The guy led Crescent down the corridors, stopping to poke his head into one room or another, just to pass time chatting with some other students he saw in the hallway, which also provided opportunities for him to introduce Crescent to these friends of his, not that she caught their names very well, as she was focused on looking at everything with rapt curiosity.
"Nice to meet you." She bowed as best she could, almost toppling herself in her new form. Her balance wasn't quite what it had been. But she kept her composure and remained steady on her bare feet. "I am Princess Crescent Moon, but call me Crescent."
A couple of the girls laughed at that. "Such a cutie." One of them ruffled the top of Crescent's head. "You are a little princess, aren't you?" She looked over Crescent's little outfit with a smile as the group left the latest classroom, continuing on their way through the big, busy building.
Crescent followed the teen, not bothering to correct that the name was not a title, but she supposed it wouldn't matter much to these humans.
They entered a new room, music washing over them, not from a stereo, but a live band in the corner, each member standing up there on a step so they could play more easily. Rarity working her keytar energetically, Fluttershy gently singing to herself and jingling her tambourine, Pinkie Pie bouncing to the beat on her drums, Rainbow Dash spinning an electric guitar around and around, and Applejack leading with her microphone in her hand, all of them seemed to be in the middle of a very intense, and rocking song that almost knocked Crescent over with its energy alone.
The teen that had led her that far spotted Sunset watching the band. "Hey, found your little sister out front?" He hiked a thumb back at Crescent. "She's yours, right?"
That left Sunset on the spot, studying Crescent as quickly as she could. Her eyes dropped to those bare feet and up at the smiling face of Crescent. "Um, yeah. I'll take it from here, thanks." She motioned Crescent to her side with a single finger.
"You're welcome." The teen waved them both goodbye before joining his friends and shouting something about a bet he had won.
Crescent stepped up to Sunset's side. She placed a hand on the shoulder of the small child. "Now that we're kinda alone, are you from past the mirror or not?"
Crescent broke into a bright smile. "That saves me explaining some things. Hello. I am Crescent Moon, Luna's child." She bowed, a little better than the first time. "I came to visit you because Twilight was sad about you, and I thought I should make her happy."
"That's sweet." Sunset tapped at her chin, thinking as the song ended and the others came to join her and Crescent. "But, you're here now, and we might as well give you a tour, if you don't mind."
"I mind." Rarity got their first, studying Crescent intently. "Poor thing has no shoes. Entirely unacceptable. What if she steps on something? Besides it being rough on her poor little feet."
Crescent flexed her toes on the ground, feeling the strange, alien surface of the ground of a whole other world beneath her bare feet. "I'll be okay. I have magic." She stared at her feet a moment, but nothing happened.
Sunset gently pat Crescent on the head. "Sorry, but magic doesn't come that easily on this side of things."
Rainbow laughed softly. "Wow, what were you trying to do? Hate to break it to you, but most Equestrian magic isn't going to work."
Fluttershy nodded at that. "Yes indeed. Every pony that's come through can't do any pony magic, um, unless they have a magic item."
Rarity looked at Fluttershy with alarm, then back at Crescent. "Do you have any magic items on you, dear?"
"Uh," Crescent blinked, tapping at her hip with one hand, the other going up to her ear to search for the tiara she always wore. "My tiara? Oh! There it is. It's here. It's not magic though, except it looks nice."
Rarity gently clapped. "I quite agree, darling. Now, if we could get some shoes on you." She looked to Sunset. "You're the local pony expert, what are we doing with the little dear?"
Sunset shook her head slowly, giving Crescent a once over, then nodding as if confirming some thought to herself, before focusing on her friends with a confident grin, one she hoped they would trust, as it was not one she truly believed. "I imagine, if we send her back, she'll just hop right back through the moment we look away. I say we get her some shoes and let her hang around, if she promises to be good."
Crescent nodded emphatically, then remembered she was supposed to be a proper young princess and steadied herself with a deep breath, only to sniff in the scent of all sorts of things, food cooking, paint drying, dirt in the air, the entire school itself with its various scents all mixed into a storm of aromas. "I would like to see your world, Miss Sunset. Then I want to cheer you up."
Sunset cocked a brow at that. "That's the second time you mentioned that, but I'm not sad or anything. What made you think I was?"
"Twilight said so." Crescent gave an awkward shrug of her shoulders, barely noticeable as the rest of the group seemed to be walking away to chat amongst themselves and leave Crescent with Sunset, as if she knew what was up and they didn't need to intervene. "She was having a fitful dream, and she was talking about you. She sounded like she wanted to be here, with you, but couldn't be. So I came, so I could help." She smiled as she explained herself. "It's my job. I can see bad dreams and stuff, so I help people. Like mama does. I take care of ponies."
Sunset processed that, then frowned, drooping. "Twilight is worried about me?" She nodded as she sorted through the facts presented and came to a conclusion about it all. "Poor Twilight. That is so like her, worrying like that." She swatted Crescent on the back, guiding her. "C'mon. I'll let you hang out with me a little while and you'll see that I'm doing fine, and you can tell Twilight. I'd write her, but she'd never believe me on that."
