Diaries of the Mare in the Moon

Diaries of The Mare In The Moon
Chapter 5
Eclipse

Twin arcs of magic – one blue, one green – soared through the air and alighted on the white ground. A familiar circular aura appeared, green sparks dancing in the blue glow, and with a bright flash another changeling arrived, ready to serve and bowing its head at the two monarchs, though Luna noted it bowed slightly lower at Chrysalis' feet.

It was their tenth one today.

“Let's take a break,” said Luna, breathing heavily and collapsing onto her hindquarters.

“But we're doing so well...” Chrysalis ran a hoof gently over Luna's back. “Don't you want to escape?”

“If we're doing so well we can afford time off,” replied Luna, her voice clipped. She shrugged her shoulders, dislodging Chrysalis’ hoof before leaning away from her.

“Fine.” Chrysalis slumped down beside Luna with an exasperated sigh.

Luna didn't know why she was getting so uptight about their creations. With Chrysalis' magic they were creating around twenty every day. In the two weeks since they'd started the changelings' numbers had swelled to three-hundred strong and growing. But as the changelings strengthened, Luna faltered. Devoting so much magic to their creation left her with only a little energy to feed them. In fact, the princess was close to calling them finished, but Chrysalis kept urging her to press on.

“We need more,” she would say. No matter how many: “We need more.”

Luna's protestations would be met by purring seduction, and inevitably the changelings would grow in number yet again before the day was through.

The cave was now a hive of activity, constant streams of changelings passing at the entrance. Chrysalis had created makeshift carts, allowing them to easily transport the moon rock that they carved out. Once on the surface they deposited it into the craters their formation left behind, filling in the holes. There were still plenty left untouched, including the original crater Buzz had come from. Luna had stipulated that one remain empty, both for posterity's sake and for Buzz himself, who would often sleep there. On the nights she was able, Luna would join him – holding him tightly and trying to ignore the continual sounds of the changelings' mining efforts.

The nights she couldn't were spent with Chrysalis. Rather than feed each changeling individually, Luna would give her energy to the queen, who would then distribute it along with some of her own. The small fragment of soul within Chrysalis was enough to provide a little power, supporting her magic and allowing her to feed her changelings. On its own it wasn't enough for the vast army that now lived on the moon, but it took some of the pressure off Luna.

"We need more,” said Chrysalis.

Luna rubbed her tired eyes. "Why? Why in Equestria do we need more?"

"The more we have, the faster we can get to your soul.”

Luna shook her head, watching the multitude of changelings milling around the cave entrance. "I disagree. Surely it must be getting cramped down there by now? Adding more won't help if the entire rock face is covered in changelings already."

"You haven't been in there?" There was a tinge of worry in Chrysalis' question.

"No. If I never have to go back it will still be too soon."

Chrysalis laughed. "Good. That's good."

"Maybe I should check, though. Oversee things, raise morale and such, you know. Royal duties."

"Oh no, I don't think that's necessary..." said Chrysalis, sidling closer. "I mean, obviously if you want to go in it would be my pleasure to show you their progress, but – not to put too fine a point on it – another pony in there would probably just get in their way."

Luna shrugged. "If you say so. As long as they're progressing well."

Chrysalis' breath ran over Luna’s neck as she pressed against her. "Oh, they're progressing very well." One of her hooves traced its way down Luna's chest, sliding lower, down between her hindlegs, making Luna let out a pleasured sigh. "But they could always move faster. Another hundred or so should be plenty."

"A-another hundred!?" Luna shivered as Chrysalis toyed with her.

"You can manage that, can't you, my Princess?"

"I..."

She’s doing it again.

Chrysalis’ movements grew surer, her teeth grazing lightly against Luna’s skin. It was too perfect, too well-rehearsed. An elaborate performance to get Luna to capitulate. Worst of all, Luna knew full well – had done for some time. She just didn’t care. Her creation was far too good, Luna’s arousal starting to cloud her judgement already. But not this time. Until she knew why Chrysalis wanted more, she would never-

"My sister."

The white mare beside her now was much harder for Luna to deny. "I... Maybe..."

"I know you can." Celestia nibbled her ear as their position grew ever more vertical, falling down towards the dust.

Neither of them saw Buzz watching over the crest of his crater, his head slightly tilted.

***

"Shhh, they can still hear us."

Buzz bowed his head apologetically, but Luna couldn't see it. The cloaking spell was almost entirely undetectable, leaving only the faintest shimmer as an indication, and even that could be dismissed as a trick of the light.

