//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The Past and the Present // Story: Midnight Changeling // by irrationalnumber //------------------------------// The Past It was the evening after the summer sun celebration, Princess Luna remembered something from her time in banishment: One night, during a full moon, no, it was a new moon. A midnight black mare with a flaming red mane had come to visit. This was not the first time but it was the only time the mare had done anything but teach, and lecture her. Her lecture were about the Elements of Harmony, magical artifacts that can be used to defeat even the darkest of foes when wielded by the right pony or ponies. Her teachings lied solely in disguises and shields, which Luna had not a good deal of practice with before then. “This is my last visit, but you will see me again. For a year after you are freed; on the first day after the summer sun celebration, my banishment will be up and I shall once again guard all that exists.” Said this midnight mare “Before you go how will I know whomever you are is you, especially since you refuse to tell me your name?” questioned Luna “You’ll know, before I go I will teach you one last spell, a unique spell of mine, the intentions shield,” She replied. “Of course,” replied Luna. And so the years went on and finally the Nightmare was released from her lunar prison. Only to be defeated by six heroes whom themselves represented the Elements of Harmony. These six ponies led the charge on Discord and then also then later converted him to good, they also helped defeat Queen Chrysalis of the changelings. There was very little these six ponies could not do. Then two days earlier they had saved the tree of Harmony and Equestria from doom by Discord’s nearly forgotten plunder seeds. The Present She was lost in her thoughts until a knock at her door awoke her. “Enter” she barked She thought it was rude of somepony to interrupt her daily activities of getting ready to raise the moon, and was about to send them away to her sister, that was until she realized it was her sister. “Sister, did you perchance to have heard a rather loud screech from the gardens not five minutes ago?” inquired Celestia. “No,” responded Luna, “Although I might have missed it as I was lost in my thoughts at the time.” “Would you mind joining me for a walk through the gardens to investigate, dear sister?” Celestia asked. “Not at all, despite it being close to my time to raise the moon,” replied Luna. As they went on their walk, they wandered through the statues and noticed that despite all of the gardener’s care that one of the statues had shattered, leaving a pile of rocky crumbles behind. “Oh, dear sister,” cried Luna, “that was the statue I gave to you after we defeated Discord.” “Tis’ a shame that such beauty has final fractured,” replied Celestia with a sadness in her eyes that reflected the remembrance of their earlier adventures before they had received royal duties. “I guess now that we know what has caused such a noise tonight, I shall retire to my chambers and you can raise the moon, night Luna.” “Goodnight, and sweet dreams, Sister,” responded Luna as she watched a gardener, one she did not recognize walk into the castle with Celestia. The next day At Canterlot Castle’s Entrance stood a grey pegasi mare with an orange mane, the castle guards had inquired several times what she was doing here. “I told you I seek audience with Celestia,” spouted the mare. “Well what do wish to seek audience with her about?” a guard inquired gruffly. “Tell her an old friend wishes to speak about the elements and tree,” snapped the mare. “Fine, but the Princess is very busy and…” “Just tell her,” interrupted the mare. So the guard left and returned moments later, and told the mare that audience was granted. Asking her subject how she even knew about the Tree of Harmony was something that was first on Celestia’s mind and why did this pony look familiar as from the distant past was the next. “How did you come to know of the Tree of Harmony, which is a secret known only to nine ponies and one Draconequus besides myself?” questioned Celestia. “Celestia, I really am surprised you don’t recognize me,” spouted the mare back avoiding the original question all together. Well since I can’t seem to remember perhaps you would mind taking my memory for a jog?” spurted Celestia back. “Well first let me shake of all this dust that has covered me, then maybe make my horn appear, maybe mention my name is Midnight,” said the mare back, “perhaps that will help thee to recall my image” As soon as the horn appeared Celestia knew that day had finally come back to haunt herself and Luna. “I remember you now, you were the pony that tried to stop me and my sister from getting the Elements from the tree that fateful night, where have you been hiding all these years?” inquired Celestia with a look of shock on her face. “Right in front of you, as the statue Luna gave to you after you defeated Discord,” replied the now alicorn mare. “And why have you returned? To overthrow my sister’s and I’s rule over Equestria? To murder me in my own great hall?” inquired Celestia in her now booming Royal voice, and as she did so she lost control of her magic for one brief moment and fired a small but relatively harmless blast of magic directly at Midnight. But for all that blast could have done it was merely absorbed by a shield surrounding Midnight, whom replied far calmer then Celestia was expecting, “Hardly, now if you would kindly stop acting like a philly unicorn with no control over your magic and listen I will tell you all that I am here for.” “Very well, as I see that it would do me no good to attack you, I will listen and perhaps comment every now and then,” replied Celestia. “You already know the part where you defeated me, so I will skip that part,” began Midnight, “After that I hid myself with a spell and walked away lowering the shield that I had around the tree as I knew against both you and your sister I would have no chance at saving the tree from whatever you were going to do with it. I fled towards my house when the tree warned me to stay out of your way as you now possessed the Elements. It also informed me that I would not be needed for a thousand years or more as it felt you and your sister could do a fine enough job protecting it and the elements. So I found the statue your sister had requested and became it, still able to use some magic, enough to keep in contact with several ponies throughout the kingdom in order to keep up with events. For over a thousand years I waited for my call to life again and three days ago I heard it, the tree was dying and it would still take me days to remove myself from that stony body and once again take flesh and bone as my method of communication. Luckily, your student Twilight Sparkle and her friends once again rushed to the aid of Equestria. However what was done was done, I was leaving my stone body and once again going to perform my duties which before I could not adequately perform.” “Hmmm”, said Celestia as she processed this new info she was gaining. “All I wish to do now is return to my duties as guardian of the Tree of Harmony and all balance that must be maintained.” Stated Midnight as she looked upon Celestia’s crown with full knowledge of what the jewel was. “Very well,” replied Celestia, “However you are going to have to talk to Princess Twilight and her friends about that guarding the whole tree thing, as I did assign that to them only a few days ago. I shall send a letter to them telling of them of your arrival in Ponyville.” “Of course,” responded Midnight, “However I do need to ask one favor of you.” “Yes, Midnight?” Celestia asked with wonder as she looked at the Guardian of the Tree of Harmony. “Will you please get me a train ticket?” replied Midnight, “I, uh… seem to have forgotten… uh” “How to fly,” finished Celestia with a hint of a smile creeping up on her face, “I understand, despite being one the most powerful of beings you can’t remember how to fly, perhaps Twilight can give you a few pointers when you get to Ponyville.” “Of course, although I think Rainbow Dash will be the first to say anything,” replied Midnight “A flightless pony with wings does not go unnoticed around her”