//------------------------------// // 11 Lunch // Story: Know your enemy // by Znegil //------------------------------// We went to the "silver horn", Luna's favorite place. Luna was in an excellent mood and beaming with energy. We didn't speak much on our way there, to much ponies crowded the streets around us. Once we took our seats in the restaurant, she started the conversation: "That has been so exciting, to show Tia she isn't in charge here, I should have done this weeks ago." "It was quite impressive how you stood up to her. You are right, you two have equal rights, and she should stop treating you like her little sister, but as the co-ruler of Equestria." "You are absolutely right. Do you know you will be a prince after our marriage?", she asked. "I never thought about that, sounds strange to me." The waiter came and took our order. I choose a grilled cheese sandwich, and she picked a mushroom risotto. "Your sister aside.", I addressed her. "Chrysalis was very happy about your help." "Well apart from what you two did, I was in a very similar situation only months ago. I was the feared villain who tried to fit in, they even have their own holiday to remind everypony how evil I was. So... she should have a chance to make it and what you told me this morning did sound like she can be very caring and emotional." "Yeah, I was surprised by that too. How long do you want to wait until I start the official proposal for forming a herd?" "We should wait at least a couple of days.", she answered. "Having a friendly changeling here is huge news already, if Chrysalis would try to form a herd with me the same day, Canterlot would think I'm under some spell." "Thanks for doing all this.", I said and kissed her. "Well, I starting to see what you like about her... and her shapeshifting ability could be fun to exploit." I blushed a bit as I understood what she was talking about. We had a nice lunch together and walked through the city for some hours afterward. ... "... so we should wait a few days before we make the official herd proposal.", I ended my explanation. "Well that's ok, I would rather get fueled by all of your love right now, but it is just a few days." "I do concentrate on our love right now, you can start to absorb it.", I said sitting next to her. She closed her eyes and started purring again after some moments. "I still can't believe how great this tastes and feels, to have love directly aimed at me." "And you are still my purring love kitten.", I replied with a smile. "You know, I think that nickname is not to bad, but you have to be prepared for me to scratch a bit next time I want my milk...", she said with a lewd smile that nearly doubled my heart rate. I tried my best to focus just on the love I felt for her and thought of other things to talk about. "I remember the time we had been on our way to Canterlot, you talked in your sleep." I could see she was very displeased with the fact I changed the topic, away from her much-preferred talk about love and lust. "So what, did I reveal any secrets?" "I don't know, it was a combination of hissing sounds mixed with growling, back then I guessed changelings had their own language." Suddenly she went very gloom. "Sorry, did I say something wrong?", I asked. She sighed. "You heard our old language, the only occasion it is still used, is at funerals to talk to the deceased on 'the other side'." She took several deep breaths. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.", I told her. "I want to spend my life with you, I want you to know everything about me, there is no reason to hide anything.", she said and was about to lay her hoof on my hand but stopped an inch before it when she remembered she couldn't touch me right now. Again she took several deep breaths. "I remember I dreamt about the funeral of Scara, she was a princess as well but younger than me, so you could think of her as a little sister of mine. She was the closest thing to a friend I had in the hive, you know I told you about the rivalry between princesses before. She was fun to be around, and I could talk to her without fearing every word could be used against me... One day she told be she had found something we could use against Queen Lycosa, and we should meet in her room later that day. As I entered her room this evening, her walls had been drenched with her blood and her body had been cut in many pieces... I... I couldn't..." Her voice cracked and tears streamed down her face. I did hesitate for a second, then I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to me. "But we can't...", she started sobbing. "Luna would understand if she is looking.", I replied. Once she calmed down she continued: "I'm sure Lycosa had killed her, but there was no evidence... not that it would have mattered, she is in total power of the hive." "I'm sorry to hear all this.", I stroked her hair. ... "On my way here I saw Canterlot guards attach announcements to the walls.", I said after a little while. "They're announcing a friendly beautiful changeling who is free to move around Equestria and is under the princesses protection." "I doubt they called me beautiful.", she replied with a smile. "Well, they should have..." ----0_0---- He looked at the announcement in front of him. He was sure his queen would praise him for that information. He went back to his hotel room and concentrated on his hive connection. 'Queen Lycosa, I have found valuable information here in Canterlot.' He waited for a response. 'Tell us scout 83.' 'Chrysalis is still alive.' 'Crooked lives? Have you seen her?' 'Not yet, but it seems she has switched sides, she is declared a citizen of Equestria and can move freely at will.' He felt a lot of anger from the other side of the connection. 'Well done scout 83, monitor her everywhere she goes and kill her if you find an opportunity.' 'Of course, my queen.'