An unlikely friendship

by Ponyride

chapter1

There weren't many things Luna could say she feared as a Princess of Equestria, her elevated status as the Goddess of the moon meant few actually had the power to oppose on any physical level, let alone take on her divine magic powers. All except fellow deities like Discord, her beloved sister Celestia and of course exceptionally talented unicorns who could utilize the elements of Harmony against her.

Only one of those three scared her and though she'd never admit to it to any who asked she did still bare a degree of fear towards her sister. Following her one thousand year sentence she was so accustomed to staring blankly into the endless void of space that she couldn't help but feel it was all a trick her mind had devised to cope with her endless sorrow and she was still imprisoned at this very moment. Celestia had over a millennium to perfect her smile, one that she could always maintain regardless of her own emotional well-being for the sake of her subjects.

Even now she could recall their fateful meeting at the end of that one thousand year mark, Her transition into her alter ego Nightmare Moon left her with a burning desire to destroy everything her sister cherished. Knowing only then would she ever be able to have that which she deserved by birthright and was denied for all these years, love. To be adored as Celestia was and cherished, to not live another day in the shadow cast by the Sun Goddess... To not be forgotten.

Of course Nightmares true birth predated her physical manifestation by centuries. Likely starting after her first real argument with Celestia over her feelings of neglect and mistreatment.

"I'm disappointed you'd feel that way, sister. The weight of our duties is bigger than such things as praise or adoration. I certainly hope you take the time to consider just why we exist, sister." Celestia had told her with a disapproving frown that only further sparked the fire in her younger sister. Of course, she could say that because she never had any shortage of love and adoration from her loyal subjects.

Celestia who was constantly showered with gifts and portraits Ponies from all across the land, constantly celebrated every day while the only sort of acknowledgment her sister would ever receive would be a single night Ponyville a year which less than half of the population even cared to celebrate. It hurt knowing others only cared for her as far as she could raise the moon every night so they could sleep.

That was just the way of things for the next several years until she met a certain Changeling. One who managed to push away her feelings of inadequacy and seemed to understand her pain, as odd as it may have seemed.

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It was the start of yet another night and Luna had risen the moon once again as was expected of her as her sister's sunset came into view, bidding Luna a pleasant night and returning to her quarters to sleep for the night. Unlike Celestia, Luna largely preferred spending her waking hours as far away from the castle as physically possible.

She hated the indefinite silence of the throne room that only emphasized just how lonely she way.

so instead she often headed out to the evergreen forest where she knew no one would find her. A place where she could bask in the wilderness and not have to think about things, and of course if she felt so obliged she could cry her sadness away without worrying about any prying eyes. She found at times it made the next night a little easier for her to get through by releasing stress.

As she approached her usual spot by a wide lake she landed on the bank and peered down at her reflection which shined under the moonlight she let out a sigh and took a seat on the soft grass above, a single hoof dipping into the water and idly swishing it around. However, on this night she could hear some light hoof steps behind her and scowled, without turning she could already sense that the aura while dangerous couldn't actually match her in battle.

"If its conflict thy seekst, you've chosen the wrong Pony" she said in an audible but firm voice that dripped venom. In return, she only received a light snickering which prompted her to look over her shoulder at her creeper who was a dark emerald eyes changeling that was rather tall. Possibly taller than Celestia which wasn't exactly a common trait among their kind.

"Such hostility from one of such high standing, don't they teach you old Deities any manners?" the changeling replied in a cold slithery voice as she stepped out of the shadows and came into full view to smile at Luna deviously. She had shoulder length limey green hair that draped over her face, fitting rather well with her demented smile which Luna was not impressed by and met her snakey gaze with a detached stare before returning her gaze back to the lake.

"A Diety needn't care for such formalities with leeches that feed off their generosity, now does she?" she replied as she stared at her reflection. Though she meant it in the much broader term it dawned on her that a leech was a pretty apt description of what changeling was.

"Oh? I'm surprised to hear such raw language from you of all people. Seems the Mare of the night is far more loose-tongued than her sister" she said as she walked over and stood over Luna, if she took the comment as a direct insult she didn't show it.

It was quite obvious based on her lean build she was likely the Queen of her hive if not a high-ranking member since their Hierarchy was typically built around a survival of the fittest mentality. Where were her underlings? The Alphas were almost never unguarded let alone outside on their own, yet she sensed no other auras in the vicinity.

