//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Princess Luna // Story: The Story Behind Evil // by Winona //------------------------------// "Who... who's there?" Crystal was barely able to speak out loud. Her throat was suddenly dry. The figure of a pony stepped out of the shadows. Crystal Charm stared at her. The pony was quite tall, with blue skin. Her mane was a darker shade of blue, with a translucent border. It was flowing, even without wind. It took a moment for Crystal to realize she was an alicorn. "Who are you?" Crystal swallowed. The pony smiled at her, and walked closer. "I am Luna." Crystal's eyes widened. It couldn't be... she looked back at the book to make sure. I'm sorry... for all I've done. - Luna "Why... did you write your name in this book?" Crystal asked, still not understanding. "I am the author." Luna frowned. Crystal gasped and backed away. She pulled the book away with her, and flipped backwards frantically. She saw the words again. [iWritten by: The Mare in the Moon "Y-You... you're..." Crystal couldn't bring herself to speak. Luna, again, finished Crystal's sentence. "I am Princess Luna, the Mare in the Moon" Crystal backed away again. "Please, don't back away... I won't harm you." Luna smiled to the secret changling. "I'm... sorry I scared you." Crystal just stared at the mare. "My mother used to tell me stories about you... I used to see your mark imprinted in the moon..." Luna sighed again. "What are you doing here so late?" Crystal began to tell her story, but she didn't because she was scared to tell Luna anything. "Why are you here so late?" Luna laughed at the unicorn. "I suppose you haven't been paying attention to the story you've been reading. I am the moon princess, I raise and set the moon, and I watch over the night while Celestia watches over the day." Crystal nodded. "So... you're the one who raises the moon." Crystal turned to stare at the moon, as did Luna. "Were you lonely, Luna?" Crystal spoke after staring at the beauty of the night sky. Crystal could've sworn she saw a tear fall from Luna's left eye. "I... I was..." Luna's hoof wiped her own cheek. "S-sorry..." Crystal hung her head in shame for making Luna remember such horrible things. Luna lifted Crystal's muzzle up with her hoof. There were face-to-face. "It was my own fault for letting my jealousy take me over." Crystal nodded in understanding. "What is your name, filly?" Luna smiled. "Crystal Charm." Crystal smiled wide. Luna nodded. "Now, back to my original question. What are you doing here?" Crystal hesitated. Is Luna trustworthy? She's surely been through harder times than me. Crystal thought. Would she understand? "Luna... if I told you something... something that could be wrong... would you have to report me to Celestia?" Luna sighed again. "It is my duty as princess..." Crystal's heart dropped. "... but I don't have to tell Celestia everything that happens at night." Luna smiled mischeviously. Crystal smiled wide again. "So... I can trust you?" Luna smiled and rasied her right front hoof "May I be banished to the moon again if you cannot!" Luna then whispered to Cyrstal, "And I don't ever give that promise away if I don't intend to throrougly keep it!" Crystal giggled. "Okay... you know... changelings?" Luna nodded slowly. Crystal sighed. "I... I..." Crystal was suddenly englufed in a circle of green fire. "Crystal?!?!" Luna shouted over the flames. The fire soon died down... and where the blue unicorn used be, was the changling princess. (her crown was left at Fluttershy's cottage) Luna walked around Crysalis slowly, as if she herself was the fire that was surrounding Chrysalis moments ago. "Crystal?" Luna sqeaked. The changling shook her head. "My real name's Chrysalis." Luna stared for a moment, then began to giggle. "You are so lucky I promised on my banishment." Chysalis began to giggle, too. "So... you won't tell?" "I shall not. But, I feel as though I 've seen you before..." Luna stared hard and long at the changling. Suddenly, her eyes widened. She scrambled to her hooves in a hurry, running to the area where Crysalis found the story-book written by moon princess herself. "What are you doing?" Crysalis walked toward the anxious mare. Luna was franticly searching for a book in the area. She magically tossed book after book behind her back, several nearly hitting Crysalis. Luna gasped as she found the book she had been searching for. She pulled it out slowly, as to not damage it in any way. As if it she depended on it to keep her alive. She levitated it in front of her, and slowly brought it back to the center of the room. Cyrsalis watched carefully, wondering what information could be held inside the precious bind of paper and... and whatever the cover was made out of. Luna gently placed the book down on the floor, and sat in front of it, staring. She did not dare to open the book... not yet. Crysalis trotted from behind the alicorn, and sat next to her. For the first few moment, Crysalis mearly stared at the princess next to her, who didn't dare move a muscle. She seemed