• Published 12th Oct 2020
  • 20,442 Views, 685 Comments

Since When am I Faust? - McDufus_456



For centuries a certain alicorn has been trapped in another dimension. When she finally found a way home, her spell went wrong, and it pulled a human consciousness in with her. Now the two live as separate personalities in the same body.

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Chapter 2: Meeting the Moon.

Since When am I Faust?
Chapter 2: Meeting the Moon

I followed Celestia towards the tower that led to Luna's bedroom. When we arrived at its base, the Princess unfurled her wings and pushed herself forward. She practically flew up the stairs, soaring up with intense speed. I, however, had to climb.

By the time I reached the top, my legs felt like they were burning, and I was short of breath. Making my way over, I quietly looked through the doorway, and I spotted the Solar-Princess vigorously shaking her younger sister. She was attempting to wake her, but in her eagerness, she looked more like she would throw her sister out of bed.

I moved into the room, and as I walked closer, I saw Luna fighting to stay under her covers. The moment I saw her, I felt my heart flutter as a feeling of joy and relief washed over me. My body went stiff, and my chest raised rapidly as my breathing hastened. Internally I turned to my passenger and asked, Hey, are you, okay?

(I-it's just... I haven't seen her since she was a young filly. I-I missed her whole life growing up.) Lauren's voice was shaky, and her feeling of intense sorrow flowed over me. I was filled with heartache, and yet, at the same time, the tears that escaped my eyes were tears of joy.

Slowly walking further into the room, I watched as the two sisters bickered with one another. It was quite comical to watch. Celestia had the blankets and comforters in her grip, and as she pulled them off, she said, "Come on, Luna! Wake up!" But her sibling resisted the best she could.

Pulling the sheets back in the other direction, Luna grunted, "Leave me alone, sister! Thine actions art most annoying!"

She pulled the blankets out of Celestia's grip and wrapped herself in them again. Seeing this, Tia's face grew mischievous, and her horn lit up with a golden glow. The comforter shined in the same light, and it quickly wrapped itself around Luna. She barely had time to react, but the deed had already been done. On the moon-themed bed now laid a rolled-up alicorn. Her head was the only part of her exposed, and she gave a huff as she blew a tuft of her mane out of her eyes.

Then the blankets started moving, and Luna's eyes shot open. She wiggled around, trying to get free, but before she was able to, she slid off the bed. Landing on the ground with a thump, the blankets released their hold on her. Luna crawled out from under the sheets and gave her elder sister an irritated glare. It was difficult not to laugh at the sight. Her mane was a mess, lacking the usual ethereal look the show often depicted. Her coat was fluffy and unbrushed, and her lip pouted. To say the least, she looked absolutely adorable.

Grumpily she sat up, crossing her forelegs, and said, "This better be good, Tia,"

Celestia's smile widened, turning into a grin, and she spoke with barely contained glee, "Oh, trust me Luna, it is."

"Sister, why art thou so smug?"

"Because Lulu, we have an unexpected guest. Somepony who neither of us have seen in a very long time."

Luna looked up at her sister with a confused glare. "But Tia, nopony has lived long enough to be considered unseen for a 'long' time."

Celestia's grin only grew wider, and I took that as my cue to finally reveal myself. I trotted quietly through the room and stood directly behind the queen of the night.

"Hello, Luna..." My voice quivered as it cut through the silence. I found it difficult to speak, especially when Lauren was in control of our body's emotions. It was taking everything I had just to keep us from breaking down into tears.

Luna's fur immediately stiffened, and her body froze like a stone at the sound of my voice. Her head slowly lowered, and even though I was behind her, I could sense a shadow covering her eyes." I-Is that you, Mother?"

"Um.. Yeah" (Well, she's in here :P)

Luna looked towards my direction with pained eyes, but she never met my gaze." M-Mom, I am so sorry." Tears began to well up at the corners of her eyes, and I felt my heart begin to feel pain.

Figuring I shouldn't know too much, I decided to play dumb and asked, "Sorry for what?" I didn't know if it was best to talk about it, but I figured the sooner we get past it, the better. Celestia's eyes widened, and she flinched forward as if to warn me not to go there, but before she could say anything, Luna started to speak up.

