The Roof of the World: A Journey through Mustikk

by Prince_Staghorn

Chapter 2

The author is taken to the court of the Queen. She explains her reason for showing up unannounced, and is welcomed appropriately. The appearance and religion of the culture are described.

I'm not sure how one such as myself should have reacted in this situation. On one hoof, I was being led into a series of tunnels by a group of changelings. On the other, they weren't really trying to harm me.

I suppose at this point I should mention that, like most ponies, I knew little about changelings. The majority of pony-changeling encounters involved rangers on the frontier or traders overseas. I barely fit into the former category, having only lived on the edge of the Crystal Tundra for a few years, and I had never actually encountered these equines before.

The tunnels I was being escorted down have given way to polished stone blocks. Torches were set in recessed hollows, small shafts allowing the smoke to escape without filling the tunnel. A massive door at the end was forged from steel.

When the door was open, the interior of a large rotunda was illuminated in the glow of a vast number of sunstones set within the walls. There were several changelings coming in and out of the hallways, but the most spectacular sight was the walls themselves. They were carved from massive crystals, glittering every color in the light of the sunstones. I had never before seen anything so beautiful, and I doubted I would again.

My escorts led me down the right-most corridor, and I saw this was simply one building within a fair-sized underground city. From here, I was taken down an elevated road until I reached a large palace carved from pink crystal.

Inside were several guards of some sort. I only assume this from their armor, as they carried no weapons. They were stationed around the room, at the center of which was a throne. On the throne, a female changeling sat, her crown indicating that I was standing before a queen. I bowed appropriately, waiting for whatever fate would bring.

I was told to rise, and I was questioned as to my intents and purposes. I answered truthfully, simply stating I was a traveler who planned to cross the northern continent. There was absolute silence... before the queen began laughing. To my surprise, she said I was to be released, and that I was welcome to stay as long as I needed.

I was allowed to roam freely, and this allowed me to make some observations.

I found out these changelings differed from other accounts I had heard of. They were stockier, bordering on what might be described as "chubby", as an adaptation to the cold winters. On their backs was the typical changeling shell, along with a pair of wings. However, in addition to these, they also possessed a pair of elytra like those of a beetle, which covered the wings and back carapace when they were not flying.

Like the Crystal Pygmy Sheep, these equines possessed a sheen to their coats which reflected the surrounding light like crystal, though according to the few texts that survived, this paled in comparison to the coats of the bygone crystal pony race.

The culture of these changelings, however, seemed to match the descriptions given by the rangers who had contacted other kingdoms. Despite a few differences, there was an underlying Neighponese influence to the architecture, though this was only based on pictures I had seen, and in any case was difficult to see through the stone and crystal making up the buildings.

Scattered around the city were several shrines to the deity of these equines, Kami, each attended by several young mares. I inquired one such miko, their word for shrine maiden, about the nature of this deity.

I had never exactly encountered a religion such as this before. According to the mare, Kami was not one deity, but rather the true form of nearly all deities, changing shape to suit its various duties. "It" was the proper term, for in its true shape, I was told, Kami had no true gender. It was Kami who had created everything by donning various guises other races recognized as their deities.

I bristled slightly at this, being an Eponite^ myself, but I calmed down before I said something untoward.

Note- This is the only time Ice Crystal makes any mention of her faith, though it does explain some of her behavior, as Eponites tend to be curious and willing to dive hoof-first into new situations.- Quill Scribe, head of the Canterlot Archives' Historical section.

I had noticed she had said Kami was the true form of "nearly" all deities, and I inquired as to her meaning.

She explained that another force worked beside Kami, known as the White Changeling. Like Kami, the White Changeling was the true form of many deities- in this case, those associated with death. The White Changeling was said to look different to each individual, sometimes not even appearing as a changeling. Its favorite guises were those of a white changeling, a skeleton in a robe, a white alicorn mare with black wings, or a masked noctral mare with a white mane. But no matter what form, this deity's duty was the same. It would silently come and lead the soul peacefully into the afterlife.

This was a beautiful way of looking at death, and one that made me more comfortable with the prospect of my own fate should I have failed to cross the frozen tundra.

Author's Note:

^a member of the Eponite religion, which states the great mother, Epona (represented as an earth pony), formed the world and all other gods, but made all equines with her own hooves