“Just keep quiet and follow me,” said Luna. There was a pause. “Okay, that might be easier said than done.”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz?

“No, Chrysalis doesn't want me going into the cave for some reason, and I don't want her to know I'm curious. I can't just walk in.”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

“I know you can't see me. Hang on, I'm thinking.”

Buzz shook his head before sitting, anticipating a long wait. His drop, while otherwise invisible, pushed up a small cloud of dust as his rear made a slight indentation on the moon's surface.

“That's it!” cried Luna, hit by inspiration at the sight. “Just follow my hoof prints.”

Buzz gave her a pointed look that may or may not have had more effect if it were visible. His silence said enough.

“You don't have to come if you're going to be like that.”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

“There has to be a reason she stopped you going in; it's not like you're the first one to knock over one of the carts. She had to have an ulterior motive.”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

“If it really was a different changeling then that just makes it all the more suspicious. Now, are you coming or not?”

The soft sound of flitting wings as Buzz took to the sky answered Luna's question.

***

While their progress wasn't silent, it was quiet enough to be entirely masked by the bustle of the changelings moving around the entrance. With the dragging carts and falling rocks, nobody noticed the set of hoofprints appearing from thin air, moving down the well-trodden path into the cave. Nobody but the flying creature above her. Buzz was even harder to find among the racket the mining operation was making.

Luna would have liked to be flying herself, but that would have left Buzz unable to follow. Instead, she snaked through the traffic as best she could, trying with all her might not to be touched or otherwise discovered.

There were plenty of near-misses. At some points she was forced to come to a dead stop, or even zigzag back to avoid a head-on collision. Other times she actually bumped into a changeling, but with so much going on they never paid much attention. The ones that did notice would look around for a second, bemused, before shrugging and carrying on with whatever they'd been doing before. It was far easier than Luna had imagined, though normally her presence would be obvious enough. Chrysalis probably hadn't been expecting a stealth approach.

The crowd thinned as Luna descended further into the cave, leaving all but Buzz behind her. And then she stopped. She had to, really, lest she walk straight into a wall. The same wall that had been there since her arrival, two parallel grooves dug into its surface. Buzz and the changeling's hoof marks. Whatever Chrysalis had her changelings doing, it was not mining for Luna's soul.

As Buzz landed next to her Luna stepped back from the rock, eyes wide. Chrysalis had playing her from the start – using her – and now with three hundred changelings at her beck and call Luna didn’t know how she could stop her.

Changelings that Luna had given her.

Stupid.

Luna smashed her hooves against the hard stone floor, relishing the sharp sting of pain that jolted through them.

Stupid stupid stupid.

Each word punctuated by another slam, tears beginning to course down her face.

Why didn't you learn? Why did you trust someone that much again? Especially after she took on Celestia's form. It was a wolf in wolf's clothing and you missed it.

She brought her hooves down again and again, faster and faster, as if she could somehow change everything if she did it hard enough. Tiny splinters were sent into the air each time she did so, catching the light of the magical torches Luna had set up before the mining began and becoming shining, swirling blue shards.

And then Buzz found her in the near-dark. His body wrapped around her and finally Luna stopped, her hooves hot and sore. She buried her face in Buzz’s neck, nuzzling against him and drying her tears on his warm skin.

I'm in a position of power, she thought. Chrysalis doesn't know I’ve found this, which means I might still be able to stop her.

Perhaps she even believed it a little.

Celestia. Chrysalis. There was no one. No one close that Luna could trust. Everyone had their own motives that they were all too happy to cast her away for. Celestia had been unwilling to sacrifice a little of her day, refusing to allow Luna's night to receive its proper appreciation. And Chrysalis...

What was Chrysalis doing?

Not helping her escape, that was for sure, but then what? She must be digging – the vast quantities of rock emerging from the cave proved that – but widening the cave entrance couldn't account for that much rubble. Luna reached out, brushing lightly against Buzz's hoof before grasping it firmly and pulling him back up the mine-shaft, towards the other changelings.

***

She didn't know how she'd missed it before. Truly, her mind must have been focused on seeing the progress Chrysalis had made for her to completely ignore the large opening in the side of the cave wall, just where the widening operation stopped. It was hardly unnoticeable, especially considering it was as busy here as at the entrance. Luna had been so glad when the crowd dispersed that she hadn’t thought to question why.

