//------------------------------// // chapter six // Story: Changeling Heart and the New Moon // by ambion //------------------------------// Changeling Heart and the New Moon chapter six Dreams of omen. Dreams of mystery. Dreams of portent. Luna had none. In the groggy haze of waking from a deep and restful sleep she felt almost surprised by that, but mostly relieved. Her dreams were often unkind to her. “Rise and shine, little moon,” Chrysalis said as she dominated what free space there was between the bed and door, chuckling at her little joke. “Did you sleep well?” “Wonderfully,” Luna hissed from the bed, trying to banish all trace of the truth that she actually had. Luna turned the Queen a nasty stare, crediting her restfulness to whatever had been in those harvest pods. The dregs of that still probably swirled through her body. Chrysalis stepped out from the little chamber, smiling to herself as she let the curtain fall back into place. Luna had no doubt that the Queen was playing at courtesy, granting her a precious few seconds of privacy to compose herself before stepping into whatever the changeling had set for her today. Well, she certainly wasn’t going to jump to the Queen’s side quickly. Her thoughts turned back to the pods, and she took her sweet time doing nothing much at all on the bed. She’d been going to see the harvest pods yesterday and had overreacted when the news had been broken to her. Three days...Celestia would be frantic with worry by now, and a pang of guilt and shame lanced deep into Luna. Then those feelings struck of a tightly wound, deep seated knot of resentment. Of course ‘tia would be in the right, because her little sister had left without rhyme or reason, not leaving so much as a note to say why. Of course she’d be angry and upset, but she’d blame herself, as if Luna weren’t truly responsible for her own actions. As if ‘tia were the only one who ever could make mistakes and carry the subsequent blame, and had somehow failed Luna, driving her to leave. Luna knew the cruel irony well that her big sister was the only one who never made mistakes. Celestia never let herself. This wasn’t about Celestia. It never had been. Luna had needed to do this thing, by herself, for herself. Her eyes went wide and her breathing quickened as the truth of that hit her. What had she done? In her despair she’d cut away those most reviled, most painful pieces of herself. Luna shivered and nearly retched with the realization of it. She chased away the despair before it took root in her again, thinking of other things. Unbidden, but desperately needed, Luna’s thoughts turned to her closest friend. The unbridled and unrelenting love she showered Luna with, ever without judgement or worry, happy only to be together in the moment. She managed to blink away her tears of longing. Luna curled up herself tightly, as if trying to fill a hole in her heart, smiling sadly all the while. Chrysalis’ head poked through the curtain, expressing total confusion and the potential for disgust, if only she could figure out just what this was first. Of course, Luna thought bitterly. Love. Luna didn’t have it in her to manage a withering stare. For all her rest she felt spent. Empty and tired. She loosed a humourless laugh, and slowly unfurled to a more relaxed position. “I miss Cruithne. That’s what you feel from me,” she said by simple way of explanation to the bewildered Queen. Luna smiled her sad smile once more, then looked to the floor. The Queen hadn’t changed from her expression. “My dog,” Luna added. “She’s a germane shepherd. Over a year old now, but as much a playful puppy as ever.” It felt strange, to reveal a private piece of her life to the changeling like this, but it was just like Chrysalis had said it would be. Besides, she’d already shared worse things with the Queen. “A dog,” the Queen said with the careful neutrality of one who hasn’t the slightest clue what they are talking about and is afraid the word might be dirty. She slipped back out for a moment. Luna could hear the hasty whispers between the Queen and her warden, then Chrysalis stepped back in. “A pet. I see,” she said, and clearly didn’t, but seemed amused all the same. Luna laughed with black humour. This was the enemy? Cruithne would probably jump as ecstatically to meet Chrysalis as any other. What did a dog care for a Queen? As that thought eased through her, Luna’s laughter lightened in tone, especially when she tried to imagine what the changelings’ reaction would be to a dog playing for attention. Luna longed to see her shepherd again. In the meantime she’d have to make do with her warden. She let thoughts of her dog play across her thoughts. It was only as Luna came back to herself that she noticed how intently the Queen had been watching her. The edge of a satisfied grin glinted off her fangs. Luna stiffened. Chrysalis made a show of running her tongue over her teeth and her grin widened. “I don’t know what I enjoy more,” she started amiably, “the way you bare your heart open to the world for us to bask in, or the affront you take at it when we do.” Words failed Luna. Chrysalis flaunted something that was private...even intimate. The princess shook and huddled as if thrown, sopping wet, into a midnight gale. Luna was forced to recognize, again, that the Queen of changelings’ had warned her of this