Previous Chapters
Close
Change - Part 13,641 words
Change - Part 24,544 words

Change - Part 2

Dawn - Change - Part 2

Thanks to MintyRest for reviewing.

The sun peaked over the horizon, neatly lighting up the world with sparks of red. Luna’s statuesque form sat silhouetted against the sky, the blue of her coat dim against the dawn. Her eyes were stagnant, face a mask of scrutiny. The silver glow of her horn cooled, tucking away the moon beyond the horizon. The sound of soft hoof falls signalled an approach.

“I remember when I was just a filly. Every so often mum would let me stay up to watch you raise the moon. Another time, I even stayed up all night just to watch you set it.”

“You were hiding on the balcony overlooking mine.”

“I always suspected you knew.”

Luna turned her head to look at Cadence, a thin smile breached her lips. Cadence returned the smile, moving forward to sit by Luna. Luna shifted over, allowing Cadence to join her on the dry patch of ground she had found, among the morning dampness.

“Celestia always insisted that I sent you to bed. Of course, I did not listen to her. Saying that, I didn’t really listen to anypony a thousand years ago.”

“That was all a long time ago now.”

“I know, but the past thousand years weren’t very eventful for me.”

Cadence gave Luna a playful nudge. Luna giggled and nudged back, before sobering up once more. They sat in silence for some time, taking in the sights of the waking city below them and the sounds of the waking palace behind them.

“I never did see your mother pass away. A shame really, I would have liked to say goodbye.”

“She left a message for you.”

“Really?” Luna arched an eyebrow, turning towards Cadence, her interest piqued.

Cadence continued staring into the distance, her look just as far away.

“It said, ‘Luna, you better pay me back in the next life,’” Cadence finished, breaking out into a large grin.

Luna snorted with laughter.

“She always was a funny one.”

“You did owe her a lot of money to her.”

Luna stuck out her tongue at Cadence.

“It’s as if she always expected me to be redeemed.”

“She was always the optimist at heart.”

Another silence ensued. Both mares smiled, slipping into their memories.

“You always were brave, Cadence. Marrying Shining was a brave thing to do,” Luna mused.

Cadence gave a contented sigh.

“It’s love, Luna. It doesn’t matter how long it lasts. Sometimes things are worth the pain of loss.”

“But other times you just have to fight for them,” Luna mumbled.

“What was that?” Cadence turned her attention towards Luna.

“Oh, nothing. Anyway, it’s time.”

Luna stood up, her body tensing. Cracking her neck, and arching her back, she readied herself. Deep blue wings stretched majestically, giving a few test flaps, buffeting air. Cadence stood up also, spreading her wings with grace and poise.

“What war magic do you know, Cadence?” Luna’s tone became serious. She pulled in her wings and adjusted her stance, readying for flight. Her movements were precise and sharp, with the efficacy of a killing machine.

“Only what has been needed to protect my subjects.”

“Can you cast a blade?”

“I can but I have not cast in a long time.”

Luna nodded her head expectantly.

A bright flash of pink light appeared between the pair. As the light dulled, a thin blade appeared. The blade was considerably smaller than Luna’s, thinner also. Instead, of size, it had precision. The blade curved upwards, perfect for slashing. It was also far sharper than Luna’s blade. It was constructed from a roiling mass of fine pink ribbons surrounding a yellow shaft of light.

Cadence swung it experimentally, letting it cut through the air. Her face lit up, like a foal rediscovering a lost toy. She began to spin it around, slowing marking out smaller and smaller circles until she was spinning it like a drill. A cry pierced the air and she lunged it forwards, adopting a combat stance as she did.

“Good, but I must warn you now, you should avoid using your blade at all costs. If an enemy is close enough to swing your blade at, then you already sacrificed the tactical advantage of magic. When we enter the Northern Spire, though, you should have your blade cast and ready at all times. We will be fighting in close combat so it should be your primary weapon.”

“Ooh, quite the soldier now aren’t we, auntie,” Cadence cooed.

Luna’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she stumbled over words before admonishing, “Cadence! This is serious now. We’re going into real combat.”

“You’re no fun.” Cadence fell onto her haunches, folding her forelegs in a playful manner.

Luna cracked a smile, before wiping it away.

“Can you summon a blast?”

“What’s a blast?” Cadence looked up, intrigued.

“As you already know, channeling magic is closely related to strength of emotion. When a being is channeling magic and they have a strong emotion attached to the reason they’re using the magic, amplification occurs.”

“Textbook stuff.”

