Violet had seen her sister mad over the years. She'd seen her annoyed, frustrated, peeved, and just flat out done. But, sitting next to her on a marble bench in one of the outer gardens of the castle, Violet felt a small twinge of fear. When the tears stopped leaving streaks down her pale yellow face, she had felt relieved. But that was before they both sat down, and a horrific silence engulfed them. They were alone, their parents sat inside, discussing matters with the princess and some of her advisers.

Her body was like stone. Her eyes would dart to her sister's face, looking for any sense of emotion, only to find that her blue eyes were set on something in front of her. Dull and lifeless. Cold.

Luna had told them everything she could. Of course not everything could be said. Certain details were carefully guarded, others obscured due to the princess's lack of knowledge of recent society and customs, but in the end everything was clear.

The option for Violet to leave was there, but it couldn't be taken. For the safety of other ponies, as well as herself, she had to stay in the castle and be the princess's assistant until further notice. She also was to stay well hidden, and away from public eye.

"Cloudy..." Violet mumbled meekly. "Cloudy, please talk to me. We need to talk about this."

"I don't see what good it would do." She could've sworn her ears heard her sister's teeth grind together. "Both you and the princess seem pretty set on you staying." She crossed her front legs and slouched away from Violet in an act of defiance. "Can't do anything about it now."

"Do I?!" Cloudy shouted. Violet's ears folded back against her head in fear. "Do I really know that? Because I don't think I do."

"Princess Luna?" Her sister mocked. "Princess Luna!" She batted her eyelashes. "Oh, Princess Luna! I'll do anything to serve you! Just because I have a moon on my butt like you! Nothing else matters! I'll just abandon my family, never look back, and spend the rest of my days living in a castle with you, Princess Luna!"

"Cloudy!" Violet was appalled by her sister's behavior. "I figured you would be more understanding..."

"Understanding?!" Cloudy huffed. "Are you serious? After everything we've been through. Our friendship, the slumber parties, the birthdays, sharing a god damn room? Are you just think I'll be okay with just accepting that you, not only broke yourself out of your haze, but somehow managed to become the royal assistant to a princess that just spawned out of thin air a day ago?"

"And to top off the pile of everything wrong with the world, both you and Princess Luna say that the entire reason that you were in the funk in the first place was because you were "ripped out of your timeline by a time-pony"! What?" She took in a deep gulp of air. "All because a freakish crystal worshiping cult wants to kill you for some reason!"

"How do we even know that Princess Loonie is even legitimate?" Cloudy asked, eyes wild. Violet desperately hoped that nopony could hear them. "I mean, she just poofed! Appeared! In the Everfree Forest, no less! For all we know, she could have just put a spell on Celestia, making everypony think that she was some living legend that existed a long time ago. She could've gotten you too, that's why you think you were put under an information spell- you know? Those things that were banned!"

"And another thing! That time-pony... strange how she just knew that it was you that the cult was after, huh? You, a random, everyday mare. Nothing other than that. But nope! It was you! Why? We don't know, but we're just going to go along with it anyway!" She suddenly turned and looked Violet dead in the eye, their faces mere inches apart. "Why is this cult, one of which I've never heard of by the way, want you dead? Huh? I can't think of anything. Why? Because none of this makes any fucking sense!"

Cloudy ended her tangent with heaves and huffs of hot breath and angry eyes. Violet watched as those eyes, once a brilliant blue like the cleanest of oceans, turn from blue fire to bone chilling ice.

"And you, you were planning on just packing up and leaving." Violet could smell her sister's breath. "No fighting, no struggling, not even a complaint." The edge of her hoof dug into Violet's chest accusingly. "You didn't shed a single tear in that tea room. Hell, you probably wanted to leave. Live a life of luxury with the royals instead of that tiny cottage."

Violet's body went rigid. After everything that she had gone through the past few days: The breaking of her reality, the crushing of her heart, swallowing her inner wishes and wants for the sake of what she believed to be the greater good. And this is what her sister decided to end her rant with? She probably didn't even care that there were psychotic cultist ponies on the loose, or the fact that a new princess arrived and announced her sister as her assistant out of the blue with hardly a reasonable explanation. She heard it all in her voice. The thing that she was truly angry about was something that wasn't even true.

