"Well that was rude," Screwball huffed once she and the others were outside Trixie's wagon. "She didn't need to slam the door in our faces!"
"You shouldn't've called her a two-faced, mopey, identity-confused coward," Mothball murmured.
"She had it coming! Now what are we gonna do?"
Twilight shrugged. "We can't force her to change her mind."
"Yeah, we can! Ain't you ever heard of positive punishment? I brought the duct tape."
"Screwy, let's just forget it," Mothball said.
She turned to him in confusion. "Forget it? What do you mean 'forget it?'"
"Look, it's obvious that Bellatrix, Trixie, whoever she is, doesn't want the throne, and I don't think any amount of duct tape is going to change her mind."
"Well, we gotta try something! Otherwise, the changelings won't stop bothering us until you agree to be King!"
"Maybe I should be King."
Mothball quickly covered his mouth with his hoof, but it was too late. Screwball's eyes narrowed and her teeth gritted together.
"What?!" she spat.
Mothball sent Twilight a glance and saw that she was already slowly backing away, not wanting to get involved. He was on his own for this one.
"I mean…" he stammered, facing his fiancée again. "Well…like Twilight said, if I were King, I could change the colony for the better."
"Yeah, but…" Screwball said in a cracked voice, not believing what her love was saying. "If you become King…I'd have to become a changeling!"
"But would that really be so bad?"
She gasped. "You said you liked me the way I was!"
"I do! But it's not like we'd be changing everything about you and we'd still be together. Isn't that all that matters?"
She paused, tears developing in her spiral eyes. "What if…what if I don't want that for us? Would you…would you replace me with some changeling girl?"
He was taken aback. "Screwy, you know I wouldn't…"
"But you would, wouldn't you?! After all, you have to 'keep the species going,' right?!" She held up her ringed hoof. "And this?! Does this mean nothing to you?!"
"Of course, it does! You have any idea how long it took me to raise the bits for that?!" He folded his hooves. "But apparently, it doesn't mean much to you!"
She blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I thought that when ponies got married, they would love and accept each other no matter what! Where one goes, the other follows! I don't know if you've noticed, Screwy, but I'm a Prince of the Changelings, and whether I like it or not, it's a part of me! And if you can't accept that, then maybe you don't love me as much as I thought!"
Screwball's eyes were now completely glazed in water. At the sight of them, Mothball immediately regretted what he had said.
"Screwy, I didn't mean it like…"
"Fine!" she snapped. "If that's what you think of me, then…then…"
She grunted as she tugged the amethyst ring off her hoof and slammed it to the ground. Mothball stood frozen in shock as he watched his love stomp away.
"Where are you going?" Twilight asked as Screwball passed her.
The chaotic pony came to a stop. "I don't know!"
"Well, we can't go anywhere now. It'll be dark soon. We should make camp for the night."
"Fine."
A small pink tent materialized. Twilight peered in and realized it was bigger on the inside with a kitchen, living room and two adjoining bedrooms. Mothball was about to follow the mares in when Screwball's furious head poked out.
"Oh no, you don't!" she exclaimed. "You're sleeping in there!"
She pointed to a simple, brown tent even smaller than the pink one appeared on the outside. He trotted over to it and looked inside. The space was as small as it should've been and on the ground lay a pillow and a blanket covered in moths. He groaned at Screwball's cruel sense of humor.
"Can we talk about this?" he called out to her.
"NO!" Screwball screamed before disappearing into her tent.
Mothball huffed and crawled into his tiny living space for the night. He shooed the moths away and curled up on the blanket. Then he frowned and turned back to himself as he lifted the ring with his magic so that it was floating above him.
A familiar feeling returned to him, one he hadn't felt for five years. He had felt it the night he had betrayed Screwball to the changelings.
Guilt.
"Oh, Screwy," he sighed sadly. "I really screwed up this time, didn't I?"
Then he began to silently cry, thinking of how Screwball would've laughed at that unintentional pun.
"So what was that all about?" Moonbeam asked her mother. "I mean it's cool that you got me Princess Twilight's autograph, but what was she doing here in the first place?"
Trixie sighed. "Twilight and I…have a bit of a history."
The filly's eyes widened as she dropped the signed picture in her hooves. "What?! You know Princess Twilight and never told me?!"
