What a heart wishes for
By
Dradavar
--- My Little Pony, Friendship is Magic © Hasbro ---
--- I do not own the intellectual properties this fan-fiction is based on ---
It was a cold, silent night in canterlot. The moon stood high in the night sky. Nothing was out of the ordinary, just a town at night, the guards patrolling the alleys and streets, looking for anything suspicious. Moon Dew a free changeling drone stood in front of the town gates, hidden under a coat, looking at the many guards, guarding the only way to save herself.
Not sure what to do she just stood there, about 50 feet away from the gate, looking at the two guards, the two unicorns, at the sides of the gate, listening to her own weak heartbeat.
‘Should I talk to them? Maybe ask for permission? No that’s stupid, they would kill me the moment they know I’m a changeling. I have to sneak in. But how? I’m not sure if I have enough energy to transform and it’s not dark enough to just walk through them’ she thought. She knew she had to do something fast or else she would die, even now she could feel the cold embrace of death wrapping around her body.
Of course it was not because of the cold weather, no it was the hunger.
The hunger for love.
‘It doesn’t matter anymore’ she finally thought, ‘if I die here now cause of starvation or if I get killed by the guards, it doesn’t matter but I have to do something, and fast’. With very weak and slow steps she walked towards the gate. Not sure how to approach the guards she stopped in front of the gate, the shadow of the wall hid her face. ‘Great. They see me. What now? Should I greet them? Something like “Hey what’s up? I’m a changeling and I wish to meet your princess so I have a chance to survive”’.
Shaking her head, sure that would be a really stupid idea. The guards were looking at her rather suspicious behaviour.
“May I help you?” The left one asked, taking a step towards Moon Dew and startling her.
“I’m not sure if you can” she replied, thankfully for not having the rasping voice her brethren do, even though her voice wasn’t as canorous as it used to be.
“I have a severe problem and only your princess can help me, but I’m not sure you would let me meet her, cause of my condition”
“And what is your condition if I may ask? Maybe it’s something we can help with” he answered smiling.
‘Sure you can’ thought Moon Dew ‘just give me some of your love and let me go meet your princess’. Of course this would be impossible. “Well, maybe, but I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want to help me if you knew my condition” she finally answered.
The right guard moved a little bit closer to Moon Dew after he heard that. “Just tell us what’s bugging you or leave this instant!” he said roughly “We don’t have all night to talk to creeps like you!”.
‘And I don’t have all night to talk to imbeciles like you’ she thought. “Well if you insist, but I have to be sure that, whatever you might see or hear, you won’t attack me, okay? I’m not here to pick a fight. I’m just looking for a safe place and maybe a way to help me”
“In Celestias name! Speak!” the right guard ordered. Looking at the grumpy guard she was sure she had to reply something, but before she could do so she stopped herself.
‘Not a good idea to insult the ones who might be able to help you, safe your breath’ she thought. “Fine” she said, stepping a few feet away into the bright, pale moonlight. “Let me introduce myself” she said in a deep tone, removing the hood so the light could fall on her face, earning gasps from the guards, “I’m Moon Dew, a changeling drone from west equestria. And I’m here for an audience with the sun princess”. The silence that followed was something you could grasp. Just for a second, only one second Moon Dew had the hope that the guards would help her, bring her to Celestia so she could just explain everything, and then leave. As a real free changeling, or even better as a-
“CHANGELING!” shouted the right guard.
‘Well so much to introduce myself’ she thought scared. Both guards lowered their heads, light emitting from their horns, Moon Dew stumbled back. “Please! I’m not here to hurt anypony! I just want some help!” she cried, tears welling up.
“You can find help at the end of my horn!” the right guard said, grinning. Moon Dew was cowering at the ground, tears fell from her face. She was sure this was her end. She would die here, she would never feel the joy of living a normal life. ‘Please! Not like that!’ she thought. The left guard fired a green beam, his face showed determination. And something like fear. The right guard, the grumpy one, fired a blue beam. His face showed hatred and fury, he only wanted to kill. Moon Dew closed her eyes. She was sure these beams would disintegrate her, burn her to a pile of ash. But something else happened. The beams never reached her. She was still alive. Hungry and scared but still alive. Confused she opened her eyes and looked up, and regretted it immediately. Both guards stood there frozen, caught in a pale dark blue aura, and right behind them, was she, the real guardian of the night and dreams. Princess Luna.