Buzz was flying almost silently above her again, though now she felt him press close to her, his warmth against her flank. Luna jumped at his touch, but when she realised who it was she leaned towards him. Among the sea of changelings, Buzz’s hoof alone could offer comfort.

The passage was cold. Luna didn't know how that could be, but it was. The second she passed the stone arch her breath began to mist and goosebumps pricked up on her skin. Buzz felt it too, shivering next to her. As the pair of them moved down the passage dodging errant changelings it only grew colder, the temperature dropping as fast as they descended. And then they rounded a corner.

Ahead of them the cavern abruptly widened into an enormous space, empty apart from the walls, which were lined floor to ceiling with green pods. Luna and Buzz stared open-mouthed at the rows of large spheres, stretching as far as the eye could see.

***

Buzz prodded at one of the orbs as Luna explored. The cavern had no discernible ending; there were always more of the pods. Each was made up of a thin, translucent membrane, dark shapes swirling behind it. When Buzz touched the surface of one a black leg met his, pressing at him through the pod's wall. Jumping back in surprise, he collided solidly with Luna and sent her sprawling. Her horn stabbed forwards, straight through the thin membrane of the pod she had been examining.

Luna had but a moment to close her eyes before it burst, and a wave of warm fluid rushed over her as the pod emptied onto the floor, the liquid pooling around their hooves. Struggling in the sagging remains was some deformed creature, its individual features almost impossible to make out. Or, more accurately, an unformed one. An incomplete changeling. The mess of limbs gave a few weak shudders and then lay still.

This was not a cave. Chrysalis had made herself a hive.

She was creating an army, her own battalion outside of Luna's control. While these changelings appeared to take a while to develop, when accompanied by the vast numbers Chrysalis was creating with Luna she would have an incredible amount of warriors.

But why? For what purpose? And how would Chrysalis sustain such an enormous host?

The answer to all three questions was the same. Equestria. Chrysalis had to be creating an attack force, a way to invade Equestria and take it for herself. And all this time Luna had been helping her, believing she had been helping herself.

Luna's horn glowed, and the limp membrane began to knit itself back together, pulling the unformed changeling back into it as it sealed. It swelled with liquid once more, and after a few seconds there was nothing to say that the egg had ever been broken at all. At least, not from the exterior.

Buzz lay a hoof on her shoulder, and it was only then that Luna realised she was shaking. She sank against him, eyes closed. She didn't allow herself to cry; Luna would spare no more tears for Chrysalis. That traitor didn't deserve them. Instead she pressed herself closer to Buzz, sitting in silence for as long as time would allow. The chamber was cold, but his embrace kept her warm, filling the hollow that her chest had become.

“We need to leave,” she whispered.

Buzz tapped her shoulder in agreement – a head nod would have been useless – and together they flew out of the hive, gliding silently over the heads of the bustling changelings and reuniting at the entrance.

***

“Where's Buzz?” Luna's voice was flat, not betraying her anger. She had awoken to find him missing, and after yesterday's expedition she had a good idea of who was to blame.

“The white changeling? I believe he's working in the mines.” Chrysalis gave her an innocent smile.

“No, he's not,” said Luna. “You banned him from that for knocking over a mine cart. And he's not a changeling.”

Chrysalis waved a dismissive hoof at her. “Semantics. At any rate, I'm sure he'll be back soon enough.”

“Go look for him.”

“Really? Is the fabled Nightmare Moon that concerned about some insignificant pawn?”

Luna bristled. “Don't call me that. You grow more impetuous with each passing day, Chrysalis – don't make me curb it.”

Chrysalis bowed low, though her eyes gleamed as she did so. “Of course, my Princess. Forgive me, I'm weary from overseeing your escape. Perhaps if I had more workers...”

“We have plenty,” said Luna, her voice curt.

Chrysalis bit her lip, holding back a retort.

Calm down Luna, she'll know you found them.

With a stamp of her hoof Chrysalis summoned a changeling, one appearing within seconds.

“Find Buzz, the white one,” she ordered. “He should be in the mines. I believe he's on widening detail.”

The changeling nodded, bowing first to her and then to Luna before scurrying off. As usual, Luna's bow was much shorter.

“How long will it be until you reach it?” asked Luna.

“At current rates, six months. With more we could cut down that time-”

Luna shot her a glare.

“-but seeing as you're so against that we'll just have to continue as we are now.”