"It was a long time ago! And she wasn't a princess back then."
"Unbelievable! But still, why was she here?"
Trixie took a frying pan from a shelf and set it on the greasy stove. "Hand Mummy the chili peppers, will you?"
Moonbeam narrowed her eyes, seeing that her mother was ignoring her questions as usual. Nevertheless, she was hungry and levitated the shopping basket over to her. After spraying some oil on the pan, Trixie lifted a bunch of peppers out of the basket and laid them neatly in the pan.
"Do you want them lightly fried or deep fried tonight?"
"Lightly," Moonbeam replied, folding her hooves. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing. You're avoiding the topic again."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Trixie said dryly.
"Yeah, you do! Whenever you don't wanna talk about something, you shut me out and do something like start dinner! Why were Princess Twilight and those other ponies visiting you? And why'd you shove them out like they were tax collectors or something? No pony in their right mind would kick a princess out!"
"You forget who we are, Moonbeam. Do you have any idea what would've happened if you had sneezed in front of the princess?"
"Ah, come on. She wouldn't…"
Moonbeam sniffed as her mother started shaking pepper into the pan.
"Achoo!"
As she sneezed, green flames whooshed up her body. Her mane remained the same color, but had become flat and webby. Her body was now sleek and black, a green beetle shell and holed, transparent wings on her back. Her eyes were still yellow, but the pupils had narrowed into slits. If her horn, tail and hooves had changed, no sign was given, as they were still concealed by her odd clothes. A second sneeze came and she returned to her pony form.
"See?" Trixie said. "You've got to learn to control that. If any pony sees what you really are, you'll be sent on a one-way trip to the Canterlot dungeon! A princess witnessing this would make absolutely sure that would happen!"
Moonbeam sighed as she dropped onto her rear. "Okay, I get it. Still, why do I have to wear this dumb stuff? The hat I can live with, but these boots are pinchy! And my tail keeps running up my…"
"Don't!" her mother warned.
"My point is that what's so bad about the stuff I can't hide when I'm a pony? It's not like they'll know I'm a changeling if any pony sees."
Trixie sighed. "You'll still be ostracized, Moonbeam. Once ponies see what's underneath all those clothes, they'll laugh at you, ridicule you, to a point where you'll feel small and," she said the last word in a whisper, "worthless."
"Maybe it won't be like that," the filly insisted. "After all, there's always a half-something walking or flying around Ponyville. You've got eagle-lions, scorpion-lions—lot of part-lion guys—and wasn't Daddy a…?"
Trixie spun around and glared down at her child. "DON'T! I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, Moonbeam. We are never to speak of the big 'D' word! EVER!"
Moonbeam flinched at her mother's outburst. Then Trixie sighed as she shook her head.
"Trust me, Moonbeam," she said softly. "When you're older, you'll understand these things."
She turned back to the stove and Moonbeam knew that meant the discussion was closed for the moment. The filly moaned sadly as she stood up and walked to the door. She threw open the upper part and gazed out. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise when she discovered two tents set up outside.
"Mom," she called. "Some pony's camping out there. I think it's Princess Twilight and those other two."
"What?!" Trixie exclaimed, dropping her pan and coming to the window.
She gazed out, and sure enough, Mothball, in his pegasus disguise, popped his head out of the brown tent to stare across at the pink one.
"Ugh," Trixie groaned. "They just don't give up, do they?"
"Can we invite them over for dinner?" Moonbeam asked eagerly.
"No!"
"Please? We never have any pony over for dinner!"
"And for good reason!" her mother snapped as she returned to the stove.
"Come on, Mom!" the filly begged. "It's Princess Twilight! We'd be dining with royalty!"
Trixie momentarily snorted at the irony of that statement, but held her sternness.
"We're not inviting them to dinner, and that's final!"
Moonbeam narrowed her eyes at her mother. Then she pushed open the lower door so she could trot outside.
"You never let me have any friends," she mumbled.
It wasn't that she didn't love her mother. They had been through a lot together and Moonbeam knew she cared about her well-being. After all, they were all each other had. She just wished she wasn't so cold most of the time. She knew her mother loved her, but also that she was hiding a lot. Her mother hadn't revealed much about her life before Moonbeam was born. She had never discussed her childhood, only that both her parents were gone, and the subject of Moonbeam's father was especially delicate. All she knew was that he had left before her mother had realized her pregnancy, and that Moonbeam had him to thank for the way she looked.