consequence fairly. Luna loathed that truth, but...hadn’t she just resented Celestia for not giving her that same freedom of consequence? Chrysalis rolled her neck, content as a cat with herself. “Come out in your own time, little moon. There’s no rush, though I think it’d do you some good, rather than hiding away in here, in case you were considering that. Get someone to find you something to eat,” she added lazily. To Luna’s embarrassment, her stomach choose that moment to rumble with impeccable timing. Even knowing the truth of the matter, she couldn’t help but feel that she’d only been in the cavern this one night and had eaten the day before. Rather, the case was that she hadn’t eaten for the better half of a week, and even presuming the harvest pod had done something to nourish her, it was nothing to her sudden and preeminent hunger. Chrysalis fixed the princess with a grin. “Don’t mind me. I just ate.” On that she turned and left once more, doing nothing to restrain her chuckle that ran to shades of cackle. Luna glowered, but was reminded how hard it is to be indignant when hungry. So she sighed instead, and quietly slipped to her hooves on the damp and hard-packed soil floor. She forced herself to take a very deep breath and tried to affect a stately air. Then she considered herself and slumped. She’d never liked being so formal, but she’d always tried so hard to do it right. Her sister had always been able to manage it well, being both majestic and approachable. Luna closed her eyes and stole another steadying breath. She didn’t deny the longing to feel ‘tia’s wing drape over her and hear her soothing words. But Celestia wasn’t here. Luna was. She’d be damned if she didn’t make her best of it. It was food for thought, and fitting to the phrase she needed the first before being able to attend the second. She shoved the tattered cloak-curtain open with an ungentle burst of magic and boldly stepped into the dark and empty corridor. Empty, save for the skulking changeling. “Surreal,” Luna said down to the little creature. “Mistress Luna,” she replied coolly. The hard, challenging stare left no doubt in Luna that she was unforgiven. Fine, then. Be this way, Luna thought with equal coldness, while a little corner of her heart busily staunched the hurt feelings from being rejected by the changeling. Rejected? Was she so desperate for companionship and approval that she’d seek it from a changeling? Why not? the traitorous thought snuck in, but she could not answer it. Minutes later as she ate by the pale lights at the bottom of the central chamber she still could not think of a satisfactory answer. At least she was well and truly not paying any attention to what it was she ate. One indistinguishable changeling or another had insisted it was edible for ponies, and beyond that Luna wanted to know nothing of the mucous-like sludge she ingested. The bowl and spoon she levitated were only acceptable because she refused to even think about what condition they might be in. She’d have preferred not knowing she ate the disturbingly alien slop at all, but the changelings that crowded around her seemed fascinated. A few stopped their activities and watched with wide, unblinking eyes from the terraces above, while others merely hovered on the wing. Despite herself, Luna leaned to the warden at her side and whispered a question. Surreal didn’t look at Luna, but spoke all the same. “Not everyone has seen a pony eat before,” she said tersely. “Even for us that have...it’s strange to get used to.” “Do you eat nothing at all than? Nothing physical?” “We drink water,” Surreal replied with a disdainful shrug, “and bits of plants, just for what the body needs to build itself. Nothing like the variety or bulk ponies chew through.” It was strange to consider that these strange creatures considered her a strange creature in turn. Luna broke off that train of thought with a shake of her head before it went round and around, chasing its tail in her brain. Her eye was drawn to the green eminence of the nearest harvest pod chamber. Done with her meal - one oddly satisfying if she didn’t think about the taste too much - she let the bowl and spoon drift to one side, where a changeling like any other obliged her and took them. She nodded and muttered a simple thanks for the courtesy, than stepped purposefully across the earthen floor and flecks of cave growth to the alcove. The feeling of deja-vu rose up in Luna like a midnight mist. She hunted the feeling, trying to force a memory from it, knowing full well why it was there. And yet...it wasn’t a feeling of dread, of revisiting a night terror. Rather it was like chasing the tail of a dream. A wonderful dream. She deeply distrusted her own anticipation. By the softly glowing lights Luna entered the alcove. Whatever thought she’d had, whatever reasons she’d had for visiting these were banished at the sight. Luna cursed herself a stupid foal as the collection of swollen, folded fronds stood before her about the floor. Ponies. A pony in each. Her people were here, trapped and caught between being slaves and stockpiles in this dark, dank underworld. She’d been an insipid hostage while her subjects were imprisoned down here. Luna seethed, but with magic as strong as hers she could do so much more than that. The light faded as if the blackness of a moonless night