Midnight in the Gardens

by wishcometrue

Rating: everyone
Tags: Queen Chrysalis, Slice of Life, Alternate Universe, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 1909

"You, though? A complete and utter mystery to me, even now. Do you know how infuriating it is to have a pony who is a puzzle I cannot solve?"

"You, though? A complete and utter mystery to me, even now. Do you know how infuriating it is to have a pony who is a puzzle I cannot solve?"

A story owed to themoontonite for nearly a year. Thank you for being patient with me.

Thanks to Undome Tinwe and The Red Parade for editing.

Cover art by SkullJooce.

Published 2021-05-27 19:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-05-27 19:50:01 UTC

Conversations Under Moonlight

Luna lay across a bench, intently staring at the pond in front of her. It was crystal clear, evidently kept clean by diligent gardeners; a few lilypads floated across the surface, not marring the pristine sight, but instead accentuating its beauty. The moon hung high in the sky overhead, a delicate waning crescent, something Luna felt rather than saw. The sky was much a reflection of the pond—crystal clear, with the occasional wispy cloud floating past, gently playing with the stars rather than obscuring them.

Luna’s ears shot up as her half-awake trance was broken by the sound of hooves clacking against the cobbled path. Her head lazily turned towards the source of the noise.

“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t show up, Chrysalis.”

The former queen snorted and tilted her head up; even in defeat, even in some form of reformation, she still held onto that pride of hers. It was one of many things Luna admired about her.

“I wasn’t sure if I would show up myself. Part of me still thinks this is foolish, and that I should be getting my beauty sleep instead of visiting one of my former enemies.”

“And the rest of you?”

“The rest of me couldn’t help but be intrigued.” Chrysalis frowned, her eyes tracing the graceful shape of the moon. “I know that your sister and her pupil dislike me even now, and I can’t exactly blame them.” Her eyes snapped down to Luna’s languidly lazing form. “And yet you invite me here tonight.”

Luna tilted her head and smirked. “Would you believe me if I said that I invited you here just to spite them?”

Chrysalis stared at her with half-lidded eyes. “No,” she deadpanned.

Luna sighed theatrically. “I should have known you were too clever to believe that. As I said in my letter, I truly did wish to get to know you better. Anything else is but an added bonus.” She winked at Chrysalis.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes, but Luna caught the slightest of grins for a fraction of a second. Luna hoped she would catch more before the night was through.

Luna slowly stood up from the bench, pausing to stretch every so often. When she looked up, Chrysalis was pointedly turned away from her. Luna followed her gaze to see she was looking at the pond.

“Ah, the pond is a most captivating sight, is it not? I do not know what magic is used to maintain it, but I find myself coming here rather frequently since my return. It provides a very nice sense of peace.”

Chrysalis cleared her throat. “Yes, the pond is... nice. Tranquil.”

Luna nodded. “Quite.” She gestured with her wing towards one of the paths leading deeper to the gardens. “Would you like to join me on a walk?”

Chrysalis shrugged. “If you would prefer.”

They set out, Chrysalis looking around disinterestedly, and Luna looking around for anything to say. She tried talking about the plants a few times, but Chrysalis only grunted in reply. Attempts at discussions of the history of the gardens didn’t fare much better, and an awkward silence soon settled over the pair.

Luna glanced up at the night sky and sighed. Even before her banishment, she had never been the best at small talk, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know its importance. If anything, it meant she understood how powerful it could be to a degree that bordered on painful. She had hoped that speaking of inconsequential things such as flower varieties would make the more personal questions she had for the former queen less uncomfortable, but it seemed that had only backfired.

With a wish to the stars for guidance, Luna asked, “So how have you been?”

“Really? That’s your first question?” Chrysalis snorted. “While I’m glad that you’ve stopped that incessant prattling of inane trivia, I still expected something more interesting. I mean really, how do you think I’ve been?”

“I do not know,” Luna said. “I have assumptions, of course, but I would like to hear what you have truly been feeling.”

Chrysalis turned her head to look away from Luna, and silence settled in again. As the seconds ticked past, Luna felt panic start to bubble up inside her, and her brain started working on something—anything—to say.

“I feel… lost,” Chrysalis finally answered. “I am a queen with no subjects; I have no power beyond my own.”

Luna felt her muscles untense and she mentally sighed with relief. “That is not surprising, I suppose. You certainly have lost a lot.”

“Stop that. Your pity tastes like soggy cardboard.”

“I apologize.” Luna bowed her head. “I only meant to make an observation, but I will keep a tighter rein on my emotions.”

“Thank you. And you’re right, of course. I think the greatest loss was not my subjects, though, but any sense of purpose after I turned myself in.”

Luna turned to her companion. “Why did you turn yourself in, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Chrysalis scoffed. “I already told your sister. Maybe you should ask her instead.”

“I did.”

“Then why are you asking me?”