"After you left, I-I became a tyrant, and I tried to overthrow Equestria... out of jealousy of Tia..." She hung her head in guilt, and her voice began to quiver, "I've betrayed you, mother, and mine actions hath caused great fear and hatred of myself among our subjects." As she said those words, she started to cry.

No, no-no. Please, don't cry. It was evident that this emotional confrontation was doing a number on this body's owner, and thus me. Trying to keep from bursting into tears myself, I tried to think of what I should say to fix the situation. But, nothing was coming to my mind. I didn't know her; I didn't know how it felt to be in her position. All I am is an eighteen-year-old guy who got thrown into another world!

Not knowing what else to do, I hugged the mare, trying to reassure her, but I didn't know what to say. There was a silence that hung between us, and I looked into her glistening eyes. Suddenly, I found words that were not mine coming out of my mouth, and Lauren leaned forward, wiping a tear from her daughter's eyes.

"(Luna, do you really think that I care for you so little that even betraying me would make a difference? All I've ever wanted during all this time has been to see your faces again...)" She looked over to Celestia (Both of you...) Then she turned back to the Princess at our side. (Nothing you do, or say, is ever going to change that.)"

Luna looked up at us with strained eyes, and she asked in disbelief, "You forgive me?" Her body was quaking, and she struggled to control her sobbing.

Lauren smiled at her daughter and tightened our embrace. With a gentle nuzzle, she assured her daughter, "Yes, Luna I forgive you."

"But why!? I've tried to overthrow Equestria, I turned against my sister, and I've hurt so many in my selfish ambitions!"

She had an expression of self-hate as tears streamed down her face. Seeing this, Lauren tightened the hug we were giving her and leaned our head against Luna's shoulder.

"(No matter what you've done, you will always be my daughter, and I, will always be your mother... I, will never reject you...)"

Luna's eyes flinched open when Lauren mentioned being rejected, and she leaned back, looking us in the eyes. She didn't say anything, but her eyes told a story, a story of pain and self-loathing. It made Lauren's heart ache, and she stroked Luna's messy mane. The Princess's expression of rage, pain, and most of all, sadness, slowly dissolved, and her tears began to flow freely. She looked up at her mom with a heartfelt smile.

"Thank you, mother."

I smiled and realized that I was back in control. It was nice to see how much Lauren cared for her daughters, and I could feel the love she had for them in the heart we now shared. Once again, I pulled her in for a hug, and we stayed like that until Luna calmed down. Taking a glance to the side, I noticed Celestia was looking at us with a smile, but her eyes showed that she was feeling left out. I turned and extended my arm in her direction and grinned. "You too, Tia, get over here."

Her brow lifted, and she got a happy smile on her face as she walked over. Then we all shared a group hug. I heard Lauren squee with glee. (Finally! After all this time... I finally have my daughter's back.)

We spent the rest of the day talking, and we spoke with each other well into the night. After the moon raised, Tia arranged for a guest room to be prepared for me, and as it passed midnight, I went to bed.


The following day, as I began to wake up, I got the feeling that I was being watched. Even though my eyes were shut, there was some sort of presence in the room that I felt somewhat unsettling. The figure, or rather, figures in my room, waited patiently. I shifted my ears around, and I listened as they moved. Slowly I opened my eyes and saw red hair hanging down in front of my eyes. I sighed and shook my head, another day, still here, I thought. I let a faint smile grace my face as I sat up and yawned.

As my vision cleared, I looked forward towards the three figures standing at the base of my bed. One was the maid I met yesterday, and there were two unicorns with her. Their watchful gaze and silent presence slowly became awkward as time went on. So taking their silence as a hint, I figured I was the one who was supposed to address them. I was royalty now, after all. With a tired grin, I sat up a little more and waved, "Hey, what's up?"

The pony standing in the center of the group stepped forward. Her coat was a light blue, and her mane was a deep navy color with a white two-tone. The unicorn took a slow, steady breath and looked me in the eyes as she said, "Hello, Princess Celestia requested us to attend to you and your personal care. I am Minuette, and this is Lyra. We were both students at her school for gifted unicorns. This here is Lillybreeze, the Princess said something along the lines of you two knowing each other already. We are happy to meet you, Miss..."

