The last few days for Luna were stressful. Amiss the piles of paperwork, snobbish royalty, and increasing tension between empires, she wanted to get away from all the work. She wanted time for herself, just to get her mind away from everything. Skillfully slipping around the guards, she quietly left the castle. As she neared the Everfree , she decided to take a path used long ago. The walk calmed her nerves, but she never let her guard down.
As she was walking, something felt out of place. Looking around her she noticed a strange, faint new path to her right. Glancing around, she shrugged and cautiously followed it.
The path lead her to a large field where there was a few creatures playing and a grown one watching over them. As Luna got a closer look, the creatures appeared to be white changelings. Luna became more and more curious.
'why are they not black like other changelings?' She muttered under her breath.
As she was watching, the young changelings saw her and slowly walked closer. Luna smiled warmly at the approaching changelings, keeping her guard up in case it turned hostile.
"Twig, stay away from her!" The older changeling ordered. Twig and his friend ignored him as he drew closer. "Twig, that could be an enemy!"
As the pair drew closer, Luna inquired “Why are you here?”
“I’d ask you the same thing.” Twig’s friend shot back.
“Dont test my patience, changeling.”
“I bet you're one of Chrysalis’ assassins,” The changeling known as Twig piped up.
“Me, an assassin?”
“You are either an assassin or Luna, princess of the night. I am going with assassin since Luna would never go into the forest.” Twig’s friend countered.
“I am not a changeling!”
“Then explain why you are here.”
“That is none of your concern,” Luna responded.
“If you don’t tell me I will have to call my guards.” Twig said, taking a step forward.
“Guards? Don’t make me laugh. You are just a changeling, I can easily squash a bug like you.”
The hatchling suddenly backed away as white changelings in silver armor surrounded it. From behind, Luna heard a clear voice yell, “Attack!” Before she could react,she was pushed down, as group of black changelings ran past her. The black changelings charged at the white changelings and a fight began. Before Luna could do anything, there was a pain in her right wing. As quickly as she felt it, her vision began to blur,and the world darkened. Few seconds after, unconsciousness overtook her and the world faded.
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She woke up inside a tent. A quick look showed that the same white changeling from the field tending to his wounds. She tried moving, but a great pain in her stomach protested her from getting up.
"Where am I?” Luna said, “What happened?"
"You are at my camp.” said the Changeling, “We were attacked by Chrysalis’s assassins” The changeling finished wrapping up the minor wounds, and began to work on his wings.
"Why would she kill her own kind?"
"Her own kind?” said the Changeling as he turn, “She’s a monster! The black ones follow her out of blindness!"
Luna paused for a moment. "I see... Wait... why are you white?” she inquired.
“Because I am a pure-white changeling. No matter what, I will always be white.” The changeling paused. "Would you like something to eat?"
"Some food would be nice. I’m not very picky.” replied Luna, “Do you have a name?"
"My name is Ghost." said the Changeling as he left for food.
Luna, looking around again, noticed an odd looking book on the ground. On its cover were the words: Spectre's Journal. Using her magic, she pulled it close and opened to the first page.
Spectre's Journal: Entry 1
She betrayed me. She left me to die! I must have revenge. Pain is all I have left. Pain will support me better than love ever has! I have regained my strength, and so has my fellow exiles. We have found an alternative food source: PAIN. My fellow exiles will not stop until we bring Chrysalis to her knees.
As Ghost returned with a bowl of salad, Luna quickly slid the journal under the pillow. Luna began to eat the salad, as Ghost walked over to grabbed some medicine from a small box.
"This should numb the pain." He gave her what looked like a small blue pill. As if he was reading her mind he gave her a glass of water. She took the pill, it felt bitter in her mouth. After a few minutes she could stand without any pain.
Ghost finished with his wing. “Your wing should heal within a few days.” Ghost said, nodding to Luna’s left wing. Luna looked down to see her left wing was wrapped tightly in a bandage.
Ghost led Luna outside of the tent and started to show her around the camp. "Well, you should probably know that there is a war going on."
"A war?" Luna said stealing a glance at Ghost.
"Yes. The Scarred Soul clan and the 'misguided changelings. Thats why I need your help."
"The Scarred Soul clan?"
"My family. Father was the leader, but then..."
Luna could tell he didn't feel comfortable talking about his father. "You don't have to tell me."
"I will kill her for what she did to father and Snow." His voice filling with rage. "I'll rip her eyes out!"
"Ghost, please calm down." Luna said, attempting to sooth the changeling.
"I'm sorry.” Ghost instantly became calm, “It’s just everytime I think about it..."
After Ghost showed her the camp, they returned to the tent where Luna awoke. Luna was surprisingly tired, and barely could stay awake as she started to lie down. After several minutes she drifted off to sleep. It was the first time in a long while that she had allowed herself to sleep.
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Luna returned back to the castle... but things was... off. It was storming outside, most of the windows had been broken in, the floors was coated brown and soiled with mud, and everything everywhere she looked was darkness. She could hear her sister’s voice, in the distance, calling out to her, telling her to run. Luna didn't listen, instead she walked down the halls, looking for her sister. Silence accompanied her as nothing moved, as if the castle was long abandoned.
Opening the throne room’s door, she spied her sister inside a green cocoon. Sitting on the throne was Chrysalis. The walls and ceiling was lined with Changelings and cocoons. All the Changeling’s turn towards Luna in a synchronized motion. They stared at her for a moment and then, all of them dropped and flew at her, weapons bared.
