//------------------------------// // Chapter seven Luna // Story: A Chance Meeting of Two Moons // by Evilhumour //------------------------------// Chapter Seven - Luna Solaris looked at the stallions in front of him and blinked. While he had called them in, he hadn’t expected Luna and him to have made peace. “Prince Solaris, are you going to introduce us to your friend?” Elusive asked, probably thinking- NO! “Elusive, please, may I formally introduce you to Princess Luna, close friend to Prince Artemis.” He frowned, letting go of Luna. “Close friend?” Bubble Berry smiled, bouncing on the spot, looking at the confused mare in the room. “Close friend.” Solaris answered, hopefully getting the point across that nopony was to touch her. “Where’d she come from?” Rainbow Blitz asked, tilting his head, seeing the wings, horn and moon cutie mark that was identical to Arty’s. “Well Blitz, when a mare and a stallion really like each other,” Dusk taking things literally again, not noticing everyone of his friends facehooving as he spoke. “They-” “Egghead, I know about the birds and the bees,” Blitz placed a hoof over his friend’s mouth. “What I meant is that she is a dead ringer for Prince Artemis.” “If I may explain this Solaris,” Luna took a step forwards, “Prince Artemis and I are two alternate versions of the other; the main difference between your realm and my one is that the gender of all the ponies,” she blinked, spotting Barbara on on the Dusk Shine’s back. “And other creatures seems to be swapped.” Solaris saw most of them blink in confusion, with Dusk and surprisingly Bubble Berry nodding their heads in understanding. “Prince Artemis and I managed to converse the day before in our private dream realm, though we were unsure of how this was possible. Last night, Prince Artemis and I were to meet again, when my sister and Solaris here decided to listen to their hormones instead of their words when promising good behaviour as they kissed each other.” This caused all of the stallions to reel back and stare at Solaris with a shocked face. “Dude, even I know that’s a dumb move.” Blitz glared at the pony before gulping at who he was glaring at. “I mean, Prince Solaris, I- I er-” he stammered, once again placing his hoof in his mouth. “Enough,” Solaris muttered, having dealt with enough ponies angry at him today. “I know my actions were most unwise, the point has been made clear by my guards and Eris hitting my head with a book.” His head still stung from the blows; he might need to get ice for that growing lump on his head. “Oh no!” Butterscotch squeaked out, causing everypony to stare at him. “I’m so sorry, I will go talk to her right away!” Before anypony could react, he had dashed out of the room in search of his friend. “O…kay,” Blitz watched his oldest friend, the same timid pony he knew from flight school run out to find his weird marefriend and no doubt get her to apologize. Butterscotch and Eris hadn’t said anything official yet, but it was clear to everypony how much the two cared for each other, with Butterscotch being the one pony that could reign her in for some reason that made his head hurt when he tried to think about it. “But how did she get here?” He paused, stepping closer to her. “And where the heck is Art- I mean, Prince Artemis?” “I do not know where my brother is exactly, but it stands to reason that Princess Luna and Prince Artemis have switched places,” Solaris said, taking a step closer to the daredevil pony. “The how is still unknown to us, which is why I have called in you six in as you have a bit more experience in the unusual and could try to provide an answer and a means to send Princess Luna back while retrieving my br- Prince Artemis.” “Understandable, sir!” Rainbow Blitz did a quick salute before breaking out into a grin. “I’m sure that Egghead here will figure something out.” He gave a quick elbow to the frowning pony. “Um, Princess?” Dusk walked over to the mare in the room, not noticing the disapproving look on Solaris’s face. “Can you tell me exactly what happened?” He turned his head to the dragon on his back. “Barb, can you take notes?” “Sure thing!” “Before you begin, may I be so bold to ask you some questions, your highness?” Elusive did a proper bow, frowning. “You may Ra-,” she blushed, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, what is your name?” “My name is Elusive, your highness,” the white stallion smiled, looking over her. “My question is two-fold; is the approach to clothing very lax in your world?” “That depends on what you mean by lax; we primarily only dress for special occasions, though it varies from pony to pony, as some may choose to be dressed for day-to-day