend the solid food.
- Firelock: Another soldier drone. I think she’s part of Princess Alula’s personal guard.
- Sweetie Belle: Drone...but I’m not sure what her role is. Lore keeper is what I’d assume, but all lore keepers are Hive Lords, but Sweetie Belle lacks the traits of a Hive Lord. Also I’ve heard her sing...I think I wish we had dedicated singers in the Hive. I think I’m coming around to the idea of music.
- Rumble: Soldier drone. Very competitive with Pipsqueak. I think they’d make a good team as scouts.
- Snails: Drone, beast keeper. Could probably keep beasts under thrall for a long time before he was inevitably eaten (which is why beast keepers are never Hive Lords). Actually a very rare talent in the Hive, but useful when big tunnels need to be dug.
- Snips: Drone. I guess a worker like me. Maybe he could work in sanitation, or maintaining the hot spring baths.
- Bee Bop: How the other drone foals didn’t get together and eat her, I don’t know. Since she’s survived this long but is obviously useless at scouting, could probably be a soldier drone sentry.
- Featherweight: Drone, probably podlings tender. I think he wants to be a “doctor”, but we don’t really have an equivalent for that in the Hive.
- Tootsie Flute: Drone, but obviously a Hive Lord’s lieutenant. Like Dinky could probably excel at any task, she just lacks the same personal magnetism.
- Truffle Shuffle: Drone, solid food tender, definitely.
- Twist: Hhhzzzkkk...Drone. Solid food tender. I...try to give her a chance, but she’zzz the one who poizzzoned me with hhhate more than the other three foalzzz I met on Nightmare Night. If ponies molted then I’d be plotting to steal hers the next time she was close. I know why she did it, but it hhhurt!

You seem to have picked up Equestrian very quickly. Is this a changeling talent? Could you pick up other languages fast too?

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Oh no, like I said earlier, all changelings learn both Equestrian and Protean as we grow up, although we don't call it Equestrian on Protea, we call it Newspeak. I don't know when or where or how we learned it. Maybe some Equestrians fell through a portal and ended up in Protea at some point? Or maybe the language just came about on its own. Snails says that last "summer" (whatever that is) his sister and her friends went to a whole other world, and every pony there spoke Equestrian same as here. Maybe it's some kind of universal constant? Or maybe something left over from before the War, spoken by the anansi or ant-lions or something, that we just remember?

Though you'll note I do have...gaps, I guess. Like not knowing seasons, but that's because Protea, or at least the part with the Last Hive, doesn't have seasons. So I never learned about them. But that being said Equestrian does have some advantages over Protean. Protean isn't as expressive, mostly just nouns and verbs with very few adjectives or adverbs and no pronouns, and it doesn't have a written form, except for a few symbols that represent entire words or concepts, like "danger here" or "go this way". Oh, and tally-marks for numbers.

I don't think I could spell Protean in Equestrian even if I tried, but here's a sample of what I mean:

Direct translation from Protean: Like place, place unwarm. Snails Ocellushelp. Ocellus unlike Twist. Ocellus doubleplusunlike doubleplusunfood. Want move allhive placenow no unfix allhive/allherd.
But what I meant was: This place is nice, but it is cold. Snails is helpful to me. I am a little afraid of Twist. I am very afraid of starving. If I could bring every changeling here without hurting them or ponies, I would do it.

If another portal opened up in front of you and you could go back to the hive, would you?