Derpy did not panic. Panic would have implied she didn’t know what needed to happen. Sure, she fluttered about her house, almost crashing into things and frightening her daughters, but she knew exactly what needed to happen. Not more than ten minutes ago, she’d seen Rainbow Dash publicly drag Daring Do away towards jail. Only the blue box had allowed them to evade her search. But the problem was, Rainbow Dash knew where the two rebels lived.
Dinky and Sparkler trailed behind their mother in a fog of confusion and concern. “But why are we leaving?” Dinky demanded.
“Rainbow Dash is coming,” Derpy said, a look of distress, almost fear on her face. Her daughters exchanged glances. Derpy Hooves had a reputation for being a little out of it, but she was a loving mother and both her natural and adopted daughter loved her with all their hearts. Still, they had to get used to some eccentricities. The best way to handle it was ask polite questions until they got to the bottom of it.
“Did you not deliver her package on time?” Sparkler asked.
“Oh! You crushed a Wonderbolt thingy!” Dinky guessed, “And now she’s mad.”
“Knocked her out of the sky?”
“Asked her on a date?”
“No, no, no, and…” Derpy thought about it. “Pretty sure that was a dream.” She shook her head. “There’s no time, silly fillies! Pack everything you think you’ll need. I’ll get the muffins.” She darted for the kitchen, mentally listing off the dozens of places where muffins were stored and making plans of which suitcases to shove them in. Her days as a mover may have been disastrous, but they taught her a thing or two about proper packing. Mainly, what not to do.
“Wait!” Dinky trotted in after her, “How’re we supposed to know what to pack if we don’t know how long we’re going to be gone?”
Derpy’s steps faltered. “I don’t know, muffin. We could be gone forever.”
“Forever?” Sparkler craned her head around the door, panic in her eyes. “But I have school! And a date. And...and we can’t be going away forever! We can’t.”
Derpy looked down.
Sparkler swallowed. “Tell me this is a joke. O-or another one of your accidents. I’m sure if we talk to whoever got hurt, we can figure something out. This is a little...drastic. Don’t you think so, Dinky? Er, Dinky?”
Dinky stepped forward and wrapped her forelegs around her mother’s neck. “We forgive you,” she said, “Whatever you did, no matter what happens to us because of it, we forgive you.” She glanced backwards at Sparkler with a fire in her eyes.
“R-right! Yeah. Totally,” Sparkler agreed.
Derpy sniffed. “I wanted to help. I wanted to fix everything. I couldn’t stand around and see ponies I know grow sadder and sadder. I couldn’t let Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle be hurt. I thought...I trusted my friends to think of something that would work. I only wanted to help. But I just…” She let out a sigh. “I don’t know what went wrong. But everything’s gone wrong.”
Dinky hugged her tighter. Wordlessly, Sparkler trotted up and joined.
Derpy wrapped her hooves and her wings around her children. “Now they’re coming to arrest me and Doc. If we don’t leave, I don’t know what’ll happen to you.” She choked back a sob. “I’m sorry! I was trying to fix the world. But I only break things. And now I’ve broken your lives and your happiness. I should have thought. I shouldn’t have tried. It’s too late to go back now.”
“We forgave you already,” Dinky said, “Now come on. You grab the muffins. We’ll grab the other essentials.”
“Like soap, toothbrushes, photo albums, those sorts of silly, not-muffin things,” Sparkler added.
“Books,” Dinky mused, “We should take some fun books. And games. We’ll need something fun to do.”
“Brushes, some clothes,” Sparkler continued. The two sisters moved off, chattering and making plans. Behind them, Derpy smiled. The best two daughters anypony could ask for. Whatever jerk abandoned Sparkler in the orphanage didn’t know what she was missing.
The muffins were easy to gather and pack. Only four suitcases full of them. Derpy prided herself on packing light. Sparkler and Dinky were still running around upstairs, shouting a conversation at each other and stuffing all sorts of things into a twin pair of duffels. She had some time all to herself.