as though she was barely breathing. Crysalis wondered again, what kind of book could make her act this way. She slowly turned to face the book, though once she did, Crysalis immediatley wished she hadn't. She stared at the green and black book. The very same one she had seen while looking for the Mare in the Moon story. The snake-like letters made it hard to read the word, but Crysalis understood it. History of the Changlings: The Enemies of Equestria Crysalis winced. The Enemies of Equestria? True, her people were not necessarily 'friends' with Equestria... but, enemies? THE enemies? Crysalis sighed. Luna, however, seemed to take no notice of Crysalis' sadness. She simply stared at the book. She knew Crysalis was beside her, she could see out of the corner of her eye. A part of her thought she shouldn't have Crysalis be with her as she reads the book, considering that the book was written by her people, and that they might say some harsh things. Though Luna was too focused on figuring out the truth. So, she slowly opened the book. She found that near the end, was a chapter entitled: The Lost Princess of the Changelings. Luna quicky found that this took place ten years ago, and began readingth story. She didn't realize it, but she read aloud. "The Lost Princess of the Changelings." "Once long ago, the ponies of Equestria and the changelings had been at war. The cause of the war, was that the Princess ruling Equestria found a Changeling impersonating one of her guards. Equestria believed that the changlings had sent a spy, to find their weakpoint, and to take over Equestria. The ponies feared the changelings for they understood that the changeling's food was others love. So, many also thought that they were trying to get stronger. Through messengers, the Queen of the changelings and the Princess of Equestria spoke. The Changeling Queen claimed that she had no knowleedge of the spy, and that she wouldn't do such a thing. The Equestrian Princess believed the Queen, and the matter was settled as a mistake. A week later, however, ponies found more changlings among them. It is unknown how long any of the changlings were there. Then, war was declared. The Equestrian Army did a sneak attack against the changelings, many were killed. A few of the guards made it to the changling queen's bedroom, and the changling queen was killed since she would not surrender, nor tell the guards where her heir to the throne was hiding. Yes, it is said that the queen also had a daughter, who was to rule over the changlings after her mother. However, throughout the war, she was not seen. The princess dissappeared and was never seen again. Some say she ran away, some say she was killed in the war, and some believe she is still in hiding to this day... waiting to avenge her mother and her people." A picture of the changeling princess and her mother was at the bottom of the page. As Luna thought Crysalis looked just like the princess. Luna then turned to look at the poor Changeling Princess. Crysalis stared at the words, she stared at the picture, and several tears could be seen flowing from her eyes across her cheek. "We didn't send them, you know." Crysalis whimpered. "Who?" Luna continued to stare at Crysalis. "The spies." Crysalis finally looked up at the alicorn beside her. "We didn't send them. I... I remember them. They were old friends of mine. I told them not to go... and mother told them that Equestria is dangerous for people like us... she tells everyone that, every day... but they went anyway..." "How did you get here?" Luna asked. "One of my mom's old friends... Shadow..." Cyrsalis paused to smile. "He... met someone... who had a time machine... he thought the future would be safer for me. So, that ten years ago... was kinda like a week ago to me." Luna held back tears. "I'm sorry..." Crysalis sighed. "It's... not your fault." Luna nodded. "They fear you." "What?" "The ponies of Equestria... they fear your changeling kind. That's why they attacked." Luna sighed. "I know what it's like to be feared." Crysalis moved closer to Luna, and the alicorn pulled the changling into a hug. For a few minutes, they sat there. They stared at the moon, and the night. They thoughts over their lives, and themselves. Soon, Luna stood up from their spot. "You should go back to your room." Luna said through tears. Crysalis nodded, and stood from her spot as well. Before leaving though, she hugged Luna once more. "You're not going to tell, right?" Crysalis whimpered. Luna simply shook her head. "I promised, remember?" Crysalis nodded, and turned to the door. She resumed her form as Crystal Charm before leaving Luna alone to stare at the night sky. Luna turned to the two books still on the floor. She returned the books to their proper places, several tear stains on the book about herself. The next morning, before the ponies went back to Ponyville, Luna and Chrysalis had another quick talk before the princess of the night had to rest for the day. All Luna said was: "You should be proud of who you are, Crysalis... no matter what others think."