Where Were You?
The battle waged below. Changeling and alicorn met in a horrible display of sunlight and green electricity. Ponies quivered in fear, though they were certain that their sun princess would prevail and defeat the evil queen. But alas, Celestia’s crown was thrown from her regal head, and her horn was kissed with black magic. The great princess was rendered helpless, trapped in a chrysalis and forced to leave all of Equestria in the hooves of her six precious pupils.
Luna watched it all from a crystal ball, her starlit mane flowing around her face. By now Celestia would be wondering where Luna had gone. Why had her sister forsaken her and left when she was needed most? Most ponies would ask that too, and it was likely they either feared their princess captured, like Celestia, or dreaded that Luna had once again let darkness take hold.
“Oh ye of so little faith,” she murmured and watched the events unfold. There was Twilight Sparkle and her friends fighting the changelings. Their subsequent capture. Their pledge to save Equestria. As Shining Armor and Cadence shared the magic of their love before those of Canterlot, Luna sighed and closed her eyes. She knew what would happen, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Even on the moon she felt the echo of Cadence and Shining Armor’s magic. Their wave of love settled on her coat and made her roll her shoulders slowly. While the ponies celebrated, Queen Chrysalis and her changelings were thrown across Equestria, left to whatever fate befell them. They deserved it of course, many ponies would say. Anyone who tried to steal the love of ponies deserved to meet an untimely end.
I wonder if they think the same of their moon princess, Luna mused.
Yes, there were days she doubted that her little ponies wanted her back in Equestria. She’d done so much damage to them, and even the tantabus couldn’t convince her that she wouldn’t do something wrong again. Maybe that was part of the reason she had hidden herself away.
It wasn’t the only one.
Luna spread her navy blue wings and leapt away from her crystal ball. She flew through the magnificent castle she had built on the moon so many centuries ago. Celestia often wondered why Luna still chose to return to her place of imprisonment. It was hard to abandon something that had been home to her for 1,000 years.
She passed through the moon’s gravitational pull and spun her magic around her body. In the blink of an eye, she was back on earth, hovering in a cloud of dust. The changeling bodies had ceased dropping from the sky by now. Carcasses littered the ground, their bodies broken and shattered against rocks, dirt, and mountains. The ground was splotched with blood like poppies. Luna dared not land amongst them. Her ears twitched, drinking in the moans and cries of survivors, though many of them would join the dead before nightfall.
But they were not for whom Luna searched. She created an ethereal bubble to push the dust and stench away. When she still didn’t see the right changeling, she closed her eyes and shifted the planes of existence. She saw the real world, but it was blanketed in blue, black, and silver. She stood between realms of the living and the dead…the dream world.
The ethereal plane.
Luna landed and walked across the graveyard, her limbs passing through the bodies without disturbing them. She tried not to let her sorrow deter her, but there was so much suffering. A small changeling gave her pause as he reached out to the sky, begging for death. Luna stared at him for a long moment then lowered her horn and touched his cheek. Magic flowed into him, and while the body flopped to the ground, the changeling’s spirit entered her plane. He blinked green eyes at her then smiled.
“Thank you,” he whispered then vanished in a wisp of smoke before Luna could reply.
She gave herself a shake and continued on. It was in a vast ditch that she found her charge. Queen Chrysalis lay sprawled, her neck twisted at an odd angle, her legs splayed and splashed with blood. Several changelings surrounded her, sobbing, trying to stir their queen. There was still life in her, Luna could see, but just barely. Chrysalis’ spirit fought between entering the ethereal plane and clinging to her broken body.
“No…no!” Chrysalis’ spirit shouted and grabbed hold of her form. “This can’t be it. I can’t fail my people.”
“Chrysalis,” Luna whispered.
The changeling whirled and stared at Luna through the dust. The moment she saw who it was, Chrysalis gasped in a breath and flared her wings. “How dare you come to me now? Where were you to protect Canterlot? Now, when my body is broken you come to destroy me? I’ll fight you! My people…we’ll fight you!” She tried in vain to slip back into her body, but there was likely nothing that could be done to save her. “They need me…”
“I know,” Luna replied and walked forward. Though Chrysalis flinched away, Luna placed a hoof on her back. “I’m so sorry.”
