Somewhere in the far North
The snow slowly drifted down upon the land; the full moon’s glow spread across the cold, wintery acreage. Gently swept was the snow-covered plains by the slow, drawling wind. Hoof prints, gathered in a line, speckled the evening snow.
Atop the rising plains, stood a dark blue mare whose mane whispered with the night. Troubled was the heart that belonged to the mare who stood upon the snowy tundra.
“I know you’re here.” She softly announced to the air, frustration tucked away within the words, her whispers rising to a shout. “I know you’re here, just as I know my Moon will follow the day!” Anger seeped from her words. “Come out and face me!”
The faintest shift in the air followed by the soft crunch of compacting snow signaled the arrival of her dark companion; a mare, but not quite a mare.
“But the moon mustn’t always follow the day. It could have been eternal.” Spoke the new arrival in a teasing, mischievous voice.
“Spare me the lecture for I have no interest in that life.” Replied the first voice, more harshly than before. “Why have you come here?”
“Surely you’d know why I’d come back to our own special little spot…“ Teased the second voice, the first feeling a soft touch along the back of her neck. A pause filled the air before retreating from whence it came. “But you want to know more…” continued the second voice in a softer, deeper, and accusing voice. “You wish to know why I’ve come back to Equestria.”
The first voice did not reply, merely staring out at the night sky hovering over the glowing white land.
“Of course you’d want to know… you’d want to know if what I feel for you still holds true... if I still love you.”
The first swiftly and roughly pushed the second away, almost yelling in reply as she looked upon the other for the first time that night. “Why would I care if you still love me, I am only interested in the wellbeing of my people! Why have you come to Canterlot, and why did you try to enslave my subjects?” Demanded the first voice.
“Oh but Luna, the answer stares you right in the face and yet you refuse to see it.” The second voice spoke in a soft and almost adoring voice. “I did it for you. Everything I’ve done has been for you since that day we met.”
“And what could possibly make you think I’d want my home destroyed and my subjects erased?”
“My kingdom would be sated, and with yours in pieces, there would be nothing standing in the way of our love… nothing to keep us from spending eternity together.”
“And what would make you think I would want to spend an eternity with you, Chrysalis?” yelled Luna, her eyes filled with flames.
For the first time that night, Chrysalis looked surprised.
“But… I’ve waited for you for one thousand years.” Chrysalis replied idly in shock.
“The Luna you waited for is dead!” spat Luna as she started to advance upon the Changeling Queen, stopping right underneath the towering, but so very fragile queen, Luna’s expression slowly fading into sadness; the kind of sadness that a mother might show after disciplining their child again and again. “What will it take to get that through your thick skull that I am not Nightmare Moon anymore, nor will I ever be again.” Luna softly whispered, gently stroking the changeling’s cheek.
Chrysalis flinched at the touch. This wasn’t her Luna, but it sure looked like her. Everything was going wrong.
And suddenly, Chrysalis was sliding across the snow on her back before drifting to a stop with an angry alicorn looming over her. Chrysalis also noticed several aches that weren’t there before. Luna was getting rather fast with her attacks it seemed.
“Never return to Equestria, lest you wish to be slain.” Said Luna before turning tail and walking away. Chrysalis wasn’t sure how long she lay there. Once she was back on her hooves, she couldn’t spot Luna except for her hoofprints in the snow. Snow began to fall from the sky. It wasn’t a harsh snow, nor was it particularly light. The large frozen particles simply drifted down to ensure the complete coverage of the earth.
There were no words to express, nor any thoughts to be thought, only pain to be felt. As she stood there, the tracks of her lost love slowly faded under the fresh snowfall.
Minutes turned to hours, or was it hours that turned to minutes? Chrysalis felt as if time itself was not sure of where or when it was. Sometimes she noticed that minutes had passed, and other times it was tens and half hours that had suddenly passed as parts of her mind focused on keeping in touch with reality whilst other parts just wished to drift off into the black nothingness.
