There were two items on Luna's to-do list for the day. One, to find out what was troubling her big sister, and two, to investigate the Changeling affair.
The first item was of much greater importance to the Princess of the Night. Dealing with it was her top priority, which is why she now stood in her sister's bedchambers. Sneaking in had been easy; Princesses do not need to sneak, you see. They only need to make sure that their elder sisters do not catch them in the act, and Luna was a careful pony.
Luna cast a glance over the room for the fourth time. Everything seemed to blend together neatly. There was nothing obvious, nothing that stuck out and said 'look at me first!' She frowned, silently cursing her sister's near-obsessive level of neatness. There were a few stacks of paper on the desk before her - probably political documents of some sort. Any pressing matters would be at the top of the pile, so that would be the best place to start. Perhaps 'Tia was worried about something to do with her duties? Maybe the Changeling invasion had caused unrest in the government?
...
Luna's head drooped. She groaned.
--------------------------------
In the space of a mere two minutes, Luna had reduced her sister's bedroom to a warzone. Desks had been moved. Belongings had been inspected and thrown aside. Documents had been strewn. Even the bedsheets were in disarray.
Only when she had double-checked everything with a fine-toothed comb did Luna notice the mess she'd made. Her only acknowledgement was a quiet "hmm." The current state of her sister's personal space only fueled her determination further; she had come this far, it would be pointless to leave without finding what she was looking for.
At last, Luna found something; a document with Celestia's written notes all over it. She grinned triumphantly, holding it up and taking a moment to revel in her success.
A quiet thump came from beyond the doors. Luna flinched. She wasn't expecting anypony to come in here for at least twenty minutes.
... A moment of silence passed, and Luna decided that she was safe. It was probably just the guards taking their position outside the chambers, she reasoned. Satisfied, she turned her attention back to the document just in time to see it fall and disappear under the bed.
"Nay!"
Luna bent over and scooted forward, trying to catch the note before it escaped her clutches. It took her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the darkness beneath Celestia's bed, but she spotted the note almost immediately. It was right there, a few centimeters away. She reached forward, chomping at it and stretching her neck as far as she could.
She grumbled to herself as she tried to push forward, her hooves failing to find purchase on the smooth floor. Fed up, she sparked her horn and shoved the bed away. Finally, her mouth caught the edge of the paper, and it was hers.
"You know Luna, I just don't understand how you can have such a shapely rump and a pudgy belly on the amount of exercise you do."
"Mmph!"
Luna's hooves scrabbled on the smooth floor as she pulled herself out from under the bed. She bumped into something then spun around, wide-eyed.
"Thhfftsh!" She frowned and spat out the document. "Sister!"
"Hello Luna." Celestia replied, oddly calm.
Luna swallowed. "Wha-what are you doing here?"
"Well, these are my bedchambers." She surveyed the room slowly. "Are you looking for something?"
The Princess of the Night drew back. "Well, I-nay, sister! You see, there was, I mean, I-"
"Luna."
"Fine!" Luna sighed. "I was looking for clues. Something that might tell me what's bothering you."
Celestia tilted her head. "Bothering me?"
"Yes, 'Tia! I am certain that you are hiding something from me." Luna grumbled, stomping her hoof. She looked around the room, trying to locate the document she had spat out. She couldn't see it anywhere, but there was an odd dome-shaped metal container on the table behind Celestia. That hadn't been there earlier...
"What, for example, is THIS?" She shouted, running over and tearing the lid off dramatically.
"That? That's my lunch."
Luna blinked. "... because it smells absolutely delicious!"
"Really?" Celestia walked over. "I thought you hated pea and barley soup."
"Well, I... I suppose I um... Haven't tried it properly?" Luna offered, squirming.
Celestia smiled. "Why don't you try a bowl? We can share it while we clean up this mess." She suggested, ladling the soup into a set of ornate porcelain bowls.
"Thank you, but I think I'll pass." Luna muttered. "I didn't come here for soup."
Celestia floated a bowl over to her. "Please, just try a spoonful."
"NO!" Luna cried, stamping her hoof. "I don't want any soup, Celestia!"
Celestia set the bowls down and turned to face her sister. She pricked her ears, saying nothing.
"I hate it when you do this." Luna continued. "There is obviously something wrong, but instead of talking about it or doing something to allay my concern, you brush it under the rug and pretend as though everything is fine!"
