The silence in the room seemed to eat away at me and I could see Luna thought so to. We stood up at the same time, my snout slightly brushing by her mane as we did so. It smelt like the air, so clear and clean, so free of worry. Luna gestured to the window, hinting me to follow. The sun was still climbing over the peak of all mountainous range that surrounded this beautiful city.
Trying not to let her see me, my eyes drifted to hers. She looked so calm, so involved with her kingdom. Just like when she lowered the moon, and yet, she looked to be...sad. Taking in a deep breath, I let my hoof feel around the floor until it found hers. Blood instantly rushed to my face, turning from her as of not to let her see.
Glancing at the corner of my eyes, I could see her....blushing, and her other hoof once again found my chin, but not in anger. It turned my gaze toward hers, locking our eyes in what felt like an eternity. An eternity of happiness. Adrenalin shock through me like a bullet. My body was filled with this mare's love. A tear formed in Luna's eye and, removing my hoof from hers, wiped it from her face. Her eyes started to closed and so did mine. Leaning in closer, our foreheads met, our horns sparked, and my heart(If changelings have hearts) fluttered.
"Why did you save me?"
There was a short moment of silence.
"You were the last one," She said, another tear forming in her eye for I could feel it on my muzzle.
"I had to. Copying your magic, I formed...well, you. you were still...alive...sorta. And, I took your place. That's why you were in chains when you awoke. I teleported you Zinc."
Another tear.
"And, when they tried to kill what they thought was you I....I tried to change back! I really did! I just....froze.."
I looked up at her in confusion and horror.
"They killed me Zinc...Of coarse, the rules of magic meant I formed back when my soul left me. Celestia, my dear sister, was able to bring me back...But...there is a price for using such powerful magic.."
Her bottom lip quivered and the mare broke out into a sob. I carefully wrapped my hooves around her, trying to provide some comfort for what came next.
"I'm using all my strength...all of it....I feel so weak. Not here. I'm not here."
This made even less sense.
"What do you mean your not here?Where are you if not with me?"
Luna's whole being was shaking now, like a lost foal, she cried in my arms.
"I don't know where I am. I'M SCARED....PLEASE....please help me Zinc."
My breathing grew harder and my heart raced.
"W-what is wr-wrong Luna?"
"I'm using all my power, and Celestia's, to keep my here. I'm not real Zinc." Luna sobbed harder.
"I-I...I'm so sorry...I just... Celestia is so...so weak and even with our power combined...I'll have two days at most....I'm so sorry Zinc..."
I didn't say anything...What could I say? What would anypony say to this?! Nothing...
Tears streaked my face, together we lay. Together alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I didn't sleep that night. Luna was with her sister and I was in the library...searching. Searching for some way to save her. There had to be something. Some potion, some magic, some....Zebra! Switching back to my pony form, I took to ponyville and from there, the everfree forest.
The wind was strong in my face as I flew. I had forgotten the other pegasi had scheduled a rain for that day, no more like a storm. After what was about an hour of searching, I found what I was looking for. The hut seemed to tower over me, daring me to take another step. Stepping inside, the smell of potions and exotic fruits hit me like a hammer.
"Zecora?" I called, still gasping from the fumes.
"Ah, my changeling friend, I believe you came here to stop princess Luna from meeting her end?"
I let myself relax. Zecora was sort of a friend of mine, she taught me to learn make love potions. Of coarse, I always ended out drinking them.
"Yah, but how did you know?"
"Many things I have learned in my day, but for the most part, I knew what to say. Some royal guard has let out her secret. The one about Luna's end, and how she will meet it."
Despite the aching in my wings and the worry for Luna, I found it was easy to smile around this mare. Her rhymes were quite amusing.
"If the great spirit will allow, Luna may be forsaken, but for that to be so, another soul must be taken. Unless you or others are willing to die, I'm afraid the only thing left is to give our goodbyes."
"But, how would that be so?" I was starting to get desperate.
"Hmm... Death can be avoided, but somepony will pay. That pony will be trapped inside themselves until the great spirit's say! That pony will still dream, sleep breath and think, but until he is released, further into thier own mind they will sink."
"Zecora, how long will they stay trapped inside themselves?"
The zebra put a hoof to her mouth.
"The conditions of this spell, I still do not know. Only once has it been used, and he is still not allowed to go."
"How..How long was she....has she been...you know."
Zecora pulled a jar shaped gourd off one of her many shelves. Concentration concreted on her face, she poured half of the substance into the large black bowl in the center of the room, followed by a poof of green smoke.To my surprise, an image appeared amongst the smoke. A pony. And by the looks of it, a stallion.
" A thousand years ago it was," Why is everything a thousand years in this place? "When he is released, he will still be consumed my lust!"
The smoky figure lit his horn and a fifty or more differently colored crystals revolved around him. A smile, much like mine, appeared on his face. He was the only thing that wasn't in color.
"But soon will he arise and take back what he needed to live. Mercy on his victims, he simply won't give."
"Zecora, I don't understand."
With an almost audible poof, the smoke disappeared.
"When you are trapped in yourself, you are sent back, not only in time, but also in place, and when he is released, he will try to destroy the new pony race!"
"NEW pony race? You are really not making sense!"
The zebra gave him a blank look.
"I know that for you, this information is knew, but I do believe in time, you'll know what to do."
I nodded my head and flew out the window. The sun was setting and making way for Luna's moon. My wings still hurt and my hunger was growing, sucking away at my energy.
"Luna! Luna I'm here! I-"
My breathing stopped when I landed in her room. The princess Celestia was cradling an almost lifeless body. Luna. The wheezing that come from her insured me she was still alive...for now. I ignored Celestia's surprised look that a changeling had flown into the window, and come to comfort Luna. Her older sister looked so heart broken, I don't think she cared I was here. I slid my hoof under her head, doing what I could to provide comfort to the dying princess of the moon. Her eyes opened just big enough for her to see me.
"Zinc? I-"
I placed my other hoof on her muzzle, indicating her to save her breath. The white alicorn looked down at me through tear stained eyes.
"So, your Luna's secret....ZInc." The princess's voice was shaky and cracked when my name escaped her lips.
Luna's eyes were going blurry and her breathing all but ceased. I knew what to do. I had to. Using the strength I had left in my body, I sent it to my horn. It lit up the room like a fire. Knowing what was to happen, I placed my horn on hers. My heart raced, and then there was nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~4~months~Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Are you sure you don't want me to go as well?"
"yes. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor are already there. The others will be joining them soon."
Celestia's assurance didn't comfort her sister enough to take the doubt from her mind.
"The empire's magic is powerful! It can not fall to the enemy my sister."
"She will succeed at her task." Deep down, Luna knew it was true. "And when she does, we will know that she is that much closer to being ready."
"Ahem!"
A purple unicorn emerged from the doorway, a saddlebag at her side. The unicorn smiled at the princesses nervously. Celestia leaned toward her younger sister,
"Trust me little sister." Luna bowed her head low.
"You wanted to see me? To give me a test?" The unicorn's voice was a bit shaky.
Luna walked by her sister's prized student, a tinge of anger and concern showing on her face, but Luna knew her her sister was right. She knew that when it came down to it, if she were to go, it would be as the first time. She knew she couldn't let me be killed.