"Alex James Smi..." As I realized I was saying my real name, my eyes widened, and my sobering mind finally caught up. I looked over and saw confused expressions covering the faces of the three mares.

Giving my head a shake, I threw my hoof out, waving it in front of me frantically. "Nonono, wait..." I breathed out, putting a hoof against my head. "Sorry, just tired... Call me either Lauren, or Faust, whichever you prefer is fine... The other name was one that I went by in a different dimension, and it's kind of irrelevant now." I finished saying this with a shrug, and a pang of sadness hit my chest as I said that. It was sad how true that statement really was...

The three mares at the base of the bed gave me understanding smiles, and Minuette continued, saying, "Okay, Miss Faust, Princess Celestia is waiting downstairs in the dining hall. She said that she made breakfast and you are invited to join her."

Still a bit groggy, I nodded and tossed my bedsheets off. Turning in the direction of the door, I noticed Minuette give me a curious glance as she looked at me, "Miss Faust, before you leave, do you require any assistance? Perhaps one of us could brush your mane?" She asked this, and Lillybreeze leaned down to grab a comb.

With a soft smile, I waved a hoof and said, "No, thank you Minuette, but I won't be requiring assistance this morning." I then swung my legs over the edge of the bed and hopped off. Landing on the marble floor, a soft tapping sound came from my hooves as they touched the ground. I looked at my attendants and smiled, "Well, I best be off. It was nice meeting you three." I said this and turned to the door.

With surprise on her face, Minuette quickly stepped forward and reached her foreleg out as she desperately asked, "Wait, you're planning on leaving your room like that?"

Following her gaze, I looked up and noticed the disaster that was my mane. The bedhead was real.
With a huff, I blew my bangs out of my face and shook my head. Most of the hair went back to its proper place, but it was still messy. However, it was good enough for me, so I looked over at the unicorn and shrugged, "It's alright..."

Walking to the side of the room, I grabbed the door with my hoof and swung it open, and I left the three stunned mares behind.

Trotting out into the hallway, my ears perked up as my new attendants expressed both their relief and confusion at my actions. Thinking about it, I realized it probably wasn't normal for a noble to leave their quarters without cleaning themselves up, let alone those seen as royalty. I suppose I failed at being royalty already.

Chuckling to myself, I thought of the expressions of surprise that were on their faces, and I looked back towards the bedroom doors. My attendants were still in there, and from the faint voices I could hear, it sounded as if they were struggling to understand how I could be so carefree. It made me laugh. A moment later, I turned my head to look where I was going, and when I did, I felt my hoof fall just a bit further than it should have.

I had forgotten that I was on the second floor, and the stairs weren't far from my room. "Not again! Ahh!" I shouted as I fell, tumbling down the staircase once again. I couldn't see clearly, as I was tumbling head over hooves, but I was fairly sure that I passed a few ponies on the way down. As I reached the bottom, I slid a short distance on the marble floor and laid limp as I wallowed in pain.

I groaned as I stood up. Then I spotted two guard ponies standing a short distance away from the base of the stairs. At first, I felt embarrassed, noting that I didn't have a very gratifying trip down the stairs; but then I realized I fell and got hurt right in front of them, but these jerks didn't even bat an eye at my generally painful situation. Fifty-four stairs are pretty painful when you have stupid wings and a horn!

My ears dropped to the side as I walked forward with a grumpy frown on my face. Still, they didn't move, not even their eyes. My irritation began to be replaced with concern, and in curiosity, I gently pushed the guard's side. To my surprise, he wobbled back and forth and then fell over. A loud banging noise echoed through the hallways as the armor he was wearing fell off. I reared back at the loud noise and quickly looked back and forth to see if anyone saw me. Then I looked down at the guard and noticed the guard had vanished. The armor falling off revealed a mannequin, and I tilted my head to the side in confusion." What the hell is this?"

Leaning forward, I prodded the mannequin. Then I glanced at the armor. With a curious glance, I grabbed the helmet in my hooves and put it on. I didn't feel any different, but as I spotted a nearby window, I looked at my reflection.

