//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: To Become Somepony Else 
// Story: Until Dawn 
// by MidnightScribble0914 
//------------------------------//

	The princess bolted upright, her mane whipping around her as she looked about frantically, attempting to regain her bearings. Her breath slowed as she realized she was in her bedroom, in all of its soft and dark grandeur. The moonlight streamed through her large balcony window, peeking out from behind the billowing silk curtains.
"A dream…" she whispered, feeling relieved. Yet at the same time, her heart swelled with a sense of loss. She shook her head, rising from her soft and luxurious bed. Such a strange dream. It seemed obvious to the dark alicorn that her loneliness was so great that her mind created a solution to her sorrow within her dream world.
"Regrettable," she mused, stepping over to her mirror and staring at her sad reflection. "It could have been so very lovely to escape from myself." Her reflection gazed back at her, and then ever so subtly, her aquamarine irises shone with a faint hue of green.
Luna gasped, stepping closer to the mirror, staring intently at her eyes.
"No… it cannot be… a trick of the light…" But she felt a swell of power deep within her, a new power, power she had not felt before. Luna scrunched up her nose slightly, then took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She searched her mind, grabbing a hold of the first image of a pony that came to her. Almost immediately, she imagined the dark and twisted body of the changeling matriarch that may not have simply been an illusion of her slumber. She imagined her stringy teal mane, the insect-like wings, the startling horn. She let the memory of the hypnotic voice fill her ears.
"I am not sure how to make this work," she whispered. She was startled, and her eyes snapped open. The voice was not hers. The sound of two voices blending at once, soft yet ominous, slipped from her lips. Luna snapped her head to her mirror, and recoiled.
Staring back from the reflective surface, was the changeling mare herself, mimicking her actions as she turned this way and that. The startling green eyes grew wide in fascinated horror. Luna looked down at her hoof, seeing the cracked and hole riddled black hoof of the mysterious creature that had made a deal with her in the caverns of the dark.
She dropped her hoof with a thud, her jaw dropping as the realization dawned on her.
She had the power.

The brief thought of how she had been returned to her chambers only flickered in her mind for a moment before being swept aside. She lowered her head to further examine her reflection with scrutiny. She was alarming in appearance, and she clicked her tongue thoughtfully.
"Well, this simply will not do." She tilted her head, eyeing herself from cracked hoof to twisted horn. Summoning the magic again, she watched as she began to grow shorter, her form filling in the holes, her coat growing purple in hue. Her horn became humble and shiny, her mane filling into vibrant colors of dark blue and shocking pink. She soon found herself looking directly into the violet eyes of Twilight Sparkle.
She let out a small laugh, swishing her flank to watch the navy and pink streaked tail flap from side to side. She narrowed her eyes, a grin spreading over her features.
"How very… fantastic." She focused her mind, and her mane seemed to retreat into her head. Her coat faded to a dull shade of grey, and her jaw became thicker and more defined. Legs stretched, her haunches became muscular and toned. She stared in delight back into the reflection of an armor clad royal guard, a stallion of bearing and honor.
She was almost giddy as she shifted again, this into the form of a daring Wonderbolt, her mane a disheveled and bright orange coif of flame. She became Sapphire Shores, then the pink pony at court the previous evening, then one of her lunar guards. She became every pony she could think of, shifting and morphing at amazing speed.
She once again became Twilight Sparkle, swishing her mane and batting her eyes.
"Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned a new form of magic that is better than anything I could have possibly dreamed!" Luna then let her imagination turn her coat a vibrant and pure white, her mane billowing around her in an explosion of prism colors as she shot up dramatically in height, extending her magnificent white wings.
Princess Celestia nodded as a matter of factly in the mirror.
"Why, Twilight, that is so very fascinating. Do tell me more." Luna laughed, launching herself a few feet in the air.  "Ha HA! The fun has been doubled!"
A knock on the door jolted her violently back to reality and she dropped to the floor, once again her true form.
"Princess? Are you alright? We heard strange voices!" the guard's firm voice said from the other side of her chamber door.
"Everything is fine, gentlecolts. I was simply talking to myself." She winced. It wasn't exactly a lie. She was talking to herself. There was silence for several moments.
"Talking to yourself?" She let out a small chuckle.
"Oh yes, part of my pre-dawn routine, preparing to lower the moon." The guard didn't respond at first. Then she heard his hoofsteps backing away from the door.
"Very well, your highness. We will leave you to your duties. And good morning to you, princess," he added.
