“LT.CMD. Sparkle, Nuada, thank you for the ride. If you guys can set me down on that balcony.” Mistress asked, she was in her default form, Jeff had shifted over her to form armor. She was currently standing at the back of the ship. It belonged to her friend, Lieutenant Commander Twilight Sparkle of the SR-2 Normandy. The ship, much to Mistress’ jealousy, was puddle jumper from the show on her home world, ‘Stargate: Atlantis.’

“We can do that. We will standby in cloaked mode while you do what you need to do. Call us if you need back up.” Sparkle stated.

“Yes, thank you for the information, I will be sure to visit this other Starswirl the Bearded,” Nuada thanked her shaking her hoof before returning to his seat.

“Please do, and call me when via token when you get your own. I have somepony who will want to meet you. Take care of yourselves!” Mistress jumped out of the back of the ship as the hatch opened. Landing she quickly slid behind a pillar and watched for guards.

It’s too bad we taught her how to recognize us on her hive mind. Jeff lamented as they spotted a pair of changling guards coming up the stairs. Mistress tensed her muscles and prepared to move, if this went badly she would have to fight her way to her Daughter, and it would be through her grandchildren.

I hate our job sometimes...Mistress opened her mind to read that of the hive. Thousands of images flashed in her mind, she saw Chrysalis in the throne at the top of the stairs. She heard the thoughts, anyponies who weren’t the mane six were to be killed on sight. After revenge just like the comic, I seriously thought we taught her better.

The hive mind suddenly shifted, recognizing the intruder, they began feeding her misinformation, everyling in the hive focused creating a wall between them and her. She had gotten what she needed but given away her presence.

The two guards that were approaching stepped onto the balcony, a look of alarm showed on one’s face. Mistress acted quickly jumping over them, as she did Jeff shot out tendrils that hit pressure points in a weak spot in their chitlin. The two now unconscious guards slumped to the ground, Mistress was still moving. She shifted her limbs to spidery like appendages and began to easily scale the stairs with long strides.

At each of the landings were hidden changeling guards, they would charge with green magic blasts and bites. Mistress kept moving letting Jeff strike at the pressure point. However after about the third round of guard they got smart to the attack. Protecting that point during combat, Mistress was forced to slow her accent, using her’s and Jeff’s biomass to form bonds they started tieing up the guards. Rapidly becoming lighter and less dense the attacks of the guards started to do more and more damage.

With a last push Mistress managed to crest the last stairs into the throne room. Her body had burns and bite marks that she was slowly healing. Jeff was in much the same state, the armor he provided, damaged and bleeding. The throne room was almostly completely coated with green ichor turned reson. Little alcoves provided hiding spots for her inner guard, below the alcoves which resembled a beehive, were dozens of pods. In each pod was a small fluffy creature, kept in a suspended state, looks of pain were on each on. Their faces were sunken and looked undernourished. The sight caused Mistress pain, knowing her daughter had done it.

“Chrysalis I’m here to talk.” Mistress announced as another round of guards prepared to attack. However instead of attacking they moved to the walls, creating a ring around their queen and the invader.

“You have grown much better at controlling your hive. We are impressed.” Mistress commented with some pride, hoping to break the ice. She watched as Chrysalis rose from her throne and approached her.

“You should be impressed, this is a thousand years of training. Now ‘Mother’,” Chrysalis said this part with disdain and bitterness, not a good sign. “What are you doing here? After a thousand years, you only just now are visiting? Let me guess because I attacked your precious ponies? Or are you going to say it’s because you love me and wanted to have tea?”

“I am here about all of those things. I was sealed--” Mistress was cut off when Chrysalis stomped her hooves and yelled.

“NO! You don’t get to talk, or make excuses. We have been on our own for over a thousand years. Do you know what has happened, the pain we have gone through? How many of my children have died in pain and agony?” She yelled glaring daggers of hate at Mistress.

“I left you with--” Mistress tried to defend.

“You know what happened to that village? Do you? They turned on us after only a hundred years. Sure they were grateful to their savior the great threshel Blade. But to us they only saw ‘parasites’. As soon as the elders were gone they ran us out of town, not with pitchforks, but with their hate. They held no love for us anymore, we had to move or starve. That is how you left us!”

“If I could--” Again Mistress was interrupted, she was now crying, realising how underdeveloped the ponies of that time were. Chrysalis smirked, gathering magic, her horn began to glow. She shot Mistress with it.

