Xenocorn

by 3phantoms

A Modern Solution to an Old Problem

Luna remembered this dream. Drifting back to wakefulness feeling remarkably relaxed. Sometimes she’d hear the servants moving back and forth outside and sometimes it was birdsong just outside her tower window. She knew that when she rolled over she’d see her lady-in-waiting ready with her a tray of assorted choice fruits and usually a hot beverage. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept on a mattress so soft, it felt so much better than the simple hay beds she was used to. Stretching out to her full length she pressed as much of her body as she could into the welcoming cushion, only stopping when she felt her wing hit a wall.

The contrast of soft sheets and cold rock snapped her out of her sleepy daze. The dream of a time before her possession shattering like glass. She wasn’t in the royal castle or the mountainside city she’d caught a glimpse of when she confronted Celestia. She was at the far edge of Equis in a foreigner’s home in some ruined city.

Loss and sorrow were not new feelings to the lunar princess. She knew she needed to find out where she was, where her sister was, tartarus- she needed to find a map to locate Equestria, but she just couldn’t bring herself to move. The euphoria of freedom had worn off and the events from yesterday came down around her like a weighted net. In one night she’d gone from watching as her world burned around her, helpless to do anything to stop it, to deliriously drunk upon the joy of being in her own body, to running for her life.

Anypony would be ragged after such a day, and alicorns were no exception. Despite having slept a full night she felt so heavy, as though the sheets had reached up and melded with her skin, the thought of moving more than an inch at a time seemed a daunting task.

How did she know Equestria even wanted her back? As far as she knew nopony was aware that she had been possessed, to the common pony she was Nightmare Moon, if so then perhaps this was what the Elements had decreed: disempowering and banishing the rogue princess. The six mares she’d seen were supposed to be the embodiments of pony virtue, and Nightmare had all but decried those virtues before the peasantry. It may have been a monster but part of its actions were shaped by her, and she was left wondering just how much she’d influenced it.

You couldn’t have Nightmare Moon without Luna.

Exile. The word circled Luna’s mind like a dog after its tail. It made sense: the Elements had purged the Nightmare but the sickness ran too deep; she was what had let it in, it was her power and desire for ponies to relish in her night that had let it nearly destroy the world. She was diseased, and the best way to deal with a sick pony was to quarantine them.

You don’t know that. She said to herself, but that small voice was drowned out beneath a dozen other voices all calling out her crimes. The endless night, the terrors she’d inflicted upon the very subjects she wanted love from, the attempts at sororicide, it was all her fault.

A knock on the door and an unfamiliar word pulled her attention. The door opened and Rain stuck her head in. Waving a hoof to let her know she was awake, Luna sat up, though even that felt like more effort than it was worth. The pink mare crossed the room in a few quick strides, sat down next to her on the bed and chirped something, the concern clear in her voice. Luna only grunted in response. Unsatisfied Rain began to fuss, lifting her hooves and checking for broken bones, prodding at her ribs and running hands through her mane.

Luna endured the ministrations only until her jaw was forced open and Rain began looking down her throat with the aid of a small orb of light on one finger. Pulling away from the unwanted attention Luna shot the old mare a scathing look.

A look that quickly faded when she saw what looked to be genuine fear in the old mare’s unusual eyes. It was hard to tell because Rain’s ears were immobile and she lacked a tail but the way she began to stroke her head tentacles was very similar to how some ponies would pet their own tails in times of duress.

The thought of another being concerned for her well-being brought her up short, it’d been so long. “You’re worried about my health? “She asked quietly, “You needn’t worry about me, alicorns are quite resilient.”

It took a few more moments to calm her but in spite of the language barrier, Luna eventually got the pink mare to stop tugging on her tentacle-mane-thing. Once Rain was no longer fretting she actually seemed a bit embarrassed, if the redness in her cheeks meant the same thing for her that it did for ponies.

Rain left her alone soon after, apparently content that she was up. With nothing better to do Luna rose sluggishly from her bed and began to familiarize herself with her surroundings.

She’d been too tired yesterday to really look at the room, but now that she could it was… unfamiliar. An odd sliding door led to a closet while another led to a bathroom, and to her surprise she found that she could heat the water in both the white wash basin and the wall spigot. Pulling the lever on the side of the large bowl caused her to jump back in surprise, and she pulled it again once the bowl had refilled.

