We Found Your Hat

-Three weeks ago-

Princess Luna detailed all she knew about Twilight's crown to Hatless. Specifically, she mentioned the Elements of Harmony, the crown's place in the Elements, and how the crown depended largely on the other Elements. Hatless pouted slightly. “Is something the matter?”she inquired.

“Yup. I still have no idea how it works.” Hatless rolled his eyes. “I'm as bad as Twilight. I need to know how it works, but since I was not raised here, I don't get it.” He picked up the book he had thumbed through earlier and slipped a note into it. “Thank you for your help, Luna. You've been an immense help.” The magical Earth Pony bowed deeply.  “I'll be off; I have to be in Maredon by tomorrow morning.”

The Princess of the Moon nodded but with a furrowed brow. “Maredon? I cannot say I have heard of this place.”

“It's a fairly new town on the edge of Equestria. After your long imprisonment, I'm not surprised you haven't heard about it.” The tan pony spun about. “I should be going. In the meantime, you can satisfy your curiosity about me in this library.” Again, the strange pony read Luna's mind; even after Hatless had said she knew what he was, she actually did not. In fact, she felt like she knew less about him now than upon meeting him. “I would, eh, recommend starting here, though.” He motioned to the book he had placed on the table. “See ya!” Poof! He exploded into a black cloud again—probably teleporting to outside the library.

Once he left, Luna levitated that book to herself and read the cover. The book was called “The Creatures of the Unknown.” Under any other circumstance, she would have disregarded it for its fanciful name, but Hatless drew enough attention to warrant a genuine read. Immediately, she searched for the note, and she found it towards the end. Before perusing the page which the note came from, she eyed the note. “'You will never understand what I am, Luna. On the other hand, you probably understand who I am better than any other person in this world.'” End. “What does that mean?” Luna sighed and peered downward. “He underestimates my intellect.”

She began reading. Interestingly enough, the page talked about Changelings. Memories of a certain wedding vibrantly reflected off her thoughts. The book actually explained very little on Changelings. It even stated, “Changelings are legendary beings. Nopony has ever seen one, but considering their powers, it should not come as a surprise.” Immediately, Luna flipped to the first page to check the date of writing. The book was apparently written nearly one hundred years before the present. Returning to the page about Changelings, she skimmed through paragraphs and discovered a section boxed off with pencil. Hatless seemed to have written in the book. Luna let the mistreatment of  a library book slide under the circumstances. Besides, her curiosity overtook any frustration over a messed-up library book. She read on. “Some suggest that Changelings don't actually have a body—that they are shadows that can take any form at all. It is said that they can fake the magic of any race.” The paragraph continued, but the boxed section ended there. A little subscript was scribbled in next to the section. “Read the opposite side of the note.”

Luna dropped the book and picked the memo up again. Flipping it around, she found a bunch more writing. “That description is surprisingly accurate to what I am. That's all you need to know about my species. However, I want to touch on my past and yours, but not in that order. You betrayed your sister, your friends, and your subjects.” Pause. A moment of depression seeped in Luna's heart, but she pressed on. “You lost their trust, and many still question your loyalty, motives, and actions. You have received forgiveness, Luna, but you still don't feel forgiven.” By this point, Luna didn't take any surprise from any of Hatless' statements, though he continually discovered secrets which Luna had never shared.  “Now, let me tell you part of my story. Most of my life, I have tried desperately to do the right thing. I managed to ruin that in a single flippant action.” Luna had made a mistake herself.  Much lead up to that mistake, but she could easily pick out the specific point where she committed it—when she gave in to her darker side. “In a few minutes, I took more lives than presently exist in Equestria.” Luna recalled some statistics. Equestria housed around fifty million ponies. She continued reading.  “It took me years to realize I had done something wrong; yes, I thought I had done the right thing initially.”  Luna could relate. When everypony appreciated only Celestia's work, Luna grew jealous. She thought she deserved better. “Once I understood my wrongdoing, I sought for forgiveness, and I was surprised how readily I received it. I was happy for awhile, but then I feared making the same mistake. I did not sense the forgiveness I had been given, and this was because I did not accept it. I did not believe it. Luna, there is one person's forgiveness you have been given but have not accepted. If you do accept it, you'll be free from the guilt. If you want to know more, ask me next time we meet.” The note ended.

Luna quivered, and her eyes watered. For the few years after her escape from the moon, she had masked her insecurities despite guilt bogging her down. Even when she managed to pull through,  sadness lingered unceasingly. “Happiness” had been an outward show trying to ignore the real pain deep inside. Every fiber of her being longed to be free from the guilt. Tears started to stroll down her face uncontrollably. “Hat... less...” she murmured weakly. The urge to weep grew stronger. The memories of her past—before she had committed her sin—trickled back to recollection, and she quaked in desire to have those days back. Finally, her voice broke. She smothered her face in her hooves and cried audibly.