//------------------------------// // Chaper 9: Darkness Beyond Twilight // Story: Earth to Twilight // by terrycloth //------------------------------// “Princess Luna is ready for you,” Moondancer said, letting the door to Luna’s private chamber close behind her as she ended her vigil. With her yellow coat and bright pink mane, she reminded Twilight unpleasantly of a sort of reverse, unicorn Cherry Berry, but where Cherry was abrasive but generally honest, Moondancer had always been extra polite, instantly eager to hang out with Twilight since the moment she’d first heard about her position as Celestia’s student. Even a young, asocial Twilight had been able to see through her machinations – even if Spike never had – and her unease around Moondancer had been a small part of the reason she’d avoided the social scene during her school days. That said, Twilight Sparkle had nothing against Moondancer now. With Twilight in disgrace, and Moondancer ensconced in a prestigious position as Luna’s hoofmaiden, there was no longer any reason for the weasely little social climber to pretend that they were friends, which made their interactions much more natural. “How is she feeling tonight?” Twilight asked, a little apprehensive about facing the princess. “Dreamwalking always leaves her in a pleasant mood,” Moondancer replied. “Please try not to ruin it. Some of us have to live with her.” “No promises,” Rainbow Dash said, as she and the changelings broke from their conversations with the moon ponies to join Twilight by the door. “I should probably go in alone,” Twilight Sparkle said, surprised to see them lining up behind her so eagerly when she herself was half tempted to give up on the whole idea and just run while she could. Oh. Right. Tess had told her about the ‘incident’ in private, probably for a reason. That reason being the two changelings, who presumably hadn’t been told. “I have something unpleasant that I need to talk to Luna about, before I get around to asking about, er, employment, and I don’t want her to feel cornered.” “Maybe you should ask about employment first?” Ditto asked. He was back in his unicorn form from Ponyville, so she was calling him Ditto again. “While she’s still in a good mood?” “No,” Twilight said. “This is important, and private. Don’t worry – if there’s any chance of having her accept you, I’ll make sure not to ruin your chances.” That was almost certainly a true statement; ‘if FALSE’ always was. “Trust me,” she added, knowing that it would have the opposite effect, but should make them humor her instead, which was just as good in the short term. “Oh come on,” Rainbow Dash said. “Another secret?” “Yes,” Twilight hissed. “Ponies keep telling me their secrets. Apparently I have a very dishonest face.” “Shy librarian,” Moondancer said, softly. As Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked at her, she elaborated. “It’s not that ponies think you’re sneaky, it’s that they think you’re too much of a nerd to spread gossip because you never bother to talk to anypony. You’re a shy librarian who keeps to herself, and unless somepony steals your secret diary, their secrets are safe.” “I don’t keep a secret diary,” Twilight Sparkle replied. “Spike reads it all the time.” Which, of course, was even better. She looked away from Moondancer’s patronizing stare. “Right. Regardless of why they’ve decided to burden me with this, I still have a responsibility to keep their trust. Which means I need to talk to Luna alone.” She headed for the door, and glanced back to see everypony watching her – even the moon ponies from the lounge down the hall. After a couple of seconds making sure they were staying put, she nosed open the door and walked into the darkness. Luna’s room was pitch black, lit only by a faint sparkle of starlight twinkling from the princess’ mane – a tuft of night swimming in the deepest black. As her hooves clacked against the hard stone floor, Twilight saw the night lift from its bed and swoop towards her suddenly. “Twilight Sparkle! Oh, most wonderful of nights!” proclaimed the princess. Twilight squeaked as the energetic alicorn lifted her from the floor and pulled her into a bone-creaking hug against the fur of her chest. Luna set Twilight back down, and her horn flared briefly, awakening a series of tiny, pale firefly lanterns around the room, filling the space with something resembling moonlight. The princess smiled happily as she looked into Twilight’s eyes, not a hint of artifice or guile showing. “It has been too long since we have met. We must engage in merriment and revelry!” “At the same time?” Twilight asked, her mind spinning a little as she tried to recover her balance. “If it is possible, we shall endeavor to do so, and perhaps we can have ‘fun’ as well!” Luna said. “Is that why you are here in my home? Art thou weary of Ponyville at last, and come to seek excitement amongst our followers?” She smiled, but her wings drooped a little. “It would be nice to have a friend here. Our guards, and the other ponies that work with us, are devoted and respectful, but depend on us too much for us to truly relax our guard, lest we harm them inadvertently with an errant word.” “Where all I have to worry about is being harmed by an errant hug,” Twilight said, rubbing at her shoulder with her nose. It hadn’t actually been popped out