Luna looked up at her sister. Her ears drooped. "Please, 'Tia. Let me in. I've told you that you can confide your troubles in me. I want to be there for you, as well. Even if you cannot tell me what perturbs you, simply talking about it might help."
Leaning forward, Luna sighed as she nuzzled into her sister's soft ivory coat. "Please don't make the same mistake I did all those years ago. We promised to be more open with one another, to share our fears and feelings. Don't you remember that, 'Tia?"
"Of course I do, Luna. I just..."
Any resolve Celestia had left crumbled when she saw Luna's doe eyes. "... Very well." She sighed. "Come, take a seat." She walked over to her bed and sat down. Luna smiled, then turned around and picked up the bowl of soup. She gave it to her sister, then sat down with her.
"What I'm about to tell you is a secret that I've never divulged to anypony." Celestia shuddered. "It is a terrible secret, a blemish on my past that I would very much like to forget."
--------------------------------
"Now, try firing one through that ring line."
Rarity curled her tongue around her lip as she took aim, pointing her horn at the ring of violet light that Twilight had conjured. She lit her horn, and a tiny shower of sparks illuminated her face.
Twilight frowned. No horn bolt. She watched as Rarity clenched her teeth, tensing up as she pushed her head forward.
"Remember, it's not a physical action." Twilight reminded. "Pull your magic back in on itself, wait for it to amplify, then push forward."
Her coaching only made Rarity tense up further. Grunting now, Rarity stood up straight and pulled her head backward. Her magic pulsed around her horn, and a vein pulsed in her forehead. Finally, she released a huge sigh, exhaling her frustration as she slumped.
"Oh for goodness sake, why is this so difficult?!"
"Here, watch." Twilight shuffled around and stood next to her. She closed her eyes and lit her horn. Inhaling deeply, she raised her head and thrust her chest out, then cracked open an eye to peek over at Rarity. She was following along. Twilight then exhaled, allowing her head, ears, tail, and body to relax and droop. A violet bolt fired off as she breathed, which hit the ground ahead of her and sent dirt flying.
Rarity watched the dirt display with dismay. "Show off." She grumbled.
Twilight drew back. "What? No no, I'm not showing off! I'm showing that you can be physically relaxed while performing the spell! You're having trouble because you're trying to force it physically."
"Please dear, it was just a joke." Rarity took a deep breath. "I'll try again."
She closed her eyes and inhaled. Magic pooled around the base of her horn. Twilight grinned as she exhaled, and a cobalt bolt of magic rocketed from her horn.
Rarity gasped. "Did i...? I did! I did it!" She squealed, pointing at the bolt and hopping. "Look at it... oh no."
The mares held their breath as they watched the bolt's flight path. It was heading right for a couple of fillies playing nearby. Twilight bit her lip as the bolt inched closer and closer. Finally, it whizzed over one of the fillies' heads, passing mere inches above.
"Phew, that was a close one!" Twilight chuckled.
"I'll say." Rarity agreed. She pouted. "Look though, they didn't even notice it!"
"Well, I'm uh..." Twilight offered, looking around. Her ears pricked up as she caught sight of something.
"Hey look, it's Rainbow Dash!"
Rarity looked. The blue pegasus was indeed heading straight for them. She was holding a small box with a string handle in her mouth, which she placed on the ground once she landed.
"Hey guys." She said, rubbing her head.
"Rainbow Dash?" Rarity blinked.
"...yeah?"
"What are you doing here? I asked you not to disturb us!" She hissed, blushing slightly.
Rainbow shrugged. "Well, you said you'd only be half an hour. Thought you'd be done, so I came looking."
"It's been half an hour?"
"Yep. What were you two doing, anyway?" Rainbow asked, looking around.
"We were practicing magic!" Twilight jumped in, clapping her hooves.
"Twilight! ... oh fine, yes, she was giving me lessons."
Twilight nodded. "Rarity's just learned a new spell."
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Lemme guess, the horn bolt?"
Rarity blinked. "Why, yes. How did you know?"
"I saw it." Rainbow shrugged. "I was flying over the park looking for you two, when I spotted some random bolt of magic shoot by. Figured I was heading in the right direction." She said, poking her tongue out cheekily.
"So, dear, what's in the box?" Rarity asked.
Rainbow faltered. "Oh, it's uh..."
"Never mind." Rarity cut in. "We're finished anyway. I should go find Pinkie." She turned to Twilight. "Thank you again for the lesson. Why, I feel as though I'll be blasting beasts in no time!" She said with a twirl of her hoof.
"You're welcome." Twilight smiled.
