Who Needs the Sunshine

by Atuhor Name


CH. 08 Lies Unmasked

Lies Unmasked

        Twilight paced back and forth in the library for the hundredth time. Possibly the thousandth.
        Luna had been sent off for some minor task or another, and was to meet Twilight back at the Library, where Twilight would tell her the truth, whereupon all of Twilight's friends would jump out and throw a "Sorry for spying on you/You're not a changeling” party.
        Twilight anxiously looked up at the clock again. She would be back in less than ten minutes, and with every one, this all seemed like less and less of a good idea.

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        Naudia could detect a subtle wrongness in the air. It was a feeling that had been growing ever since the explosion outside Rarity's boutique.
        She couldn't put her hoof on what was wrong. The library wasn't dark as she approached. Ponies in the street regarded her in awe, as befit a Lunar Princess casually walking down the street.
        Why, then, did it feel like a weight was hanging just above her head?

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        As Luna poked her head through the door, she didn't find a party ready to start, or a darkened room filled with waiting ponies.
        All she found was Twilight Sparkle sitting in the middle of the library with a guilty, nervous expression on her face.
        "Luna, I've got to come clean with you on something." Twilight said, every word filled to the brim with hesitation.
        Twilight took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and barreled forward, consequences be damned.
        "We've been spying on you."
        "Oh, well I knew that."
        "WHAT?"
        "Well, its kinda obvious when a rainbow-maned pegasus is following you around in a conspicuous black outfit." Luna looked mildly affronted for a moment. "I'm not blind, Twilight."
        "NOW," Luna cleared her throat. "I suppose you'll tell me why you were spying on me then?"
        It took Twilight's mental gears several seconds to readjust.
        "Well. Uhhh, err, it all started with this letter from the Princess, uhh Celestia that is," Twilight said, waving it in the air with her magic. "Pretty much, she thought you might have been replaced by a changeling, and we were supposed to watch you discreetly... Anyways since we've determined that you aren't a changeling, we've decided to throw you a little party to apologize."
        Luna stood stock-still.
        Twilight, mistaking Luna's shock for confusion, made a sudden realization.
        "OOOOH, I forgot you weren't there when the changelings attacked! I suppose I should fill you in on that..." And Twilight went on to tell her story as to what happened when the changelings attacked, oblivious to the fact that Luna hadn't moved for several seconds.

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        Naudia stood stock-still, unable to believe the words that were coming out of the purple librarian's mouth. As the story progressed, things began to fall into place for her.
        Twilight Sparkle, HER Twilight Sparkle, the mare she had opened her heart to by the lake, was the Element of Magic, on first-name terms with Princess Celestia. And Twilight Sparkle was the pony who had outed her mother and stopped the changeling invasion...
        Twilight Sparkle had killed her mother.
        "...And then Candance and Shining Armor pulled off their shield spell and flung all the changelings out of Canterlot!" Twilight ended her story with a triumphant pose.
        But things were not going so well for Naudia, she looked at the mare in front of her in sheer terror, scrabbling her hooves to back away as the walls began to close in around her.
        "Princess?" Twilight Sparkle asked moving closer, "What’s wrong?"
        "No nonononononono," Naudia said, holding up a hoof in self defense from the lavender monster before her, eyes wide, voice inundated with sheer animal panic.
        And then her disguise dropped.

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        "Applejack, you stepped on my hair," Rarity said, muffled in the confines of their cramped hiding spot.
        "SHHHH" Rainbow Dash said, holding an ear to the door, waiting for their cue to leave the confines of their wardrobe.
        Hearing something outside, it sounded like Twilight was done talking. Rainbow motioned to her friends that it was time.
        All five of them burst out into the main floor of the library to find...
        Princess Luna backing away from Twilight in terror?
        "No nonononononono," Luna said holding a hoof up between her and Twilight.
        And that was odd... her voice had changed.
        The five mares edged forward hesitantly. They knew something was up.
        Luna saw them and redoubled her efforts to back her way through the door and then...
        And then there was a flash of green fire, and Luna was replaced by-
        "Chrysalis!" somepony shouted.
        "No! NO! NOO! Stay away from me, you MONSTERS!" the changeling queen screamed, scrabbling at the door, too terrified to even find the handle.
        Twilight, looking shocked and hurt, reached out with her hoof to touch the changeling queen.
        There was a flash.
        And they were gone.