2| The Puppet Master
I didn’t know how long I was unconscious, but the next thing I remembered was the familiar, soft warmth from the morning sun on my face. Darkness gave way to hazy vision as I slowly cracked my eyes open, where I was immediately blinded by the sun directly on my eyes from a nearby window. Snapping them shut, I felt a splitting headache hit me like a night out of hard drinking.
I groaned painfully and laid back down, bringing an arm up to my head only to end up dragging it across my face like a wet noodle. I cracked open an eye to see not an arm, but a horse’s leg with a coat of blue fur. It felt like that one time I fell asleep with my arm draped over my head, then freaked out when I woke up because I thought it was someone else. Only it really was someone else. As hard as it was to describe, everything felt like when you sit on your foot wrong and it went numb, except there wasn’t any major discomfort. I couldn’t do anything until I came to grips with the situation.
I began moving each leg independently, at least trying to feel it, the muscles and range of motion, and how they worked. While the legs of horses on Earth weren’t as dexterous or poseable, the ones I found myself with. I inspected the bottom of my hoof - which is something I never thought I’d catch myself doing - and noticed how well groomed and polished the obsidian nail was. Like the palm of your hand, the inner part of… my hoof was soft to the touch. The longer I looked at each foreleg, the weirder it became to realise I didn’t have any fingers. I fully stretched out each leg like you would to make snow angels, both to feel how each set of muscles pulled and contracted, and bring some feeling back to them.
As I slowly sat up, opening my eyes to properly observe my surroundings, I discovered that equines weren’t supposed to sit up like humans could. I barely managed to catch myself from falling over, so I thought it would be a better Idea to prop myself up against the pillows and headboard.
Four carved wooden poles with hooks at the top held a dark, almost black silk-like fabric over me. The duvet dark blue while the rest of the bedding covering the larger than necessary mattress was white. There were numerous pillows strewn about the head of the bed and from the door directly in front of me and to the right was an ornately carved, roll-down desk that sat against the wall, two bookshelves sitting on the right with tubes poking out of cubbies, and books slotted in place. Between the shelves and the bed was a set of tall arched glass doors that lead outside, and two sets of curtains with a thick, dark-blue fabric over a more transparent white. Each hung from the rail above, tiebacks keeping the curtains in place.
The window through which the offending sunlight streamed was on my right. I didn’t know who thought it was a good idea to put the bed in a position where the morning sun has the perfect place to annoy me.
A sewn, stylised banner with a depiction of the rising moon over a mountain range sat between two thick portal doors, and two large landscape paintings on the far left and right. Off to my left was a powder table with vertically hinged mirrors and various accessories, and between me and it was a small bedside table that had a little clock on it.
Everything here gave the room an antiquated and mediaeval, yet cozy atmosphere. I just hoped there wasn’t a chamberpot under the bed.
As I sat in bed trying to absorb my situation and the surroundings, a knock came from the door. “Luna, are you awake?” a soft voice asked.
“Who is it?” I rasped, then immediately realised how fundamentally different my voice sounded. Now it wasn’t just weird; my situation transcended and challenged the very definition of ‘normal’.
“It’s Celestia. May I come in?”
The sister?! I quickly laid back down to make it look like I’d just woken up, and the door softly clicked open.
My eyes widened in surprise at the figure I saw, and in strode Celestia, her ivory coat reflecting the morning sunlight. Celestia’s mane resembled a piece of multicoloured silk floating delicately in a pool of water and, like myself, sported an elegant horn on the top of her head, and wings on her back.
Normally someone thrown into the thick of something like this would react out of confusion and shock. I was lucky to have been briefed by Luna, so at least I was somewhat mentally prepared.
“How are you this morning?” Celestia asked.
“Uhm... Fine, I think.”
Concerned, Celestia trotted over. “Are you still upset over last night?”
I don’t know if Luna left some sort of detail out because I didn’t need to know, so I just shook my head.
Celestia smiled warmly. “Breakfast is ready if you are.”
I figured eating something would be good for me, so I tossed off the bedspread to get up. I swung my legs over the side of the bed to stand, but quickly regretted the action. I forgot that horses walk on four legs, not two, and gravity was quick to remind me of that. Fortunately, there was some kind of thick rug under the bed (and not a chamberpot), so at least the landing was somewhat soft and not as unpleasant as it could’ve been.