Luna stood perfectly still, waiting for the guard's hoofsteps to disappear. Then she chuckled nervously, letting out a breath. Sighing, she composed herself and lifted her head to look out her window to her glorious moon. Slowly stepping out onto her balcony, she summoned her true magic, her horn glowing softly as she began to lower the moon.
"Goodnight, friend. Sleep well. For when you rise again, many things will have changed." The moon dipped below the horizon, and the Princess of the Night watched the sky shift into a palette of pinks and pale blues as her sister's power brought the sun into the sky. She admired the beauty of Celestia's sunrise, her eyes shining with expectation.
"Many things will change."

Luna was pacing her balcony, overflowing with impatience. She glanced to the horizon, watching Celestia's sun inch closer and closer to its resting place. Shaking her flowing mane, she struggled to maintain her composure as she continued to pace, the minutes ticking until she could execute the plan she had been formulating most of the day.
Her internal magic told her that it was finally time and she stopped in her tracks, standing tall and summoning her talent. The moon greeted her, lighting up the clouds with an ethereal glow that gave the entire city a serene hue of bluish white.
"Well done," she whispered to her moon, stoically raising it to its peak. Her magic subsided and she nodded in satisfaction. Luna turned and trotted through the billowing drapes and into her chamber.
The princess's room was glowing with candlelight. Many tall holders had been arranged around her tall mirror in the corner, as she wanted to be sure she could see in great detail the persona she was preparing to create. Luna removed her crown and collar, placing them gently on her nightstand. She slipped out of her silvery shoes, the last of her remaining adornments. Making her way to her mirror, she scrunched up her nose, concentrating on her reflection.
During her planning, Luna had decided on the form of a Pegasus. She did not really need her alicorn magic until dawn and by then she would be her true form again. Being an earth pony had been very tempting, but the princess ultimately decided she could not give up wings and the ability to soar through her beautiful night. All that was left to flesh out were the details.
Luna's eyes glowed with a subdued green sheen as she watched her body shrink into a slightly smaller pony, her horn receding into her forehead and her large alicorn wings dulling themselves into an average Pegasus style. She gazed at the smaller version of herself and smiled. Then she narrowed her eyes and bit her lip, watching as the hue of her shining coat changed to a bright yellow, then a pale pink, before settling on a subdued lavender. Satisfied, she raised a hoof to her flowing mane, pressing her lips together as she pondered. The flowing subsided and her mane shortened, keeping most of its length as in fell around her face and chest in sleek lose locks that gently brushed the floor. The strands lightened, becoming a pale blue with large streaked sections of pure white. She morphed her long tail to match, swishing the periwinkle and white until it was bouncy and bountiful. She glanced at her flank and winked, her crescent moon and black splotch cutie mark changing into three white stars.
She looked back to the mirror, her transformation nearly complete. She gazed into her own eyes before deciding against changing them. She had always liked her eyes and chose to hold onto that part of her true self.
Taking a last look at herself in the mirror, she smiled sweetly, raising the pitch of her voice slightly to whisper softly.
"Nopony would ever guess who I actually am. Perfect." She took a deep breath, turning to face her balcony window. Steeling herself in her resolve, she smiled slyly and bounded out the window, over the railing, and spread her wings, sailing as a tiny silhouette against the moon into the night.

Luna quickly learned she would have to adjust her flying style. She was accustomed to her broader feathers and more powerful wings, and when she first escaped the boundary of Canterlot she nearly dropped out of the sky at the first gust of wind that struck her. She soon decided to fly a little closer to the ground where the wind currents were softer and less likely to hurl her to the earth. She skimmed over treetops, humming to herself, enjoying the sights and sounds of her night.
Lights of a small town crept into the horizon line in the distance. Luna's heart leapt with anticipation. Ponyville. She had heard so much of the place, Celestia speaking so often of the current residing town of her favorite pupil. Her sister had also been kind enough to let Luna read some of the letters from Twilight Sparkle. She was curious about what the town was actually like.
She also knew that there was to be a celebration in the town this evening. Her sister had mentioned to Twilight earlier that day of an invitation to a gathering regarding a barn raising in the town. Regrettably, she could not attend, but the moment Luna had overheard the conversation, she grew nervously excited. She had been trying to come up with a plan to interact with her subjects as a normal pony, and the opportunity presented itself so very perfectly. She could attempt to join the festivities, being that there would likely be many ponies there, and blend into the crowd.
"Baby steps, Luna," she whispered, flapping her wings a little faster as she zipped and streaked over the darkened countryside.