“Indeed, but a good warrior cannot be a slave to emotions. Instead, they must be able control them. In doing so, they learn to use their magic to its full potential. A harmonic blast occurs when a sufficiently large enough quantity of magic is summoned to be weaponized. The most efficient way of channeling this magic is into a beam of energy, named a harmonic blast. Any magic user can summon one, they just need to learn how to evoke the strength of emotion needed. This is normally achieved through either some poignant memory, the close presence of a loved one or set of words with particular emotional weight.”

Cadence cocked her head to one side. “So what you’re saying is that I get all sad and I can conjure giant explosions.”

Luna simply glared at Cadence.

Cadence broke out into a grin before turning away and murmuring, “Sorry.”

Luna huffed before continuing, “It is not so simple. It requires a great amount of mental discipline. Also, I take it that you cannot summon a blast.”

“No. How come I’ve never heard about this harmonic blast before?”

“Such a spell was a closely guarded secret before the war began. I was not even aware of its existence before Celestia taught it to me. Upon the commencement of the war, the spell spread through the mages of the army. It would seem that it never gained enough usage to become common knowledge. Only a handful of unicorns had the mental discipline to perform such a feat. Even Twilight Sparkle had difficulty in learning it.”

“How long would it take for you to teach it to me?”

Luna shifted about uncomfortably, her gaze wandering to the rising sun. “Longer than the time we have available to us. It is time we leave. If we meet a dragon then we dispatch of it as quickly as possible. We should try and avoid skirmishes with griffins as stopping to kill them would only slow our progress.”

A look of horror framed Cadence’s face before slipping back under her mask. She stood, her back bristling. “Pray tell, why you would even wish to attack the members of a neutral nation at a such a fragile time of diplomacy.” Anger laced her tone.

Luna blinked.

“This is not a time of peace, Cadence. I cannot always afford luxuries.”

“And sparing lives is a luxury?” Cadence leaned in towards Luna, her breath hot on Luna’s face.

Luna’s brow wrinkled.

“I’m sorry, Cadence. It would seem that I have not said what I meant to.”

“And what exactly did you mean to say?”

“It is of no consequence now. Forgive me and let us discuss this some other time. There are more pressing matters at hand.”

Somewhat mollified, Cadence backed away. Her hoof started scuffing at the ground below her.

Luna’s frown deepened, but, thinking nothing more of it, she spun round and stretched her wings once more. She took in the last sights of the city below her. The first ponies to wake were beginning to filter onto the streets. Glancing behind her, she took one last look at the pristine, white washed walls of the palace. Looking up at the pink sky, her wings flapped, strong powerful strokes lifting Luna into the waking day. Cadence followed behind her, her movements rigid.

Luna reveled in the crisp breeze under her beating wings. The coolness of the high altitude winds was refreshing in the early morning sunlight. A lazy smile played on her lips trying to dispel the dark mood that hung over the pair. Sparsely populated grasslands rolled by below them, marred by the occasional burn. As they headed north at a respectable pace, the air grew colder, and the foliage thinned. Roads ran in straight lines without any noticeable traffic.

The journey so far had been a quiet one, silence only having been broken at the Canterlot Shield as Cadence cast her bypass spell. In the heights of the sky, the only audible sounds were the beating of wings and the rush of wind. To those accustomed to those noises, all was silent.

Luna glanced back at Cadence, who followed closely behind. Cadence kept her face fixed forwards, her mouth taught into a frown. Her flowing mane buffeted behind her. Luna looked forwards again. Her eyes began to scrutinise the horizon, taking note of its shape and adjusting course appropriately.

The rest of the journey continued in much the same way. Grasslands rolled into great forests and great forests rolled back into grasslands. Snow began to lace the ground as they headed further north and mountains began to rise. The air grew colder and all the while, silence remained. As far as the eye could see the ground below was lifeless, save the occasional wondering beast.

Continuing north, they began to pass over mountains, entering the lands of the North.

A soft white blanketed the clearing peppered with black smears. At its edges stood the charred timber carcasses of buildings providing shelter to multitudes of pony corpses, roasted black, which littered the ground. The remains of the village were well preserved, shielded from the harsh weather by the mountain cliff faces.

Luna glided over the field of ash on silent hooves. Her face was inscrutable. She stopped in the middle of the clearing and lifted a hoof, inspecting it closely; white ash coated her dark fur. After a short pause, she blew, scattering the ashes into the breeze.

“What was this place?” Cadence’s voice held a sense of urgency.

Luna was silent for a moment, her face dampening. Her hoof still hung in front of her, once again deep blue. She turned her head and looked back at Cadence who stood some way behind her.

“A frontier town. Some of the northern stretches are still populated, though conditions are tough. The provinces up here are trying to expand back into the old Equestrian lands, they need the farmland.”

