Luna trotted through the castle, enjoying the sound of her royal horseshoes clanking on marble floor. Despite what Celestia had told her about who was arriving today, Luna tried to look at the bright side. She wasn’t a replacement for Discord, Luna was just allowing this because it could strengthen their bond with the Crystal Empire.
As she stepped around a corner, she peaked a glimpse into the main corridor, and that's when she saw her sister and another mare. The mare was a beautiful, purple, crystal unicorn pony, her cutie mark was something golden that Luna couldn't see too well from the distance. Luna stifled a laugh, this mare was painfully normal, how could she replace Discord?
The young alicorn forced herself to breath as she stepped closer, allowing herself to smile despite not letting herself laugh.
"Oh, Princess Luna!" The mare turned gleefully and instantly Luna's smile faltered, she'd recognized this pony, though she couldn't remember from where. She glanced to her sister who looked a bit nervous, not uncomfortable enough for a pony who didn't know her well to notice. Of course, Luna didn't even know her sister that well but she noted that Celestia always had an aura of confidence around her, though now she looked like she was hiding something behind said confidence. Luna forced the smile back on and continued her stride toward the mare and her sister.
She stopped in her tracks when the mare blinked to reveal sickening green. Fire erupted from her body and at once she looked like a chaotic creature. Luna froze as she locked eyes with Discord. "What is the meaning of this?" She asked as calmly as she could in her confusion though she could barely hold her scowl.
The unfamiliarly familiar draconequus paused, “Why, I figured you’d prefer this form?” he asked, “Would you rather me be a pony? Mare or stallion? What race?” He seemed to genuinely want to meet Luna’s requests.
“I’d rather you be in your own form. If you have one.” Luna said, trying to hide how disturbed she was by her best friend coming back from the pits of Tartarus.
“Oh.” The creature stiffened, “Why, I do have one but I must warn thou that it’s not the most pleasing.” it weakly smiled at the alicorn. After a solid moment passed the thing must’ve realized that Luna wanted them to transform anyway. And so it did.
She had a tall yet curved and slender yet strong figure. Her coat was pure black and the light a nearby window danced off it wonderfully. She mustn’t have been soft with fur like a pony’s coat, but instead she had a dark, reflective body. She would've been beautiful to anypony who saw her had she not been so unnatural that it made her horrifying.
Unnatural like the horrid draconequus or the elegant alicorn.
"Pretty.." Luna hadn't realized that the word had quietly left her lips immediately, but once she did, she cleared her throat quickly and forced away a growing blush. After a moment, she focused her thoughts, "Stay in that form." She commanded, "Please." She added afterword.
The creature looked confused and almost sad, but nodded "Yes, Princess." her voice echoed strangely.
"Well, if all that is settled," Celestia spoke, clearly uncomfortable but trying her best not to be, "Would you mind taking Chrysalis to her chambers?" She asked her sister.
"Oh, no, of course." Luna tried to smile but found herself preferring to stare at the strange mare, "'Tis this way." She turned and nodded toward the same direction her bedroom was. It was not the same room she'd shared with her sister, but a new one, since the other's windows were still being repaired.
The walk was quiet for a while, the tall mare followed Luna wordlessly, and they both only heard the sound of their hooves clopping against the marble floor. A sound Luna enjoyed just a few minutes ago was now making their lack of words unbearably awkward. Luna tried to walk next to her a few times but each time she slowed her pace to allow Chrysalis to catch up, Chrysalis would just slow her pace more. Luna stifled a sigh and, despite her frustration, decided to make conversation. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, what type of creature are you?”
“..I’m a changeling.” She said sheepishly.
“Oh,” Luna stole a glance back at her, “I didn’t think changelings actually changed shape.” she stated, “And I thought they were the size of ponies?” she’d read about them in a book once, she thought she did at least. Perhaps she was confusing them for something else? She wasn’t sure, she never really paid attention to her teachings before she’d ascended to alicornhood.
“Well, I..” She trailed off, causing Luna to stop after a moment. She turned to find the changeling staring at a stain glass window. Luna stepped back to join her.
