Yang yawned while stretching his limbs, his body awakening to the morning sun. With the bright light gleaming into his pupils, he blocked this vile ray with his right hoof as he climbed out of bed. After shutting the curtains, he glanced around the room and saw a wooden desk. Atop of this was makeup, a nurse's cap, a stethoscope, and a pleura of other hospital items. Confused, he swayed his head back to the bed to see Nurse Redheart soundly asleep. Taken aback, he calmed his breathing down to find a reasonable solution for this.
"Let's see. I was with Twi and her friends. We saw the Princesses. My head started to hurt. I passed out. I...passed....out. Oh shit! Shit! What happened? Wait, did I?" he asked. Yang slowly walked to the bed and observed Nurse Redheart, her chest rising and falling with each breath.
"Ok, whew, she's not dead. I didn't kill her. But did we? I mean...did I bang her? I'm so confused. And why am I here? Where is Chrssy? Where nggg. Ok, need to stop that. For some reason, when I try to recant what happened, my head hurts. Also why am I talking to myself again? I really need to quit that."
Yang took one of the house keys from the key bowl near the front door before stepping outside. Blinded a second time by the light, he fiddled with trying to close the door. Successfully locking it behind him, he heard footsteps approaching from his left. He hid the key in one of the loose brick formations and greeted the orange mare.
"Morning, Apple Jack!"
"Morning Yang! Whatcha' up to?"
"Eh, not much, you?"
"Well, I could really use some help on the farm if you don't mind."
Say no. Just say no and be done with her. "Sure, I'd be glad to help," Yang replied. Ok, Mr. Nice guy have fun with that, Yin replied in his head.
"Oh hush you," Yang replied.
"Huh? I didn't say anything," replied AJ.
"Oh! My apologies, sometimes I argue with myself in my head.........I'm not crazy."
"Can't be any worse than when Pinkie argues with herself."
"Oh really? What about? I'm rather curious," Yang replied as he trotted next to AJ.
"Well, mostly random thoughts."
"Oh, so nothing about morality issues and the decency of every living creature?"
"Ohohoho, heaven's no! It's mostly varying degrees of either candy, or observations she makes on the spot; mostly it's idle things."
"Aw, dang. I was really hoping to have intellectual conversations with her," said Yang.
"That would be Twi, sugarcube. She's the smartest one here after all. You two could have one of those detailed morality points."
"Hmm, you may be right Apple Jack, I'll have to take you up on the offer."
Yang and AJ idly talked along the path to Apple Acres, a small breeze occasionally blowing on them. The trees shook ever so slightly, leaves and loose branches falling around them. The clack of the hooves, the nice conversation with AJ, and even the birds chirping were all signs that today was going to be a great day. Orrrr maybe not.
"I need to buck how many trees!??!" shouted Yang.
"100 trees. You can do it. Big Mac here does that within an hour and a a half. And with your magical talents, I would say 2 and a half hours. Besides, you're getting a free lunch."
"A free lunch in exchange for labor. You sound just like my father."
"And is that a bad thing?"
"No. Not at all. He was a very honest stallion. He was a hard worker, a diligent pony that focused on the task at hand."
"Which was?" asked AJ.
"Feeding our family. However, along the way we grew distant. He struggled to maintain jobs and as a result his drinking grew. I tried to be the next leader in the family. But what kind of pony can handle being the second in charge at only 17 years old? Eventually I left home and came here. I don't know what happened to my family. I had an older sister and a mother, but with time the memories faded away. The only thing I had of my previous life was the pictures. And even those faded away within me. It's been a while since I've talked to anypony about this. I hope you don't mind."
"Nonsense, feel free to open up anytime, Yang. I'll give you my honest opinion, you can count on that."
A small chuckle escaped Yang's lips. "I'm afraid of what that answer might be sometimes. Now then, where do I start?" asked Yang, a smile appearing on his face.
