//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Changing moons // by Jeweled Pen //------------------------------// Love. Its a very strange substance in this world, the queen thought. It could give so many different things. For some it gave nourishment, for others it gave the will to live, and for some it gave power. Great power. Power she used to bring down a god. And the very same power that dashed her hopes to the ground, shattering them like a freshly laid egg dropped from the sky. The queen sat on the crumbling stone ground. Surrounded by pillars and walls that had been forgotten long ago by all but a fraction of pony kind. Vines had grown up the pillars surrounding her and the ground was covered in moss. All except a small circle surrounded blue fragmented chunks of armor, where the plant life itself seemed unwilling to approach. Hatred and anger. She heard it was the opposite of love and in many ways it could serve the same purpose. She could feel it radiating from these small tiny pieces of metal, a anger and hatred that was shattered but refused to allow itself to be fully destroyed. She could feel it calling to her, promising her power and vengence, if all she would do was take it up. As she stared at the fragments, she found her mind wandering to a time before... ------ She had walked slowly, each step allowed her to feel the weight of her failure pressing down on her. She looked to her left and right. Her changelings didn't so much as twitch, they just watched and waited. She was their queen, they followed her, listened to her... Needed her. Equestria was lost to them though and already she could feel her subjects weakening. This was to be a feast that could sustain them for a millenia but instead it ended in their defeat, cast from their buffet like flies from a picnic. She didn't know where to go now after coming so close to success, that perfect day, to have it snatched away was almost to cruel. "Rest." She had ordered. No, she had refused to let that defeat them. She was queen of the changelings, and she would not allow her subjects to suffer for her mistake. Her wings had spread out, "I will find us a new home, and return." She could see the nervous shuffling of feet, hear the slight buzzing of wings. Her subjects were afraid, perhaps thinking she intended to abandon them? Or perhaps afraid she would fail again? She had left them however, refusing to give up and fail. Hatred had formed in her heart. Hatred for those ponies, for that alicorn, that unicorn. They thought them finished, that the changelings would be content to disapear, fade into nothing more than campfire stories. ------ She didn't know how long she had traveled until she felt it. Like a beacon of hatred calling to her own angry heart, she had come to this ancient castle, hidden deep in the everfree forest. Brought back to the present she slowly got to her hooves and began to walk, circling the remnants multiple times before moving to sit on what she imagined was once a throne. She didn't trust whatever it was, and most definitely didn't understand it. Its hatred and anger was irrepressible and she wasn't sure she could control it if she allowed it in. However she knew what her choice would be when she had come here. While her subjects could not feed on it, she did love them. And as she stood one final time and began to walk towards the fragments, her empty hoof slowly reaching for the pieces, she hardened herself. She would not fail again. ------ Luna bolted upright, casting her blankets to the floor. Sweat had formed on her brow and her breathing was ragged, her mind filled with a horrible hope crushing dread. She practically flew across the room, scattered her furniture as she came to the window, and propped it open. After a few moments she let out a sigh of relief, sunlight filtered into the room. Everything was fine. Her sister protected the day. She turned back to her bed, letting the blinds shut, and soon crawled in. However, despite her best efforts sleep eluded her, everytime she closed her eyes the feeling of dread overcame her yet again... ---Three weeks later--- Twilight groaned as she slid out of bed, and walked down towards the door. Who could be pounding on her door so early in the morning? The sun wouldn't be up for hours and she needed her sleep. She had a busy day of organizing the library tomarrow not to mention all shipment of Daring Do's newest book, the unblinking eye. She glanced at Spike as she went past his bed, he was curled up and unaware of the pounding, in a deep sleep. Twilight let out a sigh as she wished she could join him off in dream land, but whoever was knocking on the door seemed to not want to go away. She hoped it wasn't Pinkie, she was much to tired to deal with some random idea of hers this early. Finally, after a walk that felt like hours, she put her hoof on the door and swung it open, "Yes, who- Your highness!" Twilight stared in shock at Princess Luna in the door way, flanked on either side by two guards. "May we come in?" Luna asked as she stared at Twilight, her expression was very serious, and Twilight couldn't help but feel a little nervous as she moved to the side to let them in. Twilight watched them nervously as they entered, closing the door quickly behind them. "Your highness is something wrong?" Her thoughts of sleep fell to the wayside at the mere presence of the princess. "Twilight Sparkle, we have come on a matter of grave importance. Is anypony else here?" Luna's eyes glanced around the library suspiciously, as if she expected somepony to jump out and yell surprise at any moment. "It's only me and Spike, and he's asleep right now. Do you need me to wake him up?" Twilight began to pace nervously, her horn glowing as she tried to subtly tidy the place up. She hadn't expected a princess of all things tonight! "I'll go start some tea." Twilight said as she darted into the kitchen. "There's really no need... Please Twilight." The princess said as she moved to sit on one of the cushions. Twilight ignored her words as she continued to make the tea, the sound of the water faucet soon followed by the clatter as the tea slowly began heating. "The tea will be ready in a moment your highness, what can I do for you?" Twilight asked came out from the kitchen, bowing her head to the princess as she remembered her manners. "It is about your brother. I am afraid we have lost contact with him and were hoping you could shed some light on this. As his sister, we hope you know where he has gone. It is of the greatest importance we find him immediately." Luna said slowly and carefully, her eyes still shifting around the room from time to time. "Shining Armor? I haven't heard from him since he went on his honeymoon. I thought he was returning next week though? Is something wrong? Is everything ok?" Twilight's voice slowly increased in pitch as panic began to set in. "He's not in trouble, is he?" "One week you say?" Luna's eyes focused on something behind Twilight. "Are you certain?" "Yes, wh-" Twilight turned to see what Luna was looking at, the words catching in her throat. She took off, narrowly moving in time as the ground where she had stood was enveloped in a green glow. "Princess Luna, it's, how, we need to-" The words were cut off as she let out a scream of pain as green goop covered her body, making her fall to the ground, a green stream of sticky goo coming from the princess and her guards horns. "Twilight? What's going on?" Spike said as he hobbled out from the bedroom, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Spike! Send a note to Celestia! I need help!" She screamed, as the green goop covered her face. Spike quickly sprang into action, running back into the bedroom, closing the door behind him, and locking it. He grabbed a small quill and parchment, writing frantically on it. He could hear pounding on the door, but already he had the note ready to send. As he took a deep breath, a black mist enveloped his body, and before he could breath out he fell forward, snoring peacefully. Twilight struggled against the goo as she stared at the bedroom door as it opened again. "You'll never get away with this!" She growled defiantly. "Oh, my dear Twilight Sparkle. I already have. You told me yourself. 1 week. And that is more than enough time to remove Shining from the picture. Permanently." The last thing Twilight heard as her world faded to darkness, fear latching to her heart. From outside the library, two eyes stared in from the darkness. "Who?"