Cadence hung her head, her eyes glistened.

“When did this happen?”

“Not long ago; the smell still hangs in the air. The absence of life would suggest a few days.” Luna finally rested her hoof down and began to walk slowly. “This was a sloppy job, the dragon merely came, breathed and left. A good portion of the ponies would have survived, most likely fleeing for their lives. I doubt they survived. They probably died of thirst.”

Luna turned back to Cadence, observing her. Cadence was sitting down, shivering. Tears rolled down her muzzle, marking the ground below her.

“What of the dragon?” She enquired with a shaky voice.

“I imagine these are his territories. We cannot pass through unnoticed, we should expect to meet him. Expect him to be hostile, he appears neither sympathetic nor professional.” Luna peered up at the setting sun. “Blood will have been shed before the night is through. Let’s hope we fight him in the dark, I prefer it that way.”

Cadence picked herself up, choking back a sob. With what seemed like a growl, she stiffened, spreading her wings.

“I will not yet abandon diplomacy, but if that fails I fear I may not be able to control my blade.”

Luna merely peered back at Cadence.

An icy wind chilled Luna’s spine. Blue and black outlines of mountains jutted up from below, rolling underneath as the pair flew in near silence. The moon shone in the sky with an unnatural intensity and the clear, high altitude air revealed a rich blanket of stars above.

Cadence hummed softly; a strange, ghostly tune. Cadence led now, letting Luna rest in her slipstream. Time seemed lost hanging below the stars. Luna bristled impatiently and a small smile graced her lips. A thin silver aura coated her horn as she reached out with her magical senses, searching.

Minutes and hours rolled on, the moon tracing its arc across the sky.

And then, it began.

The sensation was weak to begin with, a small distortion in the magical field. Luna sensed it but held her tongue, waiting. As she waited the feeling began to grow; a sinking feeling in her stomach, a throb in her horn. Still she waited.

Then it came. Pain shot down Luna’s horn closely followed by a deep rumbling sound from far off. Luna gritted her teeth, not letting her magic waver. Her words came out in stutters, punctuating ragged breaths, “Dragon incoming. At our two o'clock. It knows we’re here.”

Cadence shot back a look, something nameless passing over her features. Her voice was quiet and her tone serious, “What’s it like?”

Luna’s horn began to throb. Her eyelids pressed hard together, as her jaw began to shake.

“It’s big. Powerful.”

“How long ‘til it reaches us?”

“Not long. Ready yourself.”

Cadence looked forward once more, slowing in her flightpath. Luna slowed too, matching her speed. Another rumble sounded, this time nearer. Luna let go of her magic and began to ready herself. Her breathing became deep and her eyes remained closed. She concentrated her mind, picturing what was about to ensue. Her mind flicked through her magical arsenal, looking for the spells she needed. Once she had mentally prepared, she opened her eyes again, looking to Cadence.

A pink light encased Cadence’s horn, quickly spreading to cover her whole body. Armour began to take form, glowing gold. As the light dimmed, the armour was revealed; thick gold war plates, carved with Canterlot insignia. A helmet rested on Cadence’s head, simple and round with two opening at the front and back, one for her face and the other for her mane. Luna was interested to note wing casings. Thick plates hinged for maneuverability and enchanted to be weightless. Razor sharp edges lined the front, making for a deadly, natural weapon.

Luna’s own horn lit with a flash. A dark blue shield expanded around her. Cadence glanced back, an eyebrow perking upwards and her mouth ajar.

“The shield’s a bit much, isn’t it?”

“I have learnt from recent... altercations that I may need to be a little more careful in combat.”

“I’m surprised you’re not dead yet.” Cadence shot Luna a smug grin.

Luna’s face scrunched up in annoyance before, in desperation, she poked her tongue out, blowing a raspberry at her agitator. Cadence giggled and turned forwards once more leaving Luna to brood and mutter expletives under her breath.

A monstrous roar jolted Luna back into the present. As she watched a shape emerged from the shadows before her, clearly visible under the moonlight.

The dragon was large, far larger than anything she’d recently fought. Its body, covered in ghostly white scales, drifted through the night, its path seemingly immutable. Massive wings stretched outwards, reaching into the void of the night. Its spines were a light blue and its underside was coloured a misty grey. The skin covering its legs was tight, revealing gargantuan muscles. Its claws were sharp and refined, attention had been paid to chisel them down to fine points. A sturdy neck held a head trained forward, poised to attack.

“Cadence, on my command we attack. I’ll rise and you fall. Distract him and I’ll finish him,” Luna stated without trace of emotion.

