Morning comes all too quickly as I wake to the sound of something solid clattering against tile. I groan as the noise only gets worse as slamming cabinets and the repeated flush of a toilet assault my ears. I open my eyes blearily as I look over for my alarm clock before remembering I’m not in my room, and fumble around in the dark until I manage to find my phone.

“Five thirty?” I let out a long groan before finally forcing myself out of bed and flicking on the light. By the time I’ve thrown on my discarded clothes, the noise noise seems to have ceased. As I make my way into the hallway, the only thing I can hear is the sound of a running faucet coming from the bathroom. I notice the bathroom door is cracked open as I approach, casting the short hallway in dim yellow light. Now, it’s not like I was trying to be sneaky, but I feel my breath catch as my weight settles on the one loose floorboard and I hear the squeak of a knob as the water is shut off.

There’s a thump, and I shield my eyes as the door swings open and the bright light nearly blinds me. Seconds later a dark blue head pokes out, pale blue eyes going wide as they settle on me. I don’t know how it’s possible for a blush to be visible on a face covered in fur, but even shaded by the brilliant light behind her as she was, the tinge on her cheeks was unmistakable.

“It is apparent your….facilities were not meant to accommodate a pony…” She says in a soft, barely audible voice tinged with embarrassment and more than a hint of annoyance.

“I…um….yeah….” I reply awkwardly. It’s not something I had thought of, but of course she was going to have to….go, at some point, and I suddenly find myself having to push away the mental image of how exactly a quadrupedal equine would use a human toilet. If all the noise earlier, and the paper towel still stuck to one of her hooves was any indication, the obvious answer was “not very well.”

“You’ve, uh…got a little something there.” I say with a nod toward her leg.

Her muzzle wrinkles as she follows my gaze and quickly scuffs her hoof against the floor to remove the offending item.

“We will not speak of this!” She all but shouts as she suddenly darts out of the bathroom, and I just manage to avoid an irritated flick of her starry tail before she limps hurriedly down the hall and disappears back into my room.

I would've found her reaction somewhat funny, but couldn't shake the feeling that a large part of this was my fault. Sure, the priority had been to make sure she wasn't about to die on me...or wake up and go on a confused rampage when she was confronted with the fact that she wasn't in her own world anymore. How had she ended up here anyhow? Yet another burning question to add to my growing list.

The pre-dawn morning haven once again fallen silent, I steel myself as I finally make my way into the bathroom to assess the damage. Okay. To her credit she had cleaned up after herself......and apparently tried to flush a massive wad of soiled paper towels down the now nearly overflowing toilet. "Great...just how I wanted to start my day." I grumble irritably to myself as I fish out a set of gloves and a plunger.

After completing the painstaking task of fixing the toilet, giving the bathroom a more thorough cleaning, and a nice hot shower for good measure, I was at least feeling a bit more awake, if no less grumpy. A quick peek into my room found the Lunar Princess once again fast asleep on my bed as the first rays of sunlight cast the pulled shades in a soft golden glow. Well, if she was a ruler of the night I suppose it made sense that she'd be nocturnal.

Despite the early hour, there was no way I was going to able to go back to bed. Instead, I head into the kitchen to get a pot of coffee brewing. As the familiar gurgle and dripping of the coffee maker starts, I find myself once again turning to the internet as breakfast comes to mind. She'd obviously need to eat too, and I had no idea what her diet consisted of. Sure, I could simply ask her, but I didn't want to risk any nasty surprises, like something mundane that would poison her, or her considering all of humanity as some kind of cannibals for eating meat and trying to purge us from the world....

Okay, that might be going too far. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be somewhat prepared. A quick Google search brings up a daunting amount of information. From "My Little Pony" fan sites, wikis, and a number of clips and screenshots from the show itself. Of course, I had no idea how accurate the show was to the real thing, but as I thought their diet appeared to be exclusively vegetarian. A number of the dishes portrayed seemed to be an odd amalgamation of typical human foods, with things like hay or flowers thrown in. Bread, and even eggs seemed to be acceptable.

Finally setting my phone down, I smile as I see the full pot of wonderful, hot, caffeinated brew waiting for me. Grabbing a mug, I add in a splash of cream before filling it up and taking a long, satisfied sip. Of course, I didn't have any hay or flowers lying around anywhere, but some scrambled eggs and toast seemed like a safe enough bet. A brief search through the stark refrigerator and cabinets reveals I'd definitely need to do some shopping soon, but at least I had enough to put together the modest breakfast.

Soon the smell of cooking food and fresh coffee is wafting through the house. As I'd hoped, I hear the creak of a door down the hall, followed by the uneven gait of hoofsteps clattering against wood.

"Well, good morning Princess!" I greet cheerfully as she hobbles into view. I hadn't noticed earlier in the morning, but at some point during the night she had removed her various pieces of regalia. Now, it's not like it had actually covered anything in the slightest, but now that it was off I can't shake the feeling of just how naked she looks without it.

"I have told you that you may simply to refer to me as Luna." She replies with a hint of annoyance as she wanders into the kitchen. She looks around with interest, her nostrils flaring as her eyes settle on the fresh pot of coffee, and I swear I hear a faint hum of pleasure emanate from her throat at the sight.

"Of course....Luna." I reply as I watch her make her way over to the table. She eyes one of the chairs for a moment, and just when I think she's going to reconsider, she hops up with a small flap of her wings and settles into the seat with a gracefulness I hadn't expected from the injured alicorn as she settles her rump in place, curling her flowing tail around it to spill over the side as she braces her forelegs on the table.

"Might I have some?" She asks politely with a nod toward the coffee maker. "Black, if I may."

"Of course. I figured you'd be hungry when you got up." I reply as I fish out another mug and fill it with the steaming liquid before setting it on the table in front of her. "I had no idea what your diet is, but I've got some eggs and toast here."

Luna takes a moment to balance herself as she lifts her hooves to grip the mug between them. She gives it a sniff before taking a sip and frowning.

"Is something wrong?" I ask as I watch her eye it for a moment before taking another sip.

"No, it is...acceptable, just a bit...weaker than what I am used to." She replies as she sets the mug down. "And to answer your question, eggs and toast are....fine."

I fix myself a plate, but pause as I consider just how she was going to eat. Of course I could put it into a bowl for her, but that just didn't seem fitting, and I was almost certain she'd find the idea more than a little offensive. As I fix another plate for her instead, she seems to notice my hesitation.

"I can use silverware.....even without my magic I am not some helpless animal." She says pointedly as she watches me.

"Sh..sure, what was I thinking?" I reply stupidly as I bring our plates over and settle in across from her. Even as careful as I was, I had still managed to offend her. Still, I can't help but watch with interest as she curls the joint of her fetlock around the fork with a surprising amount of dexterity and scoops up a mouthful of food.

"Think nothing of it, it seems we still have much to learn about each other." She says after a hesitant swallow and and a noticeable grimace. "Hmmph...it does not seem as...fresh as what I'm used to..." She says thoughtfully, seeming to choose her words carefully as she sprinkles a generous amount of salt and pepper onto her meal before carefully cutting the toast into bite-sized pieces with her fork and knife, the simple task making me slightly nervous as I worry about her losing her balance.

That brought up even more questions, but there was one that I found much more pressing as I finish my plate. "So...Luna...how did you end up here, anyway? On Earth, I mean."

She lets out a long sigh, closing her eyes for a moment as a thoughtful expression passes across her face. "I am not entirely certain...the final moments I can recall from Equestria, we were holding a celebration for the five year anniversary of my return."

Okay...even more questions. I do my best to suppress my blatant ignorance and curiosity regarding Equestria's history as she continues.

"To commemorate the occasion, we had decided to bring the sun and moon together in the sky to demonstrate the importance both have in contributing to the....harmony of our world. However....the moment my moon crossed the path of sister's sun...something happened....some kind of magical feedback that fed into me....I was unable to stop it, and so it only grew greater and greater..."

Tears were beginning to form in the corners of Luna's eyes as she went on. "My aura became blinding...nopony else, not even my sister could do anything to stop it....merely watch in shock as it consumed me. When it finally ended, everything was gone, and I found myself alone in a forest. My connection to the moon...the stars.....the flow of the world itself, simply.....gone."

By the time she finishes, her head is bowed as wet tears flow freely from her eyes, matting the soft fur on her cheeks as she sniffles.

"I'm sorry, I can't even begin to understand what you must be going through..." I offer uncertainly. I stretch a hand across the table to rest it gently atop her hoof. She gives a surprised jerk, but doesn't pull it away as she looks up at me with her reddened watery teal eyes.

"I don't know if there's anything I can do to help. I....may not have magic, or any concept of how any of this works, but....we humans can be pretty crafty sometimes." I say with a reassuring smile.

"I doubt there's anything you could do." Luna answers with another sniffle, though the faint trace of a smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. "Though I do appreciate the sentiment."

She pauses as she thinks for a moment before a determined grin lights up her face. "Do not worry about me...once my magic is restored, there are a few things I may think to try, and though it is not my area of expertise, I am sure there are many ponies back in Equestria who are already working tirelessly to figure it out."

Her determination is contagious it seems, as I share her grin. Though the thought of more ponies potentially coming here....being seen....the effect that might have on the world, if her mere presence here at this moment hadn't already put things into motion that would change the world as we know it. The implications were daunting.

"Hey, at least you're starting to think positively, I'm sure...." I begin, before being cut off by a loud knock. We both freeze, our heads snapping in the direction of the front door as another series of incessant taps echo through the house.

Author's Note

Well, I managed to get a chapter out early! No guarantees, but starting out expect there to be the occasional random update until I get in the swing of things and can establish a consistent schedule. As always, any feedback is appreciated, and thanks for reading!