And suddenly, she was aware again. It was all a joke. “That must be it!” she thought to herself. “Luna was playing a joke on me! Jokes are things that ponies do, right?” Chrysalis wasn’t sure if such a serious situation would be considered prank material by normal ponies, but then again Luna was not a normal pony. Luna wasn’t a normal pony by any means. She was special. She was the one pony whom Chrysalis did not seek to harvest for sustenance. Instead, Chrysalis sought her approval, her company, and her love to treasure.
Chrysalis knew she needed to head to Canterlot, for that was where her love would be waiting for her. And so she set off towards Canterlot, following the trail her love had left in the snow, though faded it was. Chrysalis just couldn’t wait to return and find her love waiting for her to return, perhaps with a bottle of wine and a few roses, or perhaps she would find Luna lying upon a pillow before the soft glow of a lit fireplace. Chrysalis couldn’t care much for wine or roses but those were things that ponies did like; though she did have to remind herself once again that Luna was not a normal pony.
And the tracks came to an end. But light wingtip indentations in the snow and a general dip on each side suggested that Luna probably had flown the rest of the way. No matter, Chrysalis knew the way to Canterlot from their special spot, though now that she tried to recall it, she could not remember it. Instead, she remembered moments of their past from many many moons ago; one thousand moons and change, to be precise.
“Soon, Equestria will be ours!” spoke a younger Nightmare Moon, her foreleg wrapped around Chrysalis’ shoulders. “The night shall rule and changelings will feed upon the sun lovers!”
“I can hardly wait.” Replied a younger Chrysalis as she nuzzled up to her companion.
Nightmare Moon turned towards Chrysalis. “Alone, I am powerful, but together we are unstoppable. Celestia will be gone, and our reign will last eternity… and I have you to thank for it.” Nightmare Moon finished as almost a whisper, leaning in towards Chrysalis, their lips touching in a growingly passionate kiss.
This did not help Chrysalis find her way. Perhaps it was not a joke that Luna had set, but rather a test! A test of her love, like those in certain forms of Equestrian literature. That had to be it!
But if it were a test, then surely it would be one she could pass. At least, she hoped it was.
And so minutes became hours as Chrysalis stood there, unable to remember the way.
“It appears you have moved very little in a single day and in the wrong direction as well. Is a poor sense of direction a trait that which all changelings share?” Said a voice which brought Chrysalis out of her stupor. Turning around, she found herself only a few meters away from Luna once again.
“I would have thought that my message was rather clear, though I do admit it is fortunate that you chose not to heed it.” Spoke Luna in almost cheerful voice. “There may yet be a place for you in Canterlot… if you are willing to change. Else, I must end you right here and now.” Luna finished with a sad expression. “You were right, though Nightmare Moon is no longer a part of me, I do still desire you in my life, or rather a version of you to which my mind believes is a believable and almost perfect form of you. Nevertheless, you now have a choice, my love. Denounce what you know of destruction and death, and in turn embrace what I can offer you; a life free of starvation, a life of service to Equestria, a life with me.” Luna moved closer to the changeling queen, their muzzles within inches as Luna suddenly embraced the changeling, Luna’s muzzle moving past her own and aligning with her ear. “If I am to be right about anything in this life, let it be this. Change for me in a way you have never changed before. Embrace a peaceful night that shares with the day.” Whispered Luna as she finished her embrace and backed off just enough to look Chrysalis in the eyes, waiting for an answer.
To Luna, it felt as if hours had passed before that reply came.
“What must I do?”
"What must I do?"
Luna slid her hooves off of Chrysalis' shoulders and let a slight, but soft smile form upon her muzzle. "Return with me to Canterlot... I won't be able to let you into the city limits, but I do have a place for you to stay. I'm sure you'd feel right at home." Luna's warm smile faded as quick as it arrived. "Though I must warn you, once we arrive, you will be unable to leave without my help. Understandably, Canterlot is implementing quite a few changeling detection spells and enchantments." Luna paused for a moment before continuing. "I won't fault you if you need time to consider it further... I am quite familiar with the frustration that monotony and isolation can bring. Unfortunately, I cannot be sure how often I will be able to visit you without rousing suspicion. ...Do you need a moment to reconsider?"
