Who Needs the Sunshine

by Atuhor Name

CH. 03 In Captivity

In Captivity

Luna gradually awoke in strange circumstances. She still could not feel her horn’s magic, her head still hurt, but she was lying on something that was actually soft. It didn't even smell of rot or mildew either, it felt like some kind of silk. Luna opened her eyes to find she was not in a holding cell at all.

The first thing she noticed was the bedding, it was a green material that Luna couldn't place, but it felt smooth under her hooves. And another thing as she swept her hooves across the sheets she realized there were no longer any manacles on them.

Looking beyond her bed she saw the inside of a sparsely furnished bedroom, almost empty except for a four poster bed and some miscellaneous furnishings, none of which you would expect inside a holding cell. A bedside table had an antique oil lamp, a hoof-bound book sitting on top of it, and a worn wooden wardrobe sat off to the side, cracked and old. A bare grim vanity sulked in a corner.

This wasn’t her bedroom, but this wasn’t a holding cell either. Somebody had clearly spent too much time attempting to scrub the walls clean for it to be a cell.

It was then her eyes were drawn to the two Changelings by the door, armored, armed and at attention, but again not like a prison guard. This was a proper stand in a hallway thousand yard stare that she’d expect out of palace guards.

Luna got up and walked over to the guards who, to her surprise, tried to stand more at attention but made no other movement as she approached the door.

“Why am I here?” Luna asked, after several seconds of silence.

It took a moment for the changeling guards to respond possibly they were starting their brains back up after several hours of boredom.

“The Queen instructed that Your Highness should be kept comfortable while she was away, in case…” The guard paused, almost unable to consider what he was about to say. “In case she fails.”

“Yes, but why am I here?”

“Queen Naudia instructed us that we should treat you as we would treat her. Your Highness may not leave the castle, but we will serve you until the Queen returns.” The bug looked conflicted about this, Luna was tempted to order him to do something silly but desisted.

Luna considered her situation for a minute, but couldn’t quite grasp it. Yesterday, she’d been in a holding cell and had an unpleasant memory spell used on her. Now, she was supposedly being given whatever these bugs thought the star treatment was, minus the ability to use magic and actual freedom.

“We were told to give you a tour of the facilities,” the guard said, “to ‘help you understand the situation better.’ “

Seeing no other option, and still unable to grasp the current state of affairs Luna agreed under the assumption that this was most likely a dream so it didn't matter either way.

"I am Mattar," said the guard who had spoken to her before. "And this is Kiri. She does not speak much."

As Luna walked, she recognized where she was at and was reminded of the last time she visited these ruins, stepping out into the chamber that formerly housed the Elements of Harmony. She stopped short.

The walls were splattered with green goo. Even the ceiling was apparently patched up with it, but she had almost expected that much in a changeling camp. She couldn't say it gave off a pleasant atmosphere but, seeing something as alien as a ceiling patched up with changeling goop that seemed to drip its way down the walls had a novelty value to it.

What surprised her, though, were the room’s occupants. She had expected there to be changelings. Lots of changelings, buzzing around, doing… doing… changeling things. Come to think of it, Luna didn’t quite know what those things would be. Maybe skittering and hissing at each other like brutes. That would fit the image she had in her head of them.

Instead, what Luna found was more or less a changeling hospital. Changelings in varying states of injury were being tended to by other changelings, buzzing in between green gooey hammocks that were stacked row upon row, from the floor all the way to the ceiling.

“This,” Mattar spoke in an emotionless tone, “is what is left.”

"Left?" Luna asked. "Of the attack on Canterlot?"

"No," Mattar shook his head resignedly. "Of changelings anywhere."

Luna took a measure of the room again, there couldn't have been more than fifty able-bodied changelings in the whole hall.

As she mutely passed through the hall, she looked down at the changelings, slung in hammocks made of that green goop. Some were missing limbs, and all were patched up in more places than Luna felt comfortable with. And every one of them struggled to show some form of respect to Luna as she went past.

"Why are they doing that?" Luna asked.

"If, or until, our new queen returns, we have been instructed to treat you as we would her." Kiri spoke dispassionately. "We are to obey you without question.”

"Well." said Luna. "Then remove this magic dampener."

Mattar looked uneasy. "I'm afraid we aren't allowed to do that."