“I’ll show you the truth of your actions, of leaving your family!” The spell sent Mistress into a stupor as she fell to the floor, she was being forced to live though the memory of everyling that had died, all the pain, the suffering, the starvation.

Please our Queen, help us!

We must eat!

To die in battle would be better!

The ponies did this!

REVENGE! REVENGE!

Hate and pain flooded Mistress’s mind. Tears fell from her eyes unhindered. She knew logically what they would have likely gone through, but to feel it, the hundreds of thousands of deaths. She could only lay on the floor in pain.

Jeff cut into Mistress’ foreleg, reaching in past the flesh he found the summoning gauntlets. Channeling his will into them he spoke. Gilgamesh we need your help, we are at Chrysalis and she is in a fit of rage!

Without even a response a portal opened up and Gilgamesh fell out, his massive form landing with a reverberating thud. For a moment all was quiet as everyone stared at him. After a moment he sighed.

“Chrysi-poo. Thought we taught you better,” he said in a disappointed tone.

“Oh no ‘Uncle’ you aren’t any better off. You left us like ‘Mother’ did. It’s been over a thousand years, and not even you visited. Why don’t I show you what I showed her!?” Chrysalis charged her horn again preparing to shoot Gilgamesh.

“If it will make you feel better,” he said, not even moving. “You know I’ve faced worse though. I told you about my war. I told you of the Omega Ambush.”

Chrysalis didn’t respond as she unleashed her spell on Gilgamesh, striking him in his forehead. The feelings of every changeling that ever died in her hive flooded his mind. Gilgamesh shivered a bit and began to cry, but otherwise didn’t react. He looked at the Queen with eyes full of sorrow.

“Chrysi, I’m so sorry. But it’s not too late. Please, let us help you.”

“NO! I want you to feel pain, the pain of a thousand years!” Chrysalis began launching magical blasts against Gilgamesh, striking him in the chest. He flinched slightly with each blast, but otherwise was unmoved. Tears were now falling from the Queen’s eyes, the entire hive was feeling the emotions and the pain, remembering everyone of them, remembering the pain of loss.

Chrysalis began to slow down, stumbling her blasts were reduced to sparks at the end of her horn. Swaying she finally collapsed on the floor, crying.

After a few more moments of crying, Gilgamesh walked over to her. The other changelings were ready to attack before they stopped, seeing him kneel down and hug her. He began to sway back and forth before singing in a gentle voice, playing a song to accompany it.

“Toora, loora, loora
Toora, loora, li
Toora, loora, loora
Hush now, don’t you cry”

As he continued Chrysalis struggled to hold back her tears for a moment before wailing like a foal, gripping him tightly and sobbing onto his shoulder. By the time he was finished her wails had died down to whimpers as she nuzzled her ‘uncle.’

“I’m so sorry, Chrysi-poo. I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

“Why? Why did you, mother, and father leave? Why didn’t you visit? I got so lonely!” Chrysalis’ muffled voice asked her face still in his shoulder.

“We sealed. Jeff, and Mother. Went fight evil tyrant, Sombra. He seal us, we no escape.” Jeff answered reverting to his ball of flesh with legs form, slitted eyes and serrated teeth. He placed a limb on Chrysalis trying to comfort her.

“How? You guys are unstoppable, the most powerful beings I know,” she asked.

“We anything but. We very small fish in very big pond. Mistress and Jeff, smart, we sneak, but we not strong. Sombra also smart, also strong, very cruel. He force choice, us or Princesses. Us or all of Equestria. We choose, very sad choice. Must help, princesses strong, only princesses can move sun and moon. Save Equestria, save world, save you.” He smiled stretching himself to give his daughter a hug. She placed a hoof around him.

“As for me… I wish I better excuse, but for me it’s only been two months,” Gilgamesh explained. “Time flowing differently between dimensions and all that. I’m so sorry, Chrysi. I wish I knew.”

“You were outside our world, you couldn’t know, I am sorry for hitting you with that spell. It’s not like I could summon you like Mother does.” She lamented a sense of peace flowed into the hive. They guards returned to their posts, and replaced the other knocked out guard, releasing the others.

“I’m still angry at her though. She didn’t even tell me what you two were doing, Jeff.” Chrysalis stood up and walked over to the prone form of Mistress. She had passed out, but would occasionally grimace or kick, like she was trapped in a nightmare.

