1 – The Name We Choose
They say that opposites attract.
I would have never believed such a ridiculous claim if I hadn’t established a lasting companionship based on differences myself. Those weren’t physical, as Cecily and I were very much alike in our changeling black baldness, and they boiled down to her outgoing demeanor being a far cry from my own. I would best describe her as a rebellious and progressive individual who always spoke from her heart, with myself being a skeptical shut-in serving as a counterbalance to all of her weird ideas. I was an ardent supporter, naturally, but her endless suggestions on how we could shape the future of Hive Chrysalis were sometimes too extreme for my tastes, mostly because they involved an unhealthy level of pony-made concepts.
Despite Cecily’s fascination with all things Equestrian I rather enjoyed her company slightly very much, and from the first sounds of the buzz to the moment the dormant fell within the cave, we have been spending the time of our youth together, growing on each other as the years passed.
How much would I give to relive but one of those days!
One fateful afternoon I was on my way to meet Cecily at our usual spot called Whitefalls. I flew up the waterfall and looked around, spotting her at the edge of a nearby mushroom grove. She waved at me with a luminite trinket and pointed to a cliff where she had dragged the cap of a toadstool, the stem of which must have been three times my height. However unreasonable, it would be well within the socially accepted norms if she hadn’t also covered the cap with a piece of rectangular cloth for some reason. To add to the already quite palpable aura of nonconformity, she seemed to have brought a cooking cauldron with her, filled to the brim with various nutrients.
“Salutations, Iqqel!”
“You’re not supposed to call me that, you know,” I replied. “It’s not technically my name yet.”
A pair of white eyes much like my own rolled at me. “Aw, c’mon! You’ve been using it for like what, two or three years now? You’re getting all formal now?”
“It’s more than just being formal. Using a nickname for the sake of easier communication is one thing, but choosing and accepting an actual name is something else entirely. You know what Ezui-Kolka always says: the name we choose is a promise we make. A promise to ourselves, each other, and the entire Hive. This is why you’re not supposed—you’re not listening to me, are you?”
Cecily faked a convincing yawn and deadpanned.
“Sorry, you were saying?”
I threw my hooves in the air. “Argh! Why can’t you be serious before the single most important dormant of our lives? Just because we have already picked our names doesn’t mean we won’t be changing them! It’s a choice that will determine our future and our duties to the Hive! Surely even you realize how important the Ceremony of Names is!”
Cecily flew up and locked me in one of her airborne hugs. My wings shivered at the touch of her underbelly on my back, even more so when she nuzzled her cheek against mine. My irritation was gone, taken by the intimacy young drones like us weren’t supposed to be interested in before maturing, though I suppose we’ve crossed the line already. Maybe it was my imagination speaking—or wishful thinking—but I think Cecily might have had a crush on me.
I was kind of rather slightly okay with that when I ran my hoof over her neck.
“I’m sorry, Iqqy. I was just messing with you, that’s all. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s alright. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you like that. I guess I am a bit anxious about tonight.”
After Cecily slid off my back, I followed her to the cliff which offered a colorful panorama of the entire Hive. The clusters glimmered against the dimness of the cave with a mosaic of luminite lamps and painted roofs and walls, the colors of which depended on what changelings currently resided there. That wasn’t the case at the seven bigger clusters surrounding the Spire which remained consistent in their glow, as only those hailing from the specific caste were allowed to live in their respective Prime Cluster. In there, they dedicated themselves to perfecting their role in the society alongside others like them. You could say it was like mutual mentorship for grown-ups where the Warriors trained with other Warriors, the Speakers listened to other Speakers, and so on.
Cecily and I took a moment to enjoy the view.
“It’s alright to be nervous, I think,” she said. “I know I’m freaking out myself. About the upcoming changes, about choosing the caste, about everything I will become.” She turned back to me. “I’m glad I’m not alone on this one. Ever since we first met, I felt you were someone I could rely on. You supported me when I first called myself Cecily, and you never once laughed at my ideas no matter how strange they turned. I mean, I don’t think I have ever thanked you for bearing with me all these years.”
I shook my head. “And you’ll never have to. I may not understand your interest in ponies, but I do respect you. And despite being far from a traditional one, I think the name you chose suits you. You know, a weird name for a weird changeling.”
“Wait, what? I’m not weird!”
“But you are, though,” I replied, then pointed back. “What is that thing for, anyway?”