Chrysalis smacked the kind gesture aside. “Then where were you? You said that Equestria had enough love and light to feed all of my children.”
“That’s true, I did,” Luna replied. “But you grew greedy. Had you stayed in another form and ate the love in small doses, you and the ponies could have lived peacefully together. You could have helped protect them, and they could have provided you with food. But no, you launched an attack. I warned you, Chrysalis. I warned you!”
The shout surprised them both. Luna hadn’t expected to get so worked up, but she’d tried to help Chrysalis and it had all blown up in both of their faces.
Luna remembered the day Chrysalis had crawled to her, begging for help so that she and her changelings might survive. They’d been chased out of town after town, some of them growing even too weak to take on another form. No pony wanted to trust them. Even when they came in peace, ponies threw them aside and called them monsters. It had been Luna who suggested the changelings work with the Equestrians and take what they needed…and only what they needed. Luna could understand Chrysalis wanting to protect her people. And like Luna, Chrysalis had paid the price for trying too hard to take all the love for herself.
Chrysalis stared down at her changelings and sucked in a breath. Tears filled her eyes and she started to weep, her entire body quaking beneath the force. “What do I do? I can’t leave them behind. I can’t just abandon them when they need me.”
“Chrysalis, you’re so broken,” Luna said and returned her hoof to the changeling’s back. “The only way you could survive is by taking all the energy from your own people.”
“You know I would never do that,” Chrysalis growled and started to shake off Luna’s hoof, but Luna was firm.
“I know, and I wouldn’t ask you to do it.” Luna looked down as a changeling cuddled up against Chrysalis. One by one, the still living changelings crept forward and surrounded their queen. “They love you, Chrysalis. They show a love for you I once wished I had from the ponies of Equestria. Why isn’t their love enough to sustain each other?”
Chrysalis shook her head. “It’s never worked that way. It’s not how we’re…created. We were cursed with this plague. We shouldn’t have to survive off of love or others. We’re parasites. No pony wants us.”
Luna cocked her head. “This pony does,” she whispered.
Chrysalis turned her wet face towards Luna. She sniffed hard and dared to lean against the princess of the night. “I’m so tired. I’ve been their queen for centuries. They need me, but I just want to rest.”
Luna felt her heart tug with grief. How could she deny Chrysalis the chance to sleep after all she’d been through? There were days Luna herself felt she was no longer meant for this world, but Celestia had need of her, and so did the ponies.
She gazed once more upon Chrysalis’ body and saw the changelings start to falter as their wounds took hold. Few would survive without help. Luna considered. She knew what she could do, but it would take so much of her energy. “Let me help you give your people one last gift before you sleep,” Luna said. “Do you trust me?”
“More than any other pony,” Chrysalis murmured. “You’re the only one who has shown us kindness.”
“We’re not all bad,” Luna replied and moved closer to Chrysalis. “One day I pray that your people and mine will find a way to live in peace and harmony.” Luna took a breath and stepped through Chrysalis’ body. She held out a hoof to the queen. “I can bring you back for a brief moment. Say your parting words, and then…I will help you heal them.”
“Luna…” Chrysalis gasped. She looked ready to protest, but when Luna just kept her hoof out, Chrysalis took it.
Blue, crystalline magic flowed around them. As one, Luna’s and Chrysalis’ soul entered the changeling’s body. Everything went dark for a moment, but then Chrysalis opened her eyes, and Luna could see through them as well. Her magic flowed through their forms, keeping Chrysalis alive.
The changelings looked up upon seeing their queen and wept. “Mother!” they cried.
“You’re alive!” a young female laughed and wept at the same time.
“Mother, can we go home?” a small male whimpered.
Chrysalis sucked in a rattling breath and reached out to touch the male. “I’m so sorry, Thorax, Mirage,” she said, looking at the female. “I’ve failed you.”
“No! No you haven’t!” Thorax cried and nuzzled his face into her hoof. “You’re here with us. So long as we’re together…that’s all that matters.”
