Twilight tried to concentrate on her visitor. She really did. This was an important meeting, after all. Black Tie was the premier event organizer in Canterlot. Pinkie Pie would never have approved, but the Grand Galloping Gala couldn’t be done with party streamers and balloons. It required, as Rarity put it, a very large amount of class. Fortunately, Pinkie had gone off to Las Pegasus to plan her own party right there.
Yes, it was important. She needed to pay attention. But she was so self-conscious right now. Sunny was sitting there, watching her, evaluating her, and with the smuggest smile on her face. Twilight knew her former teacher could see how uncomfortable she was. The twitch of her ears, the way strands of her mane poked out, and the way her wings shifted constantly, trying to find a comfortable position.
“Um, sorry.” Twilight put a hoof to her forehead. “Could you repeat that?”
Black Tie huffed. “Of course, Empress. In summary.” He emphasized the word summary just a little too much. “I have here a selection of the finest drinks from this year’s selection. Sample them, if you will, and decide which is best to your liking.”
Twilight blinked. Oh dear. She’d never been one for this kind of thing. Strong spirits and research, especially magical research, did not mix. “Oh,” she said, “Oh.” She sat back. “Oh-kay then.” With a tentative grip, she picked up the first glass and sipped it. Yep. Definitely alcohol. Other than that, she had no clue how to evaluate it. “It’s…” She tried to find the right word and pulled a trick out of Fluttershy’s repertoire. “Nice.”
Sunny leaned forward and took it from her. She sipped delicately and savored the taste. Her eyes closed and she breathed out with a smile on her face. “Oh Black Tie, that is delightful champagne. It just sits so nicely on the tongue. But...” She gave him a mischievous grin. “You never put your best offering first. And I should know. So come now, stop teasing us.”
Twilight forced a smile onto her face. “Yes. Do, er, that.” She felt Sunny’s smugness grow.
Black Tie bowed. “As you wish, my lady.” Twilight’s eyebrow twitched. Was he talking to her or Sunny? The regal stallion moved several glasses down. “This,” he said, “Is several hundred years old. 1179. A good year. Very fine wine. For the regal table, of course.”
“Oh, Applejack and Rainbow Dash will want cider,” Twilight said, “And Pinkie drinks so much soda I think her blood has been replaced with it. Somehow.” Black Tie’s composure broke. He paled. Twilight realized she’d done something wrong, but couldn’t grasp quite what. “But Rarity loves wine! And...well, Fluttershy doesn’t drink anything other than tea and water.” She offered him her best, friendliest smile.
Sunny stepped forward and took the glass. Twilight’s eyebrow twitched again. The pegasus mare sipped delicately. “Now, you have outdone yourself,” Sunny said with an almost flirtatious giggle, “I remember the year this was made. Such succulent grapes. Good to see the Vine family thought to put some away. How are they doing nowadays?”
Black Tie bowed. “As well as ever. The eldest son, Tangled Vine, took over from his father not even a year ago. The quality has only risen, I assure you. I would never dream of doing business anywhere else.”
Sunny laid a hoof on his shoulder, bringing a blush to his cheeks. “Give them my regards next time you see them.”
“As you wish, my lady.”
Twilight ground her teeth. “We’ll take the wine.”
Sunny bounded back to her side. “Excellent choice, Twilight. You may never taste quality like that again. Believe me, I’ve had more than my share of wines over the years.” Sunny settled back into her seat beside Twilight and smiled at Black Tie.
Twilight cleared her throat. “I think we’re done here. Black Tie, just pick whatever you think is best.”
“Now Twilight.” Sunny pouted. “Surely you jest. It would be rude to have him bring all this to the palace specifically for you and not do him the courtesy of sampling it all.”
Twilight sighed. This was going to be another long day.
She sipped and sampled. She tasted and tested. After the first ten, however, her senses began to dull. She found it harder and harder to pay attention to what Black Tie was saying. He handed her glass after glass and she dutifully drank it. Sunny thought she was rude, eh? She’d show her. She knew all about etiquette. She’d annotated a book on it! Black Tie had brought her all these fancy drinks? Well, what better way to show that she appreciated his efforts than to drink the entire glass. Forget sipping. Down it.