The spigot is clearly meant for washing one’s hooves, and I can see the oils for bathing, I wonder what this is for? She pulled the lever again and watched as the water quickly drained away and refilled, it was slightly hypnotic.

The cabinet next to the basin was well stocked with towels, and a few odd devices who’s purpose escaped her, but the sponges and brushes were easy enough to use, so she set about removing the layer of grime that had accumulated in her coat.

Half an hour later and she emerged more than a little rejuvenated, towels wrapped around her mane and tail. She was tired but her eyes were bright, and a quick check had confirmed that although it was still weak, her magic had returned. Retracing her hoofsteps from last night she found Rain at the same table as before, a bowl of what smelled like hot oatmeal just across from her. Upon hearing her enter Rain looked up with a warm smile and motioned for her to sit.

“Thy hospitality is most generous.” She said, despite knowing the old mare couldn’t understand her, “We shall endeavor to be an accommodating guest.”

Rain chuckled and returned to her work: A small box lay before her, one side open and showing an intricate network of wires and nodes, while an open toolbox sat to one side of her. Luna was left to her meal while the mare grumbled under her breath and occasionally jabbed at her box with one alien looking tool or another.

Her own instrument before her she dug in, shooting Rain a confused look when she momentarily paused to stare at her glowing horn. As she ate Luna watched her new acquaintance work, tracking the various tentacles that would extend into the box and fetch a new tool, allowing Rain to work without pause, even when she pulled a pair of glasses with what looked like half-a-dozen lenses on them.

Her glasses, the devices in the washroom, tartarus the strange wall sconces that have light but no flame or magic… Luna cast an eye to one such lamp, it’s bright white glow stubbornly flying in the face of everything she knew about magic and thermodynamics. It’s all so different from everything I know, where in Equis am I? For that matter where are Rain’s people? She’d seen no buildings like this one last night, and this spherical design stuck out like a loose feather. Is she the only one here? Or is this the only house they could build?

Luna was drawn from her musings by a series of beeps. Across from her Rain stowed away her tools, closed the small box she was working on and affixed a small blue lens to one side of it. Humming thoughtfully at her work she nodded and slid the small box over the table to her.

Luna arched an eyebrow at the small device. It appeared to be some kind of strange monocle. A series of square buttons on its outer side, and a small cushion on the inner.

Rain cleared her throat to get her attention and produced a similar, pink, monocle from below the table. Slotting it between her hair in one of her hole-like ears, she pulled a small circular node out of its top, motioned to the top of her head, and pointed at herself then Luna.

Luna shrugged. The intent was clear enough so she placed the device to the side of her face, slightly cringing at the feeling of the unusual pad suctioning itself to her skull. The small node came free easily in her magic and she slotted it gently her ear. The blue lens completely covered her right eye but it didn’t interfere with her vision.

“What now -sweet Polaris!” She swore as the small lens lit up, bright yellow blocky runes playing out over one eye. It was incomprehensible, and slightly nauseating, to read as it kept changing. Luna closed her free eye and found that helped.

Rain tapped on her own device, eliciting similar beeps. Then said something and motioned to her.

“What is it?” She asked. Rain stared at her lens for a moment before smirking.

“What is it?” she asked in heavily accented Ponish.

Luna blinked, ears lowering slightly. “Verily Rain, I do not understand what you hope to gain with this…”

Rain focused on her lens and smiled. “Hope to gain… understand -understand-ly, understand-ing?”

The last part was a question, and Luna’s ears stood straight and forward, “A translation artifact!” She could have sung, “Brilliant mare! To have such an artifact in your possession. Translators are extremely rare.”

“Translation is understand… artifact understand-ing…?” Rain read back to her slowly

Luna understood: the artifact on her face was learning, she didn’t know how since she still couldn’t sense magic from it, but she wasn’t about to question it at this moment. Eager for her first proper conversation in a millennium, she began to speak, explaining the usage of the royal “We,” the common “you,” and more formal “thou, thee,” and “thy.” She told old nursery rhymes, and said whatever words occasionally popped into her head, spelling out some that she had had trouble with.

As she was recounting an old foalhood fable the device over her eye beeped, and two words in ponish flashed across her vision: Lexicon Complete.

