Moonlight rising
Princess Sky didn't want her mother to know, but she was excited. She wanted to see the world, she wanted to fly outside, to be free.
She wanted to see and learn about the ponies so badly it was hard for her to keep a straight face. If her mother knew about this, she would no doubt give her a stern lecture about history, healing wounds, and hate, betrayals. She would no doubt be hissing at the princess. Records told of a time, before the Princesses, when the ponies weren't so accepting. A time before the windigos attacked, when everyone looked out only for themselves. The changelings had asked for help, yet their alienating presence did not allow them to receive it. Sky knew her mother had lived those times, being older than the Princesses and all, and if anything she admired her knowledge of the world. As a princess she received special education in addition to what the common changeling had. Chrysalis insisted that she try her best, always push her limits. "The sky is the limit," the queen had said over and over, "and as a leader you must be looked up to". Whether it was learning how to wield a weapon, learning how to behave in front of nobles and other officials, or learning magic she was always left with something to do, something to distract her from her quest to know the rest of the world. The ponies were on the top of her list of cultures to look out for.
Her father was tolerant of the irony of her curiosity, allowing her to deviate from her standard education. He didn't mind answering her questions, telling her about the customs and habits of the Equestrians, or even tales of his own youth as the pegasus Tidal Rider. She loved how patient he was to her babbling, and couldn't help but wonder how he handled her mother's "dislike" towards the ponies, because she was tired of it...
Tired both mentally and physically, the changeling Princess shook her head, getting back into reality. As the fog in her contemplative mind dispersed she heard a voice.
"Sky, are you alright? Are you tired?" In front of her stood a changeling with a yellow and orange mane, he was looking at her with one brow of his green eyes raised quizzically at her. Passion Blaze, her uncle from her father's side, was a changeling like her, one of the few royal changelings that possessed a mane and eyes with with pupils. Only heroes or royals had these traits; the rest of the changelings had colored fins instead of manes. She sighed a bit before responding.
"Yeah, a little bit. What time is it?" She said, looking around. She was in her study room. It had two libraries at each side, two desks made out of mahogany, one for each changeling there, and a blackboard beneath a wooden clock with a metal pendulum. As she looked at it the pendulum struck twice, signalling the end of her lesson at two o'clock.
"Alright, so before you go, how about you at least pass a quick revision, hmm? We wouldn't like your mom getting angry because you were lazy right?" He cleared his throat, placing a hoof on his mouth, before proceeding to point at the blackboard. It depicted several flowers of different shapes and colors.
“What emotion does the marigold represent?”
“Despair.”
“Correct.”
“What about the red rose?”
“A single one depicts love, a thornless love at first sight, two intertwined are a… proposal?” She rubbed her neck, hoping that she said was correct. Once her tutor nodded she let an inaudible sigh of relief.
“The truth bloom, that’s an easy one, depicts the truth. Hmm… but what about this one? Do you remember its name?”
The flower he was pointing at had seven petals, which were similar to the radiance of a star, five yellow stamens, and two green leaves. Sky had never seen anything like it before, and it intrigued her. Something about flowers and the emotions they represented piqued her curiosity. It was possible to express so many emotions with such trifle things. The concept of conveying a deep meaning into such simple things fascinated her... or it would if she wasn’t tired.
“The spirit… something? I don’t remember the term.”
“Pneuma. P-n-e-u-m-a. It means ‘spirit’ and it’s a symbol of candid hearts and honesty. As your task for our next lesson you need to gather one such flower.” The princess planted her face into the desk, sighing in resignation.
"Why now? Come on! Today is the day, and I'm tired of waiting to go outside! Why does mom have to give me homework during vacation?" She responded, grimacing. "How will I even do that?! Isn’t it rare?"
"Actually... it was your father that did this." said Passion Blaze. Sky’s ears perked up.
"The Pneuma flower is what convinced your mother that your father truly loved her."
"Wow... really?"
"Yep! What if I also told you that all these things about flowers I learned from our pony mother, Edem Rose?" The Princess’s face lit up as Blaze expected, knowing of the young changeling’s fascination with the ponies. As an experienced teacher he knew how to motivate his student, but also how to make them smile at the same time. The princess's face lit up in hopes of new fascinating encounters with the unknown, to her, species. This trip was going to be twice as interesting.
“Do you think she could teach me too?” Sky’s face beamed as she spoke.
