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// Chapter 13: A Fresh Perspective 
// Story: Life through Love 
// by SentientHydra 
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	I have heard it said, perhaps here, perhaps in my old world that every memory is a world unto itself, a captured snapshot of a time and place that never will be again.  I saw the truth of this as Luna and I faded into the memory's world. for a minute I held the memory back, rendering it unable to become solid as I pondered something.

The night princess frowned when the forming world became gray, the motion stopped before it had even begun, noting quite dryly "We suppose this is thine clever trick changeling? Trapping us in a memory that will never end, formed by an alien mind that we cannot control" I'm not sure, but I can't help but think Luna sounded slightly impressed.

For my sins, I simply smiled right back, apologetically "nothing so dramatic your majesty, I merely wish to assuage a nagging worry in the back of my mind." I flowed through the half formed memory to 'stand' (for lack of a better word) to Luna's front "you see I am, indeed, a different form of changeling. A 'noble', if you would accept the analogy, of the Changeling caste system. The memory we are about to enter is that of a active, long term agent under my supervision, and care...

"...thus, thou would require a promise of some kind? To assure thee that no harm or difficulty will befall, given what we shall learn" Luna smiled just a little, at my words, finishing my sentence and nodding slightly "tis good to know thou hast some loyalty, or at very least a wish to protect thine own."

I maintained my smile, even brightening it a little as I answered "some little assurance would help put my mind at ease your majesty. I could not countenance any more suffering due to my actions."

Luna hmmed,  nodding "We understand, changeling, thou art not alone in wishing to protect thine subjects." The princess's jaw hardened a little "but we would remind thee that thou art a proven threat to the realm, having injured two elements of harmony and attacked two guards.  Any of thine 'agents' will be brought to justice, if they are harming our little ponies, including the one whose memory we visit."

I made a face "I didn't mean to hurt Fluttershy so badly, you must believe me. It was her idea after all."

Luna made the  face this time, one eye quirked "...Her Idea?" the princess sounded incredulous to say the least "thou would expect us to believe that the Element of Kindness asked for thee to savage her?"

...What? I thought...

"What?" I questioned, the memory world fracturing and splintering around us in my confusion, the library of my mind coming into mental view as the memory-book fell away, politely re-shelving itself "well yes. Yes, I would. Didn't she say so?" I tried to put honesty and assurance in my tone, but I began to have a nagging suspicion that something was off, in the depths of my mind uncertainty roiled, I felt like a child. The alien mind that I occupied forced a sense of calm, however, it's instinct keeping the mask in place.

My doubts weren't unjustified, as Luna's grim expression fortold. When she spoke, it was with a tone of iron and shimmering threat of a hidden edge "Nay, changeling, Fair Fluttershy tis in poor health, and unable to speak much of anything. We-" The ruler of the night paused, her voice tilting and accent changing to a more modern lilt "I... Have delved into her sleeping mind as I have yours, to find that her memories are of a savage, unprovoked attack, surrounded by the remnants of a magical aura. Magic much like thine."

Inwardly I crumpled a little here, the shifting library of my mind twisting as my suspicions found ground, rooting into dark, black lines of fear. I couldn't find words, alien, overlong tongue fumbling inside the astral mist of my unreal form. "What?!" I stumbled, only keeping from stammering by force of will, I choked on words, remaining silent rather than looking the fool.

Luna found only anger as she glanced at my twisting mindscape, brow furrowing and lip snarling in irritation. "Your tongue is caught by guilt, I see, that your scheme to foment pity has gone awry!"

I stood stunned, unable to think hard enough, remember anything that might help me. Luna's anger was slow-growing, but her power over dreams caused her to burn with light, eyes aglow.

"The spell matrix around the Bearer of Kindness' head, broken as it was by Cadence, was aligned to memory alteration, changeling. A perversion of spell-work, intended to implant a false reality You would have us believe. The true version of events is even moreso reinforced by the word of Rainbow Dash. Who bore witness to the attack!"

She put words in my mouth, forcing my astral self back with angry, heavy stomps. My own words came out, fighting back the moon's fire with weak desperation "I didn't int- I would never hurt her. She asked me to do it. Please!" I couldn't think any more, I couldn't understand the fracturing dream around me. My sense of reason shocked into nothingness as fire raged inside my head.

Luna had none of it, snapping over my words with sheer force of will, rendering me mute "I came in to see for myself your intent. To see if you would stand beside your honour, and admit the wrong Thou had done in desperate flight!" Her wings billowed out "Fluttershy, fairest and kindest, would still forgive you even NOW, Creature! Her kind heart would have me slap thine wrist, and allow thee passage from the realm under the lightest of terms. But instead you have Lied and attempted to distract my intent with falsehood and Memory, obfuscating the truth with piteous wheedling!"

The Lunar princess snarled, I was unable to speak as she began rending at my mind, splintering and *forcing* her way out of my mind with sheer magical force. "You have confirmed my suspicions, Changeling, with it thou hath confirmed thine Fate!"

I said nothing, my world crumbling and splintering around me, the whirl and snap of Luna's magical presence rending all thought. All response apart. I wanted to speak, I thrashed internally. But all things were blank, sheer moon-lit white shadowing all thought.

Luna spoke, but I barely heard, trying to hold my mind together. "You will be imprisoned where-ever we decide, until Fluttershy is healed, and we can put thee on trial for your Crimes."

She left with no flash of light, nor clap of sound, but instead only the rush of hissing, smoldering wind through the wreckage of my dreams. Her last words burned into the ravaged shelves of my memory, while they began to knit back together.