And so she did. Glass after glass until even her powerful body began to feel ill. She swayed. When had Sunny learned a duplication spell? That was silly. Pegasi couldn’t do magic! Twilight had specifically turned her into a pegasi because she was too dangerous as a unicorn and earth ponies were too strong. She knew what she was doing, and let nopony say otherwise! She’d used a checklist. How could you go wrong with a checklist?
“It’s gooood shtuff, Black Tie,” she said with a giggle.
Black Tie glanced over at Sunny. The mare gave him a sly smile and a nod. He bowed to her. “Perhaps, Empress, it is time we stopped for the day,” he said.
“No!” Twilight lurched forward and clutched at him. Her crown fell askew, but she didn’t notice. “You came -hic- you came all this way. Give it all to me, Black Tie. I’ll...I’ll drink every last drop.” She grinned and pointed in Sunny’s direction. “You hear that, Sunny? Every. Last. Drop. What are...what are friends for anyway?”
Sunny sighed. “Oh Twilight. No need to call me that. I told you to just call me Celestia.”
Twilight frowned. Something was wrong here. She couldn’t put a hoof on it. “Books,” she muttered, “Need books.” Her magic shakily grabbed several waiting tomes. However, before she could even open the first page, her eyes rolled up into her head and she fell asleep on the carpet.
Celestia laughed. “Oh excuse me, that’s terribly rude.” She gave Black Tie an amused look. “And I believe I owe you some bits for our wager. She is very passed out, as you can see, which means you win.”
“My lady,” he said with a tight, proper smile, “The amusement today has brought is payment enough.”
“But I insist.” Celestia trotted behind the throne and pulled out a set of official looking forms. With practiced dexterity, she wrote her name on the line and an amount below it. “Fifty bits. To be paid to the order of Black Tie,” she said and handed it over. He accepted it and stuck it into his jacket pocket.
“Well, I had best pack my things and take my leave,” he said, “Before she wakes up.”
“Come visit anytime,” Celestia said, “My door is always open.” She stepped to the door and poked her head out. Two of the Imperial Guard stood watch, Steel Shield and Stone Tower, both earth ponies. She cleared her throat. “Gentlestallions, if you would step inside for a moment.” Without hesitation, they obeyed. She smiled warmly at them. “The Empress is currently indisposed. Something she drank. Would you ensure she makes it to her room? It would be a tragic blow were she to come to harm.”
They exchanged glances. “But Prince-- Advisor, we have a crowd of ponies waiting for the daily hearing session. What should we do with them?”
Celestia’s smile widened. “Oh, don’t worry. I am perfectly capable of dealing with them myself. You two make sure nothing happens to the Empress.” They saluted and hoisted Twilight up onto their shoulders. Celestia turned for the door and stepped outside.
As always, a large crowd waited. Though perhaps they were not as eager as they had been when Celestia herself had heard their petitions, they still came by the hundreds. Now, they chattered and paced and stamped and read and waited until the time when the Empress would hear their concerns and requests. Well, at least that was what they thought. Today would be different. Better.
Celestia cleared her throat. “Everypony, your attention please.” The hall fell silent. “I understand that many of you have come far, but unfortunately the Empress is unable to see you today.” The ponies groaned and began to mutter angrily. Celestia raised a hoof. “However,” she said with a sly smile, “I am her chief advisor. Thus, I am both qualified and able to hear you in her place.” She turned and threw the doors open. “Citizens of Equestria, it is my distinct honor to welcome you back to the Court of the Sun.” A twinkled appeared in her eyes. “So, who will be first?”
* * *
Twilight barely roused herself in time for sunset. Then, she collapsed back in bed and didn’t wake until four the next morning. A pounding headache assaulted her senses. She groaned and lay there, miserable. Relief, she needed relief. Curse Sunny and her alcohol tasting! She should have left it to the professionals. Delegation was a very important skill in a leader. One she’d have to read up on some more.
She reached for her books and pain exploded behind her eyes. The kitchen, the kitchen was sure to have something for hangovers. With a groan, she shoved the covers aside and flopped onto the floor. Oh the sweet, comforting, cool tile floor. She lay there for a few seconds. Why not lay here and let the pain flow away? No, that wouldn’t work. Some tea, though. One of the cooks kept a special tea meant to soothe headaches.
She tottered over to the door. Someone had left it slightly ajar. Odd, but she wasn’t going to worry about that right now. She could do that after her headache stopped hosting a hundred-pony marching band.