“Owww… That hurt…”
“Are you alright?” Celestia asked with a surprised look.
I groaned in pain, shifting limbs about to make sure nothing was broken. She came over to assess my situation and her horn lit up with a bright, sunshine-yellow glow. To my shock, I felt as though the laws of gravity no longer applied to me as I floated through the air and back into bed.
It should go without saying that there’s a first time for everything, and there’s situations like this that made me want to punch the person that first said that phrase.
Celestia’s hoof brushed aside a lock of my mane from my face, resting on my forehead. “Oohhh, this isn’t good.” She was silent for several more tense seconds. Could she tell Luna and I swapped places? I felt my heart rate increase alongside my worry the longer her hoof was on my head.
“How are you feeling?”
Was that a trick question? “I feel fine.” Mostly, anyway.
“Hmmm… Rest here while I fetch the doctor; you’re running a high fever.” She promptly left, leaving me lying on the bed.
I put the back of my foreleg up to my forehead to feel what she did. It did feel warm. So why don’t I feel sick? I guessed it would’ve been side effects to do with whatever Luna did to me. It did explain the painful headache and initial blurry vision; that must have been my immaterial being, as Luna aptly put it, adjusting to her body. What did “immaterial being” even mean?
A couple minutes later, Celestia came back in with an elderly looking mare carrying a doctor's bag in her mouth, only she didn’t have a horn or wings, but she did have some kind of serpent-entwined rod on her flanks. The mare put her bag on the floor next to my bed and popped it open, fishing out a stethoscope which she donned and put on my chest, listening intently with a hoof on my forehead.
“Elevated heart rate… High fever…” She put the instrument back and pulled out what looked like a penlight, and a ring connected to a small box by a wire that looked like one of those devices you use to measure electrical current. “May I?” she asked.
I didn’t know what she was on about so I just dumbly nodded, where she slipped the ring over my horn, and shone the light in my eyes. “Mana levels and pupillary response normal,” she said after several seconds. She kept hmmm-ing as she continued to poke and prod to check for symptoms of whatever Celestia thought might be ailing me. I just hope she didn’t somehow figure out I’m not Luna.
“I don’t know what would cause something like this to spring up overnight, but her symptoms should clear up as the day goes. No need to worry, Your Highness. Luna will be fine.”
Did she just call Celestia “Your Highness”? Did I get called that too? I hoped so.
“Thank you,” Celestia said. “I was concerned when my sister tried getting out of bed and fell on the floor.”
“As far as I can tell, there doesn’t seem to be any signs of delirium or loss of motor function,” the doctor said with a raised eyebrow toward me, “so it’s nothing some rest won’t help with.” She put her instruments back in her bag, picked it up and casually trotted out the door while Celestia remained behind.
“Are you sure that was necessary?” I asked. “It felt a bit pointless.”
“You had a fever spring up overnight. That was my biggest concern, so I wanted to make sure nothing else was the matter. Now, how about I bring you some breakfast in bed. Does that sound good?”
It did, so I said so. In retrospect, if I had this kind of reaction to trading places with Luna, she’d likely be going through the same thing. About ten minutes later, Celestia came back floating a tray of breakfast and laid it on the bed next to me. While I was used to the more simplistic nature of a home cooked, or deliciously greasy cafe breakfast, the tray held two glasses with orange juice and water, and the meal was minimalist enough that it resembled something served in a high-class restaurant you’d pay hundreds for.
“Something wrong?” Celestia asked.
“I’ll be alright. Must’ve hit my head.” While not entirely untrue, Celestia did crack a small smile.
“I’ll be back in a few hours with lunch, so take care of yourself until then.” She gently closed the door on her way out, leaving me alone for the time being. I looked at the spread, then to the knife and fork. How was I supposed to use a knife and fork with hooves? Granted I could likely make things levitate, but I had yet to learn how. However, I knew there was more than one way to pick up and drink a glass of water, so I bent down to pick it up between my teeth and slowly tilted my head back so it wouldn’t splash over me. I finished it and the OJ easily enough, but I didn’t really want to bend down and eat like a horse actually would. I felt it would have added insult to injury, and the water and juice had settled things for the moment.