"You'll start on the Granny Smith apples. Those are the green ones. After all, Granny Smith can get all the help she can get. Isn't that right Granny Smith?" AJ yelled.
"WhHAAAATTT? PUTTIN ON THE RITS? I LOVE THAT SONG!" Granny Smith shouted back, her body starting to dance and sway around the barn.
"Uh-oh. She's doing it again. I'll see you in a couple of hours ok? Granny Smith, stop dancing! Think about your hip!" AJ yelled trotting off behind the barn.
Yang started to work on the green apple trees, bucking hard with all of his might. After four hard bucks, his body was tired. Refusing to give up, he focused his magic on cutting the small twigs that held the ripened fruit in its possession. After the first and second tree's ripe fruit filled the baskets below, an underwhelming urge to hack and slash the twigs sprang forth from his body. With this new-found energy, Yang hacked and slashed at the ripened fruit, its contents filling the baskets below. Hours passed before AJ called out to Yang. Ignoring her calls, he hacked and slashed his way through the fourth and fifth rows of trees. After the twelfth row of trees, he collapsed on the ground. With heavy panting, he felt a sharp tug on his neck, his body being thrown into some kind of wagon.
"Huh? Wha?"
"Hi there! I'm Applebloom! AJ's sister! You name is?"
"Yang," her replied. "Where am I?"
"You're in the apple cart. Big Mac saw you collapsed on the ground, my older sister threw you in the cart, and now we're heading back home to Apple Acres. We called you for lunch, but you looked like you were having so much fun, we didn't want to interrupt."
"What time is it?" asked Yang.
"1815, Yang. We're heading back for supper."
"That late already? Aw man I'm tired."
"Teehee, I hope you're hungry, we made a big meal tonight."
"Yeah, I guess I kinda am. You know something Applebloom?"
"What?"
"I can see that you're a good foal."
Applebloom blushed a bit before giggling.
"Stay that way Applebloom. Don't let this cold world corrupt you. Please, stay that innocent for as long as you can. There's no rush to grow up," he said, the wagon stopping. Applebloom tilted her head at his words as Yang walked from the cart into the house. Minor aches and pains pierced his body.
Ughh, I'll be sore tomorrow he thought.
"The washroom's the second door on the right. Sorry we don't have any spare bedrooms, but we can a cot for you in the barn after supper. I hope you don't mind," said AJ.
"Naw, no worries, AJ. I appreciate the kind gesture," he said. Yang noticed the washroom. A small bathtub, a solo sink, a white porcelain toilet, and a dirt floor. Not the best kind of washroom, but hey, it was better than nothing. After he was cleaned up, he sat in the dining room and waited for the rest of the family to wash and join him at the table. After saying grace and eating, Yang was escorted by AJ to the barn where she showed him a hay bed with a think wool blanket and a small white pillow. She made her leave and Yang got himself comfortable. He quickly fell asleep and saw an image from his past. He saw a young stallion yelling at his father, the two of them bickering and fighting with each other. His mother was in the living room, her eyes filled with tears, her soft whimpers muffled by the noise. The young stallion continued to yell at his father, while momentarily checking up on his mother to make sure she was doing fine. This dragged on for a couple of minutes before his father left and went for a walk, his sister now joining him to see if their mother was well. Yang awoke to a small click. He opened his eyes to see AJ closing the barn door, a small lantern in her hoof.
"AJ?"
"Oh, don't mind me, just go back to sleep," she replied, walking over to Yang.
"But, w-what are you doing here?"
"I can't let a stranger go to sleep in a barn by himself now can I?"
"Well you can. That's normal."
"Not around these parts its not. I mean you were alone for a long time, and you even sleep alone wherever you live. I'll sleep across from you, if you don't mind... You don't mind do you?" she asked, raising the lantern.
"No, I don't. It's just been awhile since some stranger showed me kindness. It's very refreshing, that's all. It's just soooo niccce," Yang yawned. He plopped back down on the pile of hay, his eyes closing as he drifted off to sleep.