had been concentrated and funnelled down into her, and her breathing became deep and slow. Luna stood in the dark heart of growing shadows, while a chill wind swirled around her, whispering evil things. Green flame banished much of the darkness so suddenly that Luna had to blink away the brightness. Blinded, she whirled about in startlement. “No more of that,” Chrysalis said. She stood tall, dominating the the centre of the flickering green light that whipped with oiliness across the walls. She stood with regal pride, but not without a slight hunch to her neck and shoulders, while a predatory grin made a sharp sickle of her smile. “We can still have this conversation, little moon,” the Queen added, almost hungry for the challenge. Before Luna could consider herself, Chrysalis relaxed ever so slightly from her stance and the fairy-light dimmed, but did not die. The Queen made a tiny gesture. Luna wondered wildly what it meant, but realized it hadn’t been for her, though those eyes never left hers. Surreal huddled under the big changeling, sheltered by her impressive form. Trembling as she stood, she hesitated to leave her majesty’s side, but at a stiffer gesture from the Queen she nodded gratefully and fled the chamber. Scared changelings peeked around the corners, but stayed well away. “Well, Luna? I got my people out of this. What about you? Still want to go this way?” Even as the shadows knit themselves back together and enshrouded the princess once more, Luna let them weaken. Chrysalis was the stronger creature, but even that paled as a reason next to the truth that she wouldn’t fight, not with helpless ponies so near. She let the magic die. The weak ambience of the glowing growths of the underground reasserted themselves quietly. Chrysalis sighed with unrepentant relief. “Good.” A heavy thud sounded just next to Luna and she jumped in startlement. It was just a rock. A big, heavy, very blunt rock. Luna gawked at it as the last wisps of green flame released it. “You thought I’d have fought you? A battle like in stories, magic this and nobility that? I bet you already had something dramatic to scream at me.” The Queen laughed sharply and stepped closer with her casual gait. “Well too bad. This was never going to be the struggle you seem to crave. I was going to bludgeon you in the back of the head the instant I thought I had enough of an excuse to. Knock you out cold, maybe stomp your ribs as something for you to consider when you woke up. And trust me, I still want to. Do you know why?” Luna suspected she did, and hated it. “Because I’m not a nice person. I don’t fight, I win. By whatever works.” She leaned closer and whispered in Luna’s ear. “And because those ponies behind you are as important to me as they are to you, and you put them at risk. Not me. Think about that,” she said with venomous calm. Horror and shame like she had never felt before struck like poison through the princess. Chrysalis was a self-admitted liar, but she could wield the truth like an implement of torture all the same. Luna stepped back. “No. No, I wouldn’t.” “You already did,” the Queen hissed. Luna dropped to the floor and sat there. Chrysalis loomed over her shoulder, and it was another splash in the sea of horror that by chance or design that the Queen stood in the same position that Celestia took when consoling Luna when she was troubled. “But it’s alright. I forgive you. I knew you might have a moment of...adjusting. If you can be calm now, I’d like to show you something. Surreal,” she called to the cave mouth, “come back now.” The changeling scurried back, trust for her Queen trumping fear of Luna. Chrysalis called some order or other to another changeling, but Luna had no heart to pay attention. She stood with her head bowed low and wings drooping, her heart still storming with shock and disbelief that everything was true. To save her subjects she’d endangered them, and thought so little so as to have not considered it. No...she hadn’t been trying to save her subjects. Not at all. She’d been trying to fight Chrysalis, trying to fight...anything. Seeing ponies in pods had merely been the source of the righteous indignation to do so. Appalled with herself and wanting to scream, Luna found herself voiceless instead. She didn’t want to hear her own voice right now. Chrysalis lead her gently to one of the pods, indistinguishable from the others that bulged around them. Through the opaque fronds and the thick gel of the interior Luna could see its occupant, an elderly earth pony colt of pale colour. A serene smile was plastered across his face, doing much to ease the deep creases along his eyes that spoke of tension and pain. “Do you know who this is?” The Queen asked. Luna shook her head limply. “I’d be surprised if you did. Before you came, he was our oddity.” Luna didn’t like the note of possession in the wording. “What was his name again?” “Fallow..Fallow Field,” Surreal squeaked. “Yes. That was it. Now, little moon, are you wondering why we, the monstrous changelings who steal everypony we can get, know this one’s name?” Luna hadn’t. Try as she might, she couldn’t drag herself out of the mire of shame and pity. “His love is deep. Profound, and tinged with sadness,” Chrysalis said with something almost like respect or reverence. “Much like you, little moon. And like you, he came seeking us.”