activities. In my case, I was ready for sleep when I went to meet Prince Artemis so I did not come over with anything on.” She bit her lip, flicking her ear in annoyance. “I have not yet managed to find anything to wear.” “That’s horrible!” he gasped into his hoof, causing Rainbow Blitz to roll his eyes. “Come, come, I will not stand for this!” He gestured to the door, starting to head out. “I will make you gorgeous!” Before Solaris knew what happened, his student, the young dragon, the tailor from the Carousel Boutique and his brother’s marefriend were all gone, leaving the young weather pegasus and the young farmer in the room. He then noticed something very troubling that made him worry for his little ponies. “Where is Bubble Berry?” Princess Luna looked at the two ponies that walked by her, mentally making a map of this castle and willing to bet that they were heading to the fitting rooms for guard’s armor as it was the sole place that really had any material to make any type of clothes. “So Princess Luna, can you tell me what you think caused you and Prince Artemis to switch places?” the smaller alicorn asked, looking over at her. If he was anything like Twilight Sparkle, he was only looking at her for scientific reasons, not really looking at her. “Well, Dusk Shine is it?” she received a nod, and she smiled at herself for remembering his name. “From what I do remember last night, Prince Artemis and I were explaining to our older siblings about our displeasure at their actions. We then flew away from… no it cannot be that simple, surely not!” She shook her head, doubting it was truly a matter of leaving from a different place. “What is it Princess?” She blinked, hearing the same concerned urgency from this stallion that she heard from her sister’s most prized pony. “While we did fly to opposite ends from where we entered, that should not have been the cause as it was my… our dream realm.” She tapped her chin, trying to figure this particular perplexing puzzle out. “It would cause some serious power to do something like this.” “Your highness, we’re here!” The grinning tailor gestured towards a set of doors. Sending his own magic hold out, he opened the doors wide for her, bowing his head as she walked in. Instantly the guards within the room snapped to attention, giving deep bows to the princess they were quickly growing fond of and to the new prince of Equestria, one they knew very well as he was viewed as a little brother to most of them. They also nodded respectfully towards the well groomed stallion and smiled at the dragoness. “Hello… my little ponies,” she was a bit unsure of how to address them, as she was not their Diarch. “I was led to believe that this fine stallion can help me gain some appropriate attire.” “Indeed!” Elusive shook his well maintained mane, guiding the mare to the circular surrounding mirror room so the tailors could properly fit the guards with their armor. “Please step here and let me create!” He smiled, his magic starting to levitate several items, with a measuring tape floating over to her. Luna was amused by both by his enthusiasm and the pointed looks he was getting from the guards, clearly having trouble deciding whether or not to yank him back by his ear for being so forward. Staying as still as possible, she let the tape flow around her body, smiling at the well fitting numbers he called out to himself. “So Princess Luna, can you tell me more about your realm?” Dusk Shine said, sitting down to watch his friend work his magic. The dragon was already scribbling down some notes, “Maybe if we can figure out something that is different in your realm then here, we can pinpoint why you are here.” “Well, you se-EEE!” Luna let out a shriek as the cold metal tip touched her belly, flapping her wings out in surprise. “That was overly cold!” she snapped at the blushing unicorn, who had the attention of several annoyed guards now. “Sorry your highness!” He blushed, looking at the sharp spears pointed at him. Despite the fact that the spears were still at the guard’s sides, although a bit relaxed now, he had learned from his first Grand Galloping Gala that it meant they had their eyes on him and he was close to being poked with the pointy end again. “Almost done with your measurements, a fine figure I must say! Just stay still as I measure your hooves...” She meeped, her ear tips starting to get red as the paper went across a more ticklish spot on her body. “Well, Dusk Shine, while I do know the Elements of Harmony are the same ponies here in my realm, judging by your cutie marks, I do not know-” “The same, really?” Elusive inquired, as he floated over some material over to her. “Is