Switched

The sun shone through the slits of the carpet and tickled her nose. Luna chuckled and mumbled something in her sleep. She laid on the bed, her body sank in the pillow and the matress. It felt so warm and comfortable. She was still rather sleepy. The warmth of the sun, which heated the air and her dark coat only added to her dullness. Luna rolled on her side and let her wings open, falling over the corner of the bed.

„Princess!“, Kibitz, the scheduler of her sister Celestia called, „Princess, wake up! Your sister is awaiting you in the throne room for breakfast.“

Luna lifted her head. With her eyes still closed she shouted into the direction, where the door probably laid: „Five more minutes, Kibitz!“ He grunted something in that bushy mustache of his (Luna had a reason, why she called him walrus – although never in public) and walked away.

Luna yawned with her ears, pressing against the back of her head, and her tongue, rolling upwards in her mouth. Her neck stretched itself, just like the rest of her body. From an outsider's perspective she looked like a cat. „Five more minutes“, whispered Luna and placed her sleepy head on her crossed front legs.

She blinked and scanned the room lazily. The darkblue, almost violet walls, engraved with the moon and stars; the chandelier of blue crystalls; her desk, overloading with parchment roles and quills, her red cloak and boots.

Wait? What…? Red cloak and boots? Luna blinked again, this time to get the sleepiness out of her eyes. Her head snapped upwards and she stared at the chair. No, she had not been wrong. There on a chair laid, neatly folded and cleaned, four crimson red boots and a long cloak, also crimson red. How do these clothes come into my sleeping quarters?

Luna stood up and walked over to the chair. She levitated the cloak and spotted even more crimson red objects, also clothing. A strange helmet or Alice band with two spiked, sea dragon like fins; a ring with a cresent moon, hanging from it, that could easily fit her horn, a blackish-red necklace with a cresent moon and several other, crimson red rings, Luna was not quite sure what there use was for.

Luna stared at the strange objects and could not believe her eyes. Her maw was open and all she could think was: Is this some kind of joke?! Where were her silvery horseshoes? Where was the small black crown and her necklace? Where was her stuff? Did some maid somehow ruined it during the wash? Oh, they are in trouble now. No one mocks the Princess of the Night! She would never wear such...villainous looking things!

„SERVANT!“, Luna called and immediatley started coughing. Her head jerked forwards and a sharp pain exploded in her throat. „Ouch!“ Surprised the blue mare pressed an hoof against her throat. It felt dry and wounded as if it has been skinned.

What was going on? Usually she hardly had any problems using her Royal Canterlot Voice. Her vocal cords were as hard as steal and could produce a loud, clear, thundering call, she was so infamous for. And now this. Don't be a whelp, Luna! You probably just drunk not enough last night.

„SERVANT!“ Luna's shout was once again cut off by her coughing and spitting on the floor. She buckled over. „Your Majesty! Are you alright?“ A helping hoof helped her on her feeth. Luna looked at Kibitz, who stood in front of her.

Strange. My sister's scheduler does not look like that! Kibitz still had his long, clean mustache. But there were shades of dark brown in his safran yellow coat and dark rings laid around his eyes. Not to mention his odd vest. It was pure white and had a golden line at its edge. It also had no buttoms and reminded Luna of an acient look. His glance also was rather grimm and grumpy.

Luna shook her head and responded: „No, I am not alright.“ With a zestful movement she pointed at the pile of clothes. „What are those?“, she demanded to know sharply. Kibitz levitated his glasses and cleaned them, before he placed them back on his nose. Squinting his eyes, he leaned forward and peered the clothes.

„Is there something wrong with your cloak?“, he asked and levitated the coat, checking it for possible patches or tears, „Did it got dirty during your last attack on Canterlot?“

Attack on Canterlot?! Luna's eyes widened. Then she shook her head firmly and waved her hoof. „No, that is not a matter“, she responded, „Those are not my clothes, Kibitz!“

Kibitz snorted and placed the cloak back on the pile. He eyed the Princess and responded: „Princess Lunar, of course those are your clothes!“ She lifted a brow. I beg you pardon? She was sure, she had heard an R at the end of her name. Maybe not fully pronounced but still an R. Maybe this was all a clever prank of her sister?

Luna simply facehoofed and grumbled: „You do not get it, dweeb, do you?“ She sighted and lowered her hoof. Then very slowly as if she was talking to a child, the Moon Princess said: „These clothes do not belong to me. They are not my clothes, Kibitz!“

The advicer just shook his head and sighted because of this stubborness. „Princess“, he asked, „Are you sure, you are alright? Maybe you have drunken too much whine. Or didn't the mission go well? Did the King once again rejected your offer?“

Luna bared her teeth and furrowed her brow. She was breathing heavily. Fume seemed to come out of her ears and her mane cringled. Her eyes flashed. Okay, Celestia, I know you like playing pranks, but this is getting ridicolous!

Luna felt her jaws forced open by the attempt to use the Royal Canterlot Voice: „THOU DARE TO INSULT US, THOU UNGRATEFUL WHELP! THOU DARE TO MOCK THE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT! THOU….“ The rest of her screaming parade was cut off by a really long series of coughing. Luna shivered and her head danced around as she coughed and sneazed.

Kibitz' eyes widened. „Princess Lunar!“ He came closer and despite her protest guided her back towards the bed and forced her to sit down. „You look dreadful“, he said worried and sampled her cheeks and neck, „Should I tell Princess Celestiar, that you cannot attend breakfast? Because you are not feeling well. Besides why were you yelling at me?“

I was not yelling! I used a traditional way of adressing my subjects. Luna took a deep breath. She responded: „I can assure you, servant, I am fine. I just need a few minutes alone. To calm down. You can tell Celestiar“ – the added R felt weird on her tongue, despite hardly being pronounced – „that I will attend to the breakfast.“

Kibitz saluted and said: „I will, your Majesty.“ With these words he walked off. Luna snorted and eyed the red cloat and the helmet and boots. Okay, Celestia. You played really well. But I will show you that I know it is a prank! The mare stood up and walked towards the mirror to clean her face. Half in the movement she stopped and her eyes widened. Or maybe it is not a harmless prank!

Luna was staring at a stranger that seemed oddly familiar. She looked at herself and not herself. Her eyes were a bit smaller at the corners, her transperent mane was a bit less fuller and on her table stood violett eyeshadow. And she never wore violett eyeshadow!

But what gave her the most concern was her Cutiemark. It still showed the cresent moon and the three small dots on black ground. But her moon was white like the silver body. This moon and these dots were crimson red and small lines went down the moon like blood. Luna touched the Cutiemark in the hope the red shading was paint, but it was real.

Panting, Luna eyed her reflection. She looked at the Cutiemark, then at the mare in the mirror, then at the clothes and then back at her Cutiemark. This is bad! This is really bad! Apparently she was stuck in another world, in another dimension. And to make it worse: She somehow was in the body of her persona from this alternate dimension. Horseapples!