"What?" Violet heard herself speak. Even she flinched at the hardness of her voice.

"You heard me." Cloudy dropped the cold stare and replaced it with a smug sneer. "I don't blame you." She shrugged. "You lived in Canterlot all your life, it would make sense that you would always dream of living in the castle that you could see from your bedroom window. Any stuck up, pointy nosed filly would."

Violet knew her sister's words weren't genuine. She knew that she was simply making it all up in her head because she was angry and unable to fight. But that didn't stop the anger from boiling in her gut. "You... you really think that I accepted everything without an argument?" She stepped forward and brushed her nose against Cloudy's. "That I didn't fight, that I wanted to believe everything that happened?"

Cloudy tried to hide it, but Violet saw her sister swallow. "Cloudy... The past day of my life is arguably going to be the worst day I'm ever going to have." She pressed her hoof to her sister's chest. "That feeling that's right there." She pressed her hoof in deeper. "That feeling of helplessness and agony that you're feeling right there." She forced Cloudy to look her in the eye. "I've been feeling that feeling since the moment I met Princess Luna. Since the moment I walked into the castle for the first time. " She pushed her sister then, forcing the information into her sister's chest. "For you to think that I just submitted and let everything happen- let my entire world fall apart around me... Cloudy, I'm afraid you're very wrong."

Cloudy, with years of acting lessons and raw talent, broke. Though she kept a straight face, tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared Violet down. If there was one thing that she could do better than acting innocent, it was telling if her sister was lying.

"I saw her disappear. She came back with snow in her mane and wearing regalia that not even the best antique stores in Canterlot could get their hooves on."

"Whether you accept her as your princess or not, the rest of Equestria has. Her word is still law, and there's nothing you can do to fight it. Hell, you were at the celebration of her return when she dragged me into the castle."

"... The cult..." Cloudy threw in her last attempted. Her body started shaking, and she looked like a small filly about to get scolded for breaking her mother's vase.

"I... don't have an answer for that." Violet said, honest. "I don't have any proof that what either one of them says is genuine." Cloudy's ears raised in hope, only for it to be squashed like a ladybug under a sturdy horseshoe. "But do you really want to take that risk?"

"But for bad reasons!" Cloudy quickly added. And she was right. Yellow Parchment accepted it partially because he had read texts in the archives, describing in detail of the tale of Nightmare Moon. He even theorized, once she returned, that he might've even read journal entries written by the moon princess herself. Because he needed to be angry with something, he was frustrated with himself for not seeing the signs of her arrival sooner. Sugar Crystal was too angry to even question the more interesting details of their story. But, no matter what mood they found themselves in, neither one of them could argue with the world of a princess. Even a new one.

"Reasons are reasons." Violet let her face soften, and she placed a gentle hoof on Cloudy's shoulder. "You can't fight it."

Cloudy's face was buried into Violet's shoulder faster than either pony could blink. Her shoulders would let out a tiny shake when she sniffed. Violet could feel the tickle of tears as they fell down her back after falling off her sister's face.

"Why did it have to be you?" Cloudy mumbled. She buried her face deeper. "I just got you back, why did it have to be you? Why couldn't it be somepony else? Why couldn't it be one of the guards, or Celestia's student? Or some other magical unicorn? Why did it have to be you?"

"I... I don't know." Violet lifted her sister up and looked into her eyes. "But what are we supposed to do? What are our parents meant to do? You think mom is going to defend me forever with nothing but her frying pan?" She wiped a stray tear of Cloudy's face. "Fate is a tricky thing. I can't argue with it, not after everything that has happened."

Violet tried to say something. Something comforting, something saying that this obviously wouldn't be the last time they share their sisterly bond, but she couldn't. She was too choked up. Her broken heart ruining her again.

Cloudy's ears perked up. Before Violet could swallow her pain and utter anything of sincere sympathy, her sister met her eyes with a spark of joy that Violet hadn't seen in years.

"That's it!" She said joyfully. She hopped from hoof to hoof, as though she was her fillyhood self again. Before Violet had been separated from time, before all of this began. "That's it, Vi! That's it!"

