“LUUNNNNNAAA!”

The Princess of Night jolted upright in her throne, her eyes, once drifting shut under the oppressive boredom of facing down yet another stack of treaties and bills to sign, flew wide open. “HUZZAVAH-WHAA!?” She screamed with as much royal dignity as she could muster before flopping down on the carpet. The doors to the throne room burst open, and in raced a tiny lavender blur that nearly collided with her on the carpet, stopping expertly just a few inches from her muzzle.

“Princess Twilight!” Luna said indignantly, pulling herself back up. “We have told you time and again that there are better ways to contact us than…”

She paused in her rant as she noticed the way Twilight’s shoulders heaved, the frayed mess in her mane, the bags under her eyes. Like most nights when Twilight threw herself into the throne room like this, Luna sighed despondently. “She’s having that dream again, huh?”

Still breathing frantically, Twilight bobbed her head up and down, her teeth clenched in fear.

“Oh, Chrysalis…” Luna sighed again, slowly picking herself up and gently laying a wing across Twilight’s shoulder. “Miss Sparkle, I know it’s hard, but you need to calm down. Panicking won’t help her.”

“I know, it’s just…” the tears that had been threatening in her eyes the entire time she had been in the throne room now streamed down her face, Equestria’s youngest alicorn trembling. “She’s so scared when she dreams about him! You wouldn’t believe it, Luna! She’s in so much pain…”

Her wing rubbing calmly up and down the little princess’s back, Luna’s horn ignited as she snapped a teleportation spell into place. Within an instant, they were standing in Twilight’s royal chambers (aka her old room in the library). On the smallish bed, a long, black form trembled, caught in the deepest throes of a nightmare.

“Chrysalis,” Luna whispered, laying a sympathetic hoof on the changeling’s cheek. Chrysalis drew away, a sweaty lock of mane drifting over the extended hoof as she whimpered.

“P-please Tirek,” Chrysalis mumbled, deep in the throes of the nightmare. “Nuh-no, I’m sorry, I meant Master Tirek…no Lord, I’ll be good, I’ll be your good little slut…”

Luna’s eyes drifted to the ornate magical suppressor locked on the changeling’s horn and scowled. She understood the nobles’ worries: the ruler of a nation that had once attacked this very city might well get up to no good if she was allowed, and so a suppressor did seem logical for her weekly visits to the city (or more specifically, to her marefriend). Thing is, those nobles didn’t know that leaving Chrysalis so powerless would awaken memories of the last time she’d been so helpless, nor did they know of the nightly ritual Luna and Twilight had to endure because of it.

“Please hurry!” Twilight moaned, crawling in next to Chrysalis and nuzzling her chin. At that, the Queen’s back arched as if she’d been electrocuted.

“No Lord, please,” she moaned, her body tensing, one hoof rising and falling back protectively over her nethers. “Please, it still hurts from last time Lord, please, please…PLEASE!”

Finally, Chrysalis jolted upright in the bed, tears rolling from her closed eyes as she howled in agony: “SSSTTTTOOOOOOOOPPPP…”

“Luna!” Twilight howled, her forehooves wrapped around the changeling’s neck as she kissed her cheek, moving as Chrysalis’s maw worked up and down, even as the scream tapered off into a soundless cry of pure torture.

Nodding, Luna calmly stepped up to the bed and touched her horn to Chrysalis’s. Without being instructed, Twilight immediately touched her horn to the spot where the two others met. There was a glow, and a deep, soothing blue wave of magic cascaded down the crooked horn and over the changeling’s body. As each wave passed, a bit of the pain in the changeling’s face melted away, her fangs slowly disappearing behind her lips as her head sank back down into the pillow.

The spell complete, Twilight eased her way back into Chrysalis’s forehooves, kissing her cheek as the changeling slept soundly. Luna let out an exhausted sigh and shook her head. “And I thought we suffered at that monster’s hands,” she whispered.

“Luna?” Twilight asked tentatively, her voice low so as not to wake her lover, resting peacefully at last. “When do you think she’ll talk to us? About what happened back then?”

The Princess of Night looked into the young alicorn’s eyes and wished Twilight wasn’t as perceptive as she was. Maybe then she could make up a lie to help her sleep better. “I don’t know, Twilight, I just don’t know.”

Author's Notes:

I really didn't think I was gonna go to such a dark place right off the bat, but here we are. Go figure.