“Pray tell, what are you doing?” she said calmly “Can’t you see that this changeling is no threat?” holding them in her magic.
“Your majesty” the left gasped “we just wanted to make sure that this creature won’t do anything mischievous” he quickly added.
“That’s very brave of you” Luna said “But this creature came to you, showing its true nature, so it could get some help. And you attack it? Would you also attack a griffon or a minotaur if he surprises you like that?” she asked. “And besides that, look at her, she is starving. If I remember correctly, not horned drones are not able to transform themselves if they’re starving, so she is no threat, even if she wanted to be” she explained. Releasing both from her magic she stepped in front of the guards. Looking at both, she noticed the look on the rights guard face, the hatred in his eyes as he looked back at the princess, like he was angry with her for stopping him.
She slapped him in the face. The guard held his face with one hoof and looked surprised at his princess. Luna looked back at him. And whatever it is the guard saw it changed his impression from surprise to pure, primal fear. Luna turned around with a stern expression and looked at the still on the earth lying changeling. The guards returned to their places left and right from the gate, the right guard didn’t even lift his head anymore, his face still had the feared impression. Princess Luna lowered her head so she could look directly into the eyes of the trembling changeling in front of her.
“And now to you, little drone. What do you want?” she asked sternly. Moon Dew gulped not sure if she should faint or answer.
“W-well” she gulped again “I-I’m here t-to find somepony who can help me” she stuttered.
“Help you with what?” the princess asked still wearing a stern expression, “You won’t find food here. This town is protected by a powerful spell of my sister, which poisons every changeling who tries to feast on our subjects”.
“I know that” Moon Dew replied, she suddenly felt weak, even weaker than before “N-no, I’m not necessarily h-here to feast. I-I’m here to f-f-find somepony who…who…” her head sank on her chest, she doesn‘t have the strength to speak anymore, the darkness took over ‘Please. I can’t anymore, just a little bit’ were her last words she thought before she fainted.
Princess Luna sighed.
“What a nuisance” she whispered, before she used her magic to teleport herself and the changeling into the castle.
~~~~~~~~
Moon Dew awoke with the only two sensations she was used to until now.
Pain and hunger.
Every muscle of her felt sore, like she had run the whole way from her hive, beyond the west Equestrian borders to Canterlot, which took about 4 days.
She slowly opened her eyes with a soft growl, and closed them immediately. Around her was white. Everything was white. ‘Am I dead?’ she thought. No if she were dead she wouldn’t feel pain or hunger anymore. No she was still alive it was just to bright to see anything. And she could feel the soft rug underneath her. She was alive which was…. Good? Maybe.
“Finally awake?” a soft voice spoke.
Moon Dew gasped at the sound.
“Relax, little changeling” the voice whispered, “even though you’re not welcomed, as long as you behave yourself you won’t get hurt. Now please tell me why you are here”. Moon Dew knew this voice. It was the very pony she wanted to meet. Slowly opening her eyes she noticed where she was. She was in Canterlot castle, to be exactly, she was in the throne room. She looked up, and there right in front of her was the mightiest pony known to Equestria.
Princess Celestia. The Sun goddess herself.
She sat on an big red fluffy cushion with an quite attitude, watching every movement of Moon Dew. Her glance was soft even though she looked stern. Gulping, Moon Dew tried to stand up but she had to notice that her muscles wouldn’t listen to her.
‘Why can’t I move?’ she thought, looking at her legs she noticed what was wrong. On her flanks was an blazing imitation of the royal seal of princess Celestia. Princess Celestia followed her glare,
“That is a magical seal, burned into your chitin” she explained, “as we speak it feeds you with magic so you are able to survive” noticing Moon Dews confused impression she continued,
“It is because your body can’t survive on it’s own anymore, practically you are dead, starved, I was able to stop you from dying by burning it into your chitin. This seal holds your body alive and feeds you just enough energy so you can speak, at the same time, it blocks any magic your body might have left inside, this is why you can’t feel its working, and it makes it impossible for other changelings to feel your location, I did this all so I can find out why you wanted to meet me” her impression looked kind of sad but hardened after a second. “Now, if you could please tell me why you are here, so I can think about if you are worthy to stay alive” her normally soft and kind voice drifted of into a much harsher tone, quiet but hard nonetheless.
