Born Under Silver Moon Light

by David Silver

15 - A Mirror Darkly

Crescent got in the habit of visiting the dreams of her friends whenever she was awake when they would be sleeping. Most were joyous chances to reconnect and press hoof to hoof. Sometimes she had to actually help with troubled dreams, which she did as best she could. Then, there was Twilight.

She followed the purple mare out of the dream she had been in and into a new one. It was one she had entered many times before. She knew it well, and knew what to expect as Twilight descended towards the earth. The purple princess landed in a field of flowers with a content smile and Crescent drew nearer, listening to the thoughts and desires that made the dreams of Twilight.

Twilight would typically be softly murmuring about whatever topic she was focused on, unless she was panicking, then the dream would be a nightmare focused on that instead. There was no panic, just a softly speaking Twilight. "Sunset, I'm so proud of you. I'll visit soon. We live in different worlds."

Crescent dropped down next to Twilight, knowing well who the princess was talking to in her mind. The filly did not intrude, merely existing in her friend's dream with her as she lay down, basking in the peaceful aura and soft petals of the flowery field. But the talking continued, "You have wonderful friends, many of them mine, a world removed. You've all overcome. So proud."

Crescent perked an ear at the exchange. There was so much love in those words, but an undertone of worry, perhaps guilt? Crescent tapped at her chin in thought, wondering how she could help Twilight feel better. She smiled as an idea came. A spirit of youth, she didn't look much further than the first idea that came up. "I'll fix this." She vanished from Twilight's dream, already quite set on her idea.

With a push, Crescent popped back into her own space and woke up easily. She sat up in bed and hopped down to stretch even as she trotted for the door. "I'm going to help," she sang as she went, mind still on the solution in her head. "But first, I need to know who Sunset is."

Her mother was, of course, up and about, already moving around the castle halls and doing her morning business as she checked in with guards and servants to see that the work of the day would proceed smoothly, and, of course, that their spirits were well enough for such tasks. Luna spotted her daughter with ease, seeing her reflection in the armor of a guard she was talking to. "Crescent." Her eyes narrowed as she turned to the filly. "Why are you still in your bed clothes?"

Crescent bolted across the hall, stopping herself just short of crashing into Luna "I forgot." She looked down, confirming that she was, indeed, dressed for bed and not for much else. It was too late for that. "Do you know of a pony named Sunset?"

Luna inclined her head. "I do not, but I think I've heard Sister speak the name once or twice. You would do better to ask her about it." She leaned in. "Why do you ask, and in such a hurry you didn't dress properly?"

Crescent raised her hooves, as if to defend herself from the truth, then relented and set them back on the floor with a sigh. "I was going to visit one of my friends."

Luna hummed, but it was a pleased sound. "Which one? Do I know them?"

"Yes!" Crescent bounced in place. "I'm going to help Twilight Sparkle."

"Ah, Twilight." Luna nodded at that. "A fine task then. I will leave you to it, but you do know she is quite some distance away."

"I've flown from there." She flapped her little wings. "I know how to get there and back, mama. I'll be safe."

They met, nose to nose in a gentle nuzzle, then went their different ways.

Crescent returned to her room, got dressed for the day, then made for the royal gardens, as they were a common spot for Celestia to relax in her rare free time. She stepped up to Celestia and bowed, which the older alicorn returned with a nod, but did not stand to do so herself, remaining comfortably reclined as Crescent had interrupted a rather pleasant lounging session to nap in the sunlight for a time.

Celestia smiled gently. "You look like you have a question, little Crescent. Speak, and I may have the answer."

Crescent sat back, clapping her hooves. "I was hoping you knew a pony named Sunset? A friend of Twilight's?

Celestia tensed at that. "Sunset Shimmer. That is a complicated story, little one. It took place while your mother was away, so she knew little of it."

"So you do know her." Crescent hopped forward, tail wagging excitedly. "Where is she?"

"She resides in a different world, one of humans." Celestia picked her crown up from where it had been discarded nearby, settling it onto her head. "Why do you seek her? Has something happened? Are the girls alright?"

Crescent inclined her head. "Which girls?" But it clicked a moment later. "Oh, I think so. Twilight's just worried about Sunset and I want to help. So how do I get to that other world? And what's a human?"

