There was only one path, that leaded away from the castle. Luna was walking through a greyish, twisted version of the world, she knew and loved so much. The Everfree Forest surrounded her castle, thousands of grey trees, whose bark was balckish with ash. The leaves had all fallen down and were now an undefined mass under her hooves, mixed with moss and topsoil. Fog – thick and grey – creeped over the ground and wandered upwards the trees. Luna's ear flickered in an attempt to hear a sign of life, but there was none.

I really don't want to live in a place like this. Shuddering Luna looked up at the sky. It was blackish-grey and in all the clouds swam Celestia's sun, pale and sick compared to its beautiful counterpart in her world. This Equestria is a shadow of itself. Had it always been like this?

The forest had ended and Luna was trotting over the path, which had transformed into a street. From the many hoofprints and carriage's trails, one could judge this was a main route, used to deliver certain supplies. The wasteland around it had not really changed. Luna did not get the idea out of her head, that an ernormous fire had destroyed every possible vegetation.

She stopped at a weathered signpost. Its arms showed into different directions, depicting several cities. Canterlot. Cloudsdale. Ponyville. Luna decided, she wanted to visit Ponyville. Because the castle, where she had woken up, must be the counterpart of the ruins of her Castle of the Royal Sisters this was the shortest route.

The town looked desolated. The buildings were rather simple. Houses flanked the streets. Their roofs were darker. Still everything had this greyish tone. Luna slowly walked over the street. She could hear doors, shutting close and felt eyes, staring at her, filled with hate.
Unlike her sister Luna prefered to get right under the peasants to see how their mood was and what they thought about Royality. But at the same time she wanted to be respected. This had caused tension every now and then.

Why is nopony out here? Luna stopped and chewed her lips. Her eyes looked around worried. Could it be that the ponies were scared of her? But why should they be? She was their Princess after all! This is not your world, Luna. And the pony, they are seeing, is not you. Who knew what this reflected Luna had done to her people? Luna could definitely tell that Celestiar was evil and wicked and it was foolish to assume her sister was any different.

I need to make them come out. But how? Should she knock against every single house? No, this would take too much time. Luna thought about using her Royal Canterlot Voice. If she lowered the volume just a bit, she would be able to talk normal without coughing. Or she hoped so. Why couldn't her counterpart use the Royal Canterlot Voice? Was she that unroyal?

Luna lifted a hoof and called: „Citizens of Ponyville!“ – her voice may not have the thundering overtone, but it was still rather loud – „We have grazed your tiny village with our presence so that you might behold the Princess of the Night! A creature of frights no longer, but instead a pony who is in desperate need for your help and assistance.“

Luna had closed her eyes during her speech. She was standing in a tall and elegant position, her wings neatly closed on her back and her head lifted. Everything in her movement spoke of pride and authority. She was suspecting the villagers to come out and at least approach her.

Above her a voice could be heard: „Hey, Princess Bitch! What is soaking wet and clueless?“ What the hay? Luna only had time to look up, before the pegasus, who had spoken, poured ice cold water, out of a bucket on her head and shouted meanly: „Your face!“ Slam! Luna growned as the bucket landed on her head.

By Creator's holy powers! Who did this most disgraceful thing?! Angrily Luna jerked her head around and flung the basket away. It flew through the air, before it landed on the floor, ratteling. Her wings were partly spread and her brow furrowed, she showed her teeth as he whirled around.

I...I must be dreaming! Luna's jaw dropped and her ears went down. Her eyes were wide and she just stared at the six ponies, that had blocked her path. It could only be the ponies, she knew in her world as the Mane Six. Just like Cadence their coats were paler and they had shades in their mane. Grim faces looked at Luna. Also their Cutiemarks were different from the ones of their light counterparts.

The two ponies, which looked the most different, were Applejack and Pinkie Pie. The reflected Applejack was wearing a black cowboy head together with a black scarf. Her Cutiemark depicted three ace cards with an apple.

Pinkie's mane was not fluffy and curled but flat and straight. It only added to her sad and depressed expression (she was the only one, who had no grim face or was smiling). Her Cutiemark still showed three balloons, but one of them was loophole and leached out.

Fluttershy was standing a few steps in front of the others. She smirked. „What?“, she asked tauntingly, „Did the cat caught your tongue?“ That is not the Fluttershy, I know! This pegasus mare seemed to enjoy cruelity as depicted in her Cutiemark: Three butterflies with bleeding wings.

Luna shook her head to clear her thoughts. She folded her wings and responded: „No. But your behaivour was rather unappreciate in welcoming a Princess!“

„Who says, you are welcome here?“, a snarling, angry voice cawed. The Alicorn turned her head around. An old mare and a stallion were coming down the street. Granny Smith and Big Macintosh?, Luna thought confused and lifted a brow.

Granny still had her green coat, but her white mane was not fussed. In fact, she was wearing a silver clasp and hade furry, silver scarf around her neck. She was also moving in a rather noble and elegant way. Big Macintosh wore a long, black cloak and had a zylinder on his head. He also had a well trimmed beard.