I set the tray on the bedside table and lifted the blanket off. I needed to teach myself to walk sooner or later so Celestia didn’t question why I couldn’t walk, yet the hard part was figuring out how to get out of bed without gravity being an asshole. Naturally, I opted for the lazy method when I didn’t want to get out of bed—on Earth, that is—to get something.
I put my two front legs on the ground and awkwardly pulled myself forward from the bed, and when my backside was at the edge, gingerly extended my back legs to the floor. I wobbled for a moment but didn’t move. I normally took standing and walking for granted, so I felt like I had achieved something monumental and couldn’t help but smile at the accomplishment.
Standing, however, was one thing. Walking was another. I gave a silent thanks to Animal Planet and tried to recall how horses actually walked. Two hours later, with many falls and stumbles, I managed to finally get the jist of it and was competently walking around the room. The more I did it, the more natural it began to feel, though, I couldn’t really try and run just yet. Not enough space for that.
I turned my attention to the two doors on the left wall from the bed and eyed up the handles. My hooves would’ve never fit into the small iron rings. Before I even considered leaving this room (not that I currently could without outside help), I needed to figure out how to use Luna’s magic, and quickly.
I went over to the powder table and stared into the mirror, looking cross-eyed at the horn atop my head, I wondered how I could use it like Celestia did. I focused on one of the various macguffins on the powder table, trying to pour my efforts into making it move. I closed my eyes and focused my thoughts on a powder puff sitting in its tin.
I made every attempt I could to try and get the thing to move, but no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn’t budge. Luna gave me absolutely no instruction on how to use her horn or the other two appendages on my back, and I silently swore at myself for not asking like I should’ve. Some time later, I was becoming increasingly frustrated nothing was happening. That nurse said my mana levels–whatever that meant–were normal, so why was I unable to do anything?
I decided to stop for a moment and see what laid beyond those big glass doors. Bigger doors need bigger handles, so I was able to pull one of the doors open.They softly clicked open to the world outside.
My jaw dropped.
The bottom of the rising sun barely kissed the top of the rolling foothills as it ascended. The air was beyond clean by Earth standards, like that refreshing first sip from a flute of champagne, and as crisp as a ripe apple plucked straight off the branch. A casual breeze blew my mane over my face, the pleasant, early morning bite in the air making me feel invigorated. I inhaled deeply, savouring every molecule of untainted oxygen.
From my limited view, it looked like the castle—Luna said it was called The Castle of the Two Sisters—sat atop a plateau with a chasm snaking its way around the castle, though I couldn’t tell where it ended and began. A flat stone bridge spanned the distance over the crack in the earth, and I saw another further down when I craned my neck to see how far the chasm went behind the castle.
A dirt path was worn between the grassy knolls from the bridge, sparsely populated with trees, leading up to what I assumed to be the main gate, though that much was out of sight. Birds flitted and chirped around the present trees, going about their daily business.
You just did not see that kind of scenery from living in a city. It made me wonder about people that lived in more rural and isolated areas of the country. Was this what I’d been missing out on all that time?
I closed my eyes and sat down, savouring the energy and vibrancy all around me. It felt like I could reach out and touch it. I could have sat on this platform all day and relished in the sensations. The everlasting peace made me feel serene and tranquil, something I didn’t realise I needed so much up until now.
I sat in the same position for what felt like hours, until the heat of the sun started to become too much to bear. I didn’t close the doors behind me when I went back inside. I wanted to let the cool breeze and peaceful background noise in.
I made my way back to the powder table with renewed intent in trying to figure out how I could make this levitation thing work. With the relaxed mindset from sitting outside, I slid the powder puff and tin into the middle of the vanity with my hooves and I closed my eyes and cleared my thoughts as best I could. After some time, I felt a tangible sensation, like the one from sitting outside flow through me. I remained calm as I felt a physical presence coalesce inside me, then felt it move through the horn and onto the powder puff.