Cecily beamed and fluttered towards the cauldron. “I’m glad you asked! It’s called a picnic basket,” she said but then tapped her chin. “Come to think of it, it’s more of picnic bucket, but that's the best I could do on such a short notice. Anyway, a picnic basket is something the ponies use in their ritual of outdoor consumption. You take a container full of foodstuffs, a blanket or two, and then you go out to a peaceful place to enjoy each other’s company. Isn’t that great?”
I sighed. What else than yet another of her revolutionary ideas?
“Why would you bring it outside if you can eat at the cluster, like a normal ‘ling?”
“I’ve talked to the Feeders who are on active duty on the surface,” Cecily said. “Big Bro Piro said eating out is supposed to make the food taste better.”
“Wasn’t that the other way around? I’m pretty sure he said they had to eat in because of a snow swarm.”
“Snowstorm. That was in what they call the winter,” Cecily said, her eyes shining with excitement. She was in her element whenever she talked about Equestrians and their customs, and my best bet was to wait it through. “They have as much as four seasons with varying weather conditions throughout the year, and winter only comes around for a couple of months. Remember how he said there are some activities in which you can only partake when there’s enough snow outside?”
I snorted. “I remember how much you wanted to kill yourself by trying out this snow’s boarding,” I replied. “But this is irrelevant! Our cave has the same season every season, and I say the food won’t taste any better here than it would back at Blackstone.”
Cecily grinned. “Well, that’s just your theory. How about a little experiment?”
The nourishments turned out delicious, which meant Cecily wasn’t the artisan behind them. She couldn’t tell a baked truffle from a mushroom stew, especially since whenever she tried to prepare either they ended up looking pretty much the same in a tasteless puddle sort of way. Logic dictated she had asked one of the Tenders to cook for her, probably Zoli-Yttel or Zolo-Sallik. Those two weirdos could make a royal feast out of nothing. Well, not nothing, obviously, that would be impossible. They could make the most of the absolute minimum, and they aspired to one day present their exquisite meals to Queen Chrysalis herself, but their chances on getting in were slim for now. They had their Ceremony last year, and the guys at the Spire wouldn’t hire anyling that young.
As my thoughts wandered around the Tenders I realized I wouldn’t want to become one of them. Gathering ingredients, hunting cave grubs, and milking aurocks all required daily ventures to the tunnels while I preferred more indoor activities, so to speak. Well, that's one caste down. Five more and I'll know what I really am.
“They say we’ll be getting a new Queen soon,” Cecily said, helping herself to a blackberry cookie. “What do you think will happen?”
I shrugged. “The same thing that happened last time, and every time before, at least according to Kolka. The old Queen will descend to the Hall of Queens and she will retire from her position, allowing a younger changeling to take her place. Then one of the elders from the Hall of Names will be chosen to announce her arrival and help her settle in.”
“Those Speakers. I think they’re overprivileged.”
“Why do you say that? They’re just doing their part for the good of the Hive like everyling else. Besides, it’s traditional for the first royal advisor to come from the Speakers. The board of representatives has a voice of each of the Seven Castes anyway,” I said. “Speaking of which, are you still aiming for that Thinker job? Or perhaps back to the Maker, with all your knack for music?”
“Nah. I used to feel I was a great musician, but in time I started considering other options as well. I actually thought about my future, and I blame you for that.”
“Uh, you’re welcome?” I replied. “Pass me a truffle, will you? I think I can take one more.”
Cecily’s horn glowed white as she sent my request flying. “I mean, I like my instruments, and my magic’s not too shabby either, but I believe I can do more good as a Thinker. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll drop some of my ideas to the Queen?”
“Yeah, it would be much easier if you were her advisor, but again, those come from the Speakers. You’d have to start your career with the traditionalists at the Hall first, and with your quite original way of thinking they would throw you out by the end of your first week,” I said. “For the record, you’d make a good advisor.”
“You serious? If I were to help organize the Hive I’d have to keep an eye on all the clusters, all the castes, and all the paperwork! On the top of that, I’d be completely chained to the Spire and the Queen with no freedom for myself,” Cecily said and sighed. “It's a tough decision. Maybe I should just become a Feeder or a Warrior. Being either would allow me go to Equestria and see places we've heard so much about. Just think of it, Iqqy! There’s so much to learn from the ponies! I don’t think they’re our enemies, despite what Queen Chrysalis says.”
“Such judgment is not ours to make,” I reminded her. “I trust in Queen’s wisdom. You should, too.”
The sound of a ceremonial horn resounded across the cave.
“It is time,” I said. “Come on, our destiny awaits!”