She wandered the house, letting all the memories in it flow back to her. All the patches in the walls where she’d crashed through them. All the marks on the floor from a dropped plate or drink that left stains behind no matter what cleaning product she used (except for that one bleach, but it turned the red carpet white instead, so not much better). The table where she’d taught Dinky to read. The couch she’d been sitting on when Sparkler had first called her ‘Mom’. The kitchen, where they’d had so many adventures with baking.
There were darker memories as well. The boarded up window from when those vines from the Everfree attacked and almost took Dinky away. The leak in the bathroom sink after the Flim Flam brothers convinced her to pay for their newest product. The dresser in her bedroom that held all the pink slips from all her past jobs. The mirror above it with all the happy ‘Get Well Soon’ cards taped to it from all the times she’d injured herself. And behind it, her bed.
It was the source of her greatest gift and her greatest grief. From under its covers came her little muffin, the best little filly in all the world, Dinky Hooves. But it was a bed for two ponies and one side of it would always be empty. She picked up the picture on the nightstand and smiled. This would come with her. This picture and the muffins.
Whooves was waiting for her out in the living room. His blue box sat in front of the fireplace. “I let myself in,” he said, “Well, more like popped myself in really.” He raised a brow at her bags. “Do I smell muffins? Are those bags filled with muffins?”
“I didn’t want to take them all,” Derpy said, “So I only packed the fresh ones.”
Whooves stared at her, muttered something to the heavens above, and clapped his forehooves together. “Right. And the children are almost ready?”
“I’ll check.” Derpy turned toward the stair. “Muffins! You almost done packing?”
“Yep!” Sparkler called, “The zipper’s giving us some trouble, but once we get it closed we’ll be ready.”
A minute later, the two trotted down with two very overstuffed duffle bags. “I packed games and blankets,” Dinky said, “Lots of blankets.”
“I packed clothes and soap and stuff,” Sparkler said, “And...well, a few records, in case we find anything to play them on.” Her eyes fell on the blue box. “Sweet Celestia! How did that get here?”
“Oh, you know. I popped in,” Whooves replied with a smile, “Well, let’s get things loaded, shall we? No time to spare. Ms. Dash could be arriving any minute.”
Dinky walked all the way around the box several times and pushed at the door. “It’s not all going to fit in…” She gasped. “It’s bigger on the inside! Sparkler, you have to see this!”
As the two fillies examined the inside with awe and wonder, Derpy took Whooves’ hoof in hers. “Doc,” she said, “The plan didn’t work. What’re we going to do?”
“Never fear, Miss Hooves,” he said, “The first plan didn’t work, but when does it ever? We’re not out of the fight yet. And, to be frank, no matter how fast Ms. Dash flies, she can’t catch us so long as we can pop away.”
“But...but she hurt my sister!” Derpy grabbed his shoulders. “What’s going to happen to her? Are they going to banish her? Send her to the moon? What do they do with rebels?”
“I don’t know,” Whooves said, “But wherever she ends up, we can rescue her easily. No prison expects to defend itself against a machine that can teleport. Magical barriers won’t affect us. We can pop in, grab Daring, and pop out again. All we need is a location.” He paused. “And more allies.”
“Allies?” Derpy shook her head. “No, we can’t! We can’t get more ponies involved. They might get hurt too.”
“I think…” Whooves sighed. “I think ponies will get hurt regardless. It’s already happened even. I wouldn’t call what they did to Celestia painless.” He put a comforting hoof around her shoulders. “But we’re going to make things right. And we’re going to get the help of everypony we can. And we're going to remind Twilight who the real ruler of Equestria is.”
Derpy didn’t look entirely convinced. “It’s still going to be dangerous for them.” She took a deep breath. “But I trust you. You’ve always been kind to me and so I suppose you wouldn’t put ponies in danger if...if there wasn’t a good reason for it.”
