It was a tough day and a half for Jaesa, but also very fun. Almost everything was a new experience for her. From her first barely nudging a game controller with her magic, to finally figuring out how to pick something up with a hoof everything was it’s own little adventure. The first evening with Luna was nice. Both of them had shyly avoided anything tangibly romantic, Jaesa simply because she had no idea what was an appropriate way to express such feelings when one had a body, and Luna simply because she was unsure if she could return the quite literally new mare’s feelings.

However after a few hours of shy banter and magic pointers Jaesa had gotten the hang of levitating a single object and the evening became one long and epic gaming fest. At least until a few ponies had need of a royal audience and Luna had been called to the Night Court. Jaesa didn’t mind though, she simply spent the time perfecting using her body. Walking was still just the tiniest bit tricky, and heaven forbid she have to jump yet.

It was during Jaesa’s second sunset that she became unable to ignore the timer counting down at the bottom of her HUD. Three minutes left until that’s done doing… whatever it’s doing. I… I should probably tell Luna. Jaesa sighed and trotted out of her guest quarters in the Tower of the Moon and headed up to Luna’s room. With a minute and twelve seconds remaining Jaesa knocked on Luna’s door with her hoof. With forty seconds remaining Luna at last opened it.

Luna looked quite sleepy, but she smiled as she saw her first friend in a thousand years… and just maybe the first pony whose advances she would accept. “Oh! Is it time for breakfast already? I was in the middle of reading an especially interesting-”

“A timer is counting down on my HUD, it has 25 seconds left and I am really afraid of what it means!” Jaesa quickly explained in a frightened tone.

“A what is doing what?” Luna asked sleepily, but with actual concern.

Jaesa opened her mouth to try and explain again, Curse dread making me wait till the last minute! “I said-”

The timer reached zero. A message quickly filled up her view.

Alter mode selected.
Displaying configuration data.

“Displaying config data? What?”Jaesa mused, sighing in relief as she did not explode or shutdown. However a window opened in her vision, taking up most of her view.

Alter mode form: X-Com L.R.U.A.R.V. MK 3 -
Long range unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicle.

Alter mode primed.
Alter mode standing by for benchmarking...

“I am just as confused as you are.” Luna admitted as Jaesa shook her head to clear her vision.

“I...what?” Jaesa’s face stretched into a confused frown. Looking up at Luna she shrugged, “Apparently I have an alter mode, which I am guessing means I can transform into whatever a Mark three Lruavrv is.”

“You think you can transform? Like a Changeling’s shape changing?” Luna asked quizzically.

“No.. I think I have just the one other shape… Is… is there anywhere private we could check this out?” Jaesa asked looking around the hallway for any sign of Luna’s technophobic sister.

Luna nodded, “Yes. I want to see this.”

She stepped out into the hallway and led Jaesa up to a small staircase leading into the tower’s peaked roof. The entire area was basically a cone shaped attic perhaps 80 feet in radius. “Plenty of room…” Jaesa observed as she trotted into the middle of the area, grateful for the rough plank flooring which meant she didn’t have to try and balance on rafters.

Luna stood at the top of the stairs, watching.

Jaesa closed her eyes and searched for whatever command might allow her to switch forms. It took some digging but eventually she found a verbal passphrase which triggered the automated transformation sequence. Some more digging found a small help file. “Ok, looks like I need to use the passphrase ‘Transform, and rollout!’ then just think about changing-”

Jaesa’s fur slid back into her frame leaving a pylant looking grey metal visible for a split second before the transformation kicked in. Instantly the room was filled with a harsh metallic sound sound of shifting components and swiveling joints. In the blink of an eye and a blur of metallic components Jaesa had shifted into the form of a small aircraft. Ooookie… best be very careful about saying the passphrase. Jaesa mused. Oh hey I can still see. A small camera pod mounted under her nose swiveled as she looked around. Wow my eyes have much better resolution in this form. I can see the wood grain from here.

Luna’s ears were plastered back in alarm as she rushed to Jaesa’s side, “Are you alright? That sounded incredibly painful! Can you even hear me?”

“Yes I can hear you. Don’t worry I didn't hurt.” Jaesa soothed.

“Where is your voice coming from?”

“I have no idea… What do I look like?”