Though externally Luna nodded, privately she was wondering how long she had before Chrysalis finally revealed her true colours. Luna would have to strike first if she was to stand any chance of succeeding, and six months was very optimistic; Chrysalis would likely renege the second her spawn hatched. “And if I wanted to see the progress?”

Chrysalis shrugged. “I advise against it. Going past that original dig point will likely affect you. It may be dangerous.”

Luna hated how well-constructed Chrysalis' lies were. The changeling queen had everything under control while Luna was clutching at any straw she could find. Her displays of nonchalance were so convincing that Luna couldn't have seen through them without her earlier revelations.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Buzz bounced up to Luna happily, hugging her tightly and covering her fur in moon dust.

“And hello to you too!” She laughed as Buzz dropped away from her, shaking himself and sending a fine mist of the powder flying into the air. Even within her dark brooding, Buzz's enthusiasm was able to liven her spirits. The disgust on Chrysalis’ face as Buzz’s efforts coated her in dust as well was just a bonus.

“Is there anything else you require... my princess?” Chrysalis laced her last two words with acid.

“No, carry on.”

As Chrysalis spun on her hooves and returned to the cave, Luna spat where she had been stood. Her saliva hit the ground with a wet splat. “Come on Buzz, we have work to do.”

***

“Why did they send you back there?” Luna asked as they headed towards their crater.

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

“A shortage? Buzz, there's three hundred changelings there. One more is not going to make a difference.”

Buzz shrugged. They said what they said.

“Fine. Did you learn anything new at least? We need to know all we can if we're going to destroy those eggs.”

Buzz looked visibly startled, as if suddenly remembering how much trouble they were in. He shook his head vigorously.

“Okay, then we'll just have to work off what we know.”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz?

“Three hundred current changelings, and Celestia knows how many more in the eggs. Our only chance is to take the latter out, else we'll be overwhelmed by numbers.”

Buzzzzzz.

“Exactly. We need something large scale. Something big enough to take out the whole cave simultaneously, to collapse it. In short: we need a bomb.”

Buzz's eyes widened. Buzzzzzzzzzz?

“It will be easy enough. We'll fashion it out of moon rock, and magic will be more than sufficient as an explosive. I'm thinking we take it in using a cart, keep it secret right up until we detonate.”

Buzzzzzz?

“Of course I can keep it that small with magic. It'll be enough to bring the roof down, which is really all we need. A shockwave, not an explosion per se.”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

“Oh, I know.” Luna's mouth set in a grim line. “We'll deal with Chrysalis right after.”

***

Luna felt Buzz's legs pull away from her. She shifted slightly, expecting him to hug her again from a different angle, but there was nothing but cold. The crunching of his hoofsteps moving away across the moon's surface reached her ears, and Luna lay there, still. She didn't want him to know she'd been awake.

Once he was well out of earshot, Luna stood and inspected the direction he'd left in. Back towards the cave. A straight line of tracks, unwavering and resolute.

True, she hadn't expressly forbidden him from going back there, but it was upsetting that he did so without telling her. That he broke away from her in the dead of night and left her alone. Luna curled back up, trying to ignore the feeling that something was missing, that someone should have been holding her, and attempted sleep once more. Despite taking an age to drift back into slumber, Buzz did not return.

***

“Tell me, sister, what do you see?”

Luna looked out over the castle gardens, the setting sun casting dappled red light across the lake, like flames. “Your sun,” she replied.

Celestia smiled. “Really? That can't be all.”

Luna sighed and took another deep drink of her tea. “Pray tell what thou wishes of me.”

“Firstly, to stop speaking like that. It's just us here, and this is important.”

“But does not importance require some formality?”

“Not now, not this,” said Celestia. “So, what do you see?”

“Do you really want me to list the entire world? Every blade of grass, every insect?”

“Of course not, but I expect you to see it.”

Luna frowned. “How does this have anything to do with my request?”

Celestia's smile didn't fade, much to Luna's annoyance. “It has everything to do with it. You came to me and asked for more night, but what we need is balance. We must have that, Luna; we cannot show preference to one over the other.”

“And yet you do. The night is ignored. My effort is ignored.”

“The fact you saw nothing but my sun shows you believe that, but you're wrong, Luna. The sun would be the last thing most ponies would notice. They would see the flowers, the butterflies, the birds and the grass. It has become so integral to their day that the sun passes their notice by. What beauty there is in the day comes from Equestria itself, not me.”

“What is your point?” Luna set her cup down rather harder than she should have done, making a sharp 'clink' as the china hit its saucer.