‘Of course she doesn’t like my kind anymore. We attacked her kingdom at the wedding of her niece, it’s a wonder she allowed this audience’. Nodding, Moon Dew looked into the monarchs eyes. “M-my name I-is Moon Dew” her voice had now a rasping sound, her dry throat was to be blamed for that.
“I’m a …” she thought about this for a second, not sure how to explain, “I’m a free changeling” she finally said.
“What do you mean by that?” the Princess asked curious.
“I don’t have a hive to live in anymore, I’m free of my queens influence” she explained,
“there are not many like me. Normally free changelings are expelled from the hive and die after a few days cause of starvation, cause they don’t get any food once the link to the queen is broken. Like I almost did, or apparently have.”
“I have never heard of anything like this, in all my life” Celestia responded coldly. “Why should I believe your words? You could be an assassin, send here by Chrysalis to kill me”
“Of course you haven’t, as I said, the most free changelings die before they find a way to nourish themselves. I just had luck.” She explained. “Besides that, would an assassin look like this? I had more than enough opportunities to just disappear between your subjects, why didn’t I just do so?” Celestia remained silent to this response.
“Why did I got almost killed by your guards before I was even in Canterlot?” her voice turned into a cry. “Cause I don’t want to do this” tears started to well up in her eyes. “I don’t want to live a life in fear! I don’t want to live, hidden under a fake skin” she closed her eyes. Tears rolled down her face “I want to…”
This was the moment, she dreamed about this conversation so many times. She dreamed about this since she noticed that the connection to her queen started to fade, since she could hear her own voice. She dreamed about this for so long, each and every night, she dreamed. But most of her dreams were nightmares, in them, Celestia would decline her request and would let her starve to death right before her eyes, and Celestia would laugh menacingly, laugh at her while she took her last breath.
“I want to live” Moon Dew cried, “I want to live a life without the need to feed on something as beautiful as love! I want a life on my own, where I can decide on my own what I want to do, not because a crazy queen orders me to. I want to be…” she sobbed, “I want to be a pony. Not a changeling.” She looked at Celestias shocked impression. “Is that too much to wish? Is it too much to have a dream like that?”. She somehow managed to stand up and even take a step towards the princess. But that was to much for her sore body, she couldn’t stand any longer, she fell back on her knees, sobbing and crying. “Please” she cried “safe me”. She raised her head, looking at the sad expression of Celestia.
“You wish for something, not many have wished” Celestia raised from the cushion and walked towards Moon Dew her face had a cold expression. She stopped, merely two feet away from Moon Dew. Her horn illuminated in a golden sheen. More tears fell from Moon Dews face.
‘She can’t help me. I’m lost’ thought Moon Dew sadly.
“What would you give up to become a pony?” Celestia asked in a whisper. Moon Dew looked at her.
“Nothing” Moon Dew answered, seeing Celestias raised brows, “I have nothing I can give up besides my current body and my current live. I’m here because I don’t want it. Not anymore” Celestias surprised expression vanished, she smiled.
“Very well spoken” she lowered her head until her horn touched Moon Dews forehead.
Celestias magic streamed down her horn, engulfing Moon Dew in a golden light, with closed eyes she was lifted into the air. She could hear the cracking sound of her chitin, she could feel a burning impression under it. It felt as if she was skinned alive. She screamed in pain, as every inch of her body started to burn with the same feeling.
The pain was crucial. It was everywhere, like it was alive and it’s only purpose was to hurt her as much as possible.
She didn’t know how long it took. Days, weeks, months, she couldn’t tell. But eventually it stopped. The burning sensation started to ebb into a warm, blanket like feeling. She could hear the broken chitin falling on the ground. As she slowly drifted to the ground, she fell asleep, but before the warm embrace of slumber overtook her mind, she could hear Celestias whisper in her head.
‘Welcome, Dream Dancer’.
She smiled in her sleep. It was her first smile as a pony, as a light pink coated earth pony with a dark red mane and tail, a streak in the same light pink as her coat running through them. Her cutie mark was Celestias Royal Insignia.
She was what she wished for.
And her name was Dream Dancer.
THE END
Author's Note
I'm very nervous to upload this. I kinda feel not ready or not good enough to upload here but, hey no risk no fun right?
I hope you had fun reading this. It's just am Idea I had running through my head. Please leave comments if you liked it.
And sorry for any flaws and errors you might find.