Well, not the changeling part, anyway.
Moonbeam was well aware of the consequences of revealing that part of herself. Changelings were not welcome in Equestria, because their shapeshifting powers were considered a threat. However, she didn't see the harm in taking her hat, pants and boots off. It was so annoying wearing these things all the time, and her mother could have at least chosen a more comfortable disguise. Yet her mother scolded her every time she tried removing her clothes in public.
There wouldn't be much point, anyway. She would still be friendless. With all the touring in the wagon, they had never stayed in one place for long, and few ponies her age came to her mother's shows. Every time she had the opportunity to make friends, however, her mother would call her away. She worried Moonbeam would sneeze and expose herself if she stayed around ponies for too long.
Well, Moonbeam wasn't going to give up. Even if these ponies weren't her age, they interested her. Not just the princess, but her companions. The one with the swirly eyes was especially intriguing, and the similarities between the green pegasus stallion's scent and her own peaked her curiosity. Her mother had forbidden her from inviting them to dinner, but she hadn't said anything about paying them a visit.
She went to the brown tent first and popped her head in.
"Hi!"
The pegasus stallion jumped with a yelp and tucked something behind his back, but Moonbeam had already seen the doll. She ignored this, however, and smiled brightly.
"Whatchya doin'?"
The stallion took a moment to recuperate. "Oh, it's you."
"Mind if I come in?"
He shrugged and scooted over so she could have space to enter. Moonbeam glanced around with a grimace on her face.
"Wow, this place is worse than the wagon," she said as she sat down beside him. "I would've thought the princess' buddies would be sleeping somewhere more…glamorous."
Mothball groaned. "Let's just say I'm in a time-out."
She raised her eyebrows. "Princess Twilight put you in a time-out?"
"Not Twilight. My…fiancée."
Moonbeam glanced outside and then back at him. "You mean that mare with the lollipop eyes?"
He chuckled a bit. "That's what I call 'em."
"Who is she, by the way?"
"Screwball. She's the daughter of Discord."
Her eyebrows went higher. "You mean that chaos guy? No way!"
"Way."
"Wow. Oh wait, I remember! This Discord dude married one of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, didn't he?" She frowned. "But then she died."
"What?"
"Mom tells me that story every now and then. Not a very nice ending."
"Mom didn't die! I mean…Fluttershy didn't die! I mean she kinda did, but she isn't, and…the point is she's still alive!"
"Really?" Moonbeam said, tilting her head. "Huh. Wonder why Mom told me that. Must've been poetic license. Hey, what's your name, by the way?"
He hesitated. Trixie probably didn't want him revealing everything to her daughter, but then figured there was no harm in telling her his name.
"Mothball," he said, holding out his hoof.
She grinned and shook his hoof enthusiastically. "I'm Moonbeam! Nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too, Moonbeam."
"So how do you know my mom?"
He froze. Now what should he do? He couldn't reveal that he was her royal half-brother. Then again, was it so wrong to at least admit his relation to her? It was only now just starting to sink in that he was this little filly's uncle.
He was an uncle. She was his niece.
She should have the right to at least know that, right?
"I'm, uh…" he stammered, biting his lip. "I'm kinda her brother."
One eyebrow went up this time. "No way. Mom doesn't have any brothers or sisters."
Mothball sighed. "Well, I guess that's half true. We hadn't even officially met until today. See, I'm her half-brother."
"Half-brother?"
"Same mother, different father."
"You can't be my uncle. To be my uncle, you'd have to be a…"
She paused and took another sniff at him. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Are you…?"
He smiled. "That's right."
She narrowed her eyes skeptically and crossed her hooves. "Prove it."
He shrugged. "Okay."
He transformed into his changeling self and Moonbeam's jaw dropped.
"Oh my gosh," she uttered. "You are my uncle!"
Mothball smirked. "Told ya so."
Her face glowed as she grinned. "This is incredible! I've never had an uncle before!"
"Well, I've never had a niece before."
"So Uncle Mothy…may I call you Uncle Mothy?"
He shrugged. "Sure."