Cecily jumped up and fluttered her wings like a mentally defective deepfly. It seemed that whatever anxiety I carried before the meal had now fallen upon her, and manifested itself as a full-blown panic. “Gosh, already? I thought there was still time! Do you have your bag? Of course you have it. Here, take this!” She grabbed my braided spider web satchel and shoved a little packet inside. “It’s called a sweet roll. Big Bro Piro said—”
“What? You’re eating their food now? Seriously, what is wrong with you?”
“I’m just thinking ahead, and I caught it from you!” Cecily replied. “The Ceremony can take hours and I’ll be starving right after. Remember, they don’t allow food down there, so you better not mention you have it. In case they asked, just pretend you have a secret lucky amulet with you or something, alright?”
“I don’t do lucky amulets! What about that picking basket of yours? You want me to wear it on my head and pretend it’s my lucky hat?”
Cecily put a hoof to her forehead. “It’s picnic, not picking.”
“Well, excuse me for not speaking pony!”
“Leave it!” she decided. “We’ll come back for it after the Ceremony!”
In the end, it was me and me alone who returned for that blasted cauldron. I still have it to this day and I'm making sure it doesn't get rusty, much like I still have the trinket Cecily put in the cauldron as we were leaving Whitefalls. The crystal ceased giving light a long time ago, but like with all other things reminding me of Cecily I refused to throw it away. Call me a stupid sentimentalist, but that's pretty much all I have left of her.
All I have is some random junk and a collection of stolen memories.
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Hello and welcome to Dichromatic!
You know that feeling when you're hunting for a gem in the New Stories section and you pass on yet another due to its short description reading "a story about my OC called [name]"? Well, I'm glad you're checking this one, because it's technically one of those stories. Ha! I bet you didn't see that one coming, eh? Anyway, I'm no rookie and I know how this game is played, so I'll just use the cosmic power of quoting to let someone else advertise the main character for me.
Now that I have your attention, I'm hoping to gain your curiosity as well with the following keywords: coming of age, choice, sacrifice, friendship, vivid lore, and of course change. All of that - and much more - can be found in Dichromatic, a story about my OC called Iqqel.
Enjoy!
Certainly a good start.
I'm game.
~Skeeter The Lurker
6300407
Fixed it for you.
Hehe, looks like a good start Prane.
Let us see where this goes... Proceed.
6308625
So I've come to right actions out of wrong reasoning? Damn, there's so much to learn about writing horsewords! Why they don't teach that at school instead of geography or some such subject?
6308652
Right now it's going to a place called Hall of Names, and then - only deeper.
Where did those two extra dislikes come from so quickly? I swear, this is starting to get suspicious - second example today. Of course, I can't conclude anything as of yet, and its probably coincidential.
6310545
A duet of self-righteous Rating Balance Keepers, perhaps? We may never know.
6310552 I'm probably grasping at straws if I want to take this further, but a similar thing happened to one of my stories earlier - it has the exact same vote-count as of now funnily enough. The thing is though, I legitimately feel like it deserved them, as I barely put any effort into it and it was just plain silly. This, on the other hand...
6310554
Ah, you're the Sylveon story guy! I knew your name sounded familiar.
Well, the best thing we can do in such situation is to assume that someone had a bad day, and move on.
Well, that last line bodes well.
Having not read any of the bits before, but certainly enjoying other stories you have done, i gave this one a go. And it has a good deal of potential, especially with the potential of how things look to be shaping at a guess.
6310565 Ah, one of those dislikes disappeared.
6310565 Ah, one of those dislikes disappeared.
6310744
That's great news! I had a chance of "testing" this story on a person who hasn't read the related ones either, and their response was that they didn't feel lost. So you're good to go!
6310738
It's there to pique your curiosity, so I guess it's serving its purpose!
6310763 I dunno about the nature of what will happen. But this sorta reminded me of the hindu and akin castes of old. Of what they might be when to being able to see a western and european (equestrian) viewpoint of being able to find your destiny, compared to it being sorta chosen, enforced upon you by who you are.
6310788
It's safe to say that the story will tackle the destiny vs. choice dilemma at some point.
6310849 and its part of what i love with changeling stories. there is always this tension. Done right, its always fun to hear the take each author spins it to.
I like it.
Also:
Ahh. Cecily / Chrysalis and Iqqel
Lovely to see more of these two, together.
Now that I'm finally getting around to reading this, I have to say that I'm really enjoying the dynamic between Iqqel and Cecily. I wish I had started read this sooner.
Congrats. Those last two paragraphs took me from happy-nervous to "cry myself to sleep". Also, damn if there aren't some spoilers in the comments.
8808181
Hey, you found my changeling stuff - good choice, it's a race I've (probably) put the most thought into. Enjoy!