“Chrysi, you remember what hate and pride leads to. I told you about my world’s Chrysalis. I told you about her changelings’ history, about her hate… and what happened when she finally let it go,” Gilgamesh said.

“I remember, Uncle, I no longer hate her. Being sealed in time for a thousand years must have been hard. We are just angry at her for not trusting us with her plans. If you three are willing to still help us, we still have a problem. This hive is a parasite on these creatures, it is the only reason we are still alive after what happened. Also if we don’t do something soon to make amends for the assault, Equestria will go to war with us. Six moons, is the law Mother set up, six moons to make amends or face Equestria’s wrath.” Chrysalis stated looking at her mother’s form with mixed feelings. She is strong, so why hasn’t she woken up yet?

“We need to act fast then. I know it’ll be hard, but you need to agree to war reparations. Celestia and Luna will have to officially punish you, but they’re smart. They’ll find a way for this ‘punishment’ to benefit you, too. Also, I think it would be better if you showed up without me. It’ll look better for your PR if it looks like you made the choice yourself instead of being coerced into it.”

“Be that as it may Uncle, there is still the issue of feeding my hive. Equestria will not stand for this.” She gestured to the pods containing the little creatures. “Unless you have a better plan, ponies are unlikely to share their love with us.”

Gilgamesh pondered this for a moment. “I might have an idea. Back in my dimension we had Cadance and the Crystal Ponies imbue crystals with love. It could sustain you long enough for something more permanent to be made.” Chrysalis growled a bit. “Chrysi, I know how you must feel about her and Shining, not to mention Twilight, but-”

“One month, that is how much time they have to make these Crystals before we return to this. Any longer and our reserves will run out. One month.” Chrysalis snipped. She really hated relying on ponies for her hive.

“Ok, but you need to surrender first, that way Celestia and Luna can make it official and dedicate the proper amount of resources to the project,” Gilgamesh explained before reaching behind her head and scratching her ears, causing her to moan contently. “The times of symbiosis are not over for the changelings. Give it time and faith, and your kind will be loved. Just as we love you.”

Chrysalis groaned as he stopped before realizing what happened and blushed. “Damn it all, you know I can’t be angry after you do that. By the way we have learned how ponies view such an act.”

“Yeah, I just learned that recently. Don’t take it the wrong way, I’ve been doing that to you since you were a foal, and it’s always been platonic,” he said quickly.

“I won’t, I was hoping to embarrass you. It seems even after a thousand years I have yet to find a way under your skin.” Chrysalis smiled. She looked over Mistress looking for signs of activity, the only thing to happen, was her face contorting in pain and to kick her hooves.“I am worried, you shrugged off the spell fairly well, however Mother is still out. The spell should not have done this.”

“Mistress is trapped, Mistress won’t answer, I not able to thought speak.” Jeff stated placing a limb to her head, trying to connect. “We must get Mistress to Luna. Only pony I know help!”

“How can we get her there? Canterlot is three days away by hoof, even with our fastest drones.” Chrysalis asked, fear beginning to overtake her, she just wanted her mother to understand, not place her in a coma.

“We took ship, on balcony below. Friends Sparkle and Nuada waiting. Trip only take hours.” Jeff offered.

“You know, I could just cut a portal to Luna’s quarters. Just saying,” Gilgamesh commented.

“...I forgot, Gilgamesh please take us. Chrysalis go speak with Sparkle, she remember you, she help.” Jeff instructed the queen. He jumped on Mistress connecting with her to ensure her shifter abilities didn’t begin to go out of control. “Ready when Gilgamesh is.”

“Yup. Just a sec,” he replied before unhooking his naginata and cutting open a portal in the air. “All aboard the Gilgamesh Emergency Express!” he called before jumping through. Jeff picked up Mistress’s body slowly moving her through the portal, the rift closing behind them.

Luna awoke with a start as a loud thud reverberated through her quarters!

“WHO DARES TO DISTURB OUR-!?” she began to shout, only to notice three recognizable figures. “Gilgamesh? Mistress Change? Jeff? What is-”

“No talk time Changie locked in her mind help now!” Gilgamesh shouted quickly, not even pausing for breath.

“Trapped in her own mind? How did this happen? I need to know exactly what happened, stepping into a magically induced sleep is dangerous.” Luna asked picking up the shifter and placing her on her bed.

