Hands, Hooves, and Hourglasses

by Lifebinder

Luna

“WHY ARE YOU ALL NAKED?” the girl screamed. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE NAKED?”

Luna coolly regarded this outsider. The bags in her hands meant she was either coming or going – a good sign, as it meant she hadn’t had time to tell anyone else they were here. The distressed look on her face meant she certainly wasn’t expecting them here, which meant, if Luna acted quickly, the element of surprise could still be on her side. She needed dominance over this creature, if only to secure their safety. It must be the Voice. Luna remembered the first time she used the Royal Canterlot Voice.

* * *

It had been only ten years since Luna and her sister had banished the draconequus Discord from Equestria. Canterlot was still being constructed, but Luna had insisted that the throne room be finished first. That particular day, Celestia had left to raise the sun, and Luna sat to accept visitors. Luna didn’t understand why sunrise always seemed to bring out the crazies. Ponies quibbling over land, ponies asking for magic on their behalf, ponies doing nothing but being ungrateful peasants, and all of them choosing to sleep through her beautiful night. It made Luna sick.

The court minister calmly opened the throne room doors, and approached Luna humbly. “Your highness, a wizard has come to-”

“Minister, I do not care to accept charlatans in court. Only the magic of my sister and I is truly powerful.”

The minister shrunk before her. “Yes, Lady of the Night. But he does insist on seeing you.”

Luna pawed at the floor. “Very well.”

The minister rushed back to the door, and showed the visitor in, a pony dressed in a dark cape and matching hat, each adorned with golden baubles, constellations, and swirls. “Greetings, your Highness. I am-”

Luna cut him off abruptly. “Know this, wizard,” she said tersely. “We have no use for whatever ‘charades’ you may peddle. Leave before we have you exiled.”

The wizard took in a deep breath. The throne room seemed to shrink around him, and for the first time since she had faced Discord, Luna felt a little scared. “PRINCESS LUNA!” the wizard bellowed. “DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME CONJURER OF CHEAP TRICKS!” The magician’s presence lessened. “Your sister summoned me here to teach both of you what I have just demonstrated. A Voice to command respect and control from those who would ignore you. A Voice fit for the royalty of Canterlot,” he said, bowing.

Luna regarded him once more. He was certainly dressed funnily, but the stars on his garb showed he did not fear her Night, as most ponies did. “You may…proceed,” she said coolly.

The wizard explained the process of the Voice: of imposing your will upon your voice, proper breath, and the like. Luna tried for nearly an hour, but to no avail. She simply could not recreate what the wizard had done. “Enough!” the alicorn yelled. “Wizard, you have wasted our precious time, and the time of all those who have waited patiently to meet us after you,” Luna said with iron in her voice. “In return, you will do our bidding from now on. Guards, take him away. See that he works only by moonlight.”

The rear doors burst open, and a commanding voice shouted, “You will do no such thing!”

Celestia strode in, placing herself between the chamber door and the guards, who now had the mage in custody. Her pink mane flowed in an invisible breeze.

“Guards, release the prisoner this instant,” she commanded. The guards hesitated, and the lead guard looked back at Luna, unsure.

Luna could only grunt and fume. How dare her sister countermand her, and in direct view of the court. It was absurd, and an absolute mockery.

Celestia drew in power to her horn, which radiated down her entire body. Her mane began to glow in all new hues, streaking from tip to root, and her white coat gleamed, even in the still-dark throne room. “GUARDS, YOU WILL RELEASE STARSWIRL THIS INSTANT!” she called. The Voice, Luna realized. In her sister’s hooves, it was truly a powerful tool. And one Luna could not stand her wielding alone.

Celestia dismissed the court, and Luna unleashed on Celestia. “CELESTIA, HOW DAREST YOU MAKE A FOOL OF US IN FRONT OF OUR SUBJECTS?” Luna called, using the Voice instinctively. Perhaps she had mastered it after all.

Celestia said gently, “Sister, you were being unreasonable. You condemned a pony because he could not teach you.”

Luna snorted. “IF HE COULD NOT TEACH, IT WAS NOT A FAILING ON OUR PART,” she said defensively.

“Luna, do not use that voice with me. There is no more respect you can earn from me, no control you cannot ask for.”

“Even…the sun?” Luna asked, knowing how loaded such a request was.

“You cannot ask that of me, and you know it. Take some time to rest, sister. We will speak tomorrow.” Celestia said gently.

“Very well…Tia…”Luna said gruffly, and with that she retreated to her quarters.

* * *

Her one thousand years within the moon had taught Luna that respect and authority, like love and friendship, had to be earned. The Voice was best used when those things already existed…or when time was short. Now, in this dank alleyway, Luna knew this situation fell under the latter.