Whooves laughed. “Oh my dear Derpy. Please, never change who you are. You are a wonderful, kind, caring pony. And I love you for…” His face flushed. “Er, that is to say, it’s an admirable quality and you are a quality mare and...no, that came out wrong too.”
Derpy’s face was red as fire. “D-Doc?”
“Yes, Ms. Hooves?”
“Shouldn’t we get in the box now?”
“That’s a fantastic idea. Let’s drop this topic and go. I imagine we're going to be very busy over the next few months.”
Derpy followed him into the box. "What're we going to be doing, Doc?"
That crazy, almost manic grin that she loved him for appeared on his face. "Why Miss Hooves! We're going recruiting of course!"
* * *
Fancy Pants leaned back in his chair and pretended to study the papers on his desk. “I knew it was only a matter of time before somepony approached me with such a...proposition,” he said, “So then...forgive me, I don’t believe I caught your names.”
“I think it would be best if you just called me the Doctor for now,” the stallion said.
“And what are you a doctor of?”
“Engineering and technology.”
Fancy Pants nodded and turned to the pegasus mare. “And you, Miss…?”
“Derp-- Ditzy Doo,” she replied.
Fancy Pants caught the correction, but opted not to press her on it. “Derp Ditzy Doo. Quite the name.” He smoothed his elegant mustache and his eyes fell on the third thing to invade his office. “And quite the arrival. Is that an old police call box?”
“It wasn’t being used for anything,” the ‘Doctor’ said.
“How does it work?”
“It doesn’t,” the Doctor said, “Not yet anyway. It’s more of a malfunction at the moment. Supposed to be a time machine.”
“If all your malfunctions work so well, I would love to see one of your successes. This could revolutionize transport,” Fancy Pants said, “If you hadn’t come to me with the proposition you did, I might have considered investing in its mass-production. However, as it stands, I doubt that will happen.”
Both ponies firmly shook their heads. “Out of the question. Can't give up one of our few advantages,” the Doctor said, “But about what we were discussing?”
“Oh, don’t worry. I have a few questions and then I’ll give you my decision.” Fancy Pants slipped out a newspaper from under his desk and held up the first page. ‘Equestria Daily’ was the title and the cover story read “Whereabouts of dangerous rebels still unknown”. Their pictures were beside it. Fancy Pants smiled. “So, Time Turner and Derpy Hooves, you’re here to, what, gain my support for your ill-planned rebellion?”
The pegasus looked quite unsettled and shakily reached for the paper. The stallion was unruffled. “Mr. Pants,” he said, “I’m sure that a stallion of your position--”
Derpy gasped. “1000 bits? For capturing me?” She fainted, but the Doctor caught her and set her deftly on a couch. Fancy Pants raised an eyebrow.
“Should I call somepony to tend to her?” he asked.
“Um, no. No, that’s quite alright.” The Doctor checked her over carefully and breathed a sigh of relief. “Fainted from shock, that’s all. She’ll be fine.” He cleared his throat. “As I was saying, I’m sure a stallion of your position appreciates the gravity of the changes going on in Equestria right now.”
“I am in a unique position to observe them first-hand,” the unicorn replied, “Unlike many of the other nobles and celebrities, my reputation as a philanthropist and, I quote, ‘ally of friendship’, seems to have earned me the Empress’ favor.” His face grows dark. “I don’t like it, Turner. I don’t like it one bit. This is very out of character for the six of them. Ms. Rarity, well, she’s a fine pony still, but when we talked there seemed to be something not quite right with her. And the Empress is, of course, a neurotic, book-obsessed wizard who never studied how to run a business, much less a kingdom. You can’t learn politics in books! She’s going to destroy all of Celestia’s hard work based upon some useless, philosophical kookery somepony dreamed up three thousand years ago. Ideal state my flank.”
