Something Worth Fighting for

by Blade Heart

The Past is the Master of the Present

"So... Where to begin. I suppose I should start with something more recent. Let me tell thee of Nightmare Moon. A millennium ago was the end of a conflict. I have already told thee of it. My sister and I were arguing. I believed that a certain form of power could be controlled and used for the better, while my sister deemed it too dangerous. I believed that it was needed in order to maintain the little control we had over the panicked populace of Equestria. I was arrogant, and hotheaded then. I acted too harshly. The result was much more disastrous than the chaos we faced before. Hundreds of thousands perished, and even more suffered. In the end, my sister used the elements of harmony to defeat me, and, looking back... I'm glad she did."

"Rulers make mistakes, Princess. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I am not ashamed of my mistake. I am ashamed of my actions. It was not a mistake, for I had intentionally chosen to do it. If I had not, my people would not have suffered. My sister's people wouldn't have suffered. And neither my sister, nor I, would have spent a thousand years alone."

"Maybe it wasn't a mistake, but it is something you regret. Either way, you learned from it. Which means it wasn't all bad."

"But it could have been so much better. But I digress. When I returned from my banishment, I still believed that my actions were just. But the fact that my sister had made this into a flourishing world was proof enough that I was wrong. In fact, she had even found the conduits for the elements of harmony. They were the ones who defeated me when I returned. It was a lucky thing she was merciful."

"Well... What was this power that put that kind of thinking into your mind?"

"Discord. A master of chaos. It is strange, of all the time he ruled Equestria, he didn't once try to directly harm anyone. But he plunged the land into a twisted form of reality."

"I suppose then, that he was defeated as well?"

"Yes he was. But that was before my foolishness. I would wish to avoid speaking of him, however, and get into teaching you of changelings."

"Twilight spoke to me of them. They feed off of love, yes?"

"Aye, they do. Once a gentle process, now one of violence."

Luna adopted a look that made her seem as though she were thinking of something that was long gone.

"Changelings. A sad race. Once great allies and friends of our kind, now hated enemies."

"What happened princess?"

"Queen Chrysallis took over. Changelings once farmed by our sides, Fought by our sides, And more importantly, lived by our sides. They gave us companionship, labor, and defense when we needed it. The queen then was old and weak, but wise and compassionate. Chrysallis is still young, and she has a much more... Vicious... Outlook on how our two races should coexist. And whatever she thinks, her changelings think similar."

"So whatever she thinks, they think too? Or whatever she thinks, then they do it? Or what-"

"Changelings exist in a hive mind. With the queen being the center, whatever she thinks, they think 'similar'. Not exactly alike, they still have their own personalities, but it is just enough to affect what their beliefs are. I do not know exactly how a new queen is chosen, but once they are, the changelings become a reflection of that queen. Much like a pool, it has the same image, but it is different by ripples. I only wish Chrysalis knew how much easier it would be for both of our kind to live in peace. I do not know if she cares for her changelings, but I do know that my sister and I wish no harm upon them. They would not suffer of hunger if we lived side by side. We would both prosper."

"I assume you've tried reasoning with her?"

"We have. She never let us get close to her."

"Then maybe it would be better to just kill her."

"As I've said, she never let us get close to her. If we forcibly tried to do that, it would involve killing thousands of changelings, not to count our own. And if we succeeded, how long until a new queen is chosen, and after all they've been through against us, how will the new queen feel? There is no chance of winning them back with force."

"I see. Then maybe I could help."

"I do not think they would allow anyone but changelings to see their queen now. But I appreciate thy eagerness to help."

As I've said Princess, my blade is yours."

Luna smiled at that, forgetting the bleak talk they just had, and moving on to the next subject.

"But thine blade is missing. Perhaps we should change that, yes? It seems Morning Pen has taken a liking to thee. Go and see if she can help thee find a weapon."

Orisian seemed a bit hopeful when he asked "And armor too?"

"Aye. I am interested in your proficiency with armor. We shall have to hold another round of sparring, yes?"

"Of course, Princess."

Comments

[Solarkness]

5621312 You ever watched Mulan?
...probably not. But if, then it would be a good reference. I should really start reading before commenting. Yeah, sounds nice.

[Blade Heart]

5693538 I have actually, but I can't say I was thinking of it when I wrote that chapter. To be honest, I was having trouble coming up with a good name for it.

[Solarkness]

5693568 I was talking about the title of the story... what chapter?

[Blade Heart]

5693576 i saw the chapter "The Past is the Master of the Present" next to your name.
My bad.

[Solarkness]

5693584 I commented before starting to read anything... should have written it more clearly.

[Blade Heart]

5693611 nah, I'm just still getting used to how this site works. Either way, hope you like the story.

[Solarkness]

5693619 You should have gotten a notification about it already...