“No. Diplomacy first, we will not attack without trying to be reasonable.”

Luna glared at Cadence. Cadence glared back. A short hesitation and Luna looked away.

“I’m warning you now, this is foolishness. We have been hostile to the dragon race for longer than I care to remember.”

“We are not at war anymore, Auntie,” Cadence hissed.

“Yet they still kill our own.”

Silence fell over the pair. Luna’s face was grim, a deep frown soured her face. Her horn began to glow with a subtle blue. White sparks began to jump to the tip, hinting at the power she was gathering.

The dragon’s advance continued unabated, his bulk drifting ever closer. As he neared, Luna began to notice smaller, more subtle details; the shine in his red eyes, the glint of his teeth in the moonlight. Remaining steely faced, a white aura lit her horn. She opened her mouth and, with the full force of the Royal Canterlot Voice, shouted.

“HALT DRAGON! LEST YOU WANT YOUR HEAD CARVED FROM BODY!”

A throaty laugh resounded, the dragon’s face twisting in amusement. Cadence shot Luna an admonishing look. Luna ignored her.

“You ponies are all the same. All noise and no fight,” he mused with a voice like an earthquake. “Pray tell, pony, what you intend to do to one as large as myself.”

“WATCH YOU HALT!”

With a chuckle, the dragon stopped beating his wings and angled them upwards, slowing himself. He came to a halt about fifty yards in front of Luna and Cadence.

“Very well, I find you somewhat amusing so I suppose I can take a small break from chores of killing and pillaging in order just to talk. What is it you wish to talk about?”

“Diplomacy,” Cadence declared, moving forwards. Her armour glowed majestically. Luna watched her warily, readying herself.

“Oh.” The dragon tactfully arched an eyecrest. His tone stood somewhere between amusement and curiosity. It held a soft touch now that he no longer planned to kill them instantly.

“We wish for safe passage. We have greater things to fight than you this coming day and we wish that no blood be shed this night.”

The dragon gave a snort of derision, a small puff of smoke escaping his nostril.

“Do you know who I am, pony?”

“Do you know who I am, dragon?” Cadence countered.

“Well, I believe I can take a good guess.” The dragon lifted a paw and stroked his chin. “Let me see. You,” he said, pointing to Cadence, “you must be the one who calls herself the ‘Queen of Canterlot’. Not an awful lot to be queen of if you ask me. And you,” he slinked his head round to meet Luna’s eyes, “you must be the coward sister of the sun pony, the one who ran away.”

Luna gritted her teeth, her eyelid twitched, she snarled in rage. Shadow and fire coalesced as she drew her blade. She surged forward and trained it at the dragon. Cadence let out a small yelp of surprise, failing to form words. The dragon grinned in wry amusement. Luna stopped just short of him, her blade sweeping a vicious figure of eight, sparks trailing behind it. Her shield glowed with a strange intensity.

“Luna, what do you think you’re doing?!”

Luna ignored her, instead focusing solely on the dragon.

“And who, dragon,” the word grated on her tongue, “are you?”

“I,” the dragon announced, dramatically lifting a paw, “am Thunder, Third General of The Dragon Modern Standing Army, Conqueror of the Equestrian Deserts, and now retired dragon enjoying my share of the land and my horde of many treasures. And no, pony.”

“Huh?”

“You may not have safe passage.”

Gale force winds tore at Luna’s wings, pulling her into the dragon’s open maw as he breathed in deeply. Luna lunged forwards, swinging her blade round in a wide arc. Thunder recoiled his head and finished breathing.

“DIVE!” Luna screamed. Her wings snapped into her sides and her horn flashed. A telekinetic blast launched her downwards as a carpet of flame scorched the air above her. The world was lit in a fierce red outline. The shield held.

In a moment of panic, Luna frantically looked around for Cadence, her heart beating double time and not slowing down again until she located Cadence following her down, diving also, some twenty feet behind.

“Cadence, I need you to distract him!”

A growl pierced the sky. Luna watched Cadence look up before snapping her head back down again. She set her face firmly and looked to Luna and nodded. Throwing her wings out, her descent ended as she swooped into a graceful arc, leaving Luna to fall.

Luna looked up. Thunder had begun his descent, wings flapping to gain speed and his course set to follow Cadence. Luna bit her lip, holding back a grin. His majestic form sailed downwards, cutting through the sky. The white of his scales made him seem like a phantom in the night.

Luna snapped out her wings, already anticipating the pain. Her fall ended harshly, whipping her upwards and throwing her into the sky. Her breaths were slow and deliberate, fighting against the black that laced her vision. She began to beat her wings, gaining height. There was a white flash, followed by a bang; Luna pumped her wings harder.