She could hear the festivities before she saw them. She skidded to a halt midair, her wings flapping slowly as she perked up her ears and glanced around the horizon. Towards the rolling hills covered in large apple trees, she could hear the fiddle music, carried by the breeze into the night. Luna slowly flew towards the sound, drawing closer to what appeared to be a farm.
The disguised princess touched her hooves softly the ground at the entrance to the property. She trotted down the path as she looked up at the hand-painted sign, announcing itself as "Sweet Apple Acres." She ventured lightly down the path, the over shadowing apple trees lining her way to the festivities that grew louder as she approached.
Cresting a hill, she paused as she took in the sight in the valley below. A bright red barn stood in the distance, its siding lit up from the bonfire and lights strung across wires like Hearth Warming Lights. Tables lined the barn's large yard, all adorned with patchwork and gingham table linens. Ponies were everywhere, at the tables, dancing near the giant bonfire, sitting in circles enjoying one another's conversation. Luna stared in awe as she slowly began trotting forward, taking in more of the sights and smells as she drew nearer to them.
Apples. The sweet aroma of apples filled her senses. Luna tentatively walked through the white gate leading to the crowded yard, her eyes widening more at the sight from up close. The food. The tables were over flowing with dishes. Apple pies, apple fritters, apple cobblers, apple dumplings… it was glorious. Large plates of carrots, corn, and greens. Cakes and punch and bushels of apples.
Luna walked deliberately on the outskirts of the festivities, just out of noticeable sight of the frolicking ponies. In the open barn doors, a band played a lively tune, their fiddles and washboards and tub drums joyously creating an atmosphere of celebration. A large still bubbled and steamed, supplying a boisterous pack of stallions with mugs full of cider. She was in awe, watching the ponies that danced around the flickering flames of the bonfire, laughing and trotting without a care in the world.
Luna felt a small tug on her periwinkle and white tail and turned her head quickly to see a small smiling filly. Her pale yellow coat glowed in the firelight, the violent red hair and over-sized pink bow bouncing with delight.
"Well, hello there!" she said in a thick country accent. "I don't think I've seen you 'round here before! You must be new to town!" She stood on her tip toes, leaning so close to Luna she raised a hoof as she took a step back.
"I'm Apple Bloom! Welcome to the Apple Family Barn Raising Party!"
Luna opened her mouth to respond, but only stood there stammering wordlessly. Apple Bloom's smiled widened.
"No need to be shy miss! We're well known for welcoming everypony! Follow me, miss, and we'll get ya some cider to calm your nerves." With that decided, the small filly turned and began to walk towards the festivities. Luna stood still for only a moment. That filly had just walked right up to her and began to speak with her. The shock and unfamiliarity of it had her nearly frozen. But she quickly recovered, knowing her entire goal had been to experience this exact thing. She lowered her head slightly and slowly trotted after her new young… friend?
Now Luna, don't get ahead of yourself.
Apple Bloom led her through the celebrating crowd. The disguised princess lowered her head, pulling her wings even tighter against her body, whispering apologies as she bumped into ponies on every side. To her surprise, they simply smiled at her, even moving out of the way to make room for her, not out of fear, but simple kindness.
As they approached the still, Luna could see the crowd of ponies excitedly waiting for their next mug-full of the cider. A bright blue pegasus with a rainbow mane flapped her wings as she hovered over the shockingly large red stallion who appeared to be serving up the coveted beverage.
"C'mooooonnn Big Mac! I've been waiting foreeeevvvvvveeer."
He looked up at her with annoyance, his slow deliberate movements obviously not reflecting the tittering of his sandy tail as it flicked from side to side.
"You've had three already. You can wait your turn like everypony else," his low voice rumbled.
Apple Bloom trotted right up the front of the line, then turned, seeing Luna walking tentatively behind her. She huffed, galloped behind and butted her head into Luna's rear, causing her to yelp and her wings snap straight up as the surprisingly strong filly pushed her forward, despite the princess digging her front hooves into the dirt.
"C'mon now, miss! My brother Big Macintosh is big but nice, I swear!"
Luna found herself shoved directly in front of the scarlet stallion. She gulped, her eyes raising to his towering height.
Goodness, he must be nearly as tall as Celestia!
The large earth pony looked down at the silent stricken mare before him and his face immediately changed to one of kindness. He took a fresh mug in his hoof and turned to the still, pouring a bubbling mug of steaming cider. He gently held it towards her.
"Cider?"
She gave him a tiny nod, slowly reaching out to take the mug from him. Suddenly the blue Pegasus was on his shoulder, leaning down to sniff the aroma of the cider.
