Chapter 1
Luna seldom ventured far from the castle unaccompanied. Aside from the Royal Guards' staunch protests, she knew she was recognizable, and would quickly be mobbed by citizens, eager to be close to their Princess. Tonight her escape had involved clever subterfuge, and it would be hours yet until the guard posted outside her sauna chamber would be brave enough to check on her. Little did he know that the damp alcove had a service entrance!
Luna was no stranger to disguises, and her concealment tonight was serviceable, if not perfect. A simple evening gown that covered her cutie mark and tail, with the addition of a fine hat to hide her mane. The hat was (she thought) appropriate for the era, as she had purchased it quite recently. Her previous attempts to trot out her older wardrobe had thus far proved unsuccessful at best, and occasionally disastrous.
Her target was the local 'planetarium', an institution that had sprung up in her absence. Apparently the place utilized some sort of device to project a mimicry of her stars within a domed chamber to allow for educational and recreational viewing at close range. The concept intrigued her, and ever since she had heard the place described at a dinner party she had been determined to visit. Visiting with a retinue of soldiers and courtiers would not due. Tonight she would be an envoy of one, paying a royal, albeit secret, visit.
The stone steps at the front of the place were ostentatious, and Luna recalled that the stone building had once held important records hall for the city. She wondered where those records were now kept. Much had changed since she last walked the streets of Canterlot.
At the entrance she fumbled for the bits, still a bit unsure of the denominations, but managed to pay the clerk and thank him, all while remembering to control her voice. She had quickly learned that the use of the Royal Voice was the quickest way to reveal her presence. The lobby of the records hall now housed models of the local planetary system, and Luna was pleased to see them. Few ponies appreciated the three dimensional nature of the art she had organized. The dance of the stars was not simply a ballet on a curved stage, but more akin to an intricate Pegasi Dance- interlocking patterns woven in all axes.
Some of the models were even mobile! Luna leaned forward to examine the fine gears that were slowly causing the closest non-magical heavenly bodies to traverse their slow orbits. This diorama was reason enough to have come, even aside from the lighted device she had heard of. It was gratifying to see this level of craftsmanship and love dedicated to this recreation of her work.
A small gasp from her flank drew her attention, and she glanced down to find a tiny filly looking up at her. Wide eyes caught the dim light of the lamps high above, and the filly squeaked at having been discovered, crouching low. A moment of silence passed before the filly suddenly screeched "Nightmare Moon!" and took off across the marble floor as if chased by timberwolves, skidding and sobbing all the way. Luna started at the outburst- knocking her hat askew and allowing a portion of her carefully coifed mane to drop through.
The commotion brought all eyes to the center of the quiet space, and Luna suddenly suspected that her hat might not have been perfectly in vogue anyway. The crowd that surged toward her seemed to pour from every exhibit as more ponies caught wind of the princess in their midst. They were all polite, but nopony would allow another to get a word in as they spoke over one another, offering condolences and compliments.
~~~~
It took her nearly 45 minutes to extricate herself from the crowd. Though she wouldn't be pleased to admit it, she had resorted to a glamour, confusing her supplicants just long enough for her to slip through the closest door. The room was pleasantly dark, and she quickly reseated her hat, wondering if removing several of the feathers would change its appearance enough to facilitate a sly exit.
She was about to peak through the cracked door when she noticed the glimmer of light above and realized that she must have stumbled upon the original goal of her visit. The room's floor sloped toward the center and benches were arranged concentrically around an object at the lowest point. The spell-forms drawn on it were in a muted red, clearly designed to preserve the low-light vision of anypony who glanced at it.
Intrigued, Luna softly cantered towards it, noting the unusual curved and protrusions that composed it. The device was a wonder of mathematics and magic, each contour clearly engineered to allow for the magical light to faithfully trace its path along the ceiling.
Delighted, Luna used the dimly glowing hoof dial set in the floor to progress the model's time. Stars drifted across the ceiling and Luna was entranced enough not to notice the form that came to stand beside her.
"You can use the pedal there to shift seasons if you like, Your Highness."
Luna started, and her hoof dragged the stars in a dizzying whirl. Her horn lit to cast another glamour, but relaxed when she realized only a single pony stood at her side.
