"Well!" said Princess Celestia. "It's certainly a most unusual request!"
Rainbow had no idea how Pinkie Pie had managed to swing a private audience with the Sun Princess. Apparently Her Highness had only just decided to take a short tea-break herself, and didn't mind sharing it with friends. Rainbow and Pinkie were seated on comfortable cushions in a small audience chamber in the Royal Palace of Canterlot. And Princess Celestia herself sat tall and proudly radiant on her own cushion in front of them.
But given the bemused look on Celestia's face, Rainbow was beginning to think it had been a wasted trip. She cleared her throat uneasily. "Yeah, well. We just thought we'd ask. Sorry to have taken up your time, Your Highness..."
"Oh! Please don't misunderstand me." Celestia gently laughed. "I totally support the idea!"
"You do?" Rainbow stared. "Seriously?"
"Absolutely. It sounds like a fascinating project, one that could bring together ponies from all walks of life in a common goal. And given that I always encourage my subjects to follow their dreams, no matter how extreme or unusual, how could I possibly say no?"
"Yay!" Pinkie squealed. "So when do we get to go into SPACE?"
"Well... there's just one problem. I would have no difficulty with my part of this, since I merely manage the Sun. But Princess Luna is in charge of the Moon and the Stars. Mostly because she has the head for the math. I'm clearly the diplomat of the family. Luna would bear the brunt of the effort in maintaining the astral transfiguration spell for that long, so you'll need to persuade her of the value of your request to gain her support."
"Okay... sure." Rainbow said, a little stunned. She was still processing the fact that they'd gotten this far. "Uh... have you got any suggestions?"
Celestia looked thoughtful. Then she smiled deviously. "If you'll take my advice, the way to Luna's heart is definitely through her pride -- and her predilection for formality and drama. Your best route would be to put your petition to her directly... at her Court of the Night."
Rainbow and Pinkie looked at each other nervously.
"Okayyyy..." Rainbow hazarded, "is there a form we need to fill out for that?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Don't be so nervous, Dashie!" Pinkie said, stotting gleefully. "We've been here before." (*)
Rainbow peered up at the towering oaken doors, in the torch-lit stone passage deep beneath Canterlot Mountain. Beyond those doors was the massive cavern where Princess Luna held her Court of the Night. And from the other side of the doors came a raucous, howling, roaring clamor, as if Tartarus itself had broken open, and all of its incarcerated fiends were about to come barreling through the doorway at them.
"Yeah, well... that was when we were with Twilight, helping her be Luna's Acolyte. And then it was all six of us together -- seven, counting Spike. But this time it's just the two of us."
"Sure, but it's Princess Luna! She's our friend!"
Rainbow glanced uneasily at the pony guards standing to either side of the doors: Luna's dragon-winged, glowing-eyed, fanged nightmares, who basically looked like they could bite through a tree.
"I sure hope so, Pinkie."
A regal voice spoke from behind them. "Ah, I see you're both here early. Excellent! Sorry I was delayed. Some last-minute paperwork upstairs."
"Princess Celestia?" Rainbow stared at her.
"Yay!" Pinkie Pie cheered. "You didn't mention you'd be here with us!"
"But of course! This will require a joint decision by the Two Sisters. And I must admit that for some time now I've been wanting a legitimate reason to pay a visit to Luna's Court, just to see how she's been getting on."
As she spoke, the massive doors swung steadily open before them. Beyond, they saw the familiar torch-lit cavern, its distant ceiling lost in shadows and stalactites high overhead. In the center of the chamber the huge bonfire roared endlessly, its arcane flames casting flickering, dancing shadows over everything. And to either side of the red carpet that divided the chamber was a growling and shrieking audience comprised of all the races and species of the Night, from dragons to diamond dogs, from gargoyles to yetis, from Morirohin to manticores, all trying to outdo each other for sheer raucous, thought-destroying volume...
It was like a raver's fever dream.
Around and above them all, squads of dragon-winged, lantern-eyed nightmares kept attentive watch, swooping in whenever the larger or noisier creatures threatened to get unruly.
There were more of the nightmare guards lined up on either side of the massive dais at the rear of the chamber, standing stiffly and proudly at attention. And beyond the dais, past the velvet curtains at its rear, there was only gloomy, shadowy darkness: the deep, suffocating darkness of full, moonless Night...
... because Princess Luna loved making an impressive entrance.
"Follow a few paces behind me," Celestia warned. "And when we reach the dais, wait before it, your heads lowered, until she calls upon you."
Without hesitation, Celestia stalked through the doorway, head held high. Rainbow and Pinkie waited for a moment as requested, then trotted after her. They followed her down the carpet, circling around the bonfire in the center, and came to a halt a few paces behind her, with their heads lowered.
Celestia herself moved to stand at the base of the ramp leading up toward the dais.
And from the shadows at the back of the dais, Princess Luna stepped forth. The Princess of the Night was in her element, tall and regal, coldly aloof, her ebony armor and crown polished to a brilliant sheen.
Striding to the head of the ramp she came to a halt, gazing about imperiously at her subjects. Her armored forehoof came up, then swept down, striking a metal disc embedded in the stone before her with a piercing crash, which echoed about the cavern like thunder.
She brought her hoof up and slammed it down again, then once more.
Utter silence fell.
She reared proudly, wings spread and horn gleaming, calling out in full Royal Voice:
CITIZENS OF EQUESTRIA -- YOUR PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT HAS ARRIVED!