“We go to daughter Chrysalis. Fight way see her. See her we argue she very angry. Cast spell make Mistress have memory. Memory of all changeling Chrysalis say. Spell miss Jeff, was separated from Mistress mind in fight. Chrysalis use spell on Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh cry but stand. We all worried, Chrysalis on way with Sparkle. Must act, Mistress dream, dream pain.” Jeff was panting, his form beginning to loss it’s solidity. Speaking was very difficult for him to pull off, and so much in one day was pushing him to his limits.

“Thank you Jeff, we will act. We will need to guide her from her nightmares. Gilgamesh, you remain standing could you share what you know of the spell or exactly what was contained? A first hand experience could be very helpful. Or knowing you, if you would like to come with?” She asked with a pleading look.

“Yeah, I’ll come with,” Gilgamesh nodded. “Basically, it was the pain, hate and fear of her entire hive since they day they were driven out of town a thousand years ago up until now. It’s a lot to handle, and really the only reason I could take it is because I’ve, arguably, seen worse… but just barely.”

“Mistress never makes it easy does she?” Luna asked with a deadpan look. Her horn began glowing as she readied the dreamwalking spell. “Get comfortable, this may take a while.”

“Gotcha. Three, two, one,” he said quickly before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell onto the bed, thankfully missing Mistress as he did.

“Strange creatures, ready yourself Jeff.” She released the spell, sending Jeff to sleep, they entered the dream world.

Inside the dream realm Luna collected Jeff, in his vaguely humanoid shape. Allowing him to ride on her back she searched for the door to Gilgamesh. Eventually she reached a familiar looking door with three red curled teardrops in a circle on a brown background. Strange noises could be heard from inside. Knocking she opened the door stepping into collect Gilgamesh.

“Gilgamesh we must hurry… What is this?” she asked looking around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq7Eki5EZ8o

“Yeah, sorry, if I’m not controlling things my mind just goes places when I dream,” he apologized.

“It is of no concern, come we must hurry.” She guided him out the door, lighting her magic she searched for the nightmares belonging to Mistress. Without moving the doors began to fly by, eventually landing on a twisted and contorted door, It appeared to originally be blue, with orange trimming. Now it was covered in green fire and black ichor, screams could be heard from inside.

“Shall we?” Luna asked her magic pressing on the door. It slowly creaking open as the screams fell silent.

“Oh, please let that be a good sign,” Gilgamesh muttered.

Inside was pitch black, the only light coming from the door. Once everyone was in the door slammed shut. With no light the three visitors were unable to see each other.

“Stay close, remain in contact so we do not get separated.” Luna ordered, extending a wing to find contact with Gilgamesh, Jeff remained in his position on Luna’s back. The three slowly made their way forward, seeking a sign. Suddenly the screaming returned, faint at first, growing closer and closer. Till teal colored lights began to speckle the darkness, like stars in a sky.

“Be ready.” Luna cautioned, as the teal lights drew even closer they began to multiply, the screaming louder and louder. Jeff clutched tightly onto Luna’s mane. Eventually the screams began to give way to worlds.

Murderer!

Monster!

You killed us!

Die!Die!Die!

Failure!

“Gilgamesh, what is this? Does it seem familiar?” Luna asked holding her hooves to her ears trying to drown out the sound. With it came emotion, sorrow, rage, and disappointment.

“Sort of, but it’s sounding more personal than what I heard. It’s less the hatred of the changelings in general or more Changie feeling responsible from what I can tell, and wow that is starting to get annoying,” he answered before quickly leading into his complaint.

“We must find her, if we can we may be able to speak with her, get her to realise it is not her fault.” Luna said slowly moving into the lights, Drawing closer it became apparent what they were. The faces of thousands of changelings stared at them, screaming out their pain.

Jeff stepped down from Luna, the soft glow of teal providing enough light to see by. He ignored the voices, looking around he began walking forward. “This way.”

“Are you sure?” Luna asked.

“Yes.” Jeff answered his voice calm but laced with concern. The further the walked the louder the screams became and the more faces appeared, forming a long dark corridor. The pressure began to grow, the hatred and regret given form in the dreamworld. Jeff continued to power forward, Luna’s steps were slow but Gilgamesh held on and made sure she didn’t stop, his arm on her withers as they continued to move forwards. The sounds of accusation became deafening before finally, at once, they stopped.

“Oh thank Faust, that was really grating on me,” Gilgamesh complained.