“If you took a pony out here at night, the moon would be the first thing they comment on. Then the stars. What you have is beautiful, there is no need for competition. And even with that aside, your role is as important as mine; someone needs to watch over their dreams, to guard their sleeping minds.”

“They notice the moon and stars because they are unused to them,” said Luna, teeth gritted. “You just admitted that; that your day is what they know and revel in, that my night is disregarded.”

“That's not what I-”

“You agree my night is full of beauty and in the same breath tell me – order me – to watch over their dreams. Dreams that never see the stars. They lock themselves away in their homes, only emerging once your light returns.”

“Luna, please listen...” Celestia's smile was gone now, and Luna felt a low satisfaction at seeing her sister's arguments reduced to fumbling. She was wrong, and there was nothing she could say to change that.

“No, we are done listening,” said Luna. “You argue for balance and then cast me aside. If it is the world that is beautiful, then living under my night shouldn't be difficult. At least, once our subjects get used to it.”

“Luna...” Celestia's voice warned, but already her sun was shrinking faster, shadows lengthening as day rapidly turned to night.

“All I wanted was equal respect, equal opportunity to you,” said Luna, heading towards the door as her sister stared unbelievingly out towards the darkening sky. “Your pride was too much for that. You couldn't let me share your place, and so I have to take it myself. An eternal night... That should fit your twisted definition of balance, dear sister.”

Celestia could only stare wordlessly as Luna returned to the castle's echoing halls, her moon filling the sky above.

***

Luna's Moon Diary
Entry 172

Forgive me if the legibility of these later entries suffers; I've taken to burying my diary when not using it to prevent Chrysalis from finding it. That would be disastrous. She doesn't yet know I've located her hive, not for sure, and I don't want to confirm her suspicions.

Tomorrow Buzz and I will start progress on the 'bomb'. Sounds rather dramatic, I know, but there really is nothing else to call it. A magical shock-wave to bring down the cavern, destroying the changeling spawn inside. An extreme and final solution, but I have no choice. I cannot allow Chrysalis to take her army to Equestria, to ravage my home. Even after my banishment I can't let her do that, else what will I return to?

…

I'm worried about Buzz. He's been leaving my side at night and heading back towards the cave. I feel as if I should follow him, but if I do I risk getting caught. I'd rather wait until the bomb is ready before making any move, and I have to respect his privacy. If I can't show him trust, how can I possibly ask him to trust me?

I think it best if I make no further entries until my work is completed. Minimise risk, keep it hidden. Hopefully my next entry will be more positive.

It will have to be; if I fail this will be my last.

***

Luna gave Buzz a sidelong look. She had to ask. “Buzz, where did you go last night?”

His head snapped up, eyes wide.

“I woke up and you were gone.”

Buzz avoided her gaze, shifting uncomfortably under her stare.

Buzzzzzzzzzz.

“The cave? Why?”

There was a brief pause before he answered, raising a hoof and pointing to the black mare on the horizon.

“Chrysalis?”

Buzzzzz.

“And you went? Knowing what she's doing?”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. And now he did look up, watching her nervously.

“No, you were right to go; we can't raise suspicion. You should have told me though, I... I was worried.”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

“Please, I have a little more restraint than that. I'm not about to do something stupid just because she asked for you. If anything, I would have told you to go. She must want to keep us apart as much as she can; if we fight her requests that will be a dead giveaway.” Luna frowned. “But tell me next time – we can't keep secrets when so much is at stake.”

Buzz nodded, lowering his head in apology. She couldn't help but smile at his sincerity, and gave him a brief hug as a token of forgiveness.

“Now come on, we've got a lot to do.”

Luna looked down into the large hole she had carved into the base of Buzz's crater.

“There are three things we need,” she announced. “The container, the detonator, and the explosive itself. The first two are easy, and I'll do them now. The last one is more difficult. It'll require an enormous amount of magic to bring down the ceiling, and that will take time. I can't do it in an evening.”

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

“I'm fully aware of the need for haste, but we can't rush this. As it is I'm going to be pushing myself to the brink – any more will be dangerous.”

Buzzzzzzzz?

“By my estimates, three days. I hope it'll be soon enough.” Luna focused back on the hole in front of her, filling her horn with magic. “Don't distract me.”