"What's it?" Violet stood, shell-shocked at her sister. She hadn't seen Cloudy this exuberant and full of light in so long, it took her breath away.

"Celestia, you're slow!" Cloudy pulled her along, going at a speed that pushed their manes back and almost left a maidpony flattened on the ground.

"Princess Luna!" Cloudy burst through the door to the large sitting room where their parents were attempting to eat a few bites of sandwiches the princess provided them for lunch. Across the large, marble table sat the princess herself, with a teacup half raised to her mouth. "Your majesty, we have come to terms with the situation."

"You have?" Violet and her parents chorused. She had never seen her mother look so tired, but at least her eyes weren't as swollen.

Princess Luna put her teacup down on a little baby blue saucer. "We are glad to hear this. We assure you, your sister is in safe hooves."

"But!" Cloudy quickly interjected, leaving the princess taken aback. Violet was starting to fear that Luna was considering her and her father to be the most polite of the family. "On one condition."

The princess went perfectly still. A servant pony, with a silver platter filled with tea cakes, nearly dropped the plate in shock. Even the guards looked at them with peaked interest.

Princess Luna cleared her throat. "What is your condition?" She pronounced the word carefully, as though testing it for anything odd.

Everypony's eyes focused on Cloudy's cheery face. "I'll allow all of this to happen without a single complaint, if..." She took a deep breath. "I stay by her side for approximately one week starting today."

Luna's expression went from her usual stoic frown to a genuine look of surprise. "Cloudy Sun... we are not sure-"

"It's either you accept, or I won't let you have my sister sitting down." Cloudy interrupted.

Violet didn't know what went through Luna's mind. Maybe she was thinking about her own struggles with her sister, maybe she considered Cloudy's behavior childish and small. Perhaps she considered it normal, and deemed her request to be expected and simple. Violet had already discussed the fact that she didn't want her family anywhere near her after she realized what was happening. Luna had agreed that it was arguably the best decision for their safety and well-being.

"So, Miss Lace," A nasally voice drawled. "You request the, um... minimum amount?" The secretary pony that Luna had provided her to get her new bedroom furniture looked up from her paper that she was eagerly scribbling on. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes." Violet sat, awkward and stiff on the love seat. Her love seat. It was comfortable sure, but it didn't even begin to compare to her old yellow couch that she grew up on. Her mind briefly wandered to the small amount of naps she had taken on it's worn yellow fabric, the bright color fading in places and the stitching nearly coming undone.

The secretary pushed up her glasses. "You... prefer breathing room, I'm guessing?"

"Yes, I do." Violet nodded her head, but she allowed her annoyance to show through narrowed eyes. Who was this pony to judge her?

There was a moment of silence where the secretary studied her expression. With a twitch of her nose, she put away her quill and reviewed her paper. "So, just for confirmation, you want a standard set. A bed, one armoire, one dresser, and a small bedside table, complete with... one drawer?"

"Yes." Violet said again for what seemed to be the millionth time. "Nothing else." She didn't even want to bring up the fact that she wanted some of the old furniture to be taken out of the room. What in the wide world of Equestria is she suppose to do with so many couches?

"Well, she took forever." Cloudy popped her head out of the bathroom door. "She can't take a hint, can she?"

Violet held her tongue. Though they certainly were on better terms when compared to last night, the phrase "speaking terms" wouldn't quite explain their situation. Violet wasn't even mad, not truly. She knew why Cloudy wanted to do what she did.

"This is awesome!" She said when Violet and her parents jumped her after the princess had left. "Now I can follow you around, and see if I can join the castle staff or something! I have time to figure out how to stay with you!"

Good intentions or not, it still didn't change the fact that Cloudy was still putting herself in danger on her own behalf. At home nopony would notice her. Nopony would bat a mascara coated eyelash at her if she was sitting on her bed applying for some summer jobs at one of the many theaters in the city. But here she was, happy and smiling in the middle of a royal library- turned bedroom.

"I guess she's not used to somepony so... frugal." Violet mumbled after a long moment of silence. Cloudy let out a small smile, happy with the quiet words and not asking for more.