Lo and behold, my reflection was that of a female guard, but my face became generic and almost indistinguishable from an average pony. It was weird but neat. Taking it off, I watched the illusion vanish, and I gave a mischievous grin. "I don't know what I'm going to use this for, but I'm keeping this."


After I found a place to hide my new toy, I continued towards the dining hall. Canterlot Castle was a lot larger than I initially imagined; just walking to the dining hall to get breakfast took five minutes. Approaching the doors, I took a deep breath, "Here we go."

Then I pushed the doors open and walked inside. At the far end of the room, Tia sat at the edge of the table and sipped a cup of tea while she read the morning paper. As I opened the door, she glanced up at me and gave me a satisfied smile. "I was beginning to worry it was all another dream."

I shrugged, "Sorry, Tia, you're stuck with me."

"Glad to hear it, Mother. Is there anything I can get you? I made pancakes." As she said this, she lifted her decorative treats, and I heard Lauren call out.

(Tia made pancakes! Yes, please!)

I smiled, holding back a grin at the childish antics of the mare in my head. Finding a place at the table, I sat down and said, "Sure, I'll have some, but I'm not too hungry yet, so I'll only have one."

Celestia nodded and prepared a plate for me. The pancakes came covered in syrup and had a whipping cream smiley face.

I grinned and began eating. Swallowing a bite, I washed the food down with some orange juice. "So, Tia, how does your typical day go?"

The alicorn gave a strained smile, and she let out a quiet groan. "Mother, please don't remind me of my duties. They are hardly enjoyable enough while doing them."

I frowned and reached up to tap my chin, "Alright...Then... Oh! I know! Have you gotten to made any good friends over the past years?"

"Yes, quite a few, and some of them started simply as students at the school for gifted unicorns." Her gentle smile slowly turned sad, and she looked down at the paper she was reading. "However, as much as I cherish them, I have to let go... Our little ponies only live so long after all..."

Looking at her eyes, I felt sympathy for her; I couldn't possibly begin to imagine how she felt, but, at the very least, I could try to comfort her. I reached over and patted her on the shoulder. "Well, Tia, you got me, Luna, and Cadance now, so at least, you're not alone."

She looked at me with a confused expression, "Who told you about Cadance?"

I scrunched my muzzle and looked to the side, "Oh... Um, Luna did after you went to sleep." Oops…

Suddenly green fire came blazing through the window. I immediately ducked for cover; it's not every day you see a flame about the size of a football go dancing around the room. It found its place in front of Celestia, materializing into a letter. The white alicorn glanced in my direction and started to laugh." Oh, mother, don't worry. It's only a piece of paper." Celestia teased, shaking the letter around in her magical grip.

"I-it's not funny! That thing almost hit me!" I grumbled. "Besides, paper cuts are the worst," I said the last part quietly, and mostly to myself, but the corner of Tia's lip curved upward as I said it.

Pouring herself some tea, she said, "Mother, this spell can't hurt ponies even if it comes directly into contact with them."

I gave her an annoyed stare and tried to change the subject. "So.. What does it say?"

"Hmm, Let's see..."

Dear Princess Celestia
Today I learned it's not good to jump to conclusions. You have to find out all the facts before saying somepony did something. If you don't, you could end up blaming somepony for something they never did. This could hurt their feelings. And it could make you feel really foolish. So from now on, I will make sure to always get all the facts.

From Pinkie Pie

Playing ignorant, I took a bite of my pancakes and said, "That's a nice letter. Is that one of the students at the school you were telling me about?"

Celestia smiled and put the piece of paper down. "Oh, no Mother, Pinkie Pie is in her early twenties."

I couldn't help but tilt my head to the side in shock, "Really?" and Celestia was a bit curious at my odd reaction.

Leaning forward, she rested her head on her hooves and said, "If you don't mind me asking mother, why does that seem so surprising to you?"

I shrugged, grabbing another bite of my meal, "It just seemed a bit like common knowledge for some-pony in their adult age,"

Celestia gave me another one of her patented mischief grins. "Mother, just because you have had the years to figure things out doesn't mean everypony else has had as much time to do so."

