“Anon!, We’re so glad you could join us,” Luna cheered, almost skipping down the corridor alongside you, “It is such a shame that Celestia won’t be able to meet us, but if we are to be honest, she harbors not the curiosity that we do.”

“Well, what are you curious about? I’m an open book!” you ask, following her unflinchingly into the depths of the castle.

“There are so many things, but please,” she prompted, “Let us wait until we’re both somewhere more comfortable before we engage in stimulating discourse.”

“Do you always talk like that?”

“What dost thou mean?”

“The old timey shit, you know with the we’s and the thou’s.”

“We were imprisoned on a moon for a millennium! ‘Tis not easy to catch up with a thousand years change in the vernacular.”

“That sounds like an interesting story… Can we talk about that too?” you ask,

“We would prefer not. It still is a subject of great anguish for us,” she said, looking to the ground as she mumbled something to herself, “Although, to not have heard the tale of Nightmare Moon… may it be that thy perception remains unblemished by our past?”

“What was that? Couldn’t hear you.”

“Nothing, ‘twas simply a musing of our own. Nothing you need concern yourself over.”

“Okay, uh…” you trailed off, not quite sure what was up, “Hey, are we almost there? I mean I know this castle is huge and all but this has been a fucking long ass time.”

“Dear Anon, my chambers are in the lowest levels of the castle, where the light ventures not of its own accord.”

“So you live in a basement? Neat!”

“Anon, ‘tis much more than a basement. Although there are those times where it feels as if we are similarly forgotten in these reaches, as would an item left to lie in storage for too long.”

“Right… Not just a basement. I’ve used that one before too. Didn’t end up getting laid that night.”

“Oh, were you hoping that you might, as the youth say, get lucky down here?”

“Uh, well… Not really, I mean who would I even… It’s just the two of us.”

“With whom? Dost thou truly not see the endless possibilities in thy view?”

“No, uh… Unless you’re seeing someone I’m not.”

“There is not one in this castle that would cater to your every desire, bend to your every whim, become whatever it is that you would desire?”

Fuck. How did she know? “Uh… Nope… just you, Celestia, and Atlas…”

“Oh… So within that group there exists not somepony with which you may be enamored?”

“Nope, just two princesses and an Atlas.”

“Well, ‘Tis a shame… We thought for certain that, given your past activities, your interests could be handily presumed.”

“Nope, uh… definitely no one here that turns my crank, or cranks my shaft or… whatever.”

“Are we not good enough, then?” Luna asked, her expression turning.

“Wait, you’re not talking about-”

“Tell us, Anon…” she interrupted, “How is it that you would mate Twilight Sparkle even upon her estrus, but you would not consider the affections of a more regal mare?”

“Oh jeez…” you sigh. You totally misread her line of questioning there, “Luna you’re not actually asking me if…”

“And if we were? Would thou not consider?”

“Shit, I didn’t think…” you hesitate, “You know how mad Celestia got when I fucked her student. Imagine if I, uh, you know, with her sister…”

“Celestia is not our keeper! She no longer gets to decide when and with whom we get to associate! For a thousand years our fields lay barren, much like the moon upon which we were exiled. Now upon our return we find that there still exists a drought, but instead one of the mind! No pony dares approach us with their affection for fear of the mare we were.”

“Fuck, I’m sorry… I just don’t… You’re a princess, and I’m just a dude with a really big dick.”

“Why must station always come upon these discussions? Are we not, underneath this regalia, a mare with needs?”

“Atlas would kill me…” you offer, trying anything to defray the offense you’ve imparted.

“What has he to do with this? You are not enamored with him, you have asserted most vocally that such is not the case.”

“I trust his judgment, and I know what he would say here.”

“Fine, we respect your decision, albeit sorrowfully. Nonetheless will thou join us still for conversation? There are still myriad topics upon which we hope you can sate our curiosity.”

“No funny business? No tying me up and forcing me to fuck you? Cause Atlas would still find a way to blame me for that.”

“You have our word. We shall not make undue advances toward you. Despite our assuredly most powerful desires,” she conditioned, drawing upon two delicately engraved wooden doors that were at least twice your height. “Now then, here we are…”

Luna pushed open the doors to reveal a dark, spacious room. It was lit only sparingly by soft candlelight, the majority of the room shrouded in just enough darkness. What you could see of it made you sure that the primary function of this room was to be Luna’s bedchamber, with a four-poster bed large enough to fit ten of you, casual seating for at least five, and various other accouterments like dressers, bookshelves, and a large desk dotting the perimeter. As she walked inside, you felt yourself drawn in as well, marveling at the fact that, despite the dim, eerie lighting, it still felt warm and inviting.

“What do you think? We so seldom have a chance to entertain guests. You have seen what so many other ponies could only begin to fathom.”

“It’s very impressive,” you agree, hoping not to further offend her, “It is an honor.”

“Well then, would you like the honor of giving a Princess a back massage? It is something that we cannot do with our hooves alone, and even something difficult to master with magic. All this running about has done no kindness to our muscles.

“I guess I can…”

“Great! Simply do as you will, and we can converse while you are occupied.”