"My name's Sky Shine Your Highness. I work the projector here."
Luna stepped of the dial and looked at the charcoal silhouette beside her, "It is a work of art Sky Shine. I am deeply gratified to see such attention to detail."
Few others could see as well as Luna in the dark, and even she almost missed the blush that colored Sky Shine's muzzle. "I'd be glad to show you how it work My Princess."
Luna trotted the few feet to the closest bench and settle herself, removing her hat and setting it gently beside her. Sky Shine took a moment to stare at the shifting stars in the goddess's mane before shaking herself and setting to working the pedals and levers of the projector.
The next hours passed pleasantly as Sky Shine worked the projector to rotate the seasons, highlight the notable constellations, and examine more distant stars.
"The levers here adjust the angle from which we view the local stars. See, I can show the view one would have in the far off, griffon-held territories!"
"And here you can see the Human Head nebula, a peculiarly shaped cluster of galaxies some distance from our local cluster."
"This constellation is one of my favorites of your, Princess. The Goddess's Arena, where Celestia battles the vicious manticore. It is so vivid."
Sky Shine's narration was shaky at first, but grew more confident as the minutes passed. Luna was a consummate audience- asking thoughtful questions and applauding particularly intricate parts of the oral and mechanical performance.
So it was that Luna sighed when a door opened, spilling light into the star-pricked darkness of the planetarium. A janitor poked his head in- confused; the museum had closed an hour ago, and the projector room should have been empty already. As Sky Shine went to reassure him, Luna slipped from her seat and donned her hat once more. It was time to return to the castle
~~~~
Night had already fallen one week later when Sky Shine's front bell was tapped by a dusk-colored hoof. The clear tone echoed through the small cottage on the edge of Canterlot, and it was only a moment before Sky Shine arrived at the door. Surprised to have a guest, she was even more surprised to look up and find such a tall guest at her door. The hat was the giveaway though, "Luna!" Star Shine squeaked, before correcting herself, "I'm sorry, I mean 'Your Highness'!"
"Luna is fine, my little pony. May I call you Sky?"
"Of course Yo... Luna. Please, uh, come in and make yourself at home."
Luna had to duck slightly to fit under the lintel, and she peered around the room as she raised her head. Shifting, she rearranged a large canvas parcel underneath her left wing. "Do you have a back lawn, Sky? I have something to show you."
I very much appreciated your kindness this past week. You gave me a thoughtful and passionate tour of your planetarium. To reward you, I want to provide you with a personal tour of my sky."
Luna followed Sky out to her small mossy law and began to unwrap the bundle she had brought with her. The telescope was clearly quite old: the brass workings had a patina of green corrosion, and what had been navy paint was now faded to a softer blue. The lenses were clean though, and spell-forms that allowed for focusing were still sharp and clear.
"Thank you Luna, you didn't have to!"
Sky's nervous protestations were quieted as Luna gestured for her to approach, smoothly spinning the dials, pivoting the telescope to face the dark sky.
"Look here, do you see the Starswirl Constellation? Did you know that the third bell on his hat is actually a planet? It is dim due to its immense distance, so many believe it to be a star, but I chose it to represent the only bell on his hat that was missing its clapper."
"And there, do you see the Autumnal Spark? That star is is one of my favorites. It is one of the oldest stars of mine, and though it will outlast all who walk this planet, it will die soon in celestial terms"
"Here, I recall you particularly liked the Goddess's Arena constellation? They say that it depicts Celestia as she slays her deadly foe the manticore, but in truth I made it to commemorate her tripping on a ambassador's long robe. She isn't lunging- she's actually falling into a punch bowl. Don't tell her I told you that though."
Luna winked in the darkness, though she didn't know if Sky could see it. The tour continued, Luna gently guiding the telescope and Sky attending with rapt focus. Luna described the history of stars, and the meaning of their alignment. She told stories of her inspiration, and her favorite clusters of distant light- things Sky Shine had never read in the royal records.
Sky Shine looked up from the eyepiece, "Thank you Luna. This has been amazing."
"Thank you Sky. I don't often have a chance to personally speak with my subjects, much less have an intimate conversation with them. Thank you for your love of the stars, and you willingness to share your passion with me."