"Uncle Mothy, can you tell me stuff about my grandma? Mom doesn't talk about my grandparents much, just that they died before I was born. But I didn't think there were other changelings in Equestria, or that one of them would be my uncle!"
Mothball wasn't sure how to respond. He knew Trixie was keeping things from her daughter, but he didn't think it'd be this much. Should he tell her? She was looking up at him with hopeful eyes and didn't want to disappoint her.
He'd seen Discord play the role of an uncle with the foals of Fluttershy's friends. That usually involved taking them for rides on motorcycles or giving them gifts such as stuffed animals that spat jelly at adult ponies. Sometimes he would just sit with them on the couch and tell them wacky stories. Was that what Mothball should be for Moonbeam? That cool male adult figure that would show and tell her exciting, interesting things?
"I, uh…" he started to say.
"Moonbeam!"
The two jumped and turned to the exit to see Trixie's angry head poking through.
"How many times have I told you not to go wandering…?" She froze at the sight of Mothball in his changeling form. "What do you think you're…?"
"Isn't it great, Mom?" Moonbeam said excitedly. "Mothy here is a changeling too!"
Trixie glared at her half-brother and then at her daughter. "Moonbeam, come out here this instant!"
The filly rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay. But can't Uncle Mothy join us for dinner?"
Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Uncle Mothy?"
"Yeah. He told me that you're brother and sister."
Her glare went back to Mothball and she gritted her teeth. "Did he, now?"
"So can't he stay? It's not every day we have family over, and I wanna find out more about my grandparents and…"
Trixie's eyes widened before narrowing again. "That's enough! Come out here, now! I'd like a talk with…Uncle Mothy."
Moonbeam sighed as she rose to her hooves. "Fine."
Once the filly was out of the tent, Trixie stepped in, her eyes burning into Mothball's.
"You showed her that you were a changeling?" she growled.
"I didn't tell her about the hive or how we're royalty," he insisted, holding up his hooves. "I just felt she should know we're related."
She stepped further in so she was just inches from his face. "Why are you all still here? Didn't Bellatrix make it perfectly clear that she does not want to associate herself with the hive anymore?"
"Look, you don't want the throne, I understand. We've just been traveling all day and need rest. Besides, I…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I've actually been rethinking Mother's offer…"
Trixie raised an eyebrow. "What about that little girlfriend of yours?"
"Well…"
He levitated the amethyst ring for her to see.
"Oh," she scoffed. "No wonder you're sleeping in separate tents. What happened? You and Miss Juliet weren't in the same place?"
"Let's not talk about that," he said, dropping the ring. "Why do you keep lying to Moonbeam?"
She rolled her eyes. "I thought I had already established that! I don't want her to get tangled up in…"
"Not about changelings, but…other things."
"What do you mean?"
"She told me about one of your bedtime stories. The one about Mom and Discord?"
"Excuse me?" she said, cocking her head. "I never tell her stories about Mother, especially her history with Discord."
"No, I mean Fluttershy and Discord."
She scoffed. "You call that wimpy pegasus Mom?"
"She's not wimpy, and yes! She's been taking care of me since I left the hive, but that's not the point. Why'd you tell Moonbeam she had died?"
Trixie looked away from him. "What's the use of giving her false hope in a world where happy endings don't exist?"
He blinked. "So you tell her stories with sad endings like that?"
Her glare returned. "How I raise my daughter is none of your business. You stay away from her, or I swear, Bellatrix will tear you limb from limb!"
On that note, she turned on her heel and started to leave.
"You know, for someone who doesn't have a heart, you seem to care a lot about your daughter."
She paused for a moment. Then she turned her head slightly and said in an almost regretful tone:
"There's a difference between caring for some pony and loving some pony."
Then she opened the flap and went outside. Moonbeam was waiting, staring up at her mother with narrowed eyes and a pouted lip.
"What?" Trixie grunted.
"You never let me hang out with any pony," her daughter complained, "and I get why, but when some pony who knows our secret comes along, you do the same thing! Why can't Uncle Mothy come to dinner? Why?"
"Moonbeam, you don't under…"
"Please, please, please, please, please, please…!"
Trixie rolled her eyes as the filly wrapped her hooves around her foreleg. She knew she was never going to hear the end of this, so she had no choice.
"Ugh! Alright! He can come to dinner!"