Luna took a few steps back and ran a critical eye over Jaesa’s vehicle mode. “You appear to be a chrome plated heavily modified Predator drone. The largest difference is you have what look like four jet engines, two towards the front and two towards the back. You also seem to be armed, under your wings are two small cannons of some kind.”

“How do you know what a Predator drone is?” Jaesa asked entirely confused.

“Call of Duty.”

“Ah.” Jaesa swiveled her camera to look at Luna. At least she looks intrigued rather than frightened.

“I don't understand how this works. Your transformation I mean.”

“What don't you understand?”

“In your pony shape, you are smaller than this form. You also have gone from a soft, lightweight body which I have seen breath and eat to an inanimate object… It’s… confusing.”

“Princess, you are a flying unicorn who raises the moon nightly. I have absolutely no idea how that works, I just assumed ‘magic’.”

Luna shook her head, making her mane flutter, “I could describe to you exactly how I move the moon with my magic. In our world magic is just another science, we understand how and why it works. I am not a scientist, but I am quite adept at magic as you can imagine and I do not know how you can do this. Although… I am sure a brighter mind then i could explain it to me. It happened, so it must have an explanation.” Luna smiled into Jaesa’s camera, “On the other hoof, my friend appears to be capable of flight, and there is nothing more delightful than an evening trip across the skies.”

Jaesa smiled internally, “I would love to fly with you… But I have no idea how I actually do that. I mean I’m still figuring out walking.”

A message flickered up in Jaesa’s view, “Oops hang on… Ok it says Benchmarking complete… Unpacking firmware?”

Luna’s grin faltered for a moment only to return, “Oh! You are seeing another message right? It must be odd to see words as if they were in the air before you.”

“Yeah it kind of is. I am used to just knowing what the words are when I analyze a file. Reading them off is… Oh cool! I’m capable of VTOL!”

Jaesa quickly poured over the data her body was suddenly uploading to her mind. For some reason or another, this shape was actually showing her how to use it. Each and every feature was being forcefully written to her memory. It wasn't painful, but it was most certainly irritating that her other body apparently did not have a manual. In less than thirty seconds Jaesa knew everything her drone form could do, her top speed, how high she could fly, how to hover, how to take off and land, the limitations of her laser cannons, how she could relay data to other devices. At the same time a bit of text offered the warning:

WARNING: Uploaded knowledge is unsuitable for high performance use.

Do not attempt combat in alter mode without prior experience operating alter mode.

The message vanished after Jaesa read it, leaving her to wonder just what in the hell the princesses had turned her into.

“So… Can you change back? It would be nice to get breakfast and then go flying after the moon has been raised for the night.” Luna asked.

“I think so. Lets see…” Jaesa concentrated for a moment. Her body shifted and folded, the harsh metallic sounds accompanying her few second blur of a transformation back into the grey and black unicorn mare she was more familiar with. “Oh thank god! I almost thought I would be stuck as a plane!” Jaesa exclaimed inspecting her hooves the second they returned. So do these become my wings or what? I really wish i had a high speed camera.

Luna timidly wrapped her left foreleg around Jaesa’s shoulders in a hug, “It’s alright. You turned back… Sorry but I really can understand how that works.” Luna gave Jaesa a squeeze, “You are at least as soft as a normal pony right now.”

Jaesa couldn't resist a joke, “Glad to see I am your main squeeze.”

“I’m sorry?” Luna asked.

“Never mind… It’s slang.”

Luna let go of Jaesa and trotted to the stairs heading downwards, “For what?”

“W-well… your favorite suitor.” Jaesa informed following along behind.

“Ah I see. Well I am still deciding if I want to be more than friends with you Jaesa. I will admit that I never considered such a relationship with another mare.”

“Oh…” Jaesa sighed, ears drooping sadly.

“Don’t be sad. I have no objections to the notion. I simply never allowed myself to think of it when I was growing up, or while I was young. Please understand a thousand years ago such relationships were taboo. While it seems they are accepted by most everypony these days I am… still growing accustomed to allowing myself to think of such things as something I am ‘allowed’ to do.” Luna explained. “However… I believe I could enjoy a special somepony of any gender. Their sex does not seem to be very important to me the more I think on the matter.”

Jaesa’s relieved “Whew!” echoed through the empty hall as they walked to the stairs.