Violet hopped off the plush velvet of her seat. "Luna sent me a letter this morning."

"Can we really call it anything? We never went to sleep." The lunar princess's sleep schedule for all of her staff was skewed to say the least. Though it wasn't completely nocturnal, it was most definitely different. Two brief four hour periods of sleep, one in the afternoon when the sun was at it's highest, and another when the sun had just set, with two hours of free time in between. This allowed for a decent amount of time in the morning, if somepony were to need it, to go about their 'daily' activities, while also allowing all of the staff to be awake all night. Once everypony got news of the schedule, nopony believed that it would actually work. They all figured that Celestia would get word and tell Luna that it just wasn't how things worked anymore. But that hasn't happened yet, leaving everypony tired and awake at all the wrong times.

None the less, Neither Violet nor Cloudy had gone to sleep that morning. They were both awake, ready to start their day like they normally would've. But there was nothing really to do. Luna was meant to read the time-pony, Clock Mage's, paper and report back to Violet with what it said, just in case it was enchanted or something of the like. Violet was told to stay in her room and redecorate until she got word.

"You should've gone to sleep." Cloudy mumbled. Violet had to strain her ears to hear. "You've been through a lot."

"It'll come." Violet said, not really knowing what to add to the issue. Cloudy was right, she really should've slept given what all has happened, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't fall asleep on any of the furniture provided.

"Once you get your fancy bed, I bet the guards will have to drag you out of your room." Cloudy laughed. Humor was risky, but Violet felt a smile curl her lips.

"Right, like you won't curl up and steal all of my bed sheets this week." Violet retorted. Cloudy shrugged, admitting her weakness for cotton blends.

Sadly, even after getting the minimum amount of furniture possible for her room, Violet cringed a little at what she had ordered. The magazine that showed her decor was seemingly engulfed in silk and exotic woods. Whatever she was getting was going to cost more than her old house entirely.

"Miss Violet Lace!" An unknown guard shouted from the hallway. "We request entry with the princess of the night by our side!"

"Oh!" She cast a panicked glance at Cloudy who's eyes were wide. The only thing her sister did was shrug and run back towards the bathroom.

Two buff and broad shouldered unicorn guards stood before her. Behind them, was Luna herself along with what appeared to be a dozen or so other guards.

Yikes... Violet thought. What did I do? She motioned for them to enter. Without breaking formation, and staying in clean rows, they all trotted inside her room without a word. Once the princess had entered, Violet quickly looked at her face to see any clues on what had happened. Not surprisingly, she found nothing.

"Miss Lace." Luna's voice seemed to move all the loose objects in the room. Violet could've sworn that she even saw one of the guards flinch. "We wish to report to you the parchment that the time-pony, Miss Clock Mage, has left us."

"O-oh..." Violet cowered, but she felt her brow furrow in confusion. "Is there a reason why there are so many guards in the room, Princess Luna?"

"We shall read the document, then all should become clear." Princess Luna cleared her throat.

"Dear Princess Luna,
You chose to read this letter alone. I figured. Now you need to listen carefully, this is important."

Everypony's ears perked. Violet wouldn't be shocked if they never heard the Princess speak in such a casual sort of way. Those who had, even for small moments like Violet, were just eager to hear what the time-pony had to say. To speak to, not only a princess, but also a pony who was once considered a powerful legend in such a way was unheard of.

"This document is divided into sections. You are to discuss and perform the actions in the document in sequence in order for everything to go as planned. The first section, the one written in blue ink, you are to discuss with Violet Lace at three-oh-five on this coming Tuesday."

That's today! Violet thought. She looked at the beautiful clock that hung above one of the writing desks. It had just passed three a few minutes ago.

"As you can see, you are unable to read the rest of the parchment until the proper time. So please listen. Violet Lace needs to choose a pony from your new team of royal guards. The ones that were moved from the village, not the team you just transformed an hour ago."

So that's what those explosions and screams were... Violet let her eyes wander over the guards. All of them, at first glance. looked almost the same. How was she supposed to choose one?