Moonbeam clapped her front boots together. "Yay! Ooh! Princess Twilight and Screwball too?"
"Sweetie…"
"Please, please, please, please…!"
"Fine! They can come too! But on one condition." She knelt down to her. "You are not to discuss anything about changelings, alright?"
"But he knows we're…"
"Moonbeam…"
The filly sighed. "Fine. I won't bring it up."
"Good girl. Now go inside and keep an eye on the peppers."
Moonbeam rolled her eyes as she complied with her mother's request. Trixie moaned as she poked her head back in Mothball's tent.
"Congratulations," she grumbled. "You're invited to dinner." Mothball opened his mouth to speak. "But you are not to talk about the hive, or Mother, or anything regarding our changeling heritage!"
Mothball shook his head. "I won't."
She nodded and disappeared.
"But you should," he finished under his breath.
Trixie trotted over to the pink tent and peered in. "Twilight, you…"
She trailed off when she got a good look at the amount of space inside.
"What the…?"
"Daughter of Chaos," Twilight said from a purple couch, tilting her head toward one of the bedrooms.
"Right," Trixie said, shaking her head. "Anyway, Moonbeam wants you losers to join us for dinner."
The alicorn grinned politely. "We'd be delighted to join you."
"Don't think this means anything, Twilight! You are not to talk about the changelings with my daughter, and when the sun rises tomorrow, Trixie expects to see you and your logic-defying tents gone!"
It's good to see that you used the proper terminology. Most people would have said 'negative reinforcement'.
5794884 Hehe, yeah I took Intro to Psychology last fall.
Oh, I love where I think this story is going. I won't spoil it just in case, but PM if you want to know to try and throw in a few more twist or what not ;p
Overall, love it!
5794884 what's the difference?
5794967 Negative reinforcement is when you take something unpleasant away as a reward for good behavior and positive punishment is when you add something painful (like a slap) for bad behavior.
Can't wait to see how it plays out for MB and SB.
It's alright, stop tearing your cute couple apart and annoying this mother, I volunteer to succeed to the throne, no matter how it works. Problem solved!
Also, Screwball's behaviour irritates me. Mothball must be really in love to put up with her. But I could say the same for Fluttershy putting up with Discord. I must be a family trait to over-react and be stubborn.
I just saw this on the main screen when I got on! Congrats!
I don't get why Screwball so mad, she could change to look herself as a changeling and I pretty sure they won't get rid of her powers.
You know what I did when I saw that there was a sequel to Bride of Discord? I freaked out! I love that story!
Mh, I guess some things just can be solved by having dinner together.
Well, bringing up the matter of dinner when something's going wrong is tradition in my family, so... We're all still alive, so...
Also... I can't believe I've been so blind. I think I know who Moonbeam's dad is.
It's a certain other showcreature very similar in his behaviour, ain't it? I actually thought about it because of another, non-related story of yours that has brought me much joy.
but... but... you will get them back together right?! You can tell me that much, right?! I NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS!
5795186 so could I. This is the best story ever!
Glad to see another chapter of this story! I really hope that you'll continue on this, and I hope that the Mothy and Screwy will get back together, and eventually have a child! (Please try to work that into the epilogue, like at the end of the first Lion King movie. PLEASE?!)
Also, what does Trixie look like as a changeling? Did I miss a part where she revealed her true self?
5795332 No, you didn't miss anything. I just didn't wanna show it yet.
5795458 Oh, okay. But still, PLEASE do consider on having Screwy and Mothy have a baby! Even if you don't plan on writing another story after this!
5795186 So would the rest of her fans.
But just barely.
DF take all the time you need to make chapters
I want to see Fluttershy/Discord/Chryssalis moments!!!! Just to know, Discord is NOT going to betray Fluttershy with Chryssie right? Just to know...
Opinion: Zany and Twinkle Sparkle would make a adorable and funny couple! I'm just saying.
I think I might know who/what Moonbeam's father is...
good chapter, I do wonder whether you'll have so that someone could get their heart back. Is Moonbeams father another Draconequus that somehow survived the windagos?
5796397 seeing as how her examples were lion related:
i would say he's most likely a lion
5795692 ISN'T IT!!!!!! THIS IS SOOOOO AWESOME!!!!!
He's right.
Say what?
Yep.
Open moth, insert hoof.