Several seconds went by with nothing happening, so I opened my eyes to see if anything was different. I was shocked to find the powder puff no longer sitting in the makeup. I looked around the desk to see where it went, and that must’ve broken my concentration. The next thing I knew, the powder puff landed on the vanity with a soft thud and a cloud of fine powder.
I looked up and saw the mark the powderpuff left behind. Exactly how long did I hold it up there? I attempted the same method to put the fuzzy thing back in its place, and much to my serendipity, saw my horn glow in the mirror, as did the powder puff. Then, keeping my eyes on it, directed it back home. A mile-wide grin spread across my face as I witnessed it bob up and down in the air, trying to keep my focus.
The experience lit the fire of confidence within, and I decided to try and open one of the doors. It gave me an excuse to at least exercise walking, and to find other things to levitate.
I went over to the left door and tried opening it. It proved a little trickier than I’d hoped; making something float through the air was different than opening a door. After some strugging and tugging this way and that, the door opened with a click. Beyond was an immaculately clean washroom. Fit for a queen (or in my case, a princess), the pristine white tiles made everything feel more open planned than it actually was.
In the centre of the room was a sparkling porcelain bathtub that I could easily spread out in, polished stone countertops with a myriad of cupboards and drawers making up the vanity on my left, then on my right was a half wall that you could barely look over, behind which was a shower big enough for four of me. With the bathroom familiarised, I went to check out the second door.
The second door was a walk-in closet that was less of a closet and more of a room that made me feel like I had walked into my own personal clothing store. The right hand wall was a giant rack with all sorts of clothes hung up, and closets on the left, several drawers of which made me wonder, if love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
Hung on the wall in front of me was an absolutely massive mirror that allowed the first proper look of myself. The subtle fold in the hinged mirror gave me perfect views so I wasn’t having to strain my neck twisting and turning.
Seeing myself in Luna’s body reflected in the mirror was utterly surreal. Through Luna’s adorably large eyes, I ran a hoof through my mane and tail, made a few silly and serious facial expressions, and I even pulled out one of the wings to get a better look.
Compared to Celestia, Luna did look significantly younger, and it made me wonder how old Celestia was. Luna’s light blue mane amounted to shoulder-length hair by human standards, and the tail hung listlessly in the air. I saw a patch of black on each thigh with a white crescent moon to contrast, whereas Celestia had dual suns. Was this some sort of cultural tattoo?
I remembered Luna mentioned a journal with a schedule I needed to follow. Maybe it would have a message to me about how to use her horn and wings properly? I probably should have thought of that before. Figuring the desk would be the most logical place to start, I went over and searched through the drawers. I opened the top left and found several bottles of ink and various feathers with both sharpened tips and metal nibs. So these ponies have functional, Earth-standard bathrooms but no pens or pencils? I brushed that thought off to the side and opened the top right, and found a book bound in a leather-looking material, stitched at the spine with twine, and stamped into the front was an emblem of the crescent moon.
I didn’t know if the vast amount of questions I had would be things Luna should already know. I hoped to act as natural as possible whilst figuring things out for myself without raising doubts. Figured the best way to do that was to be a lot more observant than normal. The books seemed like a good place to start, and I wondered if there was a library around.
I opened the antique-looking diary, and the pages weren’t filled with any lines like a writing journal; they were totally devoid of anything, and the paper looked like it was made from pressed, recycled paper, which I thought was pretty cool.
Only the first half dozen pages had things written in them. There were lines scratched over the writing of the first two pages, mostly things that were likely already taken care of. The next four pages had a daily schedule, but no message of any sort directed for me. I guessed Luna was trying to play it safe by not leaving a paper trail, but it did complicate things.
After the first two pages of redacted writing, the page for what I assumed to be today only had a few things written down. Two of them were meetings of some nature, while a third mentioned paperwork and another was written further down the page. Celestia was due back with lunch soon, so I’d ask about the meetings then.
It was then that the pangs of not having eaten anything outside the juice and water caught up with me. I went over to the tray of breakfast—long since gone cold—but decided to eat it anyway. I managed to levitate the powder puff with practiced difficulty, but trying to do the same with a knife and fork threw me through a loop; it felt like like left was right and down was up.