Were they masking their presence with some magic? No, she would have surely sensed a shift in the magical energy emitted by the forest if they did so.

"Did you come to feed off my joy and happiness, Changeling?" she asked, ignoring her reply and jumping straight to the point.

"You may refer to me as Queen Chrysalis or Lady Chrysalis. Changeling is an incredibly rude title, Princess" she said with an annoyed frown and threatening glint in her eyes. But faded away as soon as it came "And believe the thought on feeding off all your happiest memories would give me no shortage of pleasure… But something tells me you don't have much to offer, pathetically enough" she remarked as she glanced across the lake bed and raised a hoof to stroke her hair.

Her words caught Luna slightly off guard and she followed her gaze to stare across the river bed to stare at some glowing fireflies that danced across the lake. The chirping of birds giving the place an air of serenity. At this point, they were practically side by side yet for some reason Luna sensed no real hostility, at least for the moment.

"Is that so?"

"Very much so, considering you come here almost every night to sulk and loiter about in my forest" Chrysalis said as though it was the most obvious thing ever.

That couldn't be right, how did she know she came here most nights. She made a point of constantly being aware of who was around when she came this far into the woods.

"What. How on earth could you know that?" Luna said, her calm façade breaking apart as she stared up at Chrysalis uncertainly. Noticing this the Changeling gave a side smirk and materialized some magical energy onto her horn.

"As I said, Princess. This forest is now mine and I make it a point to not let anyone step in or out without my knowledge" the Queen said as she turned to smile down at Luna, her hair swinging into her face and giving Chrysalis a certain unhinged demeanor that was only enhanced by her sadistic smile. "And I must say, your sorrow and tears are delicious enough to almost make me wish my diet was sadness instead love"

The light from her horn grew brighter and within seconds she could hear the familiar sound of sobbing. Glancing to her right side she could see incorporeal phantom of herself, face buried in her hooves and her body hunched back along the base of the tree, crying.

Luna could recall the memory, it was during the night of her first argument with Celestia. She had hoped to receive an understanding smile and a promise to change things but her sister would have none of it, simply assuming her sister had grown some elevated sense of self-importance and choose to scold her for it harshly.

Another ghost appeared up in the air, floating over the centre of the lake sending torrents of unrelenting lightning everywhere from her horn. She recalled that one as well, during a late night royal ball, a noble had mistakened her for Celestia's familiar and asked her to fetch some papers left in his carriage.

Of course, she had him promptly thrown out but the mere thought that people had forgotten her to the point of thinking her a familiar of all things gave her an insatiable urge to brake something before she took out her anger on the ball guests.

"N-No, this can't be?!" the moon goddess sputtered while rising up and stepping a hoof back, feeling shame overtake her. Her words trying to convince herself more than Chrysalis and her body urging her to run as Chrysalis burst into a laughing fit, her cruel eyes staring down at Luna with sadistic amusement.

"But it is. To think that deep down the moon Goddess is just a scared little Philly. it almost warms my heart" Chrysalis said with yet another laughing fit that cut through luna like butter, the fear in her heart gradually boiling into a rage as she glowered at Chrysalis. Her eyes changing into bright green slits as a haze of dark clouds formed above them.

"I suggest you hold your tongue before you lose it Changeling" she said, her voice becoming deeper as she channeled the night energy through her body. The wind gradually picked up around them, blowing her mane to the side as her horn started to shine.

The display had little effect on Chrysalis who seized her laughter if only peer down at Luna with a deathly stare that promised nothing but unspeakable pain if provoked.

"Why don't you make me, princess. I'd be happy rip you apart, limb from lim-" Chrysalis said before being cut off by a blast of blue energy that sent her rolling into the lake with a loud splash. Channelling more energy Luna materialised three blue energy spheres at either side and watched the water expectantly for Chrysalis to emerge.

"You were saying?" she said, daring her to repeat it. Several seconds later the Queen rose from the shallow end of the lake, her fur drenched in the chilly water and her hair an even bigger mess than it was before. The sight was enough to brink a smirk to Luna's lips as Chrysalis's looked up at her utterly enraged.

"You'll regret that brat" she said as she flapped her insect-like wings and rose into the sky, gathering her own green energy within her horn and firing it like a laser at Luna who met the attack with her own blast. The beams colliding with a loud blast that echoed through the forest and creating a large ball of energy between the two beams, the two adversaries pushing against the beam with all their might.