Screwball, calm down...
True.
Also true.
He does.
SCREWY! How could you even think that?
It means more than you know to him.
Dude, you may want to take that back, as in, ASAP...
And you are going to want to take THAT back ipso facto before it does too much damage...
*sigh* I tried to warn you, kid.
Screwy, don't do this.
*sigh*
Hate to be so blunt, but yeah, big time.
That's ONE way to put it.
Long story. 9 chapters long counting this one, as well as 2 episode of a show.
Bullsh*t.
Huh, so that's what she looks like.
No, they wouldn't, they're not tyrants, bigots, or racists, they're not going to blame the entire changeling race for the actions of one.
No they won't, they're better than that.
D, Diamond dog, but most likely draconequus...
Nope.
This won't end well.
(I regret nothing)
Yep.
Au contraire, Moonbeam, allow me to point you towards two fantastically written stories called Bridge of Discord and Daughter of Discord.
Well, she came back to lie.
Bingo.
Yep.
*shrug*
B-U-S-T-E-D you are, BUSTED!
Oh boy, she's mad.
Oh god.
... b*tch.
They DO exist.
Cold...
He has a point.
Hm.
Daughter of Discord.
You're mean.
... Jerk.
It's much better than I had hoped for, so, I'm all for it.
(This was a fun chapter, we get to know a little more about Moonbeam and her dynamic with Trixie who seems to be hiding a dark secret, I'm curious to see where this goes. In the meantime, this is ShadowLDrago, singing off.)
Question, if the heart is preserved after it is removed, can it be returned?
5796912 Was it written somewhere that she gives birth to a new changeling once a month? I can't remember...
5796938
chapter 1: Chrysalis is mourning Mothball.
this suggests she gives birth on a monthly basis, most likely carrying a few fertilized eggs to term, birthing a few at a time. But as I said 1 a month would net about 700 changeling who live about 60 years. To net 20k changeling Chrysalis would need about 28-30 a clutch. It's hard to imagine her finding the time to even rule between each mateing, unless a single father can fertilize several eggs at a time. But that seems rather odd considering she seems so thin, carrying several foal sized larvae inside her.
I'm siding with Mothball here. While he may have worded it a tad bit wrong, I think Screwball was overreacting. I mean, she threw her engagement ring at him! THat's.........That's cold. Really, really cold. I kind of wanted to thunk her over the head for it.
I know that might sound mean, but the sole reason Screwball is here is because she wants to force Trixie to be a queen. I mean, ducttape? She didn't care a lick about Trixie or the changelings. Nevermind that being a changeling queen wouldn't change much. She'd still be herself, she'd still be able to do chaos, she'd be able to wear a 'disguise' of her old self. It honestly doesn't sound so bad and, well, Screwball is kind of being incensitive with Mothball here. It's her that needs to apologize and apologize badly.
5797227 I'm sorry if I didn't understand some things you said correctly, you're using terms I'm not familiar with.
I trust you on the calculations, because I'm too lazy to do them myself.
About her lacking time because of the mateings, since she only need to find a partner to produce an heir, and not "normal" changelings, I don't think she has to put a lot of time into this (at least, not all the time, she said "I was very active at the time", if I recall correctly).
Concerning the fact that she's thin, maybe the larvae aren't foal sized at all? Plus, she doesn't have to always be thin, it could fluctuate on a cyclical basis. Or maybe she's bigger on the inside? Joke aside, there could be some magic intervening.
Then, maybe changelings live longer than ponies, but it is said that the changeling species is relatively close to the pony species, so they might live roughly the same amount of time... probably?
5797357 I completely agree. I wish I would have expressed myself as well as you did.
Plus, what's up with nopony wanting to take the rare opportunity to save an entire species, rule that entire species (which by the way, consists of your own children), gain power and responsibilities, and lead that species to a better life?