"Oh!" Rainbow squawked. "Rare, wait. Pinkie's back at the castle. Make sure you open the door from a distance." She warned, grinning sheepishly.
Rarity gave her a withering look. "I see."
Twilight approached as she watched Rarity leave. "So what's in the box?" She asked, poking it with her nose.
Rainbow looked around, rubbing her foreleg. "Uh, can we do this up on a cloud?" She picked up the box and took off, ascending into the haze above.
Twilight followed. She had to resort to levitation and a bit of frenzied flapping to make it up to the cloud that Rainbow sat upon. The pegasus waited there with the box in front of her, eyes lowered.
"It's for you."
The box felt slightly heftier than Twilight had expected. She vaguely recognized the emblem on the box, but couldn't place it until...
"Oh my gosh! My favorite chocolates!"
Twilight sat there for a moment before looking up. "How did you know about these?"
"You told me about them sometime back in Ponyville." Rainbow explained. "I saw the shop while I was looking around, remembered, and got you a box."
"... I did?"
"It's an apology." Rainbow continued, ruffling her wings. "For... you know, before."
Twilight set the box aside, frowning. "Rainbow, you're not still ups-"
"I can still see your face." Rainbow muttered, looking away. "What I did to you was disgusting, and I... I can't unsee it."
Twilight hadn't been expecting this. She sat down. "But we already made up. You don't need to apologize!"
"I made you cry." Rainbow shuddered. "I put a bruise on your face. I saw how hurt you were, how..."
"Darnit Twilight!" She shouted, squeezing her eyes shut. "How can you just forgive me like that? Why can't you just be mad? You're acting like... like what I did was nothing. Like I insulted you by mistake, like it didn't even matter!"
"It doesn't matter!" Twilight cried. "You saw something, and reacted. It was heat-of-the-moment. I know you didn't mean to hurt me!"
"That's no excuse!" Rainbow yelled. "I hurt you! I, I've never done that before. To anypony. You can't just say that everything's fine and you're not upset after something like that." Her shoulders slumped. "... Please. I need... just tell me if we're not okay."
She hung her head as a sob wracked her throat. "It was so wrong, but I don't know how to fix it."
Rainbow sat there, choking on her tears silently. Each sob stung Twilight's heart. It was unbearable, seeing Rainbow so upset. Twilight reached out and put her hoof to Rainbow's cheek, bringing the pegasus' eyes up to meet her gaze. Rainbow made no effort to hide her tears.
"I'm proud of what you did." Twilight stated.
Rainbow bit her lip. "You can't be." She shivered.
"I am. We both know how powerful Chrysalis is, yet you were willing to take her on when you thought that I might be in danger. It was wrong of me to surprise you like that, which means that this is my fault, not yours. You have nothing to apologize for. You were just... you, Rainbow."
Twilight couldn't help it. She smiled, gazing into those magenta eyes fondly as she stroked her cheek. Rainbow pouted, searching Twilight's eyes for an explanation.
"You're fiercely protective of me and the girls, and I know that I can count on you to be there when we need it most. You're the most reliable, wonderful friend I could ever ask for, so don't you dare apologize."
That coaxed a little smile out of Rainbow.
And that was all Twilight needed. The pain in her heart evaporated instantly. She almost felt a tinge of accomplishment; she had done that. She had soothed Rainbow's tears, and made her smile again.
All too soon, Rainbow broke their gaze. She frowned, fiddling with her hooves, and opened her mouth a few times.
"... Listen Twilight, I-"
"Shh. I know what you're trying to say." Twilight said, putting a hoof to Rainbow's lips. Rainbow flopped an ear questioningly.
Twilight paused to take a breath.
"You're scared. You've opened up to me, and now you're vulnerable. If you make some horrible mistake that might jeopardize our friendship, it'll drive a wedge between us, and..."
Twilight faltered when Rainbow folded her ears away from her words. She reached over and caressed Rainbow's shoulder, trying to quell her shuddering.
"Rainbow, look at me." She urged softly.
"Don't say it."
"I'd never do that to you. Never. We've come too far for something like that, and I care about you far too much to..."
Twilight sighed, wiping a stray tear from Rainbow's cheek. "I just don't want to see you hurt." She admitted. "I don't care if you made a mistake and punched me. I healed a few minutes later. What upsets me is what this has done to you. I've never seen you like this before, and I'd hate to ever see you like this again. You don't need to be scared, Rainbow. Nothing will ever drive us apart. We-"
Whatever Twilight was going to say next was cut off when Rainbow tacklehugged her. She nuzzled into Twilight's chest with a soft whimper, hugging her as tightly as she could.