She pushed the door open. It was a poor decision. With a clattering crash, a bucket fell down on top of her head and doused her mane and back with water. She gasped in shock. The scent of perfume, strong perfume, assaulted her nose. “Great…” she muttered. With an angry kick, she sent the bucket flying.
She almost gave up on the day right there. Now her headache was ten times worse and she smelled like...like… She sniffed. She had no clue. Rarity would know, of course, but the fashionista wasn’t here right now, thank Celestia.
Twilight froze. She ground her teeth. Good-for-nothing headache! It was messing with her thoughts now. Normally, she was so controlled.
At long last, she staggered down into the kitchen. Several guards and servants sniffed the air as she passed. A few blushed and looked down. She didn’t stop to ask for an explanation. Let them do what they want. She had a date with tea.
The kitchen staff was already hard at work preparing for the day. They were kind enough to ignore Twilight when she entered. Sunny sat at the table, bright-eyed and perky, despite the early hour. Somehow. A smile crept over her face when she saw Twilight. “Good morning, Twilight Sparkle,” she said warmly, “How was your evening?”
“You,” Twilight growled, “You!”
Sunny raised an eyebrow. “Me? Why whatever is the matter?” She sniffed the air. “And heavens above, Twilight! I believe congratulations are in order. I didn’t realize you were looking for a special somepony. You must tell me all about it.”
Twilight’s glare morphed into a frown. The words felt foreign. She couldn’t quite process them. “Special...somepony?”
“Yes,” Sunny said smugly, “That perfume. It’s one that pegasi use to try and attract ponies. Very traditional, though in modern times it’s no longer an open-ended invitation. Instead, a mare wears it when she’s going to meet the pony she wishes to enter a...” She gasped and put a hoof to her mouth. “Twilight! Am I the pony? Why, I’m flattered. An old mare like me. Why, I could be your great, great, great, great, great, great, great--”
“Sunny.”
“Great, great, great, great-”
Twilight put her hooves over her ears. “Sunny, stop.”
“Great, great, great-”
“Sunny!”
Sunny held up a hoof for her to be silent. “Great grandmother.” She beamed at Twilight. “Oh, you have no idea how happy this makes me.” Twilight heard some whispers and giggles from the kitchen staff. Sunny leaned closer. “Though before you carry me off into the sunset, we should check the royal records. I don’t recall off the top of my head if I did give birth to one of your ancestors. That would be...awkward.” The giggles grew louder.
“Her face,” a pony whispered.
“I know! Priceless.”
Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “You planned this, didn’t you?” she said with venom in her voice.
Sunny let out a sigh. “Oh dear. I fear I made a mistake. It’s not me you’re after, is it?” An absolutely mischievous grin came over her face. “It must be Rainbow Dash. She does come by so often and you two go off on those long, private talks.”
“Sunny!” Twilight’s horror was evident. “Dash is a good friend. A very good friend. But…”
“Then it must be Fluttershy.”
“No, Sunny, stop thi--”
“Or that guard. What was his name again?”
Twilight slammed a hoof on the table, ignoring the pain it brought to her head. “Enough! I’ve had it up to here with you and your pranks! Dumping water on me in the garden. Fish in my tea. Dirt instead of pepper. Sugar instead of salt. Salt instead of sugar! And don’t even get me started on the Poison Joke extract.”
Sunny shrugged. “Well, you can hardly blame me if Zecora sent the wrong bottle. I honestly could have sworn that was tonic.”
“This cannot go on, Sunny. How am I supposed to govern Equestria if I have to watch my back every minute of every day for your next, foalish prank?” Twilight snapped. Her eyes narrowed. “Oh. I see.”
Sunny shifted nervously. “See what, Twilight Sparkle?”
“Very clever,” Twilight said with a dark chuckle, “Very clever indeed. But two can play at that game. I think I know just what to do with you, my loyal advisor.”
* * *
“Thanks fer invitin’ us to the castle, Twilight!” Apple Bloom said, “Now, we can see our sisters more often.”
“Oh trust me, girls, It’s my pleasure,” Twilight said, “Let me introduce you to the pony who’ll be taking care of you.” Twilight shoved Sunny toward the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “This is Sunny Skies. Say hello, Sunny.”
“Hello, Sunny,” Celestia repeated.