They approached a pillar of white light, and in the middle was a sobbing mass, writhing. Drawing closer they saw the shape wasn’t just writhing, it was shifting, crying out in pain it arched its back turning over. The body’s form changed from human to equine, chitin and tattered insectoid wings appeared and disappeared. The face changing from familiar gray-green to inky black. The only two things to remaining consistent were the long navy blue pony tail and white eyes.

“Mistress!” Jeff yelled running ahead to help her.

“Wait, Jeff! We don’t know what-!” Luna tried to warn before Jeff was blasted by a pulse of energy, sending him flying back to the group. The pulse rippled out, feelings of dread and despair pushing out on the three.

“The hell is this?” Gilgamesh asked aloud, bracing against the waves and focusing on the mission at hand to fight off the negativity in the air.

“This must be the feelings Mistress has regarding the changelings. It has gripped her mind feeding off of itself, we must try and reach her. She must realise that these are not her fault, and accept the truth.” Luna called bracing herself, her wings drawn in tight.

“Damn it, why does this have to be so complicated? Chryssi needs to learn how to wield her power more effectively,” the warrior complained before grabbing both Jeff and Luna, holding them close as he charged at the pillar of light. Like before a pulse tried to push him back, but he withstood it and powered forwards. “The blood of millions is on my hands, the blood of those I failed to lead back home in the war. I have found the strength to continue through that, so this level of negativity is nothing before me!” he proclaimed as he forced his way through.

Drawing closer the form began to convulse faster and more violently. Suddenly it stopped, the pulses of emotion stopping but the pressure still in the air. Blank white eyes stared at the group.

“I am a murder, leave me!” A voice screamed into the air, appearing from all directions. “I deserve this!”

“What the-? Was that Changie?” Gilgamesh asked aloud.

“Will is reality in the dreamworld, this is her world. She believes this to be truth, so it is here. We need to convince her that it is not true. I believe you are the best to convince her how to keep moving. Your own past to guide you.”

“I think you might be right,” he agreed before stepping forwards. “Changie, I don’t know what happened in the past before or after you met me, but you can’t let what happened rule your life! You have to move on!”

“What gives you the right? This is penance for my crimes! I must suffer I must know their pain!” The voice resounded again.

“Maybe that’s true. You certainly have to acknowledge your mistakes, but you can’t let them control you!”

“They don’t control me, I chose this, this is what is right! I must suffer! You know this pain, you know the truth!” The voice screamed again sending another pulse that knocked Jeff and Luna to the ground.

“Damn it, Changie, do you think I’m just an idiot that doesn’t know any better? I act like a goofball so I can focus on the good things in life, not because I haven’t experienced the bad ones! I know pain, and suffering, and guilt, just like you! Maybe even worse than you!”

“Then how can you move, tell me, how do you live with the pain?! The deaths of thousands, the death of millions, how can you of all people tell me I am wrong?!”

In response to that Gilgamesh closed his eyes. After a few moments the entire landscape changed to a open field, but one could hardly tell due to the amount of fresh corpses. The bloodied and mutilated bodies of ponies, zebras, minotaurs, griffins, mules, changelings, diamond dogs, buffalo, horses, reindeer, even dragons littered the landscape as far as the eye could see, blood pooling up almost a foot.

Luna looked around the field shaking her head. The smell reached her nose causing her to gag. As she studied the field she began to truly understand a sliver of what Gilgamesh had gone through. Despite having fought in wars herself, the sheer scale of death was staggering. Jeff looked around a sense of being impressed was the only thing to be read from his expression. Luna looked up at Gilgamesh with new sorrow in her heart.

“This… this is the site of my greatest failure,” he said in hushed tone. He then walked over to one of the corpses. “This was Major Sharp Mind, one of the unicorns that helped defend Princess Cadance when the demons first attacked Tartarus. He had five foals, two colts and three fillies, back home. He told me after this war he was going to retire.” He walked over to another corpse. “Staff Sergeant Wriggler. He was actually involved in the Canterlot Wedding Invasion. I heard him talk to his fellow soldiers about how interesting pony dances were and hoping he could take it on professionally when the war was over.” His eyes trailed over the corpses nearby. “Warrant Officer Jade Scales, Corporal Dust Rider, Colonel Iron Arm, Captain Rupert, all of them my soldiers. All trained by me, or trained by those who were trained by me. By this point in the war there wasn’t a single member of the military who wasn’t my student, either by my direct involvement or by extension of those who had received my training. All of these soldiers here died on the same day, in the same battle. At the time, I had become Supreme Commander of the entire military just a week before, Celestia stepping down and giving me the role. I thought I was ready, that I had finally been taught and had seen enough. I was wrong.”