This was accompanied by a crack of lightning, a crash of thunder, and a roar of approval from the crowd before her. Luna smiled confidently, accepting the accolades.
Then she raised a hoof for silence.
IT IS OUR PLEASURE THIS NIGHT, THAT WE SHOULD BE ATTENDED BY OUR SISTER, PRINCESS OF THE SUN, THAT THE TWO SISTERS MAY JOINTLY HEED THY PETITIONS AND RENDER JUDGEMENT!
Another roar of approval followed this proclamation, even louder than before.
Celestia gazed calmly up at Luna, and raised her own Voice in response:
SISTER! SUMMONED WE COME! HAVE WE THY LEAVE TO APPROACH?
Luna gestured imperiously with a forehoof.
IT IS OUR PLEASURE TO WELCOME THEE TO OUR COURT, SISTER! THOU SHALT JOIN US!
Celestia mounted the ramp, turned, and took her place beside Luna, standing as tall and proud and coldly stern as her sibling, accompanied by a tumultuous shrieking and roaring from the audience. Seeing the two of them standing side-by-side, imperious and unassailable, one could imagine this was how the Princesses' Court might have looked, a thousand-plus years ago.
Then Luna's gaze swung down to the ponies bowing before her.
AND WHO BE THESE BRAVE AND WORTHY SUPPLICANTS, WHO COME BEFORE US IN OUR COURT?
"Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie!" Rainbow shouted, immediately wishing she had the Princesses' Royal Voice spell to add some extra oomph. "We're here to ask Your Highness's indulgence and assistance in a task that will demand great skill and daring of us."
BRAVE SUBJECTS, THOU HAST OUR ATTENTION AND INTEREST! STAND FORTH, AND MAKE THY PETITION KNOWN! WHAT MANNER OF TASK?
"We wanna go into SPACE!" Pinkie Pie blurted out, unable to contain herself.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Stick with the script, Pinkie!"
"Oops! Sorry, Dash!"
Rainbow pressed on. "Uh, right! We ask Your Highness's consent and assistance in making it possible for Pinkie and I to make a rocket expedition to the Moon... exactly as it's shown in the Wonderbirds movies... with full technical detail and realism."
If Princess Luna was surprised by the request, she gave no sign of it. She appeared to take it completely seriously in fact, and eyed them skeptically at length.
THIS IS NO MEAN FEAT, she finally replied. SUCH A JOURNEY WILL BE MOST DIFFICULT AND PERILOUS, EVEN WITH THE BEST WILL AND FORTITUDE. IT IS NOT TO BE UNDERTAKEN LIGHTLY. ART THOU SURE THY WILL AND ABILITIES ARE SUFFICIENT? IS NOW THE TIME TO ATTEMPT SUCH A DIFFICULT GOAL?
Rainbow replied carefully and deliberately, using the wording that Princess Celestia had suggested:
"We choose to go to the Moon," she said, "not because it's easy, but because it's hard. The challenge is one we're willing to accept, one we're unwilling to postpone, and one in which we intend to succeed!"
Luna stared dourly at them. Then she looked to Celestia. AND WHAT OF THOU, SISTER? DOES THIS VENTURE MEET WITH THY APPROVAL AS WELL? ART THOU PREPARED TO HOLD BACK THY SUN FOR ITS DURATION?
Celestia nodded. WE APPROVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY, SISTER. AND WE ARE PREPARED TO HOLD BACK OUR DAY, FOR AS LONG AS IS REQUIRED.
Luna eyed her doubtfully. Then she turned to gaze equally skeptically at the two ponies waiting before her.
Her eyes narrowed.
Rainbow looked nervously at Pinkie Pie. "I don't think she's gonna go for it, Pinkie," she whispered. "Well... at least we tried."
"Wait for it..." Pinkie said sagely. She nodded towards Princess Luna.
Rainbow looked back up at Luna herself.
And stared in disbelief.
Princess Luna was suddenly wearing a classic Wonderbirds bubble space helmet, with an opening cut into the front, both to accommodate her horn and also to permit her to use the Royal Voice without deafening herself.
THY REQUEST IS MOST AGREEABLE TO US! WE SHALL TRANSFORM OUR MOON AND OUR NIGHT SO AS TO MAKE THY JOURNEY POSSIBLE. HOW COULD WE NOT TAKE PART IN SUCH A GRAND AND VALIANT UNDERTAKING? AFTER ALL...
She lifted a forehoof proudly.
THE WONDERBIRDS... ARE... UP!
Her armored hoof crashed down upon the steel plate -- once, twice, thrice. A great roar of approval rose up from the creatures of the Night, and washed over a gleeful Pinkie Pie and a truly astonished Rainbow Dash.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Later, as the two of them made their way back up to Canterlot proper and their guestroom at the Palace, Rainbow shook her head in amazement.
"I just can't get over that, Pinkie. I mean, who woulda guessed Princess Luna would turn out to be a Wonderbirds fan?" Rainbow couldn't quite bring herself to refer to Princess Luna as a "Birdie"... at least, not out loud anyway.
"Wellll..." Pinkie Pie looked mildly guilty. "Somepony might have happened to send the Princess a care package, containing a tray of fresh-baked moonpies, a selection of Wonderbirds comic books and memorabilia, ... annnnd free tickets to the Wonderbirds Midnight Marathon that was playing at the Canterlot Bijou last night..."
Rainbow goggled at her. "You?"
Pinkie Pie smiled mischievously. "That's the wonderful thing about guilty pleasures... they're so easy to share!"