"There is a portal there, and it is a creature with two arms and legs and one head." Celestia shook her head as Crescent listened to her every word. "I can't spare the energy or time to send you there, and I would gently suggest you don't, but I am no foal, Crescent." She reached out and ruffled the top of Crescent's head. "You will go anyway. The portal resides in a mirror. Twilight has the mirror. You will need to speak to her to gain access."

Crescent hugged her aunt, grinning widely even as she leaned back and bounced on her hooves. "Thank you! I'm going to make Twilight so happy, she worries too much." She spun in a circle before darting off out of the castle in a streak of determined little pony.

Celestia watched her niece go, ears twitching as she tried to process it. "Don't get hurt," she wished out, not that Crescent could hear her.

Having escaped the castle, Crescent launched into the air, wings almost buzzing as she lifted, then began to glide, eyes set on the distant target of Ponyville. "Here I come!" Her horn glowed to catch her hat before it could be blown off her head as she gained altitude, ascending to a comfortable cruising height for her body. The wind rushed over her, whipping her fur as she smoothly flew down from Canterlot.

Ponyville was bustling with activity, as it usually was, and that meant it was easy for the little Princess-to-be to spot her first destination, as Twilight had left her balcony door open to invite in some fresh air and light breeze during her afternoon study. Crescent zipped inside and looked around curiously. "Twilight?"

"Hey." Spike waved from where he had been sitting with a comic. "Didn't expect to see you back so quickly. What's up?"

Crescent trotted over to Spike. "Do you know a creature named Sunset? I'm here to help her, and help Twilight, by helping Sunset."

Spike scratched behind his head, his comic falling to the floor. "Woah, um, yea? I know her. How do you know her though?"

"She's a friend of Twilight's and I'm her friend." She lifted her hoof for a high hoof, which Spike returned. "What's she like?"

Spike snorted at that. "I guess she's nice. She's, uh, like the Twilight of her friends. She ends up being in charge more often than not, and she gets them out of trouble, eventually, when that comes up." He rocked in place backwards and forwards, thinking of Sunset. "But she also lives in the human world. How are you going to help her?"

"By going there." Crescent stuck out her tongue. "How else? I heard Twilight has a mirror that goes there. Where is that?" She looked around, not that she had any clue where anything was, since her previous visits had mostly been confined to the immediate area of Twilight's bedroom and library.

Spike jumped to his feet with a smirk. "That, I can show you." He started for the stairs, waving Crescent along. "But, I should warn, if you go through the mirror, you will change. Most ponies become humans, but you're technically, uh, are you a pony?"

Crescent looked back over herself, swaying her tail a moment. "Mostly?" She hurried to keep up with Spike. "I'm a dream of a pony." She pounced on Spike, almost knocking him down the stairs in her fond squeeze from behind. "Is that pony enough? It has to be, I need to help Twilight and her friend."

"If you're sure." Spike grunted as he was hugged and had to climb down the stairs carefully, getting himself free as they got to the ground floor. "The door to the basement is over here." He pointed the way as they walked side by side, just to bump into somepony else.

Starlight peered at Spike oddly. "Why are you headed for the basement, and why is Crescent with you? You know that's Twilight's lab."

"It is?" Crescent bounced up Starlight with a wide grin on her face, one that was returned easily by the adult mare, as was the affectionate nuzzling. "Oops? I didn't know. I just need to talk to Sunset."

"Sunset Shimmer?" Starlight's smile faded to a quizzical frown. "You know she's in another world, right?" She nodded towards Spike. "And you already have him showing you to the mirror, so of course you know that." She pressed a hoof to her face. "Be careful, okay? You could get hurt."

"I'll be fine." Crescent trotted after Spike again, but stopped to turn back to Starlight. "You should come with me! You seem to know about it."

Starlight raised a hoof. "I have a full life in this world, with things I have to do. I suggest you don't go. But hey, that's just my idea. If you're going to go anyway, please listen to Sunset and her friends. They'll keep you safe."

Crescent nodded, then leaned in and smooched Starlight on the cheek. "Love you! Bye!" She turned and sped after Spike. The two jogged downstairs, where the mirror rested in the strange contraption that Twilight used to power it.