You join Luna as she sits fully upon a nearby chaise lounge. Cautiously, your hands play along the soft fur of her back, and tangle in the ethereal nothingness of her mane.

“One curiosity we have is regarding your great interest in the fate of the Changelings…” Luna started, “It is interesting that you should take up the crusade for a species you haven’t known.”

“I uh…” you stammered, “Guess it all sounds so wrong in the abstract. I mean think of it from my perspective. You’ve just crashed into the middle of an alien world, and the first conflict you hear of is that of the dominant species conspiring to eliminate an entire race that stands in its way. It’s kind of jarring, especially given the otherwise sunshine-and-rainbows shit that goes on here.”

“When you put it as simply as that, yes. It does sound rather harsh. However that is ignorant of the vast majority of the concern. At issue is not whether we wish to eliminate a race that stands upon equal footing, but if we should let this lesser species, which is openly parasitic both in action and in ambition, continue to prosper upon the backs of our citizens.”

“That’s exactly the rhetoric that was used to justify the persecution of hundreds of thousands of people in my world.”

“We are not killing them, Anon.”

“That’s what they said at first too, when they started rounding them all up. Then it just became the logical next step when the camps started filling up.”

“Why should it be our duty to see to the wellbeing of that which would hope to destroy us?”

“Are you sure they would? Have you earnestly tried for a peaceful resolution? Have you even met a Changeling?”

“Have you?” Luna asked, turning her neck and interrupting your gentle kneading of her back.

“Of course not!” you counter, maybe a bit too quickly. “I mean how could I?”

“That’s right. How could you meet one? Or rather, how would you be standing here if you had?”

“What do you mean?”

“Seldom, outside of bloody wars and dangerous diplomatic endeavors, has anypony been known to meet a Changeling and live. They devour love until there is none left to be given. A pony cannot survive after that.”

“Couldn’t they be taught to, I don’t know, share? It’s not like love is finite.”

“Anon, they don’t earn this love, they take it. There exists only so much love to be taken, even if there is no limit on what can be given freely”

“Then why can’t it be given to them?” you ask, kneading her back more sharply.

“Because, Anon. True love requires reciprocity. It is something that blossoms only in soil tended to by that selfsame thing. No matter our highest hopes, Changelings can’t produce love. Do you think they’d be reliant upon us if they could generate their own sustenance?”

“What if there was hope? What if they could produce love?”

“’Tis not possible. They are but a container, a vessel. There is no part of them that isn’t designed to consume love. ”

“What if that’s not true? Would you still hunt them if they could learn to change, not just in a fleeting sense, but as a whole?”

“Sh- …They can’t be what you want, Anon. Despite how bright and positive our world often is, underneath all of that are dark secrets that we carry with us unto the grave. This is one of those, and no matter your desires, the course is set. Changelings are a vestige of horrors that must not come to bear.”

“You know what, this is some real fucking shit.”

“Anon!” she gasped.

“Anon, you’ve got to be kidding me…” Atlas snapped, only being able to make out your hunched figure over Luna’s due to the darkness.

“Hold on wait! This isn’t what it looks like!” you called.

“I thought you’d learned your lesson after last time!”

“Hey! Atlas, chill. My pants are still fucking on, alright?”

“Then what in Tartarus are you doing?”

“Um… uh… Back massage?”

“Then why does Princess Luna look as though she’s gotten more than her back massaged?” Atlas questioned, eyebrow raised. You looked at the pony in front of you and realized that she looked quite pleased.

“Luna?” you ask,

“Hmm… Yes Anon?”

“Are you… Are you okay?”

“Oh yes, Anon… We are so much more than just okay.”

“Shit…” you realize, turning to Atlas, “Atlas did she…”

“Mhmm…”

“Just from a back massage?”

“It would appear that way, if you are to be believed.”

“LUNA WHAT THE FUCK. DID YOU JUST FUCKING CUM FROM A BACK MASSAGE?”

“One thousand years, Anon… And in the thousand before that not a thing compared…”

“Fuck… Atlas you’ve gotta believe me on this one. I didn’t mean to!”

“You just made a princess cum for the first time in a thousand years. I hope you’re ready for the consequences of your actions…”

“Atlas, hold on! It’s not my fault…”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be apologizing to me if I were you. You may have awakened the only creature more libidinous than yourself.”

“Anon…” Luna moaned, “more!”

“Atlas, quick… Before she realizes you’re here. Go, run as fast as you can, go find Celestia. It’s too late for me, but you can save the rest of the castle, no, the rest of the world!”

“Where do you get these things from?” Atlas asks. “Now come on. We’re going to see the court. And Princess?”

“Hmm?” she sighs dreamily.

“When you’re feeling yourself, you should join us. We’ll be there when you’re ready.”

“Oh, leaving so soon? But the night is not yet upon us…”

“Goodbye Princess Luna,” Atlas closed as he ushered you out of her room.

Author's Note

Man, this chapter turned out way differently than I expected. That is also to say that Luna turned out a bit differently than I expected too.
I intended for her to just be a ...plot device, but instead she's quickly becoming more relevant to the underlying story.

Read closely, мои друзья.