He huffed and rubbed his temple with a hoof. “Well, I guess you know where I stand on the issue,” he said, “I don’t bear them ill-will, no more than they deserve, but I dearly wish Celestia and Luna were back on the throne. The enemies of Equestria feared Luna and Celestia was a mastermind diplomat. Neither can be said of Twilight Sparkle.”
The Doctor strode forward and put a forehoof on his desk. “Mr. Pants. Might I assume this outburst indicates your agreement to the cause? A rebellion needs volunteers, supplies, and money. Would you provide the latter?”
Fancy Pants’ eyes wandered over to the box. His mouth quirked upwards. “Yes, well I suppose I’ll never get a better option than a pony who can evade all my guards and magical wards with ease. Yes, I will provide the money. We’ll work out the details later. Though I do wonder how you two fit in there.”
The Doctor smiled. “Well, maybe you’d care for a look inside…”
* * *
“Ponies are funny! Ponies make Diamond Dogs laugh! Very funny ponies.”
Whooves glared at the horde of burrowing canines. “On the contrary, I was being serious.”
The one closest to a leader, Rover or whatever his name was, stopped laughing. An uneasy expression came over his face. He tapped his paws together nervously. “Eh-heh. Time-pony wants Diamond Dogs to fight Sun and Moon princess. At the same time.”
“No, I want you to help us fight Twilight Sparkle. I want to free Celestia and Luna.”
At Twilight’s name, the dog’s eyes went wide. “Purple-Pony is Sun and Moon now? This not good. This not good at all.”
Whooves nodded. “Indeed! It is not good. And it’s only going to get worse if we don’t stop it now. Better to stand and fight when there’s a chance than to wait around for doom to overtake you, don’t you think?”
Rover’s eyes filled with suspicion. “What Time-Pony want? Gems? We no give gems. We take them.”
“Charming,” Whooves replied, “But no. I was hoping you’d allow me and my friends to live down here. It would be quite safe, safer than a number of places I could think of, and is capable of supporting a large population.”
“No.”
“No?” Whooves tried not to get frustrated, “But you agreed that Twilight was a problem.”
“Purple-Pony is pony problem. Diamond Dogs live underground. No need sun or moon. And no need to make Sun-Moon-Princess angry enough to come down and hurt Diamond Dogs.” He shuddered. “Besides, last time ponies were down here did not go so well. We no want ponies living down here ever again.”
Whooves took a step back. “Rover, you can’t hide from this. If Twilight...”
“No! That’s final, Time-Pony!”
Whooves fixed the canine with a piercing look. “It’s your decision,” he said lightly, “but those who stand idly by have no right to complain about the results.”
* * *
“Helloooo Equestria! It’s me, your host, the ravishing, righteous rocker herself, DJ-Pon3.”
“And I’m Octavia. Your co-host.”
“And this is...The-Not-So-Late-Show, Equestria’s number one radio show. Accept no substitutes.”
“Vinyl, we’re the only radio show in Equestria. They play music whenever we aren’t on.”
“Yeah. Your point?”
Vinyl Scratch and Octavia sat across from each other in the broadcast room. It was a mess, as was anyplace that Vinyl spent any amount of time in. But it was their mess, the product of both their time and imaginations.
“My point,” Octavia pressed, “Is that by definition we’re the number one radio show.”
“Yeah. And it’s amazing~” Vinyl sang, “So amazing that yesterday we got attacked by griffons who wanted to take over the studio.”
“Yes, Vinyl. That happened on air. I’m sure all our listeners remember.” She shuddered. “I know I’ll never forget those sharp claws, those curved beaks, those cruel smiles, those…”
“Aaaand what’s important,” Vinyl interrupted, “Is that in order to cope with our trauma, we went bar-hopping last night and it was a blast! I totally rock karaoke.”
“You were singing songs in the wrong genre,” Octavia said.
“The awesome genre!”