“However, you must be aware that I am a sovereign of a nation. If I do decide that I would like to be your special somepony there will be political repercussions.”

Jaesa frowned again, “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“I understand why. I doubt you ever had to deal with the squabbles of nobles as you were before…” Luna sighed. “Lets say that I decide I want a romance between us. That simple act will mean I must inform every noble of the realm that I have taken a suitor, if our relationship grows strong I will need to deal with families wondering why I chose a commoner over their offspring. Sadly we could never marry as I am the second ranking monarch of a kingdom and as such I must remain available for political marriages should we need to cement an alliance. This means if we were to grow close, you could only ever be my consort.”

Jaesa thought about Luna’s position for a few long moments. I know that my attraction to her is entirely irrational… As far as I know it’s just a bug in my programming or something. I have no reason to like her except ‘because she is pretty’. Well that’s not completely true. Luna is a very nice person, and fun to be around. Do I need more of a reason to want to date her? I don’t think so… But is it fair to her to push at her for a relationship? No. Especially when it seems she is only just now realizing gender doesn't matter to her. but still… I have wants.

“Luna,” Jaesa began making a point of not addressing her by title, “I don’t care about your position. All I care about is a pretty mare entered my dreams one day, and I happen to like her a lot. Enough to want to make her happy. I don’t care about titles. If we got together you could call me ‘a mare I spend time with’ or never bring me up at all. It wouldn't matter to me. but i don’t want to cause you problems, I wont push you into letting me date you. That doesn't seem like the right way to do it.

“Let’s just be friends, do stuff together and if you ever decide you would like to start dating then we will ok?”

Luna nodded at Jaesa, “That seems more than fair… It also seems like the right way to go about such a thing. But just so I am certain on the matter, you're attraction to me is in no way related to my station as Princess?”

“Nope. I just think you are pretty, nice, and fun. Apparently that’s all I need. I’m a simple transforming robot mare.”

Luna laughed at Jaesa’s joke, gave the gray mare a quick hug and started down the tower’s main staircase, “Come, the cook will have breakfast ready by now.”

The next morning Celestia woke up to a report on her desk. Such things usually only happened if anything odd happened during the night which was worth noting but not of enough importance to wake her or bring to her sister’s attention. She picked the scroll up in her magic, bringing it to her bed to read.

Your Highness,

Several members of the night guard reported spotting a large silver shape take off from the castle gardens and fly east towards the Whitetail woods. Your sister accompanied the shape, which we assume to be one of her new Lunar Crusaders. While we normally would not bring this matter to your attention, especially since Princess Luna had placed her steward on duty for the Night Court meaning she did not abandon her duties, certain members of the guard believe you would like to know that the two fliers briefly engaged in a traditional pegasi aerial courtship dance over the palace.

The other flyer clearly did not know the dance but followed along with Princess Luna’s lead expertly. Assuming her highness’s actions were intentional and the aerial dance’s ancient purpose was known to Princess Luna it is reasonable to conclude she has chosen a suitor. The specific dance signifies little more than the willingness to allow the one following you to attempt courtship.

We felt it best to inform you not to keep an eye on Princess Luna for your sake, but rather so that you can update your sister in modern dating etiquette so she doesn't embarrass herself now that her majesty seems ready to seek a consort. This information has been kept to myself and the two guards who witnessed the dance lest the nobility blow this far out of proportion.

-- Flash Sentry

Celestia red the note twice before slipping out of her bed and destroying the note with her magic. Flash is right, there is no reason to let the nobility learn that my sister is ready to seek a relationship. Such things should be a private affair… If only I could get Equestria’s elite to stop jousting for position… Well no matter. I have no reason to pry into Luna’s personal relationships. Although, the only Crusader I am aware of is Scootaloo.

Celestia took a moment to picture her sister on a date with the ‘flightless’ pegasi. No, Luna would not date someone she had appointed into a position of power. She knows not to mix politics and love. But then… Who was she flying with? Celestia wondered.

She pondered for a short while but soon pushed her thoughts away from her mind, made sure her mane and tail looked presentable and left her room to raise the sun.

Author's Note

Alright!! Editing is done!! Only some minor errors. I think I got them all. Tell me if you find any more. Please don't expect a new chapter soon. I'm not exactly the most reliable writer. Still, hope I can put one out soon!!