5797556
ok about the having to mate often, I guess I’m basing that off of the fact that chrysalis does not know the father of her children are. so when she's trying to have a royal larvae she's out there being active with about anyone she can get hooves on on. but I will admit that it was stated that she does reproduce asexually normally. So it Beggs the question, are royal larvae the only fertilized changeling eggs? or do Royals only come from certain stallions, and the rest come out as generic Changelings. some animals like birds take the semen and store it in their bodies until they are ready to fertilize, so if chrysalis has this ability and she gets a large sampling of stallions this could also account for why she wouldn't know who the father is.
the size issue I bring up is because Moonbeam in her just born larva form was foal sized. and it wasn't actually describe but when chrysalis described Mothball being born it felt as if he also was foal sized. if they were smaller and coming out in large groups that would just be disgusting. like worms coming out of her v. annoyed by the extra dimensional womb though, most in sick Queens or large in bloated supports giving birth to large quantities of children, but in a life form like a changeling where mobility is needed for both food gathering and reproduction I could see developing such a trait as nessary.
the other problem I have with the longevity issue is that war would be extremely devastating to the changeling population. if we go by the one birth month theory you only have 12 changelings born each year, so repopulating after Canterlot would be extremely difficult and takes several decades.
5797815
Yes, I think that royal larvae are the only ones that need fertilised eggs, that's what "asexualy" would imply, right? Even if she doesn't use any stallion, she'll have new changeling larvae within the month, but none of them will be royals. (It sounds like parthenogenesis, except that the only real beings I know that are able of parthenogenesis - I keep some in a box, waiting to be hatched, probably forever - produce "copies" of themselves, but these copies are also able to produce other copies... I think. While normal changelings aren't able to reproduce here.)
And maybe she doesn't remember the fathers just because she doesn't care.
Moonbeam is a special case... She has some of her mom's changeling and pony aspects, so she's messing with the definition of a "royal", and I suspect that the father wasn't exactly a pony either.
Disgusting doesn't mean impossible! I don't get the part about the extra dimensional womb... do you mean a womb outside the body? It was mentioned that Chrysalis got used to the pain due to birth.
Yes, I've thought about the repopulating after a war, or to create a new hive issue. It would be much more easier in the case where about 30 changelings are born each month...
5797965
5797815
I can't believe you guys are discussing this.
5797965
most colony insects use royal males to fertilize the adolescent queens, she keeps his sperm through her life laying eggs that becomes new insects. Asexual animals only products genetics copies, there usually is a male to spread genetics diversity at some point. If the normal changelings arnt fertilized that any individual Chrysalis mates with will produce a royal. Which would mean keeping track of parentage would be extremely helpful in determining future royals. EX. if Mothball was sired by Shining Armor, getting more material from him or any in his line would produce powerful royals. Possibly one that would be better than Mothball. Where random stallions would only net random results, in both cases had Chrysalis birth several Royals her chances of finding a suitable heir would be greater. But I belive that all changelings need a Father sample and in times of food shortages, chrysalis can fake it. But the reason for low royal numbers was simply due to the fact that Royals need an outside male, and it's simply random chance. Or the Queen needs to feel love twords the male. Also making the event rare since due to losing the male the changeling queens remove their heart.
As to the "it doesn't hurt" means that the larvae are so large that they would have to pass individually. If they existed in an extra dimensional womb that means a space that exists outside the normal realm of space time. That means the space is as large as it needs to be but fits inside they tiny frame of chrysalis. This makes sense when you consider mass in transformations, large shapes need to add mass from somewhere, and small shapes need the mass to go somewhere. If all changelings have this power it would explain allot.
5798101
sorry plot holes like this are a peeve of mine. If I can fill it with a personal head cannon I can get past it. Bust sometimes they need to be worked out. Changeling biology gets silly sometimes when people ignore the inconsistencies. Most with simple explanations if given half a thought. Like the math, if it's 1 a month Chrysalis herself can't manage that kind of population, but live birth puts alot of stress on her if we're talking 30 at a time. But as she's made it sound like it's a chore maybe she's used to it.
5798101
And I just love biology, even fictional biology. And theories.
5798108
So... keep track of the good reproductives to be sure to have good royals? But using the same male multiple times wouldn't bring some "consanguinity" issues?
She would really be bigger on the inside then!
I just explained changeling transformations with, you know, magic, but I guess that works too!
Okay so the main question is who or what is Moonbeams father.
First guess is Iron Will do to an earlier story, and he's a mix of man and bull, but I don't know if there's a big difference between pony and cow hooves/ears, and I'm fairly certain she doesn't have any extra horns
Second guess was a random Diamond Dog, she'd have qaws instead of hooves, floppy bog ears, her name is MOONbeam, and Twilight mentioned Trixie took over the Diamond Dogs setting up her meeting them, unfortunately Moonbeam basically said her father was a fusion of two animals so ths doesn't work.