An earth shaking scream of rage radiated from nearby. Luna and Jeff turned to see another Gilgamesh on a nearby hill, bellowing in rage as he shouted at the heavens. The screaming went on for minutes, the sound seeming to visibly radiate of his body, before it began to slowly change. Within another thirty seconds he was on his hands in knees bawling, tears streaming down his face, barely even stopping to breathe, his cries reverberating across the land as powerfully as his screams of rage had before.

“How do we move?! How do we live?! We who have cost the lives of so many, how?” The voice was now almost pleading begging for an answer to the pain.

Gilgamesh finally looked up from the corpses, turning to look at his doppleganger. “That’s how,” he said simply.

The other Gilgamesh’s wails had died down to whimpers, and the reason why was obvious. Celestia and Twilight held onto his right arm as Luna and Chrysalis held onto his left. Wrapped around his neck were the arms of a fully grown and majestic golden dragon. All of them attempted to comfort him, even as tears fell from their own eyes.

“I understand your truth now.” The voice faded as the scenery changed. It was replaced with a large medieval hall. Banners of varying orange hues decorated the halls as eerie light from flameless torches illuminated the hall. Within were hundreds of forms, all different shapes and sizes, there were dragons, werewolves, elves and spiders. Scarcely two creatures were the same. They appeared in varying forms of detail, some appeared to almost be alive. However most of them were little more than gray outlines of their former selves.

The forms were shuffling to slowly form a line, one by one they made their way down the impossibly long hall.

“This is the guild hall Mistress and I were a part of.” Jeff stated as he lead them past the line.

“Who are theses shades?” Luna asked looking from one to the next seeing creatures that had never been even dreamed of in Equestria.

“People we knew, people we failed, friends we lost.” He lamented seeing the faces of many he recognized, and even more that he did not.

“Was this before or after me?” Gilgamesh asked, his normally boisterous behavior still subdued.

“Way before, this was before we came to Equestria.” Jeff answered.

“‘Before Equestria?’ But… Changie used to be human, right? From a version of Earth?”

“Mistress? No Mistress and I have never been to ‘Earth’ we came from an academy. However when we got to Equestria something changed. Mistress was something more, she had memories not her own.” Jeff answered. Luna looked shocked.

“But she always acted like Earth was her home? The times she explained displaced she never told us of this.” The Princess of the Night asked, shock on her face.

“To this day, even after sorting through her mind and finally getting an idea, we are unsure of exactly what happened or how it has affected her.” Jeff answered, as they passed the line he saw six familiar figures, however when ever he tried to remember them or look closer, he found he couldn’t. “It even effects me sometimes, we had friends at the academy. There were six of them, sadly that is all we can ever remember.”

“So what have you learned?” She asked.

“Her soul has been fused with another, they have become one in the same.” Jeff answered, coming to a stop he saw the front of the line. Each shade would approach a cage, stand there for a few moments before vanishing. “Any last questions?”

“Just what do we need to do to help her. The other stuff we can worry about later,” Gilgamesh said simply.

“We should approach and observe, it is clear that the spell triggered something far deeper than it was meant to.” Luna stated moving closer to the cage she saw Mistress as her dreamself again, this time in rags with burns and cuts on her, in the cage she was shackled with her eyes held open by iron pins. Her still white eyes were forced to look at every shade that came before her. Her hair was still blue, but matted and cut short.

Each shade when it drew closer would whisper accusing her of something.

You killed me.

Monster.

You promised you would free us.

You ruined our lives.

Do you even remember my name?

Each shade, every time, would approach and whisper. Each time Mistress would open her mouth to explain, to answer or defend herself. Only for no sound to come out.

“She may have accepted the deaths she has caused, but it would appear she holds tight her failures.” Luna lamented, watching as a family of humanoids approached the cage, each one in rags with chains. “We must now show her how to overcome her failures.”

“Yes. And I think I know one mare who knows a thing or two about that,” Gilgamesh added, nodding to Luna with a smile.

“You have a callus, but fair point.” She smirked at Gilgamesh before her face fell. She walked in front of the cage. Turning she blocked next shade, causing anger filled hushed whisper to spread though the line.

“Halt you foul shades!” She yelled in her royal canterlot voice. Driving the shades back.