The whistle of wind in her ears began to lessen as she gained altitude. She tucked her wings in and brought her body round, facing downwards toward the battle below. Cadence flew with a precise skill, dodging and diving with perfect timing, avoiding claws here and teeth there. From high above she seemed like a fly bothering a cat, albeit a slightly monstrous cat. Thunder swatted the sky with his paws and drenched the night in waves of flame, growling in growing frustration at Cadence dancing around him.

Luna began to fall once more, her wings slightly outstretched, guiding her. Grey mist seeped to Luna’s horn, gathering from the air around her. As it thickened, a fire lit inside of it, burning vigorously. Luna hurtled downwards, reaching terminal velocity. The wind roared in her ears and the air pounded against her face. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. Luna’s shield went down, no longer supported by sufficient magic.

“Cadence, move!”

Cadence looked up at Luna and, upon seeing her hurtling towards them, darted away, a blur of gold and pink. Thunder roared, twisting around to swat at Cadence and finding nothing there. He thrashed in a wild frenzy, trying to find her.

“Come and fight, Pony! Stop running away and hiding. Your whole race are nothing but cowards.”

Luna focused, clearing her mind and filling it with pictures of regret.

“Not by might.

Not by brawn.

Not by night.”

Thunder snapped his white head up towards Luna, his gaze meeting hers. His eyes burned with furious wrath. His mouth was twisted into a snarl, but instantly dropped.

“But by the first light of dawn.”

Thunder rolled in the air narrowly avoiding a pillar of volcanic white light that seared the night. He screamed in frustration; a violent hissing sound. He moved upwards, closing the gap on Luna.

Looming in front of her, her blocked out all vision of the ground below. Panic set in in Luna’s mind. She desperately thrust her wings out, trying to steer herself from the opening jaws. They did little to slow her fall, achieving only a pain which shot through them. The white of Thunder’s scales began to come into focus as she neared. Luna howled, the sound llying somewhere between anguish and disappointment.

Time slowed.

Luna pulled her wings in and focused magic through her horn. Ignoring the stinging of magical exertion, she cast her blade from fire. Precise rows of sharpened teeth lay just below, ready for her entry. She angled her blade to cut down through the dragon’s throat, taking them both to their deaths.

It should be quick. She took solace in her reason. My blade will shear through his neck, and his inner sets of teeth will shear through me. If I’m going to be taken then at least this should even the score. It’s chess.

Luna smiled; the kind of peaceful, serene smile that she hadn’t smiled in some time.

The pale white of his scales began to disappear, replaced by the black of his throat. His jaws began to rise up around her.

Time sped up again.

There was a mighty crash and a giant force exerted on Luna. Luna momentarily blacked out under the physical stress, her blade extinguishing in a puff. A choked roar followed.

As she came back to, she found herself cartwheeling through the air. A flick of her horn and she abruptly halted, a thin wave of force panning out from her body. She spread her wings and banked.

From the way she had come, she found Thunder struggling to fly. His wing beats were weak and irregular, his body turned in the air. His neck hung limp, choking noises came from his mouth and his claws flailed weakly. Under the moonlight a large bloody wound on his neck glistened, a wound typical of blunt force trauma.

Cadence leveled up beside Luna, her golden armor dented.

“I’m sorry to force you two apart during such an intimate moment, but we have better things to do than let you get eaten.”

Luna looked at Cadence and regarded her with an eyebrow raised. Her face quickly slumped into a smile.

“Thank you, Cadence.”

“Your welcome.”

Thunder went limp and his body began its descent. The white ghostly form plunged into the darkness below without trace.

“Luna.”

“Yes?”

“You did a good job in distracting him.”

Cadence smirked and flew off. Luna chuckled and and shook her head, before following Cadence into the night.

The campfire was now little more than an ash heap, glowing merrily in the dark. Luna and Cadence lay nearby, huddled together for warmth. Luna stared wistfully into the embers.

“Cadence.”

“Hmm,” Cadence groaned drowsily.

“I’m sorry.”

Cadence was quiet.

“What Thunder said today. I did run away, and I just left you. I reasoned that you were ready, but it was unfair of me. I’m sorry for that. I should have stayed, but I was too emotional and too distraught. Do you forgive me?”

There was a moment’s silence, interrupted only by the chirping of crickets.

“I love you, Luna,” Cadence mumbled.

“I love you too, Cadence.”

Luna smiled, she took one last look at the fire and then lay her head, snuggling into Cadence.

“We fight Changelings tomorrow,” Luna whispered. “Stupid Chrysalis.”

1,449 views

Previous Chapters