the mare version of me a tailor too?” “Yes, Rarity is the fashionista of the Carousel Boutique as well as the Element of Generosity. She does live with her sister Sweetie Belle as I assume you do with your young brother?” “Silver Bell,” Elusive spoke with some hesitation, “He does live with me as Mother and Father are a bit too busy see to his needs and I can make sure he turns into a proper gentlecolt.” He gulped as he started to look at a sketching book he had out and the material he had over her body. “I am almost afraid to ask, but are the Cutie Mark Cavaliers-” “Yes, they do exist in my realm too,” she answered, eyes closed as she started to remember the more outlandish stories that her sister and Twilight had told her of the three fillies trying to gain their cutie marks. “Except they call themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are part of their little group.” “They are called Applebuck and Scooterroll here,” Dusk Shine spoke, shuddering as he remembered the many crazy adventures those colts had, and he could not count the times that Bubble Berry’s Berry sense was the only thing that had stopped him from spending time in the hospital after the colts’ speeding through the town on their scooter and wagon. “What about the rest of us, your highness?” Elusive asked as he began to float over more material, tearing out some pages in rejection, frowning as he was trying to create something wonderful. “Well, your Rainbow Blitz?” She raised an eyebrow, turning her head to Dusk Shine to see him nod in agreement. “In my realm, she is known as Rainbow Dash and what I remember from Twilight Sparkle, your representative self in my realm, is that she is the fastest young filer, a daredevil of sorts, desires to join the Wonderbolts, the Element of Loyalty, and-” “Bit of an arrogant jerk of a friend, with a lazy streak as far as he can fly, impossible to bring to fancy places, one devious prankster, and the most dependable friend that will always come to your side in a pinch?” “I suppose, as I have not spent much time around her,” she spoke, looking at the alicorn and not the materials that were flying around her. “So how about the rest of us, Princess Luna?” Dusk Shine asked, more interested in her version of his friends then his original purpose. “Well, in my world, that pink pony in your group is Pinkamena Diane Pie, known as Pinkie Pie, is one very energetic pony-” “Oh sweet Faust, there is another Bubbleson Rube Berry‽” one of the mare guards yelped, running from the room. Luna watched the mare run from the room with dull surprise, with most of the ponies shuddering in fear and terror of another pony like that existing. She did not blame them, understanding the terror quite well. “Do- does this Pinkie Pie have some sort of se-” Dusk asked hesitantly, his mane starting to spring out in fear as his mind was trying not to think about Berry Sense again and how little sense it made! “Yes, she does and she calls it Pinkie Sense,” she glanced at the terrified alicorn. “And no, Princess Twilight Sparkle has not managed to unravel how that pony does as she does.” Dusk sighed, a bit relieved that some other pony had not figured that mystery out. He was a scholar as well as a bit of scientist, so if anypony were to figure that mystery out would be him! If he ever dared to pick up his research from the last time... “How about the Element of Honesty? In our realm, he is a farmer pony, works at Sweet Apple Acres, has a little brother named Applebuck.” “Yes, in my realm her name is Applejack, what is his-” She blinked as both the alicorn and tailor broke out in laughter. “It figures that Applejack would still be Applejack in both realms.” Elusive shaking his head, going back to focus on her dress, nearly finished with it. He was not normally one to design dresses but this was a true challenge and the first time he was creating for a princess! “Mind staying still a bit longer, wings out if you would please?” Flexing her long wings out with some mutters of amazement from the guards around her, Luna kept her eyes on the alicorn in front of her. “If I were to wager, the yellow pegasus that ran from Solaris’s study was the Element of Kindness going to see his draconequus friend?” “Yes, Butterscotch- wait, are you saying that his mare self is in a relationship with your Eris too‽” Dusk’s mouth hung low in shock with the mares wondering how that was possible for a mare to tame a male Eris. Then their faces went from shock to dirty smug looks as they elbowed each other. “Yes, Fluttershy has managed to calm down Discord’s more outlandish side, and formed a particularly deep friendship with the draconequus.” She coughed and glared