Chrysalis let out a sigh and slowly shook her head. "If this is what it will take. What good is an army and an empire if it cannot give you what you most desire?" Chrysalis stated.
A sad smile was all Luna had for a reply before she walked past Chrysalis and stared off into the distance. "We should get moving. It's quite the flight, especially at the altitudes we'll be flying at." And with that remark, Luna spread her wings and pushed off from the ground in a flurry of snow. Chrysalis couldn't help but watch in awe for a moment before taking flight as well.
The flight was fairly uneventful. Though Chrysalis had many questions and statements she wished to express, the silence, save for the sound of the very different wingbeats of the pair, prevailed; Chrysalis could not gather the courage to break it.
Below the pair, the scenery slowly changed from snow, snow, and more snow, to more a more lightly powdered forest. It began with smaller, spaciously distributed trees of various sizes and shapes, but as the pair flew on, the trees grew higher and higher until they towered over the land in a massive grove. It was then, around two hours into their journey, that Luna banked into a descending arc which Chrysalis soon followed. The pair came to a soft landing right near the apparent border between those tallest trees and the ones that a pony might call of average size.
"This is not our final destination, but there is something here I wish to show you." Spoke Luna, breaking the long held silence. "It will not take long." And without another word, Luna set forth into the forest with Chrysalis following closely behind.
The forest floor beneath these tall pines was fairly bare. The outermost cover upon the floor was comprised of old fallen needles. Beneath the organic layer, Chrysalis found only soil. Mosses and other fungi still appeared to hold on despite the frigid temperatures. Small shrubs and the occasional dwarf pines were the only other foliage that still appeared intact. Shadows were prevalent as the sky was partially blocked by the needles of the colossal pines.
As the pair continued deeper into the forest with only their soft hoofsteps and the occasional bird call as ambiance, Chrysalis was soon greeted by another sound; soft percussion of gently falling water. It was a small babbling brook that greeted her eyes. Only a few feet wide and very shallow, the stream seemed almost out of place at first, being among all the giants. And yet, Chrysalis could not help but feel that it was only a natural that such a feature existed, though she was not quite sure why. The area around the brook was greener than the rest of the forest, and looking up revealed that the cover of the trees was thinner than elsewhere in the forest, for whatever reason.
"I found this place well over one thousand moons ago." Said Luna as she began to lay down on her left side right next to the bank of the brook, propping herself up with her left foreleg whilst her right slowly reached down, her hoof barely piercing the water as she lazily drew her hoof tip along the surface. "While I am here, I am not Princess Luna, the co-ruler of Equestria. While I am here, I am simply Luna. I can be at peace with the world... or at least try." Slowly retracting her hoof from the water, she gestured for Chrysalis to come closer. "Come sit beside me.. Lay on thine back and let the world envelop you. Focus not on anything and let thine self relax. Serenity is but a step within the long road ahead of thou, and thou must take thine step often." Said Luna, slipping into a more Old Equestrian tongue before correcting it in her next words. "If you truly wish to change, you will need to find peace, and the enlightenment that comes with it."
Chrysalis, with hesitance, did as was asked and lay next to Luna by the brook. Looking up, Chrysalis saw nothing new; it was all the same foliage as before, but at a different angle. She couldn't help but sneak a peek over at Luna only to find that the alicorn had closed her eyes and was holding some sort of a pose. Turning back towards the sky, the changeling queen, or rather ex-queen, decided she would give this 'serenity' a shot.
Ten minutes later and Chrysalis was quite bored. Sure, there had been much change within the past 24 hours, but Chrysalis did not wish to think of it any longer. She was tired, a little hungry, and the ground the pair laid upon was not the driest of earth. Turning towards her companion again and broke the short silence "Unless you were planning on spending the night here, could we keep moving, please?" Asked Chrysalis in a more irritable tone than she had intended.
Luna did not reply at first though her brows furrowed before she let out a groan of frustration and opened her eyes, but stared straight on, not making eye contact. "It is rude to interrupt a pony whilst she is meditating."
And thus the mutual frustration merely grew as Chrysalis retorted with "Well excuse me, princess, but in case you weren't aware, I spent all of last night standing in snow and wondering how my life suddenly turned into some sort of drama novel! So I think I've had more than enough introspection last night to last a lifetime."
