I heard voices in the dining room so I galloped there, tripping over a fallen lamp in the process. As I drew closer the voices became distinct; it was my mother's voice talking to somepony. A stallion? No. He was almost a stallion. The thing my mother was talking to had an undertone to his voice that sounded more like a horrible creature than a pony. I moved closer and I could almost pick out the words:

Cover art by the amazing Sakura.

Yeah, this is pretty weird. Well, something has happened to the ponies of Ponyville which seems to make them fascinated by really strange things like how they can breathe or probably how tissues replace themselves when you pull them, so I'm gonna see what I can do. First Bon Bon gets sick and she wants me to get her a bagel. I go out only to find that ponies are acting super crazy? How can this day possibly get any - oh no I said it.

This is Lyra, by the way.

I lived in Ponyville at that time with my father: an old Pegasus by the name of Structure, Lewis Structure. He worked at the rainbow factory, manufacturing spectra. He didn't talk much about his job but it paid pretty well and we were hardly living in the ditch. I never knew my mother, though, judging from the stories my father told, she was quite the filly; she was a Unicorn, so my father said, with a coat like velvet and eyes like polished marble. Sometimes I wonder if things would have been different if she hadn't left but, truth be told, I don't think it would have made a difference either way.

The captured Changeling sits despondent in the interrogation chair. Looking up, he sees what can only be his interrogator enter the room. A one way glass window holds Celestia and Luna, or at least, that is what the Changeling assumes. The interrogator sits down, rather uncomfortably. Apparently, he has not had much experience in dealing with Changelings; who had? The Changeling surveys his surroundings. Three white walls and one with the mirror and door. A table waits patiently in front of him while a light shines overhead. The Changeling is bound to the chair by his forelegs and wings. A faint humming sound suggests some kind of magic dampening field. The interrogator is an Earth pony, or as the Changeling designation system states, a norm. The interrogator opens his mouth to speak but two green eyes glare him into silence; he is clearly afraid of the Changeling. Overpowering his fear, the interrogator speaks.

Cover art is provided by jjamess10 because he's awesome.

Now with a sequel!

I remember a cave with darkness inside. I don’t want to go in but I have to. I have to save… somepony. I remember I had friends, the best friends a stallion could have. I remember I have to close the gate, it is of great importance that I close the gate; but, I don’t remember where the gate is. The last thing I remember is that my name is Gaia; try as I might I can’t remember anything else.

my name is Gaia, and I am alone.

How blessed are the lives of the dead. They exist solely to present the blissful peace of rest eternal.

Rest is my most prized commodity, now. I suppose that means the dead are rich fools; forsooth, they are rich, for they have great wealths in rest. Yet, they are fools for remaining dead. Perhaps death makes fools of us all.

For, when in Reba, there is no rest.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My name is Princess Luna. I am having trouble adjusting to the new world. Hardly anypony knows me, those that do are afraid of me. I don't blame them. I've done horrible things in my immortal life. But I won't surrender, not to him. I won't surrender to the Runemaster.

How do you know when your thoughts are your own? The mysterious Runemaster, a pony who takes control of the minds of first Applejack then Celestia herself, certainly won't tell you. Luna had better have a plan to deal with the Runemaster, dissidents, and her own dark memories.

Prereading by FreezeFlame
Proofreading by Rowan