Octavia sighed, not for the first or the last time that day. “Correct me if I’m wrong,” she said through gritted teeth, “But I don’t believe that “My Heart Will Go On” was meant to be performed as a hard rock song remixed with dubstep. And a little Screamo, if I remember.” She frowned. “How did you even do that? The song was played from a tape. You couldn’t have remixed the background score.”
Vinyl grinned and tapped her horn. “Elementary, my dear Tavi. I used magic. It’s my special talent.” Her grin widened. “But that wasn’t the best part of the night, listeners. See, Tavi here has a little problem when it comes to alcohol.” She leaned forward. “Namely, she can’t hold it worth two bits. And you should have seen what she did on that dance floor. Smokin’. And that, dear listeners, was the beginning.”
Octavia’s eyes were wide and she laughed nervously. “Alright, Vinyl. That’s enough now.” In a harsh whisper, she hissed, “You’re not seriously going to say that on air, right?”
“Oh I am,” Vinyl said, “For all you Ponyville folks out there, imagine Berry Punch. But much huggier and more...hmm, affectionate.” She looked at Octavia’s face and laughed. “I’m kidding! I’m kidding. Even sloshed you were the picture of,” she adopted a faux-Canterlot accent, “poise and refinement. Though your dance moves did leave a poor stallion with a bloody nose. Brava, milady, brava.”
Octavia’s face was as red as an apple. She cleared her throat and held her mic close. “Dear listeners,” she said, “For the next five minutes, you will be regaled with a stunning recording of Pinkie Pie’s new hit single “Smile”, released by Las Pegasus records. Then, we will return. In the meantime, if you are the sort to offer up prayers for other ponies to whatever powers may exist, I suggest you get on your knees and pray that my boss survives the next few minutes.”
Vinyl felt a bead of nervous sweat trace down her brow. “I-it was a joke, Tavi. There’s no need for--”
Octavia flipped the console’s switch and smiled endearingly at her partner and best friend. “But Vinyl,” she said sweetly, “I’m only going to show you how affectionate I can be.” She lunged for her and the DJ retreated with a yelp.
Before things got further out of hand and Octavia poked her eye out on Vinyl’s horn, a loud pop filled the air. A blue box filled the corner of the already crowded studio. The pair looked at each other, than at it. A door opened and a smiling stallion stepped out.
“T-Time Turner?” Octavia stammered, “What the blazes are you doing here? And what is that thing?”
“Oh it’s nothing special, just my box.” He blinked. “No. Wait. I can come up with a better name than that.”
Derpy poked her head out from behind him. “The Muffin-Machine?” she suggested.
“That would imply it makes muffins, Ms. Hooves.”
Derpy smiled proudly. “It does now! I made a muffin replicator.”
“You did what now?”
“Wait, wait, wait.” Vinyl fished around the in mess of papers littering their desk. She pulled out a newspaper. “You’re the most wanted ponies in Equestria. We were going to do a segment on you and now you’re here. This is perfect! You mind doing an interview?”
The stallion cleared his throat. “As tempting as that sounds, we had a proposition, if you wouldn’t mind giving us a moment of your time.”
“I suppose it wouldn't hurt.” Octavia glanced at the clock. “You have about...three and a half minutes.”
* * *
“As much as we would love to help, I’m afraid the personal risk is just too much.” Cadence smiled sorrowfully down at the strange pair of ponies who’d appeared before her. “My daughter and I, well, we’re the only other alicorns left. Twilight already has Aunt Celestia and Luna’s power. If she were to take mine…” She shudders. “Well, I don’t want to see what another pony could do with the power of love.”
“We don’t know what’s gotten into Twily’s head,” Shining Armor said with a sigh, “But nopony’s going to be a match for her in a fight. Not anymore. She’s too powerful.” He sighed. “And she is my little sister. I don’t think, if it came to it, I could bring myself to fight her.”
“Nor I.”
The Doctor’s jaw tightened. “I see. Well, protecting family is a noble goal.” He turned sharply. “Come, Derpy, we’re leaving.”