It had the elegant Celestia holding a book, surrounded by unicorn fillies. It was made to celebrate Celestia opening her ‘school.’ Though it was barely a school yet. She simply made it easier for the wizards of the castle to give magic lessons and take in apprentices. Celestia had explained to Luna during one of their many royal business conversations, the kind that had quickly become the norm, that she wished to change the monarchy. She didn’t want someone to become ruler just because they were born into it. She wanted the one who came after Luna and her to have been chosen for their magic, just as she had been.
Luna’s eyes wandered to Chrysalis. The colors of the window reflected beautifully of the mare. The light cast by them normally softened on a pony’s soft pelt, but it shined onto the changeling like it would on freshly polished armor. Luna was eventually distracted away from Chrysalis in general by the sorrowful look in her eyes. The alicorn opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Chrysalis gasping with a smile, “I’m sorry! I got lost in thought, what were we talking about?”
“Oh, um,” Luna blinked and turned, hiding a blush, “I don’t know much about changelings.” she said as she started traveling again.
“Right.” She laughed awkwardly, “I’m a royal, like yourself so I’m a bit taller than average.” She explained.
“I see.” Luna stated, Celestia had started growing taller than an average pony her age after she’d ascended, Luna hadn’t realized at first that it was connected to her power but she supposed it made sense. They were quiet for a solid few moments as Luna lead them down the hallway, eventually turning, she spoke again, “This is the room prepared for you.” She stopped in front of a large door, “Mine is at the end of the hall,” She nodded to the grand doorway with two guards in the near distance, “Feel free to knock but if I do not respond, I am likely asleep.”
“Alright.” Chrysalis said quietly as Luna levitated the door open.
“For tonight you can get settled, Celestia and I eat dinner at eight... Thou art welcome to join us.” Luna spoke, Celestia had told her to invite her new ‘nanny’ in hopes to get on the good side of her, and in turn the good side of her fiance. But now Luna invited her for.. Other reasons. She stifled a scoff at her reaction to the changeling's existence. The mare had a fiance and Celestia would be there, 'it was nothing roma...'
“Princess..?” Chrysalis pulled Luna out of her thoughts, the alicorn looked at her. She stood inside the doorway, a hoof shyly stroking her opposite leg as she looked to the ground, she glanced up at Luna causing the night pony to desperately fight off another blush, “Is this the form you’d prefer me to be in? I know it’s unsettling,” She shrugged with a smile, “I really don’t mind changing to make you more comfortable.” She sounded a bit cheery despite her shyness.
Luna’s eyebrows furrowed. She opened her mouth but wasn’t sure what to say. Even though this mare put on a happy facade, could she really be okay with that? Discord could change his shape but Luna knew that asking him to change purely for her own comfort would’ve hurt him a lot more she could bare to imagine. Not to mention that there was nothing she found unsettling about her at all. “You are very pretty.” Luna said the first thing that came to her mind. Before she had a chance to let her emotions catch up to her words she turned toward her door, “I hope to see you for dinner.” She said as she headed to her room. She levitated her door open, paying no mind to the guards that had bared witness to her conversation with Chrysalis.
She heard the clank of the door closing behind her and finally breathed, collapsing to the floor immediately. She rolled over onto her back and shoved her hooves in her face, “That was so embarrassing.” she moaned quietly, wishing that the floor would open up and swallow her whole. She didn’t know how she was going to face her in an hour. A part of her begged herself to lie and say she was unwell and couldn’t eat. But she would then have to deal with a worried Celestia and perhaps a worried Chrysalis. She blushed hard at the thought of the tall mare tending to her as if she were sick.
She shook her head and quickly scrambled to her hooves. “No.” Luna whispered, “No, I was just telling the truth. I’ve nothing to worry about.” She tried and horridly failed to convince herself. She scoffed at her emotions but soon sighed because of them. She slowly stepped toward her bead and flopped down onto it, hugging the pillow closest to her.
She missed Discord dearly. She noted to herself that she would have to apologize to him because she was grateful for a moment that he was gone. She sighed again, a smile appearing then disappearing immediately.
Chrysalis was pretty and seemed nice but that does not make up for the terror Discord felt when he was bound by that horrid magic. Luna swallowed only to realize her throat was dry as guilt washed over her. Practically every time something good happened, her thoughts would come back to that awful few moments of silent screams and unforgivable magic. Before she knew, her pillow was stained with tears and she was sitting up, forcing away the memory so she could get ready for dinner.