I was so occupied with practicing levitating whatever I could get my hands on, so to speak, that didn’t I heard a knock on the bedroom door. I left everything where it was and went to open it. Beyond was another mare, a unicorn, levitating a tray laden with lunch.
“Princess Celestia asked me to check on and bring this to you,” she said respectfully. She was wearing casual maid’s outfit, so I couldn’t see what tattoo she had. I don’t know why Celestia didn’t deliver like she said she would, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t ask this mare to pass on a message.
“I had some business to take care of today, but woke up feeling unwell. Could you check with Celestia on what’s happening with it?”
“Of course, Your Highness,” she said with a courteous bow. Being called “Your Highness” made my inner goddess shine. “If I may remove your breakfast dishes too?”
Almost forgot about those. I levitated the tray over to her. “Thanks, have a nice day,” I said.
“You’re quite welcome, Princess.”
We exchanged trays and I went back into the room. I’d never had fondant potatoes before, and again, the extravagance of this dish was on a whole other level.
With my stomach full, I thought about what to try next. As much as I wanted to explore the castle or try flying, I’d likely get lost or end up dying if I jumped off the outside ledge. Instead, I perused the left set of bookshelves and found many cartographs, geological, and topographical charts of the castle grounds and surrounding lands.
Surprisingly, there was an even bigger map. I wasn’t sure if this showed Luna’s entire world, or just the known regions. The smaller ones were like cells on the page of an atlas, and I managed to figure out where each one went after looking at the pieces like a puzzle. I had no way to compare how big all this land and ocean mass are by Earth standards, so trying was futile.
I pulled down a few history books, including encyclopedias on various flora and fauna, then went to sit down outside to read. I doubted I’d get tired of the view anytime soon. The vast majority of plants, and a few of the animals I had never heard of before, and sincerely doubted any of them existed. Then again, my situation proved anything was possible. It was when I got to one of the books that detailed the various species of sentient creatures that populated the planet things got interesting. All of what Luna mentioned was here, and then some.
I don’t know how long I spent reading those books in rapt fascination before I heard a knock from behind me. A quick pass of the clock told me it had just gone two, and I opened the door and saw Celestia standing in the hall with her horn glowing.
“How are you feeling?”
“Everything feels better, thank you.”
“One of the maids said you asked about the tasks you had today. I took care of them as a favour so you could rest, so there will just be court proceedings tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” I said with a small smile.
She levitated another tray from behind the door frame. “Here, I brought a pot of your favourite tea and a bite to eat. Sorry for not bringing you lunch before, one of the meetings took longer than normal. I’ll have dinner in my room while I finish signing off the last of the documents, so yours will be brought to you.”
“It’s alright, there’s always tomorrow if you want.” A subtle question to ascertain if Celestia and Luna had dinner together.
“Of course,” she smiled. “I’ll see you at breakfast in the morning.”
After Celestia left, I was stuck in the bedroom for the remainder of the afternoon. I cleaned up the clothes I left on the floor from earlier, and I’m ashamed to admit that figuring out how to use the bathroom was not one of my finer moments. Let’s just say I quickly learned how to use the shower.
As the evening approached, I went outside to watch the sunset, but realised that it was setting in the opposite direction I faced. The moon would be a nice substitute, but as time went on and the light waned from the sun, no moon had risen. It wasn’t until the sun had fully set that a knock came from the door, then Celestia let herself in.
“Why haven’t you risen the moon yet?”
I blinked owlishly Wait… What?!
“Are you sure you’re feeling alright today?”
Damn damn damn, I needed to figure out a way to play that off. “I’m sorry. Guess I’ve had a bit on my mind.” Did Luna legitimately leave out fundamental details like this on purpose, or did she simply forget? What was raising the moon supposed to mean?
“Would you like to talk about it?” Celestia sat down next to me as I stared out into the sky.
I shook my head. “I’ll be alright by tomorrow. Promise. Today was just an off day, really.”
“Everypony has their off days, so I can do it for you tonight.”
I heaved a subtle sigh of relief.
Celestia closed her eyes and lit her horn. Moments later, the moon began to rise over the forest the same way the sun did earlier.