The artifact went dark. Luna prodded at it a couple times but was unable to reactivate it. Rain’s in contrast lit up.

Transmitting file…a tiny feminine voice said from both devices. Transfer complete. Stimulating inner ear… Accessing language center… writing new language. Complete. Thank you for choosing Capsule Corp, we hope you have a great day!

“Well now…” Rain removed her device, her accent sounding closer to Neiponese, though still much clearer than before. “I trust you’ll find me a little easier to talk to?

“Now that we can finally understand each other, hello Princess Luna of Equestria. I am Rayne, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Luna’s felt her face practically light up with joy. “The pleasure is Ours Lady Rayne. Thou dost have Our thanks for thy timely rescue. As Princess of the Night We swear to repay thee. ”

Rayne let out a low laugh, “Dearie, your manners are excellent, but you’re being far too formal; I’m not a noble, and the only one around to hear you is me.”

“Ah…” Luna worked her jaw, working over what to say in the less used common tongue. “Just the same, thank you for your help yesterday. We -I have never had a call quite so close. T’was a fearsome demon.”

Rayne drummed her fingers upon the table, and closed her eyes. “You are welcome, but… I don’t want to alarm you but that was one of the weaker monsters roaming beyond the walls.” At her look Rayne waved a hand placatingly. “Don’t worry, we’re safe here so long as you don’t go past the castle wall; not even the flying ones come in.”

Well that’s a relief. The slime thing was bad enough, if there were worse things out there then Luna wouldn’t be heading outside. “Thank you for the warning.” She said gratefully, “until my magic returns I think I shall remain here just the same. If you’ll let me stay.”

“No worries there, stay as long as you want. You’re the first thing I’ve met that hasn’t tried to kill me since I came to this place. Oh, that reminds me, the scouter translated your species as an ‘alicorn pony’ is that right?”

“Indeed. Alicorn is the correct name, but I can’t say I know what you are.”

Rayne smiled. “Majin. My full name is Majin Rayne. Species first, personal name second.”

“Majin.” She tried the word out, it sounded vaguely similar to the Neiponese word for “demon” though Luna hoped that was just a coincidence. “So, Rayne,” she paused awkwardly, unsure of what to ask first. “Where exactly are we? I’ve not seen a castle this big before nor read of one in history.”

“Belo.” Rayne said, “I managed to translate an old inscription I found over the door to the inner castle. Most of it was gone but a word I found repeatedly there and at a few statues was ‘Belo.’ Beyond that I couldn’t say.”

“If you found me a map I would be happy to point out Equestria to you, from there it could be possible to discern our location.” As she spoke, Rayne’s brow furrowed and her lips drew tight in a worried grimace. “What is it?”

“Can I assume that Equestria is full of ponies -others like you?” At her nod Rayne bit her lip. “Dearie, I hate to be the one to tell you this but I’ve flown around this entire planet many times when I was younger, and you are the first pony I’ve ever seen.”

Luna felt her mind stall at the implication. She knew she was staring wide-eyed at the majin but she couldn’t help it. “You -you cannot be… surely you jest! Equestria has known of other worlds but I held no mirror when I came here…”

“I’m not joking.” Rayne insisted gently, “If you want proof, look outside.”

Luna looked to the window and froze. She knew what she saw beyond the window was impossible, but there it was taunting her. Without thinking she galloped to the door and flung it open, staring out at the sky in horror. On the moon there had been nothing to do besides listen to the Nightmare and sleep, as such Luna had gotten very good at judging her time spent asleep. She knew that she had slept for roughly ten hours.

So where was the sun? It should’ve been late morning, early afternoon if her best estimate was correct, but there was no light, no fiery satellite in sky, just the cool dark shades of a moonless night. Desperately she lit her horn and cast for her moon, now actively searching for her orb. Nothing, and though still weak she’d grasped her moon in weaker clutches than this. Which meant, horribly…

“You’re eyes don’t deceive you. The scouter told me you ‘raised the moon.’” Rayne said sadly her crimson-black orbs staring remorsefully up at the ceiling. “On this planet, there is no moon or sun; that night will last forever.”

Author's Note:

Chapter two. Enjoy, and remember that comments are like zenkais: with each one I grow stronger.