"That sounds like a good idea!" Crescent nodded as she fell into step with Sunset, finding it easier to walk that way. "Oh! What do you like to do? Maybe you could teach me?"
"Maybe I could." Sunset laughed softly as they walked, side by side, heading for the exit to the school. "So, first off, we're going to pick up some sneakers, maybe a coat, and definitely socks, for your feet." She grabbed Crescent, lifting the child up to her own shoulders. "You're cute, but way unprepared. Though I am wondering what happened to your footwear? Twilight showed up with some."
Crescent swayed her legs from her comfortable perch atop Sunset. "I dunno. I just didn't have them." She leaned to get a look at Sunset's sneakers. "Those look neat. You're going to get me some? That's very nice of you. Thank you."
"You are very welcome." Sunset shifted her grip a little on Crescent. "Tell me about yourself, Crescent Moon, why don't you."
Crescent pursed her lips at that, searching her knowledge for something to share with Sunset, "I was mama, Luna. Then I was not. I was a part of her made to punish her and remind her of her mistake." Crescent held gently to Sunset's head. "I'm glad I'm not that anymore." She hugged the head under her, leaning in, but keeping her head up to watch the scenery going by as it got interesting to her in its own right as she learned to notice details that were hidden before in the shadow of the school.
They started down the street as Sunset laughed. "That sounds interesting, and a little creepy. Gonna admit, I kinda expect that from Equestria." She squeezed gently at one of Crescent's legs. "You strike me as a nice enough person though. So, first stop, the mall. There will be a lot of people. Are you okay with that?"
"I am." Crescent smiled broadly. "I will do my best." She swung her legs back and forth as they walked, and then a little bit more as they passed by a park and the wind washed over her. "There's so much to see. It's similar in some ways, but so different in others."
"One thing." Sunset poked at Crescent. "The people here are people, not ponies. Don't say pony, basically ever. You're a person, I'm a person. We are people. Humans are people, the only kind of creature on this entire world, outside of Equestrian problems that wander in." She snorted gently. "Like the one I'm giving a ride to." She gave Crescent a friendly bounce to drive her point home. "So, no pony, ponies are from Equestria."
"Okay!" Crescent nodded thoughtfully as they continued on, then the scent hit her, familiar and new in the same breath. "Ice cream! Is that ice cream?"
"It is indeed." Sunset set Crescent down as she dug into her pockets. She fished out her wallet. "I'll treat you this time, but don't go crazy. Don't need a little kid wailing on brain freeze, so nice and slow."
Crescent was already dashing off, eagerly bouncing onto the grass and across it to the source of the scent, the stall offering soft serve ice cream to all comers. "Hello! May I have some?"
The vendor looked down at Crescent with a confused smile. "Where are your parents, little girl? I'd be glad to give you some if they're alright with it."
"I'm not a little girl, I am Princess Crescent Moon." She proudly announced her presence, though it didn't do her any favors with the soft serve salesperson and he shot Sunset a worried glance that demanded explanations and reassurance that all was well, even if it clearly wasn't.
Sunset laughed nervously, grabbing Crescent by both shoulders. "I'm covering, and it's fine. Let's start with a small vanilla cone, please. Sorry for the confusion." She crouched down, voice lowering to a whisper. "Stop calling yourself a Princess. You're just Crescent, okay?"
Crescent blinked slowly, head cocking curiously, but she relented without argument as she accepted the order, licking at the slowly melting soft serve that threatened to spill down her fingers before it could drizzle across her wrist. "Thank you, and sorry." She nibbled into the frozen treat. "Mmm, this is so good! Don't you want some, Miss?"
Sunset raised to her full height with a smile. "Maybe another time, but thanks for asking. Come on, let's walk while you enjoy that." She set her hand on Crescent's back, leading her along. "I felt the same way the first time I tried local ice cream. They make it different than back home, huh?"
Crescent bobbed her head in agreement as she licked at her snack, smiling contentedly, but she cocked her head as a new sound entered the air, the growling of something, which drew closer at an increasing speed that left her unable to track the source until it had circled her and Sunset. A car had pulled to a stop near them and the window was rolled down as the driver asked, "Everything alright, Shimmer?"
Sunset nodded to the fellow teen. "Just taking my cousin to the mall. She managed to lose her shoes! Can you even believe it?"
The teenaged girl looked down at Crescent's lack of shoes. "Poor thing! You want a ride?" The door on their side swung open. "Hop in and I'll drop you off at the mall."
Sunset hesitated, but Crescent wasn't going to stand on ceremony, and she hopped into the back seat of the vehicle with a content sigh, settling herself in the leather. She looked up at Sunset. "This is how humans get around?"
Sunset rushed after Crescent, laughing nervously. "It's not polite to call people we just met 'humans'. Thanks, Aqua. Oh, Aqua, this is Crescent. Crescent, this is Aqua Blossom." She drew the door shut and buckled herself in before helping Crescent get properly buckled. "You're a hero today."