of joint, but she’d probably be limping for a while. “Ah, our apologies. We forget sometimes that you are not yet an alicorn –“ “Yet?” Twilight tried to interrupt to ask, but Luna continued on without pause. “—and our usual source of camaraderie is our sister.” At this, Luna frowned. “With whom we are not speaking at the moment.” She brightened once more. “But let us not burden you with our problems! Tell us instead how thy studies have advanced, into the magic of the earth pony!” “Well, I –“ Twilight began, then stopped, and met Luna’s gaze. “No, Luna, I’m not here to talk about me. I’m here to talk about you, and I think you know what I’m referring to.” Luna’s smile faded gradually, and she turned away from her accuser. “Then leave,” she said, dropping to the ground, and burying her nose in her forelimbs. “I am not speaking of it any more. I’m done making excuses and promises and trying to pretend that I understand why everypony’s so angry. It’s just another arbitrary rule that I had no way of knowing until the trap my sister set sprang shut on my reputation.” “And since I’m your friend, I’m supposed to take your side even though it bothers me just as much?” Twilight asked. “No, that’s why I have my minions,” Luna said. “All I wanted from you was a distraction. Why must thou press on this matter? Is there nothing else in Equestria that we can discuss?” At this point, the princess’ eyes were closed, and her wings pulled tightly against her sides. Twilight cringed to see her suffer. “I don’t want to do this,” she said, to herself as much as to Luna. “But I didn’t come here to be your friend. I’m sorry, Luna, but I came here to ask a favor, or maybe to do you a favor, and now I just don’t know if it can possibly work.” “Were my actions that unforgivable? I harmed nopony,” Luna said, her starry tail twitching listlessly. “Let us assume, for the sake of argument, that the changeling you harvested for Tess’ horn was a pony,” Twilight Sparkle said. “It was dying—“ Luna started. “It?” Twilight said. “Why would you call a pony ‘it’?” “Fine, ‘though this ploy to spark empathy is wasted. She was dying before we intervened,” Luna said. “She was beyond harm, and remains so.” “And that’s the only reason you decided to turn her into a piece of apparel,” Twilight said. “You didn’t see a wounded changeling and think, ‘wouldn’t it be convenient if she were to die; then Tess and Sparkles could have that unicorn armor they’ve been asking for’.” “Nay, no such thought crossed my mind,” Luna replied. “I intended to use the incident to curry favor with the unicorns studying the creature, in hopes of recruiting them to my service. If you wish for an ulterior motive, there it is, as plain and ugly as day. I am not some ghoul hunting for trophies, although I would like to know when the practice fell so out of favor that it is seen as a horror, rather than an eccentricity.” “Sometime during the golden age,” Twilight said, considering the question. “It was already considered unusual and archaic a thousand years ago, but it didn’t die out completely until after the peace with the griffons. Or was it the dragons?” She shook her head. “I’d have to refresh my memory to give a specific date.” Luna snorted. “And no, Celestia did not engineer the shift in social mores as a trap for you when you returned,” Twilight said. “The issue at stake was Equestria’s effort to shame the griffons out of eating pony prisoners and criminals.” She paused. “Yes, I’m sure it was the griffons. You can’t shame a dragon.” “Of course,” Luna said, looking up at Twilight. “It was for the sake of the griffons, because nothing that my sister does has ever had more than one purpose.” “And yet your motives are as plain as day?” Twilight asked, flicking one of her ears. “Indeed. ’Twas always a bone of contention between us,” Luna replied earnestly. “The ponies would have us be the mistress of secrets, but in dreams our secrets are revealed, and in the dark we have no reason to hide our true colors.” She looked down again. “But when we try to come out into the light, we’re seen as a colorfully dressed harlequin. On our good days.” “Well…” Twilight said, trying to think of a polite way to put it, since lying to the princess would do neither of them any favors. She settled on, “Yes. But that’s usually part of your charm.” Luna stared at her, impassively, then snorted again. “Fine. Then tell us, why is this so different?” “I’m friends with some changelings,” Twilight said, deciding that if she didn’t just go ahead and get to the point, she was probably never going to get to the point, and sooner or later she’d lose her resolve, let Luna change the subject, and have to start the whole conversation over. “I thought, ‘hey, here are some social misfits with weird magical powers that Luna might find useful, and they just happen to be creepy giant bugs. Luna loves creepy giant bugs!’ But they’re from Canterlot, originally, and they almost certainly knew the one you – the one the guards killed. How do you think they’ll react when they find out you had a hoof in her death?” “Let us find out,” Luna said, rising to her hooves and striding past Twilight. “What?” Twilight asked, as the princess flung open the door, blinding her with the bright light from the hallway. “Moondancer! Send in the creepy giant bugs!” Luna announced, imperiously. === “Ripple,” Ditto said, after grilling Luna on everything she remembered about the changeling who’d died. “It had to be Ripple. Stars… she was so young.” “Did you know her well?” Twilight Sparkle asked, glancing nervously at Seaside, who’d been very quiet through the whole story. Both changelings were in their base forms, at Luna’s request, and in the dimly lit room looked like nothing so much as two sets of glowing eyes. Seaside’s eyes stared blankly at nothing. “Too well,” Ditto said. “I had to clean up after her screw ups so many times… I always worried she’d come to a bad end, even before the invasion. But it’s still hard to believe she’s really gone…” he looked up at Luna. “Easier for you, I imagine.” “Indeed,” Luna replied. “We are well acquainted with the passing of mortals.” “And you saw her… cut into little pieces…” Ditto hissed through clenched fangs. Luna nodded. “That as well. Dost thou bear us ill will in this matter? Is there aught we can do to make amends?” “We knew it was risky to run,” Ditto said. “And it doesn’t sound like anypony wanted her to die. So… I don’t know.” His wings buzzed briefly, then folded tightly against his sides. “I probably shouldn’t.” Luna nodded, and turned to Seaside. “And thou?” Seaside sobbed, and tried to cover her face with her hooves, although the glow from her eyes shone through the holes in her legs. “I don’t want to die!” she wailed. “Why can’t you just leave us alone!” “I do not think your plan will work, Twilight Sparkle,” the princess said, looking down at the miserable changelings. Twilight looked at the seething Ditto and the sobbing Seaside, and had to agree that it looked bad. But what was her backup plan? To take them back to Ponyville and hope that Applejack was willing to keep their secret in the long term? To let them run to another town and hope that the next time they were discovered it didn’t lead to their doom at the hooves of an angry mob? Those options were not ideal. But maybe… she took another look at the changelings’ reactions. They weren’t swearing eternal vengeance on the Princess or Equestria, they were just… sad. Maybe there was one more thing to try. === Everypony gathered at the main entrance to Luna’s secret cave. Through the illusionary wall, semitransparent from inside, they watched as the golden light of the rising sun spilled over the blanket of clouds obscuring the land to the west, although Canterlot and the cave itself remained in the mountain’s shadow. Luna stood with her back to the entrance, behind a cloth-covered table on which Ripple’s enchanted horn sat, still set into the headpiece of a suit of lunar armor. Tess, accordingly, was out of her armor, and stood nearby in her true shape, looking like nothing so much as a humongous bipedal ferret. Chance had also disrobed, and sat with his clawed hand resting on the still-armored Warp’s back, between her wings. Wolf was around somewhere. All the moon ponies looked distracted, and Twilight suspected they were chatting silently amongst themselves, since the machines in their heads let them do that. But that was okay – this ceremony wasn’t for them. Rainbow Dash looked extremely uncomfortable. Her wings kept twitching as she stood next to Seaside, letting the fake pegasus rest against her with a wing draped over her back. Ditto stood on Seaside’s other side, with Twilight Sparkle a respectful distance farther on, next to her father and Moondancer, who were standing far too close to each other. “Is this really necessary?” her father whispered to the hoofmaiden. “Shut up,” Twilight hissed, before Moondancer could reply. “Dearest friends,” Luna began, lowering her head slightly, “we gather here to pay tribute to the life of the changeling known to her friends as Ripple. Most of us did not know her, but everypony here has felt the desire for freedom that kept her from accepting the fate Celestia decreed for her kind, as well as the fear of isolation that drove her to remain in a city that wanted her gone. As those who did know her could attest, had events not conspired to take her from us, she might have been standing here, unharmed and alive, as our friend. “Equestria is a colder and emptier place for her passing. As the coldness of her absence settles upon us, let us take solace in the hope that her spirit finds rest in the lands beyond, and that as surely as the sun and the moon rise each day anew, in time her spirit will return. Perhaps in the next life she will find the peace and contentment that was robbed from her in this one. “Does anypony wish to speak of the deceased?” Ditto glanced at Seaside, and stepped forwards. Luna stood to the side as he took her place behind the table. His horn flared with green light as he lifted Ripple’s horn, staring at it from all angles with a somber eye, before letting it drop back to the cloth. “I don’t have much to say,” he said to the crowd. “She was a joy, and a pest. Had she lived, I’m sure she would have accomplished… dramatic things, in somepony’s name, if not in her own. She would laugh to see this ceremony.” He trailed off. “I had a memory of her that I was going to share, but I don’t think I can manage it right now. I’ll show it later to the ponies who care.” He glared at Crescent and Moondancer, who stopped whispering to each other and pretended to pay attention. “I’m done here,” he