“Wait!” Cadence called. The Doctor paused. “Just because we can’t directly support you doesn’t mean we can’t...turn a blind eye if someponies need to hide in the Crystal Empire. And it doesn’t mean that we don’t know where some are who might help. Hypothetically speaking, you might try talking to Thorax. He’s a dear friend and has a good heart.”
The Doctor looked at them once more and this time a little warmth crept into his eyes. He bowed. “Well now,” he said, “That is most kind of you.”
* * *
“Of course I’ll help!” Thorax leapt from his ‘throne’. He hadn’t wanted one, but his new subjects had insisted on it. “I don’t know what’s going on, but it can’t be good. If…” He swallowed. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say they’d been replaced by Changelings again.”
* * *
“Are you out of your mind? No way!”
* * *
“Eh. Got nothing to lose. Count me in, Doc.”
* * *
"You're going to get yourselves killed. Lucky for you, I'm not one to stand by either. Count me in!"
* * *
"Oh why not? I must say, Empress Twilight better watch herself. The fires of rebellion are spreading."
* * *
Sunny Skies lay awake. The moon had been up for hours and here she was, restless in bed.How long had it been since she’d gotten a decent sleep? Too long. It was beginning to show on her face. Twilight insisted she still looked fine, the servants insisted she looked radiant as ever. They insisted on the word ‘radiant’. Sunny could see the changes, however, and they were greatly discouraging.
Was she getting older? Was that it? Was age finally catching up with her?
The second occupant of the bed shifted and rolled over in her sleep. A hoof wrapped around Sunny’s middle and pulled her close. Much like a child’s doll, she reflected with some amusement. “Mmm…” Twilight mumbled in her sleep. She sniffed Sunny’s mane. “Smells like...strawberries.”
She almost chuckled. It was that or cry. She, a twelve hundred year old schemer and chess-mistress on the international stage, had been reduced to Twilight Sparkle’s new Smartypants doll. Discord would have a fit laughing if he were here to see it.
Her eyes closed and she tried to will herself to sleep. Maybe she could do it this time. Her current position wasn’t too uncomfortable. Twilight soft chest pressed against her back and her forelegs wrapped around Sunny’s shoulders. She could feel the Empress breathing, in and out, in and out. She could get used to this. All she had to do was give up and forget ever being Celestia. It would be so easy to be Sunny and Sunny alone.
Sunny had a good life. She was cared for, beloved by all the servants, and sometimes the Empress listened when she spoke words of carefully phrased advice. She had all the cake she could want. And really, it would be simple to ask Twilight for a spell to suppress her old memories. Not eliminate them, for that would leave her helpless as a foal, but suppress. Magically induced amnesia, yes. That was a good way to describe it.
“And why not?” she muttered, “Who could possibly defeat Twilight and the Elements?” For all her schemes, for all her wisdom, they were right. She’d been blindsided too many times. First with Discord, and then others in rapid succession. Tirek, twice with Chrysalis. Despite every Corvid invasion she avoided, despite every treaty she extracted from the minotaurs, despite it all she failed when and where it most counted. And Twilight succeeded. She always succeeded.
Sunny Skies opened her eyes and looked out to the moon. This was getting her nowhere. She couldn’t sleep. Not tonight. With a sigh, she slipped from bed and Twilight’s embrace. The alicorn empress shifted and rubbed her eyes blearily. “Where are...where are you…?”
She turned and smiled. “I’m stepping out onto the balcony for a moment. I want to look at the moon.”
“Oh...Okay…” Twilight yawned, stretched, and rolled over. Her soft snoring resumed.
Sunny pushed open the door and stepped onto the balcony. The lights of Canterlot far below lit up the ground like the stars that hung in the sky. But above it all, Luna’s moon reigned. Her jaw tightened. It would always be Luna’s moon to her.