I'm really looking forward to find out great work as always.
5798256
the thing about magic is if you just put a rubber stamp and claim it's magic then where's the fun in that? Magic is an energy and subject to it's own laws, if an author wants to write the laws as can do anything without repercussions that's fine, but I like to think that Magic takes real world physics and bends it to its will.
Like having a mass problem in a magical species? Magic offers the solution, extra dimensional space to store unused mass. Because it's cheaper to store unused mass than destroy and create it at will. Magic in the show has a limit in terms of individual power and magical endurance, so a power that uses alot of it would be hard on a species that requires it's power to collect the resource to generate that power.
5798256
I really don't see how, since the Royal has to go out and find a mate anyway. It's not like Trixie was going to be her brothers queen. In fact having competitors could help breed the traits Chrysalis was looking for in the first place. Also it would open the doors for other colonies to start posibly widening the genetic diversity.
5798305
I understand your point of view about magic. It's pretty close to mine, actually, even if I'm still working on it. I didn't get to the changeling part yet (thank you!), I'm still struggling with the "sun and moon being raised and lowered" part, and I'm focusing on destiny's magic at the moment.
I started to write a fanfiction about the magic of the destiny and cutie marks (and how they are related to the names that ponies get even before they have their cutie marks)... but then I saw the title of the first episode of the new season, so I'm going to watch it before going further to get more canon informations.
5798334
Well, if Chrysalis has a female royal (let's call her Chrysalis junior) with Shining Armor, and that Chrysalis junior also has a royal with Shining Armor for some reasons... Ew. (I'm sorry DF! )
Please don't get me started on genetic diversity, otherwise, this page will have way too much comments about it, and some might find this annoying. I don't know why they would though. That's so interesting.
5798372
Yeah, of the sun and moon I'm of one of two head cannons about it. One the sun and moon are both satellites of similar size that orbit the planet. Since they are far closer they are also smaller.
the other theory is that they are illusions, Equestria exists in a Dyson sphere and the sun and moon are just projections that Celestia and Luna control. All other aspects, like heat and weather are unrelated to the moments of the heaven's,. It would also explain why Luna can control the stars.
I also like the Dyson sphere theory because that means the population is a part of the system. Every pony born is assigned a role, that role is ment to balance the system. Even bullies and villians. And it's all automated to run, magic is the code that gives comands like, "these ponies are destined to fall in love and have three kids".
5798431
I'm sending you a private message because the sun and moon theory isn't immediatly related to DF's story, thus it is off-topic, and I don't want to go to jail.
Mind me if i dont make sense, (although, what fun is there in making sense? *insert Discord emojicon here*) but, back in magic duel,
Trixe could perform age spells (etc.), making changes to everyone, other than herself, not once displaying her 'changeling' powers.
Questions-
1.) Did the Alicorn Amulet effect the way Trixie cast spells, making the spell's final form more malicious, or did it make her magic more powerful for the time being?
2.) Are changelings better at magic than normal unicorns?
yeah thats it.
Dont mind me as i sit in a corner and ponder over this for the 100th time.
5798740 The Alicorn Amulet enhanced her magic abilities. She can't perform an age spell without it.
5798108
This is actually incorrect for most colony insects.
Bees, ants, other colony insects in the same clade that are not hornets -- All females require a father in order to exist, and males are born with only one set of genes. With bees and winged ants the new queen (called a virgin queen) will fly to the second nearest gathering of males and breed with multiple ones before returning to the home hive and producing workers (female), queens (rare, diet as a larvae determines), and drones (males).
Since Mothball is a male if he were following these rules he'd probably be in a situation where the sperm Christalises body chose was a Y and since royals are changelings with pony DNA we can assume that this would have caused his body to develop as a male, but he's not like the males Chrisalis can produce on her own.
The very first thing that went through my mind when you said the "Big D word" was draconequus meaning Discord. Then I rethought and said "Wait it could just be a different specices!" Then i rethought again and its simplely a draconequus.
5799477 Ew, EW, NO! The "D" word is just "Daddy!"
5799499 Shhh it's MAI HEADCANON