Spike went over to a big lever. "Just one pull." He yanked it into position, making the mirror glow with the power to send creatures to another world. "And there you go. You sure this is a good idea?"

"Yep!" Without arguing it, or thinking about it any further, Crescent launched herself into the mirror.

She stumbled as she emerged from the tunnel between worlds, feeling the cement against her skin, but not with hooves, with her bare feet. She felt the light blue dress she had worn, now touching her body in an entirely new fashion, her legs uncovered. She took a moment to look herself over, her midsection and top weren't even her dress. She had an outfit of some kind on. Her cutie mark was patched on the chest.

She lifted her skirt to check, confirming that the cutie mark was gone from her rump. She wasn't a pony, not in that world. She was a human. This pleased her. It was proof that world agreed with her. "I was pony enough." She hugged herself with a warm satisfaction for a moment. "Now, where is Sunset?" She looked at the huge building in front of her. "And what is this? What is any of this?" She turned slowly in place.

The human world felt so full of things she didn't understand. Her senses were dulled in some ways and sharpened in others. There was a strange scent on the air, some unknown spice from a store a street away. Somebody was playing music loudly on the other side of the campus, a song she had never heard before.

None of that told her where to find Sunset. She wandered towards the big building ahead of her, unsure where else to start.

"Aw, look at you." A teenaged human crouched down to look at Crescent. "You look a little young even for a freshman. Are you someone's little sister?" He tilted his head with a curious smile, green eyes meeting her own gaze evenly. "Are you okay?"

She smiled, but her heart was beating rapidly, this was her first contact with an actual human being, and she didn't know how to deal with the situation. She blushed a little at the scrutiny. "I'm a little lost." She straightened up as best she could, holding her hands behind her back as she looked up at the teen. "Do you know where Sunset is?"

The human stood up. "Oh! You're related to Sunset?" He offered a hand. "I'll take you to her then. We can't have her little, uh, sister? Cousin? Whatever. We can't have you just wandering around." His eyes drifted lower. "Also, you really could use some shoes. Are your feet okay?"

"So far?" Not knowing the need for sneakers, she just walked along on her bare feet. She accepted the hand, now at this odd human's side. "Thank you very much. I didn't know where to find Sunset."

Author's Note:

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Comments

[Ralanost]

What the fuck Spike?! Opening the mirror portal for Crescent without even talking to Twilight? No. Absolutely not. That Spike must have been Discord in disguise. Spike can be dumb, but not that dumb.

[redmar]

Crescent should have talked to Twilight about this first like Celestia said.

[Amethyst Dragonfly]

We need a picture of little girl Crescent.

[Max Stroberger]

Okay why the heck would they have let a crescent go through the mirror portal all by yourself that's not a smart thing to do but then again Crescent is just wandering around doing whatever so I guess that's in character.

[dlambchic]

The power of cute cannot be denied.

[TheGJ90]

Spike has six to seven reasons why he thought sending Crescent through the portal was a good idea (is this before or after the Friendship Games?), so he wasn't being entirely foalish.

Everypony else knew better than to think that they could reasonably stop a powerful (and adorable) living dream foal.

As for that Human, I'm going to guess that he's Flash, as he's the helpful type.

Now, who will the blue smol encounter during her Quest for the Bacon Mare? The CMCs? Wallflower perhaps?

[David Silver]

11860049

11860104
Crescent is not a little child, even if she prefers to present as such. She is a copy of Luna. She is ancient. She's very nice and supportive as ancient beings go, but ancient. She does not ask permission to go places. Why people think she should confuses me.

[Ralanost]

11860513
You portray her often as a filly. Not intellectually, but emotionally. Even so, going to the human world with no knowledge of what any of it is and no chaperone, guide or guard and again Twilight is completely in the dark to her traveling there. They didn't even warn Sunset she was coming. It's such a spontaneous and ill conceived trip.

[Max Stroberger]

11860513
Perhaps it's because she's so impulsive and that can lead to unfortunate consequences if you aren't careful, she also doesn't seem to understand the concept of dangerous or annoying do you know how bothersome it is having somebody continuously pestering you when you are trying to do your job or relax it's a good way to get everyone to hate you.

[tsaukpaetra]

Hilarious how everyone just rolls with it. We suppose resistance is futile.