The hell does that mean?! Was that an attempt at a shot?

(Yeah, it was a shot)

I'm 18!

I rolled my eyes and leaned on the edge of the table, holding my cheek with my hoof; I looked at her with a sly smile. "So... how's that schedule looking for you?"

Tia frowned at my bringing her duties up again. "Well, I have breakfast, court, then lunch, then court once more, that shift will last for three hours. Then, after that, I go and finish the paperwork, recording all the political details throughout the day."

When I heard that, I was surprised. Till now, I had thought Sunbutt just sat on her royal behind all day.
I leaned forward, with shock clearly evident on my face. "Wow, you do that every day?"

She chuckled. "No, I only have this schedule on Sundays. Usually, I try to find a way to attend parties, make public appearances, and travel abroad to get out of that routine."

"I can see why." I nodded.

A little bell rang beside Celestia's teacup, signaling breakfast was over. "I have to get going. Do you want to come along or continue to readjust?" After discovering more details about her job, I must say I wasn't exactly eager to take part in it.

Thinking of an excuse, I said, "I think I'll stay here to practice my magic. It's been years since I've done so; I don't even think I remember how to do it." To my relief, she seemed satisfied with my answer. She got up and began walking to the doors.

"If you find you're having any trouble with magic, just let me know, and I'll teach you how. Or I could get you to learn from Twilight, although I don't know how she would react to the task of teaching you."

"Okay, thanks for the offer. I'll see what I can do first. See you later."

"The same to you, mother." With that, Celestia walked out to go to the royal court.


Later, I made my way up to the room that I first woke up in, there was a strange familiarity that I seemed to enjoy, and the view from the balcony was also quite stunning. Walking across the room, I spotted the mirror and chuckled to myself.

When I first saw my reflection, I thought my life was over and that there would be no good to come to me ever again; but even though it's only been one day, I could confidently say I was wrong. I trotted over to the polished silver with an excited grin. I looked at the mirror and asked aloud, "So, how do I magic?"

(Oh, Alex, are you sure you really want to learn?) Lauren teased, and I eagerly jumped towards the mirror.

"Of course I do!"

(Hehehe, Alright, give me control for a moment.)

I mentally stepped aside, and the alicorn took her place in front of our reflection. "(Alright, Alex, let's start off with something simple.)" Her horn lit up with a fiery glow, and little lights resembling embers formed around it. Her aura seemed to chime in the air, and she smiled at my would-be dumbfounded expression. Turning to the inside of the room. I watched as a drawer glowed in the same light and slid open. Then she lifted an old book out.

How did you know that was there?

She giggled at my question, "(Because it's mine silly, I thought you would have put that together by now...)"

But, aren't you like, really old? Shouldn't this stuff be long gone by now?

Her smile dropped, and she looked back at our reflection with an unamused stare, "(Do you want me to teach you magic or not?)"

Sorry, ma'am!

She nodded, "(Right, so notice how the book is being held in my aura.)"

Yes.

"(I'm doing this by visualizing the result I want and unifying it with my mana. Getting it to work is a matter of balance and skill. You already have a live demonstration so you can feel how the connection is made. With enough practice, the objects you lift will become as natural as moving an arm or a leg.)" The mare spun the book in the air and set it down on the bed across the room to emphasize her point. "(Go ahead, give it a try.)"

She gave me back control, and I looked up at my target. I started to imagine the book floating above the bed and focused our power to the tip of our horn. I felt a slight strain on my mind. It was almost like a weight had been put on it, but I continued anyway. In a daydream-like state, I saw the book rise off the bed and spin around. I was surprised, and a wide smile stretched across my face as I said, "Yes! I did it!"

(Good job, it looks like you can listen after all...)

"Hey, I was freaking out back then, give me a break."

Tehe, Yeah, I know.

Suddenly, I heard someone at the side of the room say, "Knock knock," and the door swung open.

I turned, looking towards the sound, and saw a pink alicorn standing in the doorway. She smiled at me, and I looked at her, hoping she didn't hear me talking to myself. I looked into her eyes and became somewhat curious as to why she was here. Tilting my head upwards I said, "Hello?"