Though Luna tried to hide it, it was rather clear she was growing furious at the changeling's attitude. Then, as suddenly as it had arrived, the anger dissipated, leaving the alicorn in a sad state once again. "I suppose you're right that now is not the time, and I may have expected more out of you than I should. Nevertheless, you will have to find inner peace at some point." she stated before finally looking Chrysalis in eyes for just a moment before taking to her hooves and stretching. "There is still an hour or two left of flying, though I'd rather we wait until nightfall before partaking in the final few miles." And with that said, the pair made their way out of the old forest, leaving behind a world untouched by the evolution and conquests of ponykind. Chrysalis took one final look towards the forest as the pair breached its border. She clearly remembered following their hoofprints to the edge of the forest, but now she only saw the undisturbed carpet of amber and orange needles.
Several hours later and Chrysalis found herself standing right behind the edge of a forest whilst Luna walked back and forth along the path that separated the forest edge from a nearby corn field. The sun had mostly set, but there was still too much light according to Luna. Chrysalis found herself growing weary of this waiting game.
"If you're going to keep parading your flank in front of me, could you at least put a little more effort into it?" Asked Chrysalis in a tone portraying more boredom than mockery, though it appeared Luna was not in the mood for this attitude. Luna was in front of her in seconds, giving her a piercing glare. The moment that Chrysalis blinked she felt something oddly hard and organic smack her across the cheek.
"A corn stalk. Really?"
Luna was indeed holding an uprooted corn stalk with her magic. Without any trace of effort, Luna then dropped the stalk and instead uprooted a fairly sizable evergreen instead.
"Point taken." Admitted Chrysalis as Luna then returned the tree to its rightful place in the earth. And so, silence ensued as Luna continued her pacing. It wasn't for another half hour or so before Luna stopped pacing. By then the moon had sufficiently risen above the treeline.
"The hour is upon us." Spoke Luna in a serious tone.
Chrysalis was unamused with the theatrics. "Oh spare me the drama, we could have left at any time!"
Luna stood her ground. "If you don't believe me, then perhaps you should take a look at what is behind you." replied Luna calmly but with an edge to her voice.
Slowly did Chrysalis turn around, and though what was revealed to her was not quite what she had expected, it was in fact rather worthy of the drama. Before her eyes was a path clearly lit by the moon. The path was in the form of solid line of shadowless earth which wound around the trees and climbed over rocks, but never appeared to break, even as it slipped behind objects that were between the path and the moon's rays. And as unnatural as this minor detail was, the lit path still shimmered and shifted in the wind like any other positive space that came through the leafy overhead canopy.
"This is one of my many safeguards that protects your future home. A path which can only be found between the third and fourth quarter of the 21st hour of the day." Luna explained as she moved up alongside Chrysalis. "Remember these details well. Should you ever need to run, you will not find your way back without passing through this and the second path. We must be swift!" And with that final word, Luna sprinted forward along the path with a surprised changeling doing her best to keep up. The duo vaulted over small boulders and weaved through a maze of trees.
Though her muscles burned and her hooves ached, Chrysalis sprinted along as best she could. Clearly, Luna in much better shape than herself. This was proven as the path became more and more difficult to traverse. Roots cluttered the forest floor as the treeline rose with every step. Soon did the path begin to fight back. A rolled ankle here, a bruise there, a few scrapes against rough bark; but Chrysalis could not afford to slow down and take more careful steps. Luna was as agile and swift a small bat, though her demure frame hid muscles that would rival the fiercest of predators.
Before her the path took dip and tight turn that slid in between two trees. Almost tumbling as she ran down that short hill, she soon found that she had misjudged her line and had to jump up onto a decomposing log in order to make the turn. It worked well until her hoof broke through the surface and she found herself upside for a moment before scrambling back to her feet and skipping around the far side of the trunk instead of going between the two closely growing trees. But when she made it to the other side, where the path and Luna had been clearly visible only a second or two ago, there were neither to be found. The path was gone, and so was Luna.