Buzz watched wide-eyed as Luna's magic danced at the bottom of the pit. The rock seemed to liquefy, Luna pulling out swirls and twists and shaping them to her desires. First she flattened a large plane, curling it over itself and making it into a hollow cylinder. Next she attached a small, empty box at one end, filling it with a tiny orb of magic before sealing it away: the detonation charge. Finally a remote, itself filled with magic that targeted her detonator. Luna smiled to herself as she added a large button. As long as she was being dramatic she might as well go all out. Once finished, the bomb was about the size of a pony, its sides perfectly smooth but for the box at one end.

Luna fell back as she let her focus drop, drained and exhausted. Buzz was quick to nuzzle up against her, and she reciprocated, drawing him into a close embrace.

“One last thing,” she muttered. Her horn lit up once more as the hole began to fill, covering up her creation until the surface bore no trace. It would remain buried until she needed it; she could fill it with magic from above. But that could wait. She was exhausted, and right now all she needed was sleep. As her mind fell into its dreams, she barely felt Buzz extract himself from her hug and trot off towards the cave.

***

“You've gone too far, Luna. Stop this, before I have to.” Celestia's voice rang out in the otherwise empty throne room; the guards had been ordered away for their own safety.

Nightmare Moon smiled. “Are you still calling me that, Celestia? Do you not like the title the people have bestowed upon me? I find it rather fitting, myself.”

“A title is not who you are. You are Luna, my sister, Princess of Equestria and not the demon you make yourself out to be.”

“Wrong,” spat Nightmare Moon. “I wasn't a Princess before, I was a tool. I'm more of a Princess now than I ever was under you.”

“Luna, you have to see reason! There's no need for-”

The bolt of magic was so quick that Celestia barely had time to throw up a shield. Red sparks crackled over the barrier's surface as Nightmare Moon threw back her head and laughed.

“Please,” said Celestia, her eyes brimming with tears. “It doesn't have to come to this.”

“Oh, but it does. You know this is the only way it could ever end.”

Celestia gave her a last, despairing look, but there was no solace to be found. After a moment she shook her head, shoulders slumped in resignation. “I'm sorry,” she whispered, moving towards her sister.

“Not another step! Did you really expect me to sit idly by while they all basked in your precious light? There can only be one princess in Equestria, and that princess will be me!”

Magic filled the hall, surrounding Nightmare Moon and bringing the wall behind her crumbling down. Through it the warring celestial bodies reached their conclusion, Luna’s moon covering Celestia’s sun from sight. As the world went dark the magic encircled Nightmare Moon’s body, lifting her into the air and forming a glowing cocoon around her. When the veil lifted, the mare standing before Celestia bore little resemblance to the sister she knew; a dark monster, Nightmare Moon in form now as much as name.

Nightmare Moon dropped back to the ground, new power coursing through her, her armour gleaming in the moon’s glow. As Celestia looked on in horror, she threw back her head and laughed.

***

“Not even one more?” asked Chrysalis, her eyes half-lidded seductively.

“We've done three today,” said Luna, trying to keep herself from panting, from showing weakness. Filling the container with magic each evening was taking a lot out of her, and the drain was getting more difficult to hide. “That's three more than I would have liked.”

And were I not trying to stay under the radar, I wouldn't have helped you create THESE ones.

“Why are you so against more workers? The more we have, the faster we proceed.”

“Surely there's a maximum for that? A maximum we must have passed.”

“As we get deeper we need more infrastructure; supports, tracks and so on. It's more costly to maintain.” Chrysalis sidled next to her, running a hoof down Luna's back. “Just three more today will be enough. I promise I'll be grateful.”

Fighting down the rising heat in her loins, Luna shook her head. She had to put her hoof down; any more changelings would be pushing her magic too far. “No, not today, and stop asking. You forget your place.”

The changeling queen glared, shooting Luna a look of pure hatred as she moved away. “Fine. Let's see how you feel tomorrow. I'm sure you'll have changed your mind.” She bowed for far longer than necessary, making a pantomime of the act before striding off towards her cave. Her hive.

Upon returning to her crater, Luna was greeted by Buzz trotting happily up to her. When he saw her taut expression he stopped dead.

“Tonight,” she whispered. “It has to be tonight.”

Buzzzzzz?

“We're out of time, tonight is our only-” Luna collapsed heavily to the ground, her head sinking into the soft dust. She waved a weak hoof at Buzz as he rushed over. “I'm fine, I'm fine. I just need to rest – save my energy.” She glared at the cave mouth, her own a grim line. “I'm going to need it.”