Granny stopped and asked sharply: „What do you want, Puppet of the Tyrant Sun? Getting us to pay more taxes? We have already given you and your sister more then the half of our income. We do not have more!“ Luna flinched in shame, when she remembered the meal she had for breakfast. It had looked weird, but now the blue mare understood that it was pure luxury for this world. And why did they called her Puppet of the Tyrant Sun?

Luna responded: „I have not come here for such things!“

Granny swang her stick and shouted: „Then why don't you leave? We do not want you here!“

Other ponies came out of the houses, encouraged by Granny Smith's outbrust. Their hateful voices became a loud echo in Luna's head.

„Go away!“

„What do you want here, Flying Beast?“

„Leave us alone!“

„Nopony likes you!“

„We are sick of your sister's tyranny!“

„You are a traitor to all ponykind!“

„Kill her!“

„Stone her!“

„Leave and never come back!“

The angry mob closed around Luna and she saw that the ponies were holding weapons. Knifes, pitchforks, sticks. They shook their weapons and shouted around uncontrollably. Twilight and her friend were too somehow taking place. Well, Fluttershy did. She was flying in the air, shouting petty insults at Luna and adding to the noise.

Luna felt the panic arise in her chest, together with anger. What have I done? I am a Princess. The citizens should not treat me like this. Her eyes flashed red for a couple of seconds. Then, followed by the crack of thunder and lighting, painting around her body, the Alicorn rose herself up and roared: „ENOUGH!“

This time she had used her Royal Canterlot Voice at full volume. It might hurt like acid in her throat and made her cough, but the strong blow, that laid in it, had pushed the other ponies backwards.

Rainbow Dash whistled. „Impressive.“

The citizens seemed to remember that they just tried to attack an Alicorn and now seemed rather startled and worried. Luna's eyes glowed white and the thunder crept cracking around her. A storm had caught itself right over the town. The Alicorn had gotten the full attention of Ponyville's community.

„This is outrageous!“, declared Luna in her Royal Canterlot Voice, now having a lower volume, „We art a Princess and therefor we won't get treated like this!“ The mare slammed her hoof on the floor, causing an enormous lighting to flare around her. „We have come here to seek help and what do we find? Hatred! Anger! Rage! Why? What hath we done to deserve this?“

Granny Smith looked at her stick and seemed to regret that she had not used it to knock out the Princess of the Night. The other citizens looked at the old mare and back to Luna again. Because the rich Apple farmer had started the riot, she was responsible for justifying it.
Granny snapped: „Held it.“ and pushed her stick into the hooves of a surprised Big Macintosh.

„Eh, eyyupp“, he muttered.

The green mare slowly walked towards Princess Luna, until their noses were inches away. She hissed: „You demand to know, what you have done to us? You hypocrite dare to act like you have never betrayed us. Or do you have already forgotten, what you have done? You joined the ranks of your sister Celestiar. The Flying Beast, that's what you are. The Tyrannt Sun's Puppet! You have not only betrayed a nation, you also betrayed King Sombra, a close friend of yours!“

Luna was taken aback by this reveal. Granny Smith had sounded angry, sad, helpless and disappointed, when she had spit out the words. I...I used to be a friend of King Sombra in this world! Her eyes were wide and she put back her ears. The mare whispered: „I did not know that, I am afraid.“

Granny Smith snorted. She threw her fur scarf over her shoulder, before she marched away. „Spare your hypocricity to someone, who cares to listen, Princess“, she called back over her shoulder. The old Earth Pony snatched the stick out of Big Macintosh's grip and grumbled: „Thanks for holding that, Big Mac.“

„There has been found another dead mare in the streets. Do you mind, burying her?“ Big Mac shook his head. When he and Granny started moving, Luna saw he was pushing a large carriage behind him with a blancet over it. Apparantley Applejack's big brother was the grave digger of the town in this world.

Luna hung her head. She was reminded of her fears, when she had first come to Ponyville. That its citizens saw her as a monster. That they looked at her and saw Nightmare Moon. But there is no Nightmare Moon in this world! Or was there? Luna could hardly tell. What was the opposite of a Nightmare Force? A Dream Force? She still knew to less about that world to say for sure.

Blimley, she knew nothing about her counterpart. Had this Lunar always been evil? According to Granny Smith she had been a friend of King Sombra. But how was Sombra in this world? Evil like the tyrannt King, who had enslaved his own nation? Luna could not really believe that. After all Celestiar and the most citizens of Ponyville had a rather aggressive and mean attitude towards others. Everyone, who is my friend in my Equestria, is a foe in this Equestria. Did that mean that every foe from her world was a friend in this place?

„Boy, this meeting was a drop in a clanger!“, mocked Fluttershy. Luna turned around. The Malicious Six were still standing there. She put her ears back, while the pegasus laughed and made weird faces during that.

„Why is she laughing?“, asked Pinkie Pie, „Hey, Flutters, stop laughing!“

Fluttershy landed on the floor and smirked and Pinkie, while she said: „Come on, Pinkamena. It was funny to see her. Hey, look! It seems like the Princess Bitch is about to cry!“ She laughed again.

Pinkamena snarled: „What is so funny about this? And quit the laughter, Fluttershy!“

Luna just stared at the group. They cannot be friends! But what kept them together? She had no idea. The mare had always thought, that the power of friendship was the reason a group could work together in such a dynamic way. But the Malicious Six...they only seemed to be hold together by the desire not to be alone.

Luna said: „Stop acting like I am not here!“ She took a step forwards. „That is just plain rude!“

Twilight scratched her chin. She furrowed her brow. „Something is strange about you, Lunar“, she found, „You never acted like this before.“ The Alicorn's eyes flashed and her ears pirked up. Maybe they can still help me. Despite being so different from the Mane Six, I know.

Luna responded: „It is true. Lunar usually does not act this way. The reason is: I am not Lunar.“

Rainbow Dash flew towards her and lifted a brow. „Say what?“, she asked belivered.

The Alicorn knew, that she was now playing with open cards, but she had to trust herself to someone. Even if it was a pack of bandits.

Luna took a deep breath and explained: „I am from another world.“

The Malicious Six fell silence and disbelief painted itself on their faces. Applejack spat out the blade of gras, she had been chewing on. „Yeah, likly story“, she responded.

Rarity taunted: „Says the cheeter herself.“ She was wearing a small necklace, made out of silvery diamonds.

Applejack snapped: „Don't tell mah yah believe that bullshit she is telling us.“

Luna lifed a hoof in an attempt to calm them down. „Please“, she said, „You have to believe me.“

Twilight stepped in front of her. „Where are the facts?“, she demanded to know, „I only believe something, if I have the facts. Where are the facts to your story?“

Luna dropped her ears and muttered: „I don't have any facts.“

Twilight lifted her nose. „If you don't have any proof, then your story is completley unusable“, she declared. Luna knew her world's Twilight was a bookworm, but this: It was a cold, precise scientist. Even her Cutiemark showed that: The star was surrounded by several atoms.

They need a proof. Luna slammed her hoof against her forehead. She silly dweeb! Why hadn't she thought about that before? Due to the pain in her throat, her counterpart could not use the Royal Canterlot Voice. But she could!

Luna asked: „Then tell me: Can your Lunar do this?“ Her wings bashed back and forth as she rose upwards, clouds swirled around her and her voice boomed over the Malicious Six: „WE ART PRINCESS LUNA, CO-RULER OF EQUESTRIA, PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT AND GUARDIAN OF DREAMS! THY COUNTERPART, TWILIGHT SPARKLE, HATH USED THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY UPON US AND TOOK AWAY OUR DARK POWERS, WHICH HATH TRANSFORMED US INTO NIGHTMARE MOON!“

Luna landed on the ground, shaking and shivering. She was almost choking on her coughs. Her throat felt like someone had thorwn it out. She had never had such pain, when using her Royal Canterlot Voice. It was as if she was bleeding from the inside.

The Malicious Six were a mess. Pinkamena had dugged her head in the ground. Fluttershy had pressed her hooves against her ears. Rarity was moaning about this „ungraceful, beastialic shouting“. Rainbow Dash had been flunged against the wall of an house, Applejack was busy, searching her hat and Twilight just stood there and seemed to try her best to get rid of the beep in her ears.

„Okay“, Twilight said very slowly, „That is some kind of point. I hardly understood anything due to your yelling, but you definitely mentioned some things I did not knew.“

Luna smiled proudly. „Do you believe me now?“

Rainbow Dash flew to her and grumbled: „Guess, we have to.“

Fluttershy asked: „What were you doing there actually?“

Rarity clicked her tongue and looked up, saying: „Flutters, sweetheart, isn't that obvious? She yelled like crazy.“

„Actually not.“ Luna lifted an hoof. It was like Nightmare Night all over again. „I have been using the traditional Royal Canterlot Voice“, she explained, „In my world it was tradition to speak, using the royal We. And to use THIS MUCH VOLUME, WHEN ADRESSING OUR SUBJECTS!“ Again she started coughing and muttered: „But it seems your Lunar is not used to doing this.“

Twilight called: „Oh, this is so exciting. I knew, some scientists had the theory, that there could be other dimensions, but I never believed, that it was actually true.“ She smiled at Luna and added eagerly: „You have to tell me everything about the world of yours. Wait, I get a notebook and write down everything, you tell me. Then I will compare everything of your world with our world and try to analyze it. This will be so much fun!“

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. „In your dreams, Smartass“, she grumbled.

Luna laughed weakly and responded: „I would be honoured, Twilight, but I really need to get back into my own world and into my own body. Could you six help me, considering that we are friends now?“

The Malicious Six looked at one another and then the shock hit Luna, when a confused and irritated Twilight said: „Friends? What are friends? What possible use does one get from having friends? What purpose does it serve in having friends? We are not friends! We only believe you. But we will help you.“

Luna sighted and rolled her eyes. This is way more complicated then I thought. The Malicious Six were the weirdest group, she had ever met. But they believed her. And for Luna this was the most important thing at the moment. One step at the time. I am sure, I can show Twilight and the others what it means to be real friends.

Author's Note

Warning! Fluttershy is swearing!