"Hehe, good night Yang. Sleep tight," AJ whispered, blowing out the lantern.
In the Canterlot Castle, Luna's head pounded as a message was relayed inside her mind.
"Don't forget, Princess Luna. Tonight meet me in the Everfree Forest. I will show you the way. If you encounter some small creatures, don't resist. They will be your guide," the voice hissed.
Crap! What do I do? thought Luna. A small rapture of knocks tapped on Luna's door. She opened it to see her sister, Celestia, standing before her.
"Tonight dear sister, I will need your help in finding the culprit that plans to overthrow us. I will use my troops to scan Cloudsdale and the mountains. May I entrust you with Ponyville and the Everfree Forest?" asked Celestia.
"Yes, my dear sister, we shall not fail you. You can count on us. We shall leave post haste. Captain!" shouted Luna.
"Yes, my Highness," she replied.
"Gather half of your finest troops. Meet me at the drawbridge in Canterlot. You have 10 minutes."
"Roger, your Highness. Alright, listen up! Who's ready to kick some ass!" she shouted down the halls, her voice trailing off into the distance.
"Well ,they seem excited," chuckled Celestia.
"Yes, they do. I just hope we find them sister. I just pray that we can live in peace and harmony."
"We will, Luna. One day we will all live together in tranquility. No matter how long that takes, I will wait for the day."
Celestia walked down the hallway, her celestial mane disappearing from Luna's sight. Luna emerged from her room and greeted her captain, her stance upmost and pristine. She briefed him Celestia's plan of surveillance in the area. Acknowledging this order, the captain salted Luna and took his leave. After he left, Luna snuck away from the castle, making sure her trail was covered and unnoticeable. She landed on the outskirts of the forest, checking over her shoulder to make sure no pony was following her. After entering the forest, her head pounded. She walked straight, but the pain grew worse. Turning left was still the same effect, so she started to turn right, the pain melting away.
"Hmph, subtle my flank," said Luna.
She walked straight into the forest, the occasional twig snapping underneath her. With owl hoots and wind gusts, the creepy atmosphere just made Luna giggle in delight. Enjoying the nice walk, a hissing sound appeared behind her. A second and third one emerged to her sides. A fourth one echoed in front of her, her movements cut off from all sides. Emerging from the dense thicket of woods, a small changeling stood before Luna. The other three came into light, each one hissing angrily.
"Alright, you can stop that infernal hissing," said Luna.
"Princess Luna, follow me please," replied the changeling in front of her.
Luna merely followed the changeling, a plot forming in her head. If she can find this Chrysalis's hideout and defeat this pest herself, she can bring peace back to Equestria. Luna followed the changeling, occasionally climbing over rotted logs and ducking under low branches. It took a couple of minutes, but she arrived before a worn down house, its shutters hanging and destroyed.
This looks familiar she thought.
With a motion of his foreleg, the changeling directed her inside. Luna scoffed and entered the house, her jaw hanging wide open. A train full of memories hit Luna, her mind racing to find out what had happened here. She remembered the ordeal she had with Yang about his house, but this. This was too much. For how long did he put up with this torment? How long was he suffering? These thoughts filled her head while a soft patter of hooves could be heard from the stairs.
"Welcome Princess. Shall we begin the meeting?" asked Chrysalis, a grin curling her lips.
"Hmm, what makes you think I'll comply?" replied Luna.
"Really, must we do this? After all it is Yang's house, we wouldn't want it tarnished any further, would we? But EVEN if that doesn't calm you down, then there is of course my own control."
"Hehehe.....hahaha...AHAHAHAHA! You really think you can control the likes of me!? The Lunar princess!?! Prepare yourself, Queen of the changelings!"
"You will do no such thing," Chrysalis hissed.