Chrysalis closed her eyes in grief, and Luna felt it come over them both like a black cloud. “I can’t stay,” Chrysalis said. “My time here is done, but before I go, I have a gift, and an order. You will live on. You will survive in Equestria, and you will find a way to work together…to live.” She coughed, her broken ribs rattling against her chest. “Please, my children. Don’t let your brothers’ and sisters’ deaths be in vain.”
Thorax and Mirage clung to Chrysalis’ hoof as she started to cough again. “Mother, don’t,” Thorax whined pitifully. “We don’t know what to do without you.”
“Yes you do.” Chrysalis smiled, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She leaned forward and kissed every changeling that had come to surround her. “Live for each other, and remember me. Remember what I taught. Find a way to be happy.” She was quiet for a moment. “Find…find Princess Luna. She’ll help you.”
The changelings looked at one another in surprise, all but Thorax and Mirage. Both just clung to Chrysalis and nodded their heads. “We’ll do what you ask,” Thorax said. “I’ll find them. I’ll…I’ll find a way to join our people. I promise.”
Luna grimaced as pain suddenly struck them both. Chrysalis’ body was dying, and there was little more she could do to sustain it. “Chrysalis,” she whispered. “Hurry.”
The changeling queen whimpered then pulled her children close. “I love you all. Be strong. The hive must survive.” She made to go on, but then Chrysalis just sighed to Luna. “Do it,” she said to the princess.
Luna took hold of Chrysalis’ body once more and melded her magic with the changeling’s. Healing powers flowed from Chrysalis’ horn with the taste of love and washed across the changelings. Together, Luna and Chrysalis watched as the wounds healed on Mirage and Thorax, then did the same on the other changelings. Those near death breathed a new breath. Those in pain cried out in relief. Luna could not heal them all, but Chrysalis’ love pushed Luna’s magic further than would have been possible alone.
Chrysalis smiled in Luna’s mind. “Thank you.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you,” Luna said. She slowly released Chrysalis’ body, and as their two spirits stepped back, Chrysalis’ body died.
Chrysalis stared long and hard at her people. They both listened as the changelings wailed. Thorax stood apart, a determined glint in his eyes. Luna felt he would keep his promise to find her. And if Luna couldn’t help him, maybe somepony else could.
Chrysalis drew away and moved towards Luna on slow steps. “You saved me by saving my children. Maybe they’ll do better than I ever did.” Chrysalis sighed and bowed her head. “I’m ready to sleep now.”
Luna reached for Chrysalis’ chin. She lifted it slowly and pressed her forehead to the changeling’s. “Go now in peace, my friend. Your work is done.”
With a burst, Chrysalis exploded into thousands of shining sparkles. They danced in front of Luna’s face, their silver light glinting like stars. As they escaped into the sky, Luna heard a whispered, “Thank you.”
The princess of the night watched over the changelings for hours, making certain they obeyed Chrysalis and went on their way together. Thorax and Mirage took the lead, guiding their people back home, but only after burying the bodies of the dead. Dozens of stars would join Chrysalis in the sky tonight.
When the last changeling departed, Luna left the graveyard and flew back towards Canterlot. Her heart felt heavy and tears stung her eyes. That fate could have been Luna’s. Twilight and her friends could have killed her too when she’d returned as Nightmare Moon. Instead, she’d been given a second chance. Chrysalis…Chrysalis had never been given that.
The tantabus would have a new nightmare to conjure for Luna tonight.
She dried her eyes the closer she drew to Canterlot. Already ponies were preparing for a dance, the festivities bright and merry, and juxtaposing Luna’s aching heart. She forced the tears aside and plastered a smile onto her face as she landed near her sister. “Hello, everypony,” she greeted. “Did I miss anything?”
Twilight’s friends gave her a knowing smile but did not respond. Celestia, however, slipped over to Luna’s side and brushed her back with a white wing. “Where were you?” Celestia whispered.
Luna kept the smile on her face and looked up to the star-filled sky. “With a friend,” the princess replied. “Where I needed to be.”