"This pony shall be her personal guard. They will guard her entrance, maintain her well-being, and shall be ordered to attend any meetings or outings with her at all times as long as she stays a residence in the castle. Tell her that we shall meet again soon, and to stay strong."

Great. Perfect. Violet looked at the guards. If they had any sort of feelings about the situation, they didn't show them. They stared directly ahead, not flinching, not blinking, not even breathing. Violet's brain went rabid, devouring her courage in an almost savage sort of way. She was already living in one of the prettiest rooms in the castle, and now she had to force a begrudging guard to follow her around? She wanted to make new friends, not force acquaintances.

"Well..." Luna prompted. "Make your decision, Miss Lace. We have many things we need to do today."

Thanks for the pep-talk, Princess... Violet thought bitterly. She looked at the crowd of ponies in the room again. Some were smaller, probably mares. All of them had bat wings, grayish type coats, and yellow eyes. It wasn't until her eyes locked with a golden pair that blazed like fire on dry grass did she realize she was staring directly at Midnight Gust.

Her green locks were combed neatly, but a few found their way in front of her face in the eyes of her helmet. She was the smallest of the group, and she could've sworn that a tiny smile of encouragement flickered at her when nopony else was watching. Just looking into her eyes, Violet could practically hear her kind voice.

"That one." Violet pointed. Luna had a small look of disapproval at Midnight's tiny frame.

"Are you sure, Miss Lace?" Luna peered closer. Midnight didn't so much as flinch. "She looks quite small. She probably needs a few more weeks of training before she could be a proper guard."

"I know of this pony." Violet said. Midnight let her expression waver for only the briefest of seconds, showing a small amount of shock at Violet's confession. "I assure you I couldn't be in more capable hooves."

Luna didn't question it any further. "Alright. It is done." She turned towards Midnight Gust. "State your name."

"Midnight Magnolia Gust, your Majesty." Midnight shouted, looking directly ahead.

"I would be honored." She shouted with her hoof raised to her forehead in the form of salute. "We shall do our job proudly."

Luna nodded. "Good. We trust that Violet Lace made a good decision." She leaned in close, and Violet could see the loose hairs behind Midnight's helmet twitch. "Don't let us down."

And with that, they were gone. They let themselves out, one by one, until only Luna was left.

"Midnight Gust shall be begin her duties this evening." Luna stated as she looked around Violet's bedroom. "Your furniture shall be delivered within the next hour or so, in case you want to efficiently use your second sleep period."

"Thank you, Princess." Violet said, bowing her head. "I'm very grateful." And with that, Luna let herself out.

"How could I not?" Cloudy opened the door. "She doesn't really know how to use her inside voice, now does she?"

Violet wrinkled her nose. "Be nice." She looked behind her sister to see a large bathroom, complete with a claw-footed bath and obsidian sinks. The entire ceiling was made out of onyx, with tiny lights drilled into it, making it look like stars. It was beautiful, and it caused Violet's head to swim.

"You know, you going to have to get used to this eventually." Cloudy said, reading her sisters expression. Violet shook her head, shaking it of cobwebs.

You're the one who runs into the bathroom whenever there's a pony at the door. "So," Violet wanted to change the subject. "You thinking about joining the royal guard?"

"Maybe I'll become your maid or something." Cloudy suggested. This time it was Violet who laughed.

"Well, whatever you choose, you better choose fast." Violet attempted to look out the window, only to flinch at the afternoon sun. "Day one is practically over."

"Pressuring a pony never helped." Cloudy retorted, looking around the room. "I choose... this one." She jumped on the plushest couch. Violet levitated a blanket and pillow out of the closet that sat snugly in the back of her room.

"I always do." She smiled as she watched her sister's magic unfold the sheets and lay them on her make-shift cot. "What kind of food do you think they have in this place?'

"Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it won't be nearly as good as mother's cooking." Violet muttered, placing a freshly fluffed pillow in place.

Right at that moment, Violet's stomach rumbled. She couldn't stay in her room forever, she had to leave at some point and memorize the pathways of the castle. Who knows? Maybe she'll meet Midnight again. Maybe she'll make a new friend.

Violet Lace

by DemonAngel13

Cloud Covered Moon