With a glow of her horn, Luna began to shriek in horror. Slowly, a green aura mixed with Luna's horn, its essence slowly enveloping the princess's body. With cries of pain and violent thrashing, the green aura turned into a mist, the black aura from Luna's horn dripping onto her body. With Chrysalis's laughter adding to the mix, armor started to emerge on Luna's torso. It wasn't long before Chrysalis's magic had turned Luna into Nightmare Moon herself. Nightmare Moon slowly straightened her posture and stared at the Queen.
"Hmmm, this is quite interesting."
"Who art thou?"
"I am Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings. And you?"
"I am the darkness of the night, the void in the ethereal of nightmares. I am Nightmare Moon. Hmmm, what happened to thy's other-self?"
"Sealed inside of you for now. You can free her whenever you wish, but I would advise against that for now."
"Why?"
"We have unfinished business."
"And what business does thou speak of?"
"We need to overthrow your sister. However, I can't do this alone. And with your help, we will be unbeatable."
Nightmare Moon merely scoffed at the offer. "And what sayeth if I refuse?"
"You are free to leave," Chrysalis smiled.
Nightmare Moon was taken aback by this, unsure of how to respond. The two merely stared at each other, waiting for the other one to make a move. The changelings readied themselves for a fight if push came to shove.
"Hmmm, you hath intrigued me. What is thou's plan?"
"You can enter into the dream realm, a power I do not possess."
"How doth thou knowest that?"
"When I absorb love from any creature, I also absorb some of their essence. This can range from a simple memory to part of their soul, depending on how intense I make it. When I controlled Yang and made him kiss Luna, his saliva went into her throat. This allowed me to gain access to her head. When she writhed in agony, I used Yang's magic to draw a good memory from Luna. With the happiness inside of him, I was able to see what he had acquired. He had absorbed a moment where Luna was helping some stupid filly with her problems. Thanks to this stroke of luck, I was able to find a hidden power of hers. What I didn't expect was you of course."
"And what was thou's expected result?"
"A simple mind control, that's all. Your eyes go green, I control you, and eventually disguise myself as you. However, now that you're here, plans have changed. We can easily take over Canterlot now."
A devious chuckle escaped NMM's lips. "Two observations: One, why did thou not kiss Luna thyself? And two, thou are forgetting one royal pain in thy side."
"I wasn't about to kiss another mare on the lips or even get that close to someone of her stature. After all, security was increased and I'm not some simple floozy. As for your other statement, what's the problem?"
"Discord," NMM replied.
"Discord?" asked Chrysalis, tilting her head sideways.
"He is a draconequus that is constantly irritating thyself. He is the god of chaos, able to bend reality itself to his whim. He is our last obstacle to victory."
"So you'll help then?"
"Thou never agreed to help you. Just somepony who agrees to help thyself take revenge on thy's older sister. I expect results."
"And who will defeat Discord? I can't exactly get close to him."
A grin emerged on NMM face, "I will make him submit. Prepare thy's army by this weekend. Prepare to travel by my standards, understood?"
"And what if you betray me?" replied Chrysalis.
"Thou wouldn't be alive right now. We shall accompany thy's army as originally planned."
"We?"
"My army as well. I bid thee farewell, Queen. I look forward to our encounter again."
NMM took her leave out of the house, spread her wings, and launched herself forward into the darkness. A small black mist fell from the princess dissipating into the wind.
"Queen?" asked Alexander, the general of the changelings.
"Prep the troops for their night training. We need to hurry and finish any last details. We shall obey her commands for now. If at any moment we feel threatened, please turn on her. We don't need additional distractions."
"And the ummmmmm, new ones?"
"Bring them to me at once. I need to perform strength and other various experiments on them. With these new juggernauts, we can surely overpower anypony that stands in our way. For now, I take my leave. Dismissed general."
"Yes, my queen," he replied.
"With this new ally, there's no way we can lose," chuckled Chrysalis.