at the guards, reminding them of their strict prince of the night, snapping them back into a proper demeanor. “I- “And finished, your highness!” Luna blinked and looked at the mirrors set up for her, ready to see his work for her at long last. She was immediately taken aback by the simple, yet formal look of the outfit he had created for her. The bold yet sly look of the semi opaque, deep purple torc he had placed on her, along with short, similarly shaded boots he was floating over for her to step into. “Elusive?” Luna asked, glancing between her and the outfit, looking at herself in those elegant boots, biting her lip. “Yes?” Elusive replied, begging that it was not a complaint about the outfit like he got from that very unladylike princess Bluebelle that kept coming to his store and ordering dresses only to complain abou- “Well, it’s just that-” "EEE-YEEEEESSSSS?" Elusive leaned in and gave her a look, remembering how that unicorn mare had never let the ‘gala’ incident go and her latest attempt to drive him out of business was bad mouthing his work! Then he glanced at the sharp spears pointed at his neck, some of them pricking his neck and gulped. “I am terribly sorry, I had a flashback to a most unpleasant client. That was most unprofessional of me, and I-” “I was merely going to ask if I could wear a simple diadem with this lovely outfit, mister Elusive,” Luna said, trying to placate Elusive and the guards, but she did not wish to overstep her boundaries as she was not an official authority figure here. “Oh, but of course! Did you have a design for your diadem in mind?” Elusive cautiously inquired, trying to salvage this disastrous event! “I was thinking about going with a pearlescent black, with this particular crystal in mind,” Luna replied, holding up a light blue crystal with a very translucent bright green swirling mist inside. Elusive and the dragoness both gawked at the beautiful, rare, and delicious (to the young dragoness) gem. Elusive eventually got back to his senses from the shining gem, but the dragoness was still daydreaming about how wonderful it must taste. “Yes, yes, that’ll be easy, darling! And may I say, oh my stars that is an astounding gem!” Elusive enthusiastically exclaimed, his own special talents telling him it was nearly flawless! “Thank you, I found this in Artemis’s room after my early vocal disagreement with Solaris caused some property damage.” She blushed at how immature her earlier behaviour was, although the mares had given her a lot of praise for daring to knock Solaris down a peg as they put it. “I do believe it was meant to be a gift to you, little dragon,” Luna explained, remembering how fine it was wrapped up and one of the guards, an orange pegasus that had been sent on ice cream runs, had mentioned the possibility. “Now, could you please?” Luna asked with all the grace she could manage, still in disbelief at how wonderful she looked. “Oh, right! As you wish, my grace.” Elusive replied, remembering his current task. He picked up the gem, and closed his eyes as he focused to create the simple crown around the gem. He then cocooned them in his magic, sealing the crystal in place permanently. Afterwards, he placed the diadem on Princess Luna’s head, tucked just behind her horn. “Wow Elusive, you really outdid yourself this time!” The dragoness, Barb, if Luna was recalling correctly, beamed at the stallion, clearly having the same crush that Spike did towards Rarity. “Please, I-” Luna began to protest the praise, but she was cut off by the stomps of approval from the mares, walking over to her to better observe the fine outfit she had on. She blushed deeply as they complimented her slight and slender form, with some of them asking the barely restrained grinning stallion if he could make a dress for them. “Your highnesses, Sir Elusive and Lady Barbara,” the same orange pegasus mare from before spoke, stepping in the room, gaining frowns and glares from other guards. Dusk Shine for some reason seemed to be blush-Oh buck her, it couldn't be his female self here, could it? “Sir Bubble Berry wished to invite you all to, and I quote, ‘A fabulous, wondrous, super duper welcome lunch party for Princess Luna.’” “Well, then we should not keep your friend waiting, should we, gentlecolts?” Luna smiled, as Dusk Shine stood up, with the dragoness hopping onto his back with Elusive writing down details for his future clients. “Oh and you too, lady Barbara,” she blushed a bit, almost forgetting the dragoness. The guards formed a quick wall around her, some of them still complimenting her dress. “Lead on.” She was still smiling as they left the room, the doors closing with a simple click.