“All creatures make mistakes!” She yelled again, driving them back farther. “I of all ponies know that. I who betrayed my people, my friends, my family. All creatures have their faults. However… we try, we try our hardest. We fight till we can no longer lift a hoof. We fight on, we should seek forgiveness for our actions.”

The whispers spoke in a unified voice. “We will give no forgiveness! Somethings cannot be forgiven!”

The shades began pulling themselves together, pulses of negative energy filled the air, shattering the windows in the hall and ripping the banners. The shades drew in on themselves until they took a humanoid form. A very familiar woman with blonde hair with green streaks, gray-green skin with slitted green and yellow eyes, now stood over them. “I will never forgive what this monster has done!”

“You must!” Luna yelled, back. The giant shade Mistress pulled back her arm and threw a punch at Luna. The one in the cages rattled against her restraints as she was forced to watch. Luna however summoned a barrier.

“That thing is a monster, it has turned its back on friends. It has broken promises. It has failed to be the person it swore to be. That this is nothing but a MONSTER!” The shade continued to throw punch after punch. Waves of sorrow and disappointment resounded of the shield.

“That may be may be, nopony is perfect.” Luna closed her eyes, borrowing the idea from Gilgamesh, she changed the dreamscape to the night she became nightmare moon. The guild hall was replaced with the throne room from the castle of the two sisters. Blue and gold banners adorned the walls under the moonlight shining through the glass ceiling.

The Shade reduced in size, standing next to Luna, who had the caged Mistress on her other side.

“Observe, this is my moment. This is the moment that I betrayed everypony.” Luna said as a phantom of her stepped out from behind the thrones and a phantom of Celestia appeared.

“Lower the moon, Luna.” Celestia ordered her younger sister.

“NO! I will no longer hid in the shadows, the ponies will know my night, for my night will LAST FOREVER!” As she proclaimed the last two words shadows enveloped her, changing her appearance. Her teeth grew sharp, her fur turned pitch black, and her eyes slited.

The two dream shades of Celestia and Luna fought, destroying the castle, until Celestia unleashed the elements of harmony. The dreamscape then changed, to the moment after her release when Twilight and her friends had banished the nightmare forces.

“How do you forgive a monster who caused such pain?” The dark shade of Mistress asked.

“It was not easy.” Luna showed memories of after her return, hiding in her room avoiding others.

“Eventually I was shown the way.” Luna ended on the night of ‘Nightmare Night’ the moment after she had, at Twilight’s insistence, scared the young fillies and colts. A young colt in a pirate costume approached her.

“You’re the best princess ever!” The young colt exclaimed and hugged her.

“If such a young colt that I had terrified, threatened and caused disappointment to in one night could forgive me, why should I not forgive myself? I could bring ponies joy with the night, I could right my wrongs and move on leaving the past behind me. I learned that night, that while we should remember our past, we cannot be consumed by it!” Luna’s voice shook the mindscape, shattering the bonds that held the caged Mistress hostage.

“I understand your truth now.” The two Mistresses stated as they became one, the mindscape shifted again. This time the result was something very different. They found themselves in a very cramped space. The floor was blue with white speckling, it appeared to be waxed. The lower half of the walls were painted blue, above that was white. Looking to the roof there were pipes and cables running in all directions, everything was painted white. Looking down the one corridor, that was just wide enough for one of them at a time, they saw smaller passageways.

Each of these passageways held rows of blue curtains, stacked three high and two deep, before another hallway and another set of curtains. Jeff reached up and pulled back a curtain revealing a cramped space with a pillow and a mattress, the beds appeared to be made of metal everything appeared to be built into the structure, sealed tight.

“This place again.” Jeff commented looking away from the racks.

“We have seen this before, Mistress dreams of it often but never explained what it was.” Luna began wandering down the aisles peaking in each rack only to find it empty.

“It looks kinda like a freaky hospital… or maybe an orphanage,” Gilgamesh commented.

As if to prove him wrong the dreamscape began to slowly tilt back and forth. The sound of waves could be heard echoing from the floor, with the occasional ‘ping’.

“No Mistress says it is a ship. A vessel from her other memories. If we end up together in a dreamscape she always changes it.” Jeff corrected, sorrow in his voice. “Something about this bothers her deeply, and for some reason she refuses to speak with me.”

“I am sure there is a reason Jeff. Mistress is a strong and independent mare, I am sure you just being there helps. However sometimes we must press an issue for our friend’s own good even if they do not wish us to. Let us find Mistress and tell her this.” Luna placed a hoof on Jeff’s shoulder smiling to him.