"Thanks, Twilight."
"PFFs have to stick together, right?" Twilight whispered, returning the hug.
"Yeah."
Rainbow sighed.
She wanted to be more than PFFs.
--------------------------------
"You know the details of the Changelings' feeding practices, correct?"
Twilight was almost galloping. "Yes, Princess?" She replied curiously. In the time she had spent in Canterlot, Twilight had learned one thing about Luna; she walked very quickly when she was in a hurry.
Twilight was lost in a swirl of unorganized thoughts, tearing after Princess Luna without looking where they were headed. Where were they headed? She already knew the answer, but didn't want to conclude that it was so, not while there was still doubt.
Secondly, why had Rainbow seemed so... sad? Had Twilight missed something? Something that would be glaringly obvious to somepony else? They had made amends, shouldn't she be relieved? Now that she thought about it, Rainbow looked as though she was about to say something just before Twilight noticed Luna's call. Seeing her cutie mark etched into the sky with magic had alarmed her somewhat, and her confused blurting had probably interrupted whatever Rainbow was going to say. Twilight frowned. She'd have to ask Rainbow about it later.
Although, it wasn't like she'd have had the chance to ask if she'd picked up on it at the time anyway; Rainbow had almost insisted that she go check out the cutie mark. Said mark was nothing more than a light construct, probably intended to draw attention. There was a trail of magic leading back to ground level, where Princess Luna stood waiting for her. Citing urgent business, she had whisked Twilight away without a second thought, leaving Rainbow behind.
Luna fell silent as they approached the ballroom. She finally came to a stop outside the doors, then turned to Twilight and bowed her head.
"It is with much displeasure that I ask this of you, Twilight Sparkle, but I am left with little choice."
Twilight shivered. "Ask what of me?" She asked, throwing an anticipatory glance through a nearby window. She couldn't see anything other than carpet.
Luna turned to the doors. "In light of information that I have become aware of only just recently, I am expediting the trial date." She explained. "As such, it is necessary to question the Changeling soldiers themselves sooner that I would have liked. ...As they are our responsibility, at least until the trial, they must also be taken care of."
Twilight swallowed. She wasn't a fan of where this was going.
"They must be fed." Luna stated, flapping her wings emphatically. "Nopony else trusts them as I suspect you do, and I... I am not sure I have enough love within myself to feed them all." Luna lowered her head. "So... will you help? I will be here at all times to protect you."
Twilight bit her lip. She was scared, of course, but she couldn't let that stop her. Feeding one Changeling had been fairly safe, but a whole horde? She looked in the window. I guess there aren't too many of them...
She turned to Luna and nodded. "I'll do it."
"Thank you, Twilight. Now, I will undo the encapsulation enchantment, open the doors, and take you inside. You may then proceed whenever ready while I stand guard."
Twilight didn't wait. As soon as Luna opened the doors, she walked in and approached the horde. They were gathered in the center of the room, loosely grouped. They looked reasonably healthy, from what Twilight could see. Most were asleep, but some sat together, and appeared to be chatting idly.
One of the larger Changelings spotted her and sprang to his hooves. Helmet-framed eyes narrowed as he approached Twilight.
"Where is Princess Cadence?" He asked, eyeing her curiously.
... That was a good question, actually. Luna's face bore no answer. Twilight chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. "She's uh... busy! Doing her laundry! Yes!"
The Changeling just raised an eyebrow.
"I'm Twilight Sparkle." She said, holding a hoof to her chest. "I'm here to help with uhh... feeding?"
The Changeling looked mildly surprised. "Very well." He stomped a hoof on the tiled floor, stirring the others.
Twilight winced as they all gathered around her. Luna just nodded when she looked over, ruffling her wings as they both watched the Changelings. A few yawned, most were mumbling something... one was tired, one recognized her, one was hungry. They were... surprisingly equine. Not at all like she had imagined them to be.
Once finished, the large Changeling directed them all to the side of the ballroom. Twilight sighed, slightly relieved now that it was over. Luna walked over to her, smiling.
"Are you alright, Tw-"
"Hi!"
The ponies jumped as a member of the horde zoomed over on its wings, smiling cheerily.
"Thanks for that. I feel much bette-"
"Speedy!"
The helmet-clad Changeling paced over, glaring, and pushed Speedy aside. He cleared his throat deeply.