Luna was angry. No: she was furious. These creatures had attacked Canterlot, abducted her, invaded her mind and memories, and now they were holding her prisoner without access to her magic?

"Well, then: lie down." Luna said, anger clouding her face like a storm.

Mattar didn't argue, or even hesitate. Instead, he lethargically laid down on his side, head on the stone floor. He looked up at her, saddened, but unwilling to disobey a direct order… no matter the consequences.

And Luna realized what she had been about to do- what even this changeling guard had anticipated that she had been about to do. What she had very nearly done in this very hall once before. Luna stood, frozen in horror at her own actions, staring at the changeling and his utter acceptance of fate.

Luna could, even now, hear the laughter of Nightmare Moon ringing in her ears. Mocking all that she had achieved. Luna backed away from the prone changeling.

"No, no no no no no no no!" Luna babbled, as the walls started to close in and Nightmare Moon's laughter seemed to be right behind her.

And Luna blacked out.

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“Why would you do something so stupid Mattar? You knew what she was about to do.” Kiri admonished Mattar the moment they had Luna back on a normal bed.

“If it keeps her from kicking another changeling while they're down...” Mattar looked back at the half improvised bedroom door as if they could hear him. “It's good that she didn't follow through, morale is already low enough without her making things worse.”

“Yes but that doesn't mean you should obey her EVERY command, I've known you too long, you're really not that stupid.”

“We must prepare as many backup plans as we are able. Besides I've heard these ponies called her 'Nightmare Moon' not too long ago. If there is a bleeding heart among them that might take pity on us that has any kind of power to help, its her.”

“So what? You want us to try and make it up to some mentally unstable madpony, you saw what she was doing before she blacked out.” Kiri sneered. “And 'take pity on us' that's your plan? Hoping some pony just 'takes pity on us?' That is not our way.”

“OUR WAY IS WHAT GOT US HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!” Mattar finally snapped. “Listen, I'm as stressed about this situation as you are, but unless we give Luna a chance to see us as anything but invaders we have no hope. Who knows, maybe she'll surprise us.”

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Naudia popped her neck and stood up, feeling her joints protest after such a long time sitting down reading books with Twilight.

“I think it's time for a break Twilight. My mind is willing but if I don't get up and move around I'm going to regret it tomorrow.”

“But Luna it's only been-” Twilight craned her neck over to the clock. “SIX HOURS?”

“Really? It feels like a lot less than that.” Naudia's neck didn't want to bend round to look at the clock.

It's ok to let a little bit of honesty through. Naudia thought to herself, She hasn't noticed a slip up before I doubt she'll notice one now.

Today had been absolutely fantastic for Naudia, Twilight threw her emotions around like an open book to anybody willing to listen to her talk. That however, wasn't the secret. The secret was talking back to her. This had posed some challenges at first what with the “pro-equestrian bias.” On the other hoof Naudia found herself having to make up her own opinions about things as they moved farther and farther away from history that had any effect on changelings whatsoever.

That was the secret to truly unlocking what Twilight had to offer, juicy savory waves of enthusiasm rolled off Twilight during a good debate. Importantly though, an intelligent debate, just taking the opposite side didn’t work.

And it wasn't that Naudia enjoyed talking to the librarian, certainly not that all her schooling had finally found its match in somepony that appreciated it. Most definitely not, but there was only a certain extent that Naudia could lie to herself, and when it came to thinking about doling out all the emotions she'd stored up from Twilight. There was a temptation to keep some of them, not to eat, but as kind of a souvenir. Perhaps to put them in a jar and keep them on a shelf to look at.

That was wrong. Naudia thought to herself. That rogue thought alerted her mind, albeit briefly, to how counter she was running the way things should work.

“Well it's way past dinner, and Spike isn't here, so how about something quick like a daisy sandwich?” Twilight suggested.

One sandwich later Naudia found to her pleasant surprise that Twilight's enthusiasm for a daisy sandwich seeped into the food itself.

Even her enjoyment of a simple daisy sandwich is charming in its own way. Naudia thought.

Maybe…

Maybe once everything settled down and Naudia actually had a plan beyond a couple weeks, maybe she could settle down here. Somewhere close by so she could come visit Twilight on occasion.

Of course that would actually require her to come up with a plan beyond the immediate feeding of the changelings in her hive. Something Naudia lacked in any capacity whatsoever.