The mare giggled at the expression on my face, "Hello, My name's Cadance, Celestia told me I was likely to find you up here. It's so nice to finally meet you, Lauren, I've heard so much about you."

She said this, walking over to me, and as she got close, I extended my foreleg to shake her hoof. What I didn't expect was to be quickly wrapped in another hug. I hesitated, a bit surprised by the sudden embrace, but a moment later, I loosened up and returned the hug. After a second or so, we pulled apart, and she smiled happily.

Dropping her forelegs back down, the pink alicorn finally seemed to take in her surroundings; she turned her attention from me and glanced around the room with visible curiosity.

With the heavy layers of dust, I started to feel somewhat self-conscious. Perhaps it was Lauren's emotions leaking through again. Being since it was her stuff from who knows when, but even so I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Like my room was being inspected. I started swinging my front leg back and forth as I awkwardly looked down, "Sorry about the dust. I guess I really let this place go."

Cadance chuckled at my sad attempt at a joke, and then looked at me with a questioning stare, "So, what are you doing up here anyway?"

Looking up, I shrugged, "Just some magic practice."

"Really? Like what?"

I felt a blush wash over me as I began to explain, "It's basic levitation... The world I was in didn't have magic, so I gradually forgot over time... I was a bit embarrassed to practice anywhere else..."

"Ah, okay... Have you made any progress?" She asked, tilting her head.

I looked up at her with a brightened smile, "Actually, yeah... In fact, I think I could grab all the dust in this room and put it in one spot!"

The pink mare smirked as she leaned on one side, "Well, you could try, but I doubt it, the strain from holding thousands of individual particles alone would be rediculous..."

I nudged her side. "I bet ya ten bits I can do it."

She raised an eyebrow at my confidence, and a smirk crossed her face, "Oh, you're on."


Celestia had the unfortunate duties of day court. Each Nobel citizen was demanding that their wants be satisfied like a rotten child demands of their parents. Currently, the headache she was dealing with was a noble pony by the name of Currency Driver. He was a banker who wanted the royal funds to go to building a private pool on his property. To say the least, the selfish and ridiculous things ponies would come up with boggled Celestia's mind.

"So you see, your highness, a pool within my residence would be a logical thing to fund because I would be able to uplift the guests who come over."

Rubbing her temples, Celestia began to wonder what other ludicrous things would arise within her court. Every day was torture dealing with these ponies who felt they deserved favors from royalty. At least, she knew nothing could be as ridiculous as that pony who claimed Celestia should seal Luna in the moon again for rejecting his request to tear down an orphanage in favor of a recreation center.

Suddenly the doors to the throne room burst open, and two frantic alicorns ran inside. "Auntie! We need your help! Where can we put this!" Cadance quickly said, pointing to a faint ember glow held in Faust's telekinesis.

"What is it?"

The crimson maned alicorn suddenly spoke up. "It's a dust bomb." She seemed to be under a lot of strain.

"A what?" Celestia turned her head in confusion.

"Auntie, that speck is all the dust from her room collected into one spot. If she lets go, then it will explode!"

Hope fluttered in the co-rulers chest; perhaps this stupid matter could get her out of day court. Turning to the stallion in front of her, Celestia said, "I'm sorry, Currency, but our meeting will have to be postponed."

This got a grumble out of the noble, but he was too cowardly to protest against the Princess directly. "Your Highness, if I may so ask, who is that?" Currency stated, pointing a hoof at the newest alicorn in Equestria.

"That, my little pony would be my mother."

It took a couple of seconds for the stallion to register what that meant, and quickly he turned towards Lauren's direction. His eyes seemed to expand to unreal proportions, and he slammed his face into the red carpet. He bowed so suddenly that his head bounced off the ground, and he became unconscious.

The pitiful sight of the noble who knocked himself out brought Lauren's eyes to tears as she tried not to laugh. Cadance and Celestia quickly ran over in an attempt to calm the mare down before she lost her concentration. The mare's snickering only grew as both princesses desperately tried to calm her down. Then Celestia tripped on Currency.


From outside the castle, the stain glass windows suddenly became black, and no light passed through for days.