"What? I've been waiting! You're going to give a mug to another pony before me?"
Big Macintosh continued to smile, still looking at Luna kindly.
"Eeyup." 
The Pegasus went limp over his shoulder, jutting out her lower lip in a pout.
Taking the steaming mug and nodding in thanks, Luna tentatively brought the cider to her lips and took a dainty sip.
Luna's eyes widened as the creamy biting taste of the cider spread over her tongue and warmed her from the inside with a pleasant tingling sensation. She looked at the mug in surprise, then quickly took a larger swig. Looking up at Big Macintosh, she let a huge smile spread over her face.
"It is so good!" 
The scarlet stallion grinned and the blue Pegasus groaned in anguish.

Luna was slowly becoming more comfortable. After finishing a fourth mug of cider so graciously retrieved by the bowed filly, she could tell the beverage was taking effect: her lips tingled and she found herself far more prone to smiling.
The ponies were becoming more boisterous as the night carried on. More were willing to dance, the food was nearly gone, but the celebration was as ravenous as ever.
Luna stood in the crowd, watching with a large smile as the ponies dancing around the bonfire began to do a simple line dance, all the onlookers stomping their hooves in time to the music. At one point, an orange pony with a blonde ponytail and brown wide brimmed hat jumped onto one of the tables, calling out to an elderly green pony.
"C'mon, Granny Smith! Let's show these ponies how it's done!" The white haired mare slowly trotted over to the table. Luna raised her brow, seeing no possible way the elder pony would be able to climb up onto the table. To her astonishment, the mare leaped on to the table as if suddenly a young filly again and she and the orange pony began to dance on the table top in perfect union, stomping their hooves and dancing to the music as all of the other ponies raised their mugs and cheered them on.
"This party is AMAZING!" 
Luna jumped at the high pitched excitement of a shrill exclamation as an explosion of pink bounced up and down in front of her.
"GO APPLEJACK! GOOOOOOO!" The pink pony was so excited she whirled around, putting her forehead directly on Luna's as she took the princess's face in both her hooves.
"This party is so much fun I wasn't sure if it was going to be but then it was and that makes me so happy because everypony is happy and if everypony is happy then I'm happy so LET'S DANCE!" And she grabbed Luna's hoof and yanked her hard, causing her to spin into the yard and amidst the dancing ponies. Two ponies smiled and grabbed her by the front hooves, and the three of them trotted about in an awkward circle. They stopped and changed direction, dragging Luna with them in their frivolity. They joined hooves with one another and raised them high, creating a bridge, looking at Luna expectantly. She smiled meekly, lowering her head to pass under the tunnel that other ponies had joined in on. Then they all backed up to form two lines, leaving Luna standing alone in the middle as they stomped their hooves, cantering to the tune. The pink pony exploded in between the lines, dancing and bouncing back and forth.
Luna couldn't help but smile, and found her head gently bouncing to the beat, her flank beginning to sway back and forth. The more she watched the pink pony dance, the more she began to bounce, her tail beginning to swish back and forth more dramatically.
And suddenly, for the first time in over a millennium, Princess Luna closed her eyes and let go. She began to dance, bouncing from hoof to hoof, her face a large smile as she rocked her head from side to side, her long mane flapping around her.
All the other ponies were dancing again as well, the pink one occasionally clearing the top of the crowd with a squeal of glee. Luna's wings unfurled and she began to rise from the ground, shaking her flank and nodding her head, letting the music take her. She opened her eyes and spun in midair, hugging herself as she basked in her joy.
Tears began to well in her aquamarine eyes. Not tears of sadness, but of pure elation.
Her happiness was almost more than she could handle and it exploded from her in a whoop as she exploded from the ground, her little wings beating with a power she hadn't thought them capable of. Like a streak of lavender, she shot into the clouds.

Her ascent ended in a high arch over the moon shone clouds and she hovered there, breathing heavily. She let her eyes fall closed and began to fly in great loops and swirls, basking in the glow of her happiness and the moon she held dear. Her head was fuzzy from the cider, which she had decided was far stronger than the casks of wine at the palace. She drifted through the air, dipping below and then rising above the clouds.
She turned over onto her back, looking up into her stars as her heartbeat finally began to slow. She felt content with her first journey into the world as somepony other than herself. She made a note in her mind to try and remember this feeling to share with the dark mare that had given her this gift.
Her flight and peaceful state were violently interrupted as she collided with something hard. She became tangled in its grasp and in her inebriated state, had zero sense of her bearings. With a gasp and a scream, Luna found herself hurtling through the clouds, crashing towards the earth.