"I am Big Tooth, interim leader, and this is Speedyshoot." He announced, turning to said Changeling. "...who should be over there with-"
"I'm his friend." Speedy explained. "Who, in case you forgot, sa-"
"Alright, alright." Big Tooth snapped, holding up a hoof.
Twilight studied the Changeling curiously. She had never considered whether Changelings had genders. But this one, it was-no, she was smaller than most of the others. Her form was more feminine, her gossamer wings were more rounded, her fangs were crooked...
The bright smile on her face was what Twilight found most odd. She had never seen a Changeling smile before.
... At least, not like that.
"Now, if I may ask, where is our Queen?" Big Tooth snapped.
Luna bowed her head. "She is currently negotiating asylum for your kind."
Twilight had to press her lips together to stop herself from blurting.
Luna approached Big Tooth, holding herself formally as she regarded him.
"I must ask you a series of questions." Luna began, flapping her wings pointedly. "It is my intention to gather evidence to be presented at the forthcoming trial, so it is of the utmost importance that you answer truthfully."
Big Tooth narrowed his eyes, nodding slowly. "...Very well."
Luna turned to her left and began to pace idly. "Your presence in Canterlot a week prior. What was the reason your Queen gave for this?" She turned quickly, leaning down and forcing the question onto Speedyshoot.
The Changeling shimmied backward, her eyes wide. "Oh! Umm, ahh... we were hungry?" She murmured, throwing a sideways glance at Big Tooth.
"Now wait just a minute!" Big Tooth bellowed, stepping in between the two. "I represent my species in the Queen's absence, all ques-"
"I'm asking her." Luna cut in, freezing him with a stern glare. She ignored him when he growled at her, fangs bared.
"And what was your imperative?" Luna continued, turning back to Speedyshoot. "What were you instructed to do once your invasion had succeeded?"
"Umm, feed?"
Luna narrowed her eyes. Speedy chuckled.
"Well, uh, the soldiers were instructed to neu-neutralize any resistance to protect the rest of us." She explained, buzzing her wings as she spoke. "We didn't really get any specific orders aside from that." When Luna's probing gaze didn't let up, she quickly added, "Honest!"
"Stop this." Big Tooth cut in, glaring up at Luna. "You could easily ask our Queen these questions, if you could. But you're not."
He took a step forward.
"Where is our Queen?"
"I will not repeat myself."
Luna glared at him. Her gaze bore into him, yet there was no anger on her face. Twilight shivered. The air felt thick. Heavy, choking.
Big Tooth glared right back. He paused, searching. No, I know what this is." He said slowly. "You want me to say that we were taking hostile action, don't you?" He sneered. "You've imprisoned our Queen, and now you're looking for a confession!"
The horde shifted behind him, muttering amongst themselves worriedly.
"Let me explain something to you." Big Tooth growled, closing the distance between himself and Luna. "We were not taking hostile action. Fear and panic hinder our feeding abilities." He said simply. "You will not get a confession. How dare you prance in here and make such accusations. You know nothing of our kind, nothing! This little trial of yours is a joke, and you are detaining us unjustly. Where is our Queen, mule?"
Luna bristled. Twilight's legs couldn't hold her up anymore. She had never seen anypony speak to Princess Luna like that before, and her response... Twilight wouldn't want to think about it. That was the stuff of nightmares.
She always felt as though she were walking on wobbly ground around Princess Luna, even though a part of her knew that she was being overly-cautious. The Princess always had a certain... presence about her. She seemed to fill a room by doing nothing more than stand there.
Yet, that Changeling stood there somehow, staring her down. Snarling. Yelling at her.
Luna stood there at her full height. Her awe-inspiring wingspan bristled. Even her mane seemed to expand. For several long, torturous seconds, she glared into him. He glared right back. Speedy turned and ran back to the group.
Luna closed her wings.
"Very well, then."
She turned to leave. "Come, Twilight. We have what we need."
Twilight's heart skipped a beat, and she shot forward, racing for the doors.
Luna turned back, casting one last gaze over the horde as Twilight scurried out. She resealed the building, then walked away.
"Thank you for coming Twilight." She said, smiling down at the shaky unicorn in an effort to ease her. "I have one more task for you. The trial shall be held tomorrow at midday. Please inform your friends, I would prefer the Elements of Harmony to be present."
"Yes, princess." Twilight murmured.
"Now, I must leave. There are matters to which I must attend. Farewell."