“Luna.” Speaking to it had become a habit during her sister’s banishment. There was no way the moon princess could hear her now, stripped of her power, but the pretending brought comfort to Sunny’s mind. “Oh Luna. Am I always destined to fail you?” Her vision blurred with tears.
There was a way out. That insipid voice whispered into the back of her head. Ask Twilight. She’ll help you. Give it up. After twelve centuries, you deserve some rest and relaxation. All you need to do is ask. Is that so hard?
It wasn’t. And she did deserve it. She drew herself up and looked to the moon. “I will,” she answered, “Perhaps we will be reunited once we’ve both surrendered fully. Please, do not keep me waiting long.”
She turned and slipped back into bed. Twilight stirred again. “Is everything…” A yawn interrupted her. “Is everything alright, Sunny?”
“Yes, Twilight. Though I have a favor to ask.”
“Mm?”
Sunny hesitated. Now was not the time. Twilight was trying to sleep, and, even though sleep evaded the pegasus, it was rude to keep someone else from it. She nuzzled Twilight’s cheek. “I’ll tell you in the morning.”
“M’kay.” Hooves wrapped around Sunny once more and Twilight sailed off into dreamland. Despite herself, sleep eventually found Sunny too.
She woke up alone with a tea tray on the stand beside her. A still-hot cup of peppermint tea waited for her. She tried to pick it up with magic and sighed when she remembered. Hooves it was.
She almost missed the letter. They were never for her nowadays, but this one clearly read “Sunny Skies” on it. Curious, she set her tea back down and unrolled it.
“Dear Princess Celestia,
Hello! My name is Dr. Whooves. I hope this letter finds you in the peak of health. I’m sure things are difficult, but a friend of a friend, wonderful mare named Silver Service, assured me she could get this to you. She says you’re feeling down lately. Please don’t. Smile. Be happy. Not because you have much, but because of all the ponies who still care and still love you. But don’t take my word for it. Let them tell you themselves.
Hello Princess! It’s me, Derpy, the mailmare. You sent me muffins last Hearthswarming even though I destroyed the window in your throne room. They were the best ever! I want the recipe. Please? You know what? It’s okay. You don’t have to. You’ve already done so much and given up so much. You’re the kindest pony I know. Take care! And eat a muffin for me.
Heeeey Princess! It’s Vinyl Scratch, the one and only DJ Pon-3. Heard you’re feeling blue, so I thought I’d give you something to make you smile again. Tune in this morning during our ten o’clock show and we’ll be playing all the sunshine songs you could ask for! Least I could do for my Gala pranking partner, right?
Dear Princess Celestia,
Octavia Melody here. Did I read what Vinyl wrote correctly? You had a hoof in her antics last Gala? Well, I told Vinyl this and I’ll tell you the same. That was some of the most fun I’ve ever had. Never have I been so happy to have my mane soaked in punch.
I know things aren’t what they used to be, but if you ever feel down, send for me. I will drop whatever I’m doing and fly to your side, cello in tow. Well, not fly. I will move with all appropriate haste. I’ve expanded my repertoire quite a lot since I last played for you. I would love the chance to show you. You’ve given so much to Equestria, it’s a small repayment.
Princess,
When I first came to your court, I respected you as the ruler of Equestria. However, I soon grew beyond that. I respect you not as a monarch but as a pony. Your heart, your laughter, your wit and will, you defeated me at every turn. And I deserved it, pretentious young stallion that I was.
You’ve never done me a greater favor than showing me how full of myself I was. You refused to let me stay that way because you saw something greater in me, according to you. And I refuse to let you slip away from us now.
Stay strong.
Fancy Pants.”
The list went on and on. Celestia’s eyes filled with tears, but of a different kind than the hopeless one’s of last night.
“Princess Celestia, this is Blitz from the Cloudsdale Weather Control. I’ll never forget how you got me the job here and I hope I made you proud. Can you believe they have me coordinating the weather for the entire East Equestria nowadays? Hey, if everything worked out alright for that no-account colt who spent his spare time spraying paint all over Fillydelphia, it can still work out for you. Have some faith in us, your ponies, just as we have faith in you. You’re awesome.”