"You can ask her all you want once we arrive. Now…what do you say we get ready to depart?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Changeling King laid on his haunches on the edge of the gorge. Overlooking the gates, Ao's mind drifted back to the times he and his brother first encountered this castle. He remembered how Chrysalis had heard their parent's pleas to aid them in their offspring's return. He remembered how he, like many other changelings, was trapped in a false identity among the ponies. The Queen had gone out of her way to bring back all she could. Back then, during the springtime nights, he and his brother made an oath to serve the Queen. To them she was a lifesaver. She had brought them back to their true origins, and with their lives they would reward her.
He admired her, and her castle. Black marble reflected the rays of the sun, a structure bold and majestic built on a strategic location between the Diarchy of the ponies, and the territory of the dragon emperor. It was fortunate that after five years the fortress still stood there. He didn't fear the ponies as much as he feared the dragons. He could still remember the times when the Kingdom's stability was threatened when a thunder dragon named Balthazar set his eyes on the Queen's crown to add to his hoard. Gravely injured by the dragon’s claws, the Queen had to give it up. Back then, he and Passion Blaze were acting as the Queen's champions. They chased the dragon with their battalion, bringing the mighty, but weary from combat, beast down. Retrieving the crown, they earned both the Kingdom's and the Queen's gratitude.
That was Queen Chrysalis, the "Liberator", the "Monarch of the Black Sanctuary", the one that acted as a proud ruler leading her people to victory and glory, that freed them from the fear of traitors, dragons, and more. But there was a third title, one that wrought fear and terror. The one she was given when she donned the vestments of the battlemage, and became the herald of vengeance singing the doom of her enemies...
The “Dark Siren”.
He knew how the Queen killed her false lovers, how she burned an entire estate all by herself because they betrayed her. Her vengeance was considered unproportional at best, and a sadistic slaughter at worse. But Ao kept a blind eye... because he loved her. He sighed, shaking his head free of the memories. Maybe this trip would bring out the better parts of her, maybe not. As he saw the teal and gold chariot with the armored changelings emerging from the gates, he wondered if there was even a chance for the Queen to change her ways. His brother had reluctantly followed his decisions, but he didn't ever stop calling him a masochist for loving her. Maybe he was. Maybe he was too loyal for his own good. That's what happens to fools, right? They get shut down again and again, but they still hope for the best.
He saw a black spot gleaming in the fading light of the sun as it exited the castle gates and took to the sky. As the carriage approached he saw the moon rise. He looked upon Luna's grace emerging, the first springtime night coming their way. An ever-shifting canvas, the sky was ready to be drawn anew by the night princess. The gentle caress of the wind came his way, the first specks of pollen getting into his flaring nostrils, a scent of what was an invitation for all to a romantic dance in the moonlight. The brilliant, passionate rays of the sun would soon give in to the gentle rays of hope, the herald of truth retreating as a mystical veil enveloped in a loving embrace.
The moon was as magnificent as ever and it lifted the King's mood, gifting his face with a calm brightness. When the carrie landed ge trotted inside it, his silver mane flowing with the wind. Thank you Luna…
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5893319 I welcome impressions on new chapter. Third chapter is also ready and awaits edits.
Good chapter! More world building, as well as character development. The story seems to flow smoothly. I look forward to seeing the next chapter, and how Princess Luna fits into this.
5906521 I was going to introduce her a way I thought but I got an extra special idea during my writting of the last chapter.
Same reaction I have when I see Luna in an episode (or even just for a split second). However this isn't about her so I'll save my fanboying for later on lol.
This was an interesting chapter you have written. It served as good introductory tool and we have a nice intel into why our characters are like they are. Ao seems like the nicest guy ever and he is pretty much a definition of 'a fool in a love', but an endearing and a tolerant one. Without his light control on Chrysalis who knows what she could have done. He is certainly my favorite character thus far (he gives me the same feeling I got when I first saw general Irou from Avatar. And that guy is one of my favorite all time characters in all of fiction). So yeah a great chapter with an amazing background especially with the dragon kingdom (I love dragons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
).
“I am a fool with a heart but no brains, and you are a fool with brains but no heart; and we’re both unhappy, and we both suffer.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Idiot
Ao questioning himself while trying to find compromise in what he knows and what he loves, this level of internal conflict will eventually drive him mad or make him stronger. His brother however seems to be the laid back caring type who seems to have most of life figured out and is just along for the ride.
6256607 I agree wholeheartedly.
Nice world building. The idea of changelings thinking they're ponies is more like the traditional idea of changelings, but without the children theft aspect.
Aww, I hope Chryssie cheers up a bit.