“Yeah. Now come on, you handsome mass of flesh, lead the way!” Gilgamesh said enthusiastically.

They began wandering down the aisles, guided only by Jeff’s instinct. Eventually they began to hear very soft crying. The sounds began to come from all directions, always very quiet, never changing. Pure sorrow and loneliness were carried on the sound, like a haunting melody.

Looking down each aisle they eventually found the source. Two black boots poked out from under one of the blue curtains on a top rack. Parts of a body could be seen from behind the pipes and cables running along the roof.

“This must be her.” Luna stated approaching the rack she used her magic to pull the curtain open. Inside curled up with his hands around his legs was a young man. He had the same long blue hair that all of the other dream selves of mistress had. This one was clothed in blue digital camo patterns. He was small able to sit up in the rack between pipes. He held his arms on his knees as he gently cried.

“Mistress?” Luna called, surprised by the change in form. She reached a hoof up to nudge him only for her hoof to pass right through. “Another phantom?”

“No this is the real one.” Jeff stated his legs elongated so he could stand eye level with his Mistress.

Gilgamesh noticed that Jeff seemed to be shaking slightly, a clue that he was angry or disturbed in some way.

“The first dream was her fears on Equestria, the last dream her fears from our past before Equestria. This, must be the fear of the other memories.” Jeff figured, eyeing the form, this was the persona that had changed his Mistress. A sense of anger flowed over him, this was the cause of her pain for hundreds of years. Jeff grit his teeth, now glaring at the crying figure.

“Jeff what is the matter?” Luna asked trying to pull his attention from Mistress’s crying from.

“This is the portion of self that changed Mistress, this is the one that caused us both such pain.” He raised an arm growing a blade from it, his eyes locked on to the top of the boy’s head.

“Woah, hold on there buddy, what’s up with you!?” Gilgamesh asked in alarm.

“Listen you know you don’t want to hurt Mistress we are here to help her.” Luna pleaded, with Jeff.

Jeff just stared at the blue haired man, the blade stopped for a moment. Eventually the man looked up, his eyes closed, and puffy from crying. Rubbing the tears from his eyes he he opened them. The eyes were the same as before, white, then Jeff began to cry. These were not the eyes of his Mistress, they never were in the dreamscape, she also never had blue hair. However it was not the eyes that held the truth, it was what Jeff saw inside of them.

Sorrow, pain, focus, dedication, and strength. This young man held so many deep rooted feelings, many of the same feelings he saw when he looked into Mistress’s eyes. Despite all the pain he felt the boy was strong, moving forward. Even deeper still Jeff saw into his eyes, he saw two emotions at war. The one keeping the boy going, the one that gave him his strength, the emotion of love, for his family, for his friends, was loosing,

In his eyes one emotion held more power than the rest, one emotion had placed itself at the center of his mind, loneliness. The sense of despair and sorrow driven by his loneliness was what brought Jeff to his tears. What could have happened to cause such feelings in one so young?

Jeff retracted his blade allowing the others to relax. The boy never broke eye contact with Jeff. Crawling up on the bed he placed an arm around him. “You are not alone.”

The boy’s eyes opened wide, the dream scape changed, one last time. He was now on a grassy hill with the sun shining bright.

“We are here with you, no matter what you are our friend.” Luna said nuzzling Mistress’s face, causing him to laugh, a bright smile on his face.

“Like they say here, ‘friendship is magic.’ Even if we’re not by your side, we’ve always got your back,” Gilgamesh added, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Slowly others began to appear in the dream, Duncan was the first. He simply crossed his arms and nodded. Avarice was in his anthrodragon form and winked at him playfully. Chrysalis, Celestia, Star Swirl, LT.CMD. Sparkle, dozens of ponies and humans. More and more began to appear in the dreamscape creatures from all over the multiverse.

A single voice rang out above them all, the boy’s face a picture of happiness.

“Thank you.”

Then in a blinding flash they were all pushed out of the dreamscape.

Author's Notes:

This was a particularly fun chapter to write, as it gave an excuse to explain a little bit more about Mistress, despite her strong desire to not share things.

And yes its more with Shinigamisparda and his story The Mighty Warrior of Epicness and its sequel, For Glory! For Equus! For Epicness!
(I will keep posting the links till everypony who reads this fallows them)

Thanks you for reading see you next chapter.