I gawked as it happened, unable to peel my eyes from the feat being performed. I could barely lift a knife and fork, and Luna expected me to figure out how to raise the moon? It was a terrifying prospect, especially since I needed to keep my cover.
Celestia’s horn dimmed as the moon hovered in the sky as it’s glow bathed everything in an incandescent white light. It felt different, somehow, like the moon radiated an energy the sun didn’t have.
We both sat on the dais, taking comfort in one another’s company. The problem I faced was keeping my poker face about me at all times. Celestia seemed ignorant enough for the moment, but what frightened me was what she could, or would do if she found out about the switch. I’d only spent a whopping twenty minutes around her up until now, so perhaps if we acclimated to things as time goes on, it’d keep her from being suspicious.
Eventually, I felt the soft touch of feathers against me as Celestia draped a wing around my shoulders. She pulled me in, and as surprised as I was, actually hugged me.
“Take care tonight. Let’s try not to have a repeat of whatever caused this, alright?” she said in care and jest.
I returned the giggle. “I wouldn’t count on it happening again any time soon.”
“I’m glad. I missed your company at court today, but hopefully tomorrow will be different. Until then, I bid you goodnight, Luna.”
“Goodnight, Celestia.” That name felt weird to say, like trying pronouncing a foreign word for the first time.
I grew tired the longer I spent outside. Minus the initial headache and such, today wasn’t all that bad. Getting to sleep with a lot on my mind was a bit difficult. I had to teach myself how to master Luna’s magic within a very short time frame, or figure out how to bluff my way through everything, but doing so would only go so far.
I hoped I could get through everything without a problem.
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That premise terrified me. I can't even look at this for now.
8067596 Awww
Oooh, what do we have here? Added to my Read Later!
This is inspired by "Royal Duties" isn't it?
Can't wait for more.
8067832 Not entirely. Just the orb thing. Completely dissimilar otherwise.
8068100
She'll find that out the hard way
8068121 All shall be explained
This is a fantastic story so far, you really have me glued in as I could literally can't stop myself from reading. Well done
I can't wait for the next chapter
until next time, good luck with writing the next chapter 
8069862 I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Third chapter just needs proofreading and editing, and I've started work on the fourth. Despite there being no update schedule, I want to try keep the wait between each chapter as short as possible.
8069960 cool, well best of luck with writing the chapters and I hope you find a find proofreader
8072900
You answered your own question
8075527 Half a dozen proofreaders and that one mistake still managed to slip through the cracks...
8075531 I don't think so. Opening portals to other planes of existance where time flows differently will momentarily sync the respective time streams, otherwise the one living in the faster-moving (comparibly speaking) universe would look like a tweaker loaded on caffeine. At least, that's my argument for this.
8075608
Oopsies. I changed it. I normally spell it as "jist", but it turns out "gist" is 18th century Old French. Turns out the word in meaning has evolved quite a bit over the last three-hundred years haha.
so from the premis im guessing she steals luna's immortal body and leaves luna...
8107431 You're not wrong, I'll tell you that much.
Stay tuned to find out what will happen
8124084 And you don't get to ignore the common courtesy of being polite in the comments.
Both ways are right, but I changed your initial suggestion back to 'and' because in hindsight, it felt more in line with how I wanted to describe the character.
An inconsequential word choice isn't going to do any harm.
8123675 Hmm, you're actually right. Thanks!
As I read it over in my head, 'and' is making the implication his charisma is already there, rather than suddenly adding it in. At least, that's how I look at it.
8124266
You won't be missed.
Good. Thumbs up.
XD the second i saw the title of this chapter
8125286
I see you getting rid of those grammar Nazis and the critics
Oh damn, Luna really didn't explain shit did she?
So they are both phenomenal idiots aren't they? I wonder how long it will be before Celestia figures things out, given that body swap magic apparently exists.
Such a pretty chapter. :)
Medieval
I don’t know what I expected.
Ah, I was wondering when our protagonist will discover that Luna neglected to mention a small but vital part of her princessly duties.
I thought it would be hilarious if she learned it reading through Luna's schedules:
My them shut?
There's no extra a in medieval
Potatoes covered with cake icing? I've never heard of that before
Couldn’t help but think of this after I read that line.