said, hurrying back to Twilight’s side and burying his tears in her shoulder, as she gave him the hug he was obviously in dire need of. Luna looked next to Seaside, who detached herself from Rainbow Dash and approached the table, although she kept her back to the crowd. “Ripple…” she said, tearfully. “You IDIOT!” She slammed her hooves into the table, knocking it over. The horn went spinning towards the hundred-foot drop-off just outside the cave entrance, but came to rest a few feet from the edge. She stared at it for a few seconds, then stalked back to the audience, where she carefully stood a foot away from Rainbow Dash and everypony else. “So… what now?” Tess asked, looking at the enchanted horn and flexing her hands anxiously. “Do we bury it? Burn it?” “You were one of Pinkie Pie’s friends, right?” Ditto said, wiping off his eyes on the back of his foreleg. “Yeah,” Tess said. “For a few days, anyway.” “Keep it then,” he said. “I don’t know if Ripple would have wanted you to have it, but we all owe Pinkie Pie for letting us out of jail in the first place. And since she’s not here, the best we can do is help out her friends.” “Oh thank the invisible spirit of the sky,” Tess said, scrambling towards the fallen horn and clutching it desperately to her chest. “I did not want to listen to Sparkles complaining about losing this for the next year,” she said. “Thank you. THANK you.” “It’s yours,” Seaside said, meeting Tess’s gaze with a ferocious stare. “NOT Luna’s.” “I can live with that,” Tess said, smiling nervously. “Sorry, bad choice of words.” === ”No!” the viewpoint Pinkie Pie squeaked as she watched her duplicate toss the purple earth pony she’d been carrying around off the edge of the terrace. She darted through the crowd, with a little assistance from her magic, and confronted the errant Princess as she laughed and joked with a trio of nobles, who seemed strangely unconcerned. “What did you just do!” “I showed her a short cut!” the other Pinkie Pie replied. The unicorns she’d been speaking with laughed. “There are wards against falling on all the terraces,” one of them explained. “But how do you know that, my dear, while you –“ he turned towards the viewer and looked at her suspiciously, “do not? Are you not using Nightdancer’s Unbound Image spell to appear in multiple places at the same time?” “Oh, I don’t know any spells,” the other Pinkie Pie said. “I’m just winging it. I guess that version of me wasn’t listening when we learned about the wards. Go back to your area,” she said, gesturing with her wings, “Shoo! Shoo!” Twilight laughed as the last memory from Ditto’s spell faded, and she returned to reality. “Thanks for sharing that, Ditto,” she said, smiling despite herself. “She really was a pest, wasn’t she.” Ditto nodded, but didn’t say anything. The two of them were alone in one of the many, many unused chambers of Luna’s secret lair; back when Canterlot was a nameless village of miners and gem cutters, it had been an isolated mountain fortress, with enough space to accommodate dozens of guards and all the ponies that had supported them. “So… are you feeling better?” Twilight asked. “Luna is willing to take you and Seaside on, if you’re interested. You’d be safe here.” “We can’t stay here,” he said. Twilight drooped. “You still don’t forgive her?” “It isn’t that,” Ditto said. “The unicorns hate us, and the moon ponies are either nearly emotionless or just incompatible. There’s no love here. Luna is curious and vaguely sympathetic, but that’s not enough. We’d have to go down to the city to feed, and that’s suicide.” “Oh,” Twilight said, frowning. “I guess I should have anticipated that that might be a problem, although I did expect Luna to have done a bit more recruiting by now.” She shook her head. “Maybe there’s some other way to feed you? How do they feed the changelings in the dungeon?” “Badly,” Ditto said, and shivered. “So, what’s our next move?” “I don’t know,” Twilight said. “Luna is the only pony I could think of who’d be able to harbor you legitimately, and otherwise you’re probably better off just changing identities again.” She sighed. It really did sound like they were going to have to go on the run. She’d miss them, and worry. “Maybe you could get Luna to write you a note?” she suggested, dragging another desperate idea up from the depths of her imagination. “Your cover in Ponyville isn’t completely destroyed, and I’m sure if Applejack thought you were working for the Princess she’d keep your secret…” “It’s bad enough relying on Seaside to keep our secret,” Ditto replied. “But Applejack? Really?” “Ugh,” Twilight said, ears drooping. Ditto nuzzled her. “The note’s a good idea, though, if Luna will go for it. It might give us enough time to get away the next time we’re discovered.” “I’m sorry I don’t have anything better to offer you,” Twilight replied. “I’m going to go talk to Princess Celestia about all this – she can’t be planning to keep the changelings locked up indefinitely. She just can’t! Maybe I can get her to move things along, and you won’t have to hide for very much longer.” “I wish I could believe that,” Ditto said, standing up and taking a deep breath. “I guess this is goodbye.” “Good luck,” Twilight said, as he left the room. After a few minutes of unproductive brooding, she got to her hooves and went to find Rainbow Dash.