Chapter1-Daydreams and Nightmares
Dusk wasn't the ordinary pegasus. His life has revolved around one main thing, revenge. Revenge on the Chrysalis for killing his father. He remembers the day as if it were yesterday.
Canterlot was under attack, Dusk's father tried to stop chrysalis... and she... ripped off his head. Blood flowed like a river as the headless corpse fell to the ground. She was about to kill Dusk too, but then a white changeling came out of nowhere. Chrysalis was screaming as she fought with him. "Traitor!"
Leading Dusk to a safe spot in the forest, the changeling introduced himself as Spectre. Ever since they have been friends. Until he suddenly disappeared.
He has became a changeling hunter, one of the best to be exact. Any rouge changeling causing trouble would have no chance of escape. He never forgot Spectre, and was wondering if he was still alive, but as time passed that seemed impossible.
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The same day Luna woke in the camp is when Dusk left to find his old friend, and what better place to look than where they first met. He began to pack supplies for the trip. As he walked into the forest path he could tell something was wrong.
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At the castle, Celestia and the guards were frantically searching for Luna. Fearing that she has ran away, or worse, she put a bounty up. One-thousand bits for her safe return. The guards were sent to search every town and city, but none went to the Everfree.
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Luna woke up to find Ghost was not in the tent with her. Most of the pain has left her, so she could stand without any trouble. Stepping outside she could tell it was early morning, because nopony was outside. Nopony except for Ghost.
"What are you doing up so early?"
"That is none of your concern."
"I guess it isn't." Ghost chuckled. "And what I need to do is also none of your concern." His mocking tone angered her. She was trying to keep under control, but she lost it when he morphed into her. "I'm Luna, and I am to busy to share my thoughts."
"YOU FILTHY INSECT! YOU DARE TO MOCK ME?"
"You dare to mock me?"
"ENOUGH!" Luna hit Ghost with so much force, he was sent flying into a tree. He morphed back to his normal self, but strangely he was laughing.
"You amuse me. You are unaware that you are feeding me."
Her anger became confusion. "But don't changelings feed off of.... love?"
"Not me, or any other white changeling."
"Then how....?"
"Pain."
"Sorry if I am interrupting, but where is your father?" Dusk steped closer to Ghost as Luna went back to the tent she was in.
"Dusk, when did you get here?"
"Just now..."
"I'm sorry to say, but the old king was murdered."
"W...what! How?"
"Chrysalis sent an assassin."
Dusk remained silent for several moments. "You know Celestia has put up a bounty for Luna's return. One-thousand bits."
"Thats a heavy offer... Maybe if I take the offer I will gain an ally in the upcoming battle."
"Exactly. You also have me to aide you." Dusk began to walk away.
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That night Luna decided to find Ghost and enter his dream. She thought she would be able to learn more about him through dreams, because dreams are the product of the subconscious. It took her awhile to find his tent. Luna smiled at Ghost sleeping face and went to make her usual dream journey, after a while she became bored and stopped when she heard that Ghost was muttering some words in his sleep, she always saw everyponies dreams, it was a form to know them better since they were a call from their subconscious, so if she wanted to know more about Ghost then what’d be better than see his dreams? With this in mind Luna’s horn glowed as she entered Ghost dream.
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What started as a dream, slowly turned into a nightmare. It started in a peaceful clearing in the Everfree forest. The sun was bright. Young versions of Ghost and Snow were running around playing games. An old white changeling watched them happily. Next, something horrible happened. One of Chrysalis's assassins attempted to kill the old changeling.
"Father!"
"Ghost!" The elder changeling was locked in combat with the assassin "Take Snow to the cave! Protect her with your life!" Ghost hesitated. "NOW!" Ghost picked up Snow and ran, stopping to look back. The assassin held his father’s head high, as if it was a twisted trophy. Finally, when they got back to the cave Snow's guards sealed the cave entrance.
Ghost locked himself in his room for hours before coming out, and calling a meeting of the White Elders. "The King has died. Chrysalis sent an assassin to kill him." As Ghost mentioned the assassin the Elders whispered amongst each other. "I seek advice from you."
The oldest of the Elders spoke up "You must become the new king. Without a king we have no order."
"Is revenge a wise idea?"
"No, but if she attacks again... she shall receive a war. We must try to reason with her first."
"Yes Brother Isaac." Ghost left the meeting room.
The next morning Ghost, Snow, and a group of guards marched to Chrysalis's Hive. It was a lot bigger than where they infiltrated last time, but something else was worrying them, there weren’t many changelings in the hive. That was when Ghost realized it: it was a trap. Chrysalis emerged from the deep of the cave and quickly called her guards who immobilized Ghost, Snow, and their guards. Chrysalis gave the group a sinister smile before walking to Snow, who was being held by a guard, and tossed her to the ground and then she ripped her eye out with a beam of green energy. Snow let out a huge scream of pain as Chrysalis simply watched the scene with a big smile, she slowly walked to Snow’s face and lifted it on, telling her something loud enough so Ghost and the guards could hear it
“I hope this serves as a lesson dear ‘rebels’, the next time you try something as stupid as this, that little eye of yours will seem nothing compared to what I’ll do to you” Chrysalis watched as Snow’s other eye started to turn white and she passed out of pain. Ghost knew that she would heal the wound but her eye was lost. Chrysalis ordered her guards to lift the white changelings before tossing them magically out of her kingdom and in the deep woods. The fall didn’t kill them but Ghost was enraged beyond any comparison; he would make her pay for what she did.