“Heh, heh. Clever,” Twilight said with a forced grin, “Well! I’ll leave you girls to it. Remember, if you want anything, anything at all, no matter how late the hour or outrageous the request, ask Sunny. From this day forth, it is her job to get you whatever you want.” The three fillies’ eyes widened. “Anyway, I’ve got to get back to ruling Equestria. There’s a Gala to plan, after all.” Whistling merrily, she trotted off and left the fillies alone with Celestia.
There eyes turned to the former alicorn. Celestia gave the trio a worried grin. She knew these three by reputation and from experience. Word of mouth said the three had calmed down a little since getting their cutie marks, but she knew better than to trust hearsay. “I want a milkshake!” Sweetie Belle declared.
“Cookies for me.” Scootaloo wrapped a hoof around Apple Bloom’s neck. “And Apple Bloom wants apple pie.”
“Hey!” Her friend glared at her. “Just ‘cause I’m an Apple doesn’t mean I only eat apple stuff.”
Scootaloo grinned. “But you want apple pie, don’t you?”
“Well...yeah.”
Celestia nodded. “Right. I’ll get...on that.” She trotted away quickly. “Alright, Twilight,” she muttered, “If this is how you want to play the game, I’ll play along. Shake for Sweetie Belle, cookies for Scootaloo, and a pie for Apple Bloom. And cake for me.” She checked to make sure she was alone before letting out a devious giggle. “Twilight, my dear. You’ve made a very big mistake.”
* * *
Twilight felt energized and excited for once. Sunny Skies hadn’t pulled a prank for two, whole days. No need to worry about her. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had her running herself ragged fulfilling their every wish. The few times she’d spotted the poor pegasus, she’d been flying full-speed down the hallway.
She finished her lunch and wiped her mouth. The balcony overlooking the gardens really was a picturesque spot for meals. And close to the Court of Harmony too. She was so glad she’d discovered it.
A trio of squeals drew her attention to the garden below. With an amused smile, she glanced over the edge and saw the three fillies splashing about in one of the fountains. One of the attendants cantered about in distress, but Sunny kept blocking his way. Twilight’s smile grew. The plan was working! Sunny looked absolutely worn out. Her mane was sticking out at odd angles, her feathers needed a grooming, and she was covered in dirt. Now, Twilight really could rest easy.
She left in good cheer. If she’d stayed but a few minutes longer, she would have seen Celestia finally shoo the attendant away and turn to her three wards. With a whoop, she charged and jumped in with them. A wave of water washed over the three fillies and they shrieked with laughter. Sweetie Belle fired the first return shot. Her telekinesis sent a huge splash of water right back at Celestia. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo followed suit.
Celestia shielded her face with her wings and dove under the surface. Swimming underwater as a pegasus was difficult thanks to the extra drag from the wings, but she still managed to push herself off the side and torpedo herself towards them. They laughed and backpedaled, but Apple Bloom was too slow. Celestia caught her round the middle with strong forelegs. She rolled over quickly and launched the filly into the air with all four of her hooves. Apple Bloom squealed in delight and landed with a heavy splash.
“Awesome!” Scootaloo swam up to Celestia. “Do that to me next, Sunny. I want to--Whoa!”
Celestia wasted no time. She seized Scootaloo, spun her around a few times, and launched her high into the air. The young pegasus’ wings flapped, but in their waterlogged state, they did not even slow her descent. She landed with another mighty splash.
That left one to go. Celestia turned to Sweetie Belle with a predatory smile. Sweetie giggled and swam backwards. Celestia lunged. It was no contest. The unicorn filly landed next to her friends and sent another wave of water over them.
Apple Bloom shoved her mane out of her face. She glanced left to Scootaloo, then right to Sweetie Belle. They grinned. “Get her!” Apple Bloom shouted. They paddled toward Celestia with all their might.
With a laugh, Celestia tried to take off, but her wings were too heavy. She made for the shallows, but it was too late. The three of them latched onto her and worked in unison to shove her off her feet. She fell with a yelp and another splash. The four of them came up laughing.
“You’re a great pony, Sunny,” Sweetie said.
“Yeah.” Scootaloo lounged on the surface of the water, letting herself float. “You’re the only adult other than Rainbow Dash who can keep up with us. And she normally cheers me on. She doesn’t, you know, participate.”
“Well thank you, my little fillies.” Celestia pulled herself out of the water and shook her mane. She looked down at herself and smirked. “But I should thank you. I’m soaked, dirty, my mane is tangled, and I haven’t had more fun since I was a filly.” Those were good memories. Happy memories, