A grand set of doors stood before her. Harmless in appearance, yet more terrifying than any dragon, manticore, or monster of Tartarus. It was enough to reduce her to a wound-up bundle of nerves. The only thing she was thankful for was the lack of ponies around to see her so anxious. Celestia held a shaky hoof in front of the door.

“Luna is fine,” she told herself. “The Elements of Harmony changed her back. But still…it won’t hurt to check.”

It had been nearly two days, and Celestia had seen neither hide nor hair of her sister since she was freed from Nightmare Moon. She hadn’t heard a word from her, and whenever she sent a pony to check on her, they were promptly dismissed without seeing the princess. Before her thoughts are left to wander and worry, she shook her head and stared at the door in front of her.

With one last deep breath, she gave a knock on the door.

"Luna, are you alright?" Celestia asked.

The sound of shuffling could be heard from the other side. "Yes, sister, I am well." Luna’s voice was quiet.

"Are you sure? We have not spoken in quite a while.”

A deafening silence filled the air before she spoke:

“I am… fine.” A long pause. “I demand to be left alone."

Celestia gave a worrying glance at door. "May I come in? Just a quick look and I will leave you to your things."

There was a loud thump from the other side of the door, followed by a mad scrambling. "No!"

Celestia raised an eyebrow but pressed on. "It will only be just a moment, Luna."

"No, absolutely do not come in!" Luna shouted

“And why should I not?” she asked.

Another long pause. “I… I am quite ill.”

“Then all the more reason that I should enter,” Celestia said.

“Do not enter! I am violently ill and…contagious!” She began coughing and gagging. “Yes, very contagious! If you were to catch this dreadful disease, who knows what will befall our kingdom!”

“Oh my,” she said to herself. Luna would have missed all the new vaccinations and medicine developed during the thousand years she was on the moon. The thought of her dear sister, sick in bed, was all the reason she needed to cross into the room. "Luna, I'm coming in.”

With a flick of her magic, the door opened before Luna could shout, “No!”

Celestia squinted her eyes in the darkness. With the curtains pulled shut, the room was dark, more so than usual, and made it difficult to see anything past the light of the hallway. Another spark from her horn unveiled the curtains.

Light flooded the room, revealing the night-themed design she had picked out for Luna's room. Lying across the room on a large bed was a lump Celestia could only assume was her sister. Luna had the covers completely drawn over herself, like a little foal hiding from monsters.

The steady rhythm of hooves echoed in the room as Celestia trotted closer. “Luna? Are you alright?” she asked again.

The indiscernible shape on the bed shifted. “Yes, I am feeling much better now!” said Luna, albeit hastily. “As you can see, I am well. I thank you for your concern, and you may now leave the room and return to your royal duties.”

Celestia only shook her head at the obvious lie. She, of all ponies, knew Luna better than anyone else.

“Luna, please, you know you can tell me anything.”

“No, I am perfectly fine!” she said, shaking her head under the covers.

Seeing how she was going nowhere with Luna, Celestia took a hold of Luna’s blanket with her magic and lifted one of the corners.

“Luna?” Celestia called as she peeked her head in.

A shadow of a limb pushed her muzzle out and tugged at the blanket covering Luna.

“Leave at once!” Luna shouted.

Celestia rubbed her nose, pained from being forcefully pushed away. Although strangely, there was something odd about the thing that pushed her. It felt like spider legs that were soft and smooth and rounded off at the tips. The feeling sent a shudder up her spine.

“I see that you are ill. I’ll leave you be, but please have something to eat later,” she said.

The door to Luna’s bedroom closed. Celestia’s hoofbeats can be heard leaving the room and walking down the hall. The mound on the bed shifted before letting out a sigh, almost deflating in appearance. Beside the bed, Celestia smiled as she stood at the same spot but now missing her golden shoes. Sooner or later, one of the guards will find a walking pair of shoes with no pony in it and ask about it. But now, she had a chance.

A shot of magic yanked the blanket upward, suspended in the air above her. “Got you!” she shouted, earning a startled cry from Luna.

What greeted her was not the dear little sister she saw a few days ago.

It had no fur, except for the long blue hair on top of its head. It had four slender appendages that lacked the hooves of a pony. Its hands was like that of a minotaur, though soft and fragile-looking. It looked closer to an ape than anything in her mind. But what were the strange bumps on her chest?

Though, the strangest part about the creature was its face. It had a small, adorable nose and a mouth that was contorted into a frown. Its cheeks were stained with fresh trails of tears. Two blue, bloodshot eyes stared back at her like those of a scared animal. She could never mistake those eyes for anyone else’s.

A hand snatched the floating blanket, bringing Luna under the safety of the covers once again.

“Now you know what has befallen me! I am a hideous creature!” Whatever had been holding back her sorrow was now gone. Violent sobs racked her body underneath the safety of the thin fabric that separated the two.

It had taken quite some time for the shock to leave Celestia’s face. A frown formed on her face as she watched the miserable bundle in front of her sob. A pang of guilt hit her for making Luna cry.

She put on a smile, one that was warm and sincere, and leaned down towards the crying lump in the bed.

"What hideous creature?" she asked.

"Have you gone blind?" Luna shouted. "Did you not see the monster I have become? I am now a hideous, hairless ape!"

A giggle escaped Celestia’s lips, though there was not a hint of malice. "No, what I saw was my dear sister, who is in need of some help. Now, would you please come out from there?"

There was a moment of hesitance under the covers. Like a turtle coming out of its shell, a face emerged from the bundle, coming nose-to-nose with Celestia. Her eyes locked with Celestia’s. The older mare held the same smile, undeterred by the surprised look on Luna's face.

"See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?"

"You...are not afraid?" Luna asked.

"Why would I ever be afraid? You may have changed on the outside, but you are and always will be my sister." She leaned her head in closer to rub the tip of her nose against Luna's.

Luna wiped the tears from her face with her palms and ran the back of her hand against her nose. She sat up on her bed, the blanket now loosely hanging from her shoulders and revealing her much slimmer form. Her eyes glanced at her hands and down her body. "This feels...odd."

"I would imagine so," she said. “What curious creature have you turned into?”

A loud gurgle cut through the conversation. The faint blush on Luna’s cheeks went unnoticed by Celestia.

“We will talk more about this later. But first, let’s get you something to eat.”

With a blinding flash, Celestia vanished, leaving Luna to blink away the spots in her eyes. She rubbed her eyes, only to pull her hands away and stare at them. She wiggled each finger and balled them into fists.

“This may take some time to get used to,” she said. Her eyes drifted down towards her feet, where her toes curled and uncurled. “A lot of time…”

Another flash of light revealed Celestia standing next to Luna’s bed, now with a serving cart holding covered platters.

“I asked the chefs to make something simple, though they insisted on making something more extravagant. I hope you like what I’ve brought.”

She lifted the covers, revealing a salad, a bowl of fruits, and a plate of pasta.

Luna shifted in her seat on the bed so that she was facing the meal in front of her. Grasping her fork like a murderous weapon, she stabbed a daisy from her salad and took her first bite.

And immediately, she spat it into her napkin.

“There is something wrong with this flower!” She coughed into her napkin.

Celestia took one of the daisies from the salad and nibbled on it. “It tastes fine to me.”

Luna began pushing aside all of the offending flowers and ate whatever was left. She looked at the pasta in front of her.

“This looks promising.”

She speared a forkful of her pasta and brought it to her mouth. She dropped her fork and gagged, spitting out her food. A fit of coughing filled the room until Celestia brought a glass of water, which Luna hastily took and gulped down. A look of worry fell on Celestia’s face.

“Oh, dear. Are you sure you’re not feeling well?” she asked as she wiped Luna’s mouth with another napkin.

Luna glared at the plate in front of her. “I am fine! It’s this… this horrendous meal! How can this possibly pass as being edible?”

Celestia took a bite from Luna’s meal and chewed thoughtfully. “I will admit that the hay is a bit dry this time, but I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

Luna pushed the entire dish aside and went straight to the bowl of assorted fruits. She cautious nibbled the fruit at first. When no sick surprise came to her taste buds, she quickly wolfed them down. She stared at the empty bowl and at everything else she had not finished.

“I am still quite famished.” She sighed.

Celestia hummed to herself. “Interesting…” Luna had been too busy to notice that Celestia was now holding a piece of parchment and quill in front of her. She scribbled something down before turning to Luna. “Perhaps your new change didn’t just change your appearance.”

Luna eyed her sister. “Are you saying that because of the way I am now, I cannot eat certain foods?”

Celestia nodded.

“And because of this new diet, I may starve if my needs are not met?”

“No, not… exactly,” she said. Though that was certainly a possibility, she hoped it wouldn't come to that. She put on a disarming smile. "I'm sure we can learn about your new diet."

Luna frowned, seeming quite upset. "No, I only wish to be returned to normal!" Frustrated tears spilled over her cheeks.

Celestia held her sister in her wings, wrapping her in a cocoon of feathers. She pressed her forehead to Luna’s. "Shhh, it's alright, Luna. Everything will be okay. I'll find a way to turn you back to normal."

As Luna's sobs quieted down, she added, "And I think someone you know may be able to help."

Luna wiped the tears off her face with the palms of her hands, though it only smeared the tears everywhere. "Really?"

Celestia pulled away and conjured up a box of tissues to clean Luna's face. "Yes. I have a wonderful, faithful student who I can trust with this task."

Luna blinked, trying to remember the name that went with the face of the unicorn that stopped Nightmare Moon. "Twilight Sparkle?"

Celestia nodded as she wiped Luna’s cheeks. “Yes. If there’s anyone who can find a cure for you, it would be her. After all, she was the one who brought you back.”

“I suppose,” Luna said uncertainly. She took one of the floating tissues and blew into it.

“She is one of my brightest students. She will surely figure out a solution.”

Celestia brought another piece of parchment and a quill and began writing a letter. She signed the bottom of the letter with a flourish and rolled it up. With a touch of her horn, it vanished.

“There. She should arrive here soon. I have made it important that she see us so that we explain her the details. With your current state, this is quite a delicate situation.”

Luna’s eyes traveled down to her body, the unfamiliar curves and new appendages being the most interesting to look at. “So now we must wait? What about my duties? What about raising the moon? How will I do any of those with the way I am now?”

“Don’t worry, Luna. I will take care of it. I’ve been doing it for many years. A few days longer will not hurt,” she said with a smile.

An unreadable look fell on Luna’s face. “I see…”

Somewhere in the castle, a clock chimed.

“I must be going, but if you would like, I can postpone my duties to stay by your side.”

Luna fidgeted in her spot. “You may leave, but before you do...” A faint blush tinted her cheeks. “Can you assist me to the bathroom?”

Celestia maintained that warm smile of hers. “Of course, sister.”

Luna cautiously brought her legs to the floor, followed by her hands. Celestia stood to her side, assisting her with a shoulder to lean on. Luna placed a hand forward. Then her other. It didn’t take long for her to begin crawling on all fours. Though, being on all fours, she noticed how much bigger Celestia was compared to her.

With Celestia following beside Luna patiently, they made their way to the bathroom.

“I can take it from here.”

“All right. I will come back to check on you after a finishing with today’s meetings. Are you sure you will be fine by yourself?”

Luna frowned. “I will be just fine on my own, sister. Continue our duties as you have done so for so long.”

Celestia’s lips opened, but hesitated. “Goodbye then, Luna,” she said before taking off.

Shutting the bathroom door behind her, Luna crawled to the mirror by the sink. In her new form, the sink came up to her shoulders as she stood on her knees. The person in the mirror stared back at her. She waved her hand, watching her reflection do the same. Her hand touched her face, tracing the edge of an unfamiliar jaw and feeling the small nose of her new face. So strange, so surreal—like meeting someone familiar yet not for the first time.

Experimentally, she tried standing on her feet. Her knees had turned red and sore from pressing against the hard floor. She wobbled uncertainly as she stood to her full height, gripping the bathroom sink fiercely. In the mirror, she gazed at her new body, turning her torso to try to get look at herself from behind.

“How peculiar it is not to have a tail,” she said, running a hand over where her tail should. She sighed. Her beautiful tail…

She shook her head. “This is no time to cry! I will return to the way I was with or without Twilight Sparkle’s help!”

She punctuated her sentence with a slam of a balled fist against the sink. A cry of pain left her as she clutched her hand.

This was going to take some getting used to.

Author's Notes:

Started in 2014 and decided to post this now. Inspired by Luna-AfterDark blog, but it's been dead for a while now. Wow, time flies...