It weaved back and forth between the two of them but bit by bit Chrysalis slowly pushed it closer and closer to Luna who gritted her teeth as she felt the heat from the dark ball begin to scorch her face until it completely engulfed her in an explosion of fire that burned the surrounding grass to ash.

Chrysalis laughed victoriously and watched Luna's silhouette burn up until it was completely engulfed in the orange flame. What would an Equestria without Luna look like? Chrysalis couldn't help but ponder that question and its destructive implications. She was after all the Ying to Celestia's Yang.

She was pulled out of her reverie as Luna stepped out of the blaze, her sparkling mane and blue skin completely unharmed as she rose into the air. Groaning in annoyance she launched a series beams at Luna who formed a transparent bubble around her that deflected all the attacks.

One of the pros of her mostly thankless job was the physical invulnerability she and Celestia shared from their special connection to the tree of harmony. Regular magic no matter how powerful couldn't harm her. Annoying most certainly, but something that could easily be shrugged off. That was the changelings first mistake when she provoked her.

With the bubble still intact, Luna charged right at Chrysalis, knocking the female some feet into the and summoning lightning down upon her. Impressively the Changeling recovered fast enough to weave around the lightning, ducking into the trees and blasting out in a show of speed. Suddenly a large green mace materialised over Luna smashed her bubble open, knocking her back into a tree with enough force to push off its roots. The strike felt like the physical equivalent of getting punched in the stomach which she supposed for a regular Pony would be largely understating it. But she wasn't a 'regular' Pony.

Before she could even think to get she felt something chomp painfully on her tail and drag her along the grass and flinging her into the lake. Her body skidding some feet before sinking into the deep end. As she rose from the water she once again surprised by Chrysalis who smiled maniacally and dunked her head back into the water, no doubt hoping to drown her.

Luna struggled as her mouth and nostrils filled with water, the feeling was incredibly unpleasant but once again had a minimum effect due to the absence of any lungs to suffocate. Chrysalis was certainly stronger than her physically though she lacked any way of actually hurting her. Something the changeling was becoming quite aware of as she growled in anger.

"Why can't I injure you?!" she yelled in rage as Luna shifted the water pressure to the side and a large wave washed over Chrysalis, knocking her to the side so Luna could stand, her shiny mane losing its glow and being reverting back to light blue it had when she was younger.

"Like I said…" she said her body rising above the water and standing on its surface without sinking. "Perhaps you're the most accomplished magician in all the lands, Chrysalis but only magic from the heavens can harm me" she said spitting water out and slowly walking over to Chrysalis who swam to the shore, pathetically flapping the moisture from her wings so she could fly again.

Rising into the air again she darted towards Chrysalis who bit off a large branch from a tree and knocked the Moon Goddess onto her side. Her arms where then bound by branches from various trees, through Chrysalis's magic. She then pinned Luna down with both hooves.

"In that case, I'll keep you captive. There are plenty of ways to cause pain without physically harming you" she said glaring down at her. She couldn't quite place it but in that very moment, she felt an odd warmth in her belly, the determination in her eyes reminiscent of the same one Luna had. To not lose, no matter how impossible or thankless a task seemed.

Though for completely different reasons. One a sadistic desire to cause her untold mental and physical damage while Lunas was a refusal to ever let her sisters neglect make her lose sight of the good she brought others. Though unlike Chrysalis she'd long since ceased caring about that.

Their roles had reversed from what they were mere moments ago. And she did something she hadn't done in many years, Luna laughed.

Comments

[Pony_Person_123]

Of course, she had him promptly thrown out but the mere thought that people had forgotten her to the point of thinking her a familiar of all things gave her an insatiable urge to brake something before she took out her anger on the ball guests.

"But it is. To think that deep down the moon Goddess is just a scared little Philly.

Break
Filly

[Pony_Person_123]

Of course, she had him promptly thrown out

Throw him out

[Pony_Person_123]

Though for completely different reasons. One a sadistic desire to cause her untold mental and physical damage while Lunas was a refusal to ever let her sisters neglect make her lose sight of the good she brought others. Though unlike Chrysalis she'd long since ceased caring about that.

Luna's

[Ponyride]

8468491
Thanks for the feedback

[Ponyride]

8468495
Perhaps it may be because I follow British grammar rules which have a few differences from the way Americans use it but 'throw out' doesn't sound wrong in the context in which I implemented it. Care to elaborate the issue with my tense choice?