Luna drew in what will she could, and imposed it on the air around her. “WHAT IS YOUR NAME?” she said in the Royal Canterlot Voice, as calmly as possible.

The girl faltered for a moment. A good start, thought Luna. The girl brushed a lock of golden hair behind her ear, no longer looking Luna in the eye. “My-my-my name?”

“IT IS ALL WE HAVE REQUESTED,” said Luna. “IS IT TOO MUCH?”

Twilight stepped beside Luna, and put a hand on her shoulder. Twilight smiled nervously at the girl. “What my friend means is, we don’t know how we got here, and you’re the first new person we’ve met. My name’s Twilight Sparkle. What’s yours?”

The girl finally looked back up. “Twilight Sparkle, huh? Dig those vamp books a little too much?” She chuckled, but Luna didn’t understand what was so funny. “My name’s Celeste.”

Luna exchanged an uncertain look with Twilight, then looked back at the girl.

From behind her, Rainbow Dash spoke up. “I’m sorry, I think I misheard you.”

The girl shouted, perhaps a little too loudly, “MY NAME’S CELESTE!” Luna didn’t believe in coincidences, but how this girl was related to how they got here, she still couldn’t figure out.

Twilight made introductions of everyone, and the girl thought the names were all quite strange.

“You never did answer me, though,” said Celeste. “Why are you all naked?”

Luna smiled. “It is a long story, and I am not sure we should tell it in the open like this.”

Celeste looked as though a sudden thought had occurred to her.

“Well, come up to my apartment. It’s on the tenth floor, and I should have some clothes for you all. Well, maybe not him,” she pointed to Spike, who looked mildly bemused, “but I can just borrow some from my brother.”

The nine dutifully followed Celeste into the building. The slick tile felt strange under Luna’s feet, but it was not a wholly unpleasant feeling. She reveled in the quiet sound of footfalls echoed infinitely down the hallway. Ponies never used tile for flooring in Equestria, because the hooves trotting on it created such a din, it was overwhelming. Here though, the soft padding of the fleshy feet sounded more like muted suction cups than the clip-clop of hooves.

Celeste led them to an elevator, and pressed a button. When the door opened, they all filed in, and Celeste pressed a button. Luna felt like she was flying up for a moment, but her feet never left the ground. It was very disconcerting. Such a tiny room, Luna thought. She smiled at Celeste, who smiled nervously back, and again at Twilight when she looked as though she was about to say something.

The door opened into an open-spaced apartment, no columns to obstruct sightlines, with an expansive bay window which took up one wall. A divan and matching chairs were circled on one side, and a kitchen took up the other. In the far corner, there were 3 doors, which Luna assumed were bedrooms.

Luna sat down on the couch, along with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Rarity took a chair, as did Twilight and Lyra. The others sat on the floor nearby. All except Pinkie Pie, who was busy staring wondrously out at the metropolitan skyline.

Celeste stood behind the chair directly opposite Luna, and Lyra looked up at her when she spoke. “Okay. Private Space,” Celeste motioned. “So let’s hear it.”

“We are…” Twilight began.

“We are not…from here,” Luna finished. “From this world.” Celeste eyed them carefully. “I imagine you think such a claim is quite preposterous. But I assure you, we are not. I am not sure of the rules of your world, but in ours, magic is commonplace. We were attempting to travel in time, and ended up here instead.”

“How do you know this isn’t your world, and you’re not just crazy?” Celeste asked. It was a valid question.

“Does anyone you know have one of these?” Luna asked, rotating herself so Celeste had a clearer view of her cutie mark.

Celeste snorted. “Yeah, they’re called tattoos.”

“Look closer.”

Celeste laughed, but when she saw all the others were serious, she straightened out, and bent in for a closer look. “But…that’s…like, you’re skin! It’s not ink or anything – that IS skin! Like a colored freckle...” Now Celeste looked positively shaken, but less than Luna imagined she would be. “Okay…okay, let’s say I do believe you,” she said. “What can I do to help?”

Rainbow Dash spoke up. “Well for starters, can you do something about the heat in here?”

Celeste laughed. “Sure. Too hot?”

Dashie nodded. “…It needs to be about 20% cooler.”

Twilight ignored Rainbow Dash’s complaint. “We need to find someone who knows about magic, if it exists here at all.”

“Well, I don’t know anything about the stuff. But I think the place to start would be to go talk to Big Mac.”

The ponies all looked at Applejack.

“What?” asked Celeste.

Luna said calmly, “There is no such thing as a coincidence.”

Comments

[jordanwriter]

BBBBIIIIIIIGGGGG MMMMMAAAACCCC!
On a side note... BIGGIE SMALLS. Thank, that it all.

[LunarRai]

Luna said calmly, “There is no such thing as a coincidence.”

s1.zerochan.net/Ichihara.Yuuko.600.1336802.jpg
There is only Hitsuzen.