“Princess! I can’t believe I’m writing to you. Love Tap, by the way...”
“Princess Celestia…”
“Dear Princess Celestia.”
“You helped me.”
“You saved me.”
“You were always there.”
“We love you.”
“We miss you.”
“Please don’t give up.”
The final letter, though, gave her pause.
“Dear Princess Celestia,
We don’t really know what’s going on. Nopony exactly wants to tell us. But we know that our sisters did something real bad to you. And though it wasn’t us, we wanted to apologize for it. You’ll always be our princess. You and Luna are the best ponies fillies could ask for. And when we grow up, we’re going to make it our new mission to help you. Until then, don’t give up! Be as stubborn as we were. (Scootaloo says we weren’t stubborn, but I know it when I see it. Applejack’s the picture of stubbornness sometimes.)”
The next few lines were a mess of inkblots and crossed out words. Celestia stifled a giggle.
“Whether we were stubborn or not (happy, Scoots?), we swear upon our cutie marks that we’ll do everything we can to help. Be stubborn/persistent/intractable (I swear I don’t know where Sweetie Belle learns these fancy words).
Signed, the Cutie Mark Crusaders
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle”
At the bottom of the scroll, a small message was written in neat letters.
“I hope it wasn’t too forward of me to leave this here, Princess. I was given instructions to destroy it afterwards or to have you destroy it so as not to endanger the ponies whose names are written here. Still, I hope it cheers you up some.
-Silver Service”
As she put the letter to a candle, Sunny felt her heart rising within her. A smile would not leave her face. She laughed and couldn’t stop. Joy. It wasn’t quite happiness, it was deeper than that. A warm, bubbly feeling that filled her from hooves to wingtips. She pranced over to the window and threw it open. With a whoop, she dove right off the edge and spread her wings wide. The sun embraced her and danced upon her back.
Princess Celestia. That was what they called her. To them, that was who she was. How could she even think of betraying her little ponies? She may not be an alicorn, no, but she was still theirs.
She spotted Twilight walking down in the garden, a stack of books levitating beside her. Her smile faltered, but then the most ridiculous idea crossed her mind. One worthy of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She dove and snatched up a few buckets from the gardeners’ shed. A quick dip in the fountain filled them to the brim with cold, clear water. But there was a problem. She couldn’t carry and dump all these by herself. Her eyes scanned the garden. Ah, perfect! Without warning, she landed right in front of two nearby guards.
“What the…?” They recoiled and blinked. “Prin...Sunny? What are you...”
“Soldiers!” she said with the utmost seriousness, “I have a mission for you vital to the safety of Equestria.”
They exchanged bewildered glances. “And what would that be?”
She grinned and nudged two loaded buckets towards them. “Carry those and follow me.” She took to the air and, with a pair of shrugs, they followed. Sunny led them right back to where Twilight was on her morning walk and read.
“Target in sight,” she shouted, calling upon all her experience as a commander leading ponies in battle, “All troops, prepare for aerial bombardment!”
“Are you sure this is a good idea, ma’am?”
“The best I’ve had in over six months!” Sunny dove. The guards followed suit, though not without hesitation. Twilight never saw it coming.
“Bwuh?” The purple alicorn leapt right up into the air, soaked. The instant she recovered, she checked her books for any signs of wetness. There were none. She breathed a sigh of relief. Sunny laughed merrily and landed in front of her. Twilight shook her mane and stared at the pale pegasus. “What in Equestria? Sunny? What are you…?”
“Oh please, Twilight,” Sunny Skies smiled her warmest, most motherly smile, “No need for that. We’ve known each other so long now. Just call me…” Twilight raised an eyebrow. The pegasus’ smile widened. “...Celestia.”