“Because it doesn’t make sense. You’ve said it was simply being pragmatic, that there was no way you’d ever be able to achieve revenge, so you might as well be comfortable in your failure.” Luna shook her head. “My sister and her student hold on to their anger and distrust, so your answer fits into their preconceived notions. I have no such notions, no such feelings. I’ve learned the hard way that holding on to things like that can end very poorly.”

Chrysalis stopped walking and looked at Luna, who worried she had made a misstep. To her surprise, Chrysalis laughed.

“You’re right. I banked on those two reacting that way, and I banked on Cadance wanting to avoid me for as long as possible because I know she will see through me.”

Luna smiled. “My daughter is very perceptive, isn’t she?”

Chrysalis raised an eyebrow, and Luna chuckled.

“She is not really my daughter. When Celestia adopted her into the royal family to be her niece, well, someone had to be her mother on the paperwork. Merely a fiction borne out of necessity.”

Chrysalis pointedly looked at her. “If it is ‘merely a fiction’, why are you so willing to take part in it?”

Luna hummed. “I have always wanted to be a mother, but I have never had the time. Even if Cadance isn’t really my daughter, and I wasn’t actually there for her growing up, it… the thought still makes me happy.”

Chrysalis snorted. “Being a mother is overrated, in my opinion. After the fiftieth grubling, it goes from being magical to just being exhausting. And before you ask, no, I was not the mother to all changelings in my hive; no amount of power would be worth that.”

Luna chuckled, but said nothing. They walked in silence for several minutes more, drifting together, nearly close enough to be touching. After passing the rose bushes, they came upon a gazebo.

Once they had walked inside, Luna leaned over the railing, staring at the fireflies that flitted about in the tranquil scene before her. Chrysalis didn’t join her this time. When Luna looked back to question her, she found Chrysalis staring at her intently, her lips pursed.

“Is something wrong?” Luna asked. She stepped away from the railing to face her companion completely.

Chrysalis growled. “You are. I am a tactical genius, I can figure out exactly what ponies are thinking from their emotions, their actions, the things they say, as well as the things they don’t. They are like open books to me. You, though? A complete and utter mystery to me, even now. Do you know how infuriating it is to have a pony who is a puzzle I cannot solve?”

Luna gave a slight nod of her head in acknowledgement. “I imagine it is quite frustrating.”

“Frustrating doesn’t even begin to describe it.” Chrysalis took a step closer. “You somehow managed to sleep through my invasion of Canterlot.” Another step. “You alerted Starlight Glimmer when we captured you, and you manipulated my dreams to give her time to reach the hive.” And another; by this point, there were mere centimeters separating Chrysalis’s and Luna’s muzzles.

“I truly have no idea how you will react to anything I do; even now I am wary.” Chrysalis took a step back and smiled. “But that’s what makes you interesting, I suppose.”

Luna thanked the stars that her coat was dark enough to cover the blush spreading across her face. She cleared her throat. “Yes, well, uh…” She desperately searched for anything to say; anything that would change the subject. A realization dawned on her, and she raised an eyebrow. “You never did tell me the real reason you surrendered.”

Chrysalis sighed. “Took you long enough to notice that.” She looked warily at Luna. “I’m telling you this on the condition that you tell no one.”

Luna nodded. “My lips are sealed. I will not betray your confidence.”

Chrysalis walked over to the gazebo railing and leaned against it, just as Luna had earlier. Luna was at her side in a moment.

“I reconsidered. I could have, and would have, won eventually. I was not destined to fail. But after I won, what then? My former subjects have moved on, and while I was never the kindest ruler, I would not stoop to subjugating them to regain my throne. The ponies would never accept my rule, and without my changelings to protect me, it would just be a matter of time until I received a dagger to the back.

“So I decided to surrender. My dignity is not a fragile thing; if it could survive living alone among the monsters and muck of the Everfree Forest, it could survive anything. But there was no way ponies would have trusted my surrender if I had been truthful, so I lied. I crafted a story that the hardships I faced since being overthrown were too much to handle, and that there was no way I could win anymore, let alone survive in those conditions.”

Luna hummed and smiled. “So you went through a lot of trouble for what is ‘merely a fiction’, then?”

Chrysalis smirked. “I suppose I did.”

At that moment, whether by some twist of harmony or merely random chance, the fireflies stopped their dance amongst the flowers, and began blinking around Chrysalis’s face. The changeling’s mouth opened slightly and her eyes went wide with surprise. Luna covered her mouth with a hoof, unsuccessfully trying to contain her laughter.

“Well, it looks like you’ve found some new subjects to rule, Your Majesty.”

Chrysalis glared at her and pouted, a sight Luna never expected to see. She waved one of her holey hooves in front of her face to drive the bugs away.

She stepped away from the railing and yawned. “I think it is time for me to get my beauty rest.” She looked askance at Luna. “This night was... not as bad as I was expecting it to be.”

Luna smiled. “I enjoyed it as well. Would you like to spend time together again sometime?”

“I wouldn’t hate that.” Chrysalis stepped out of the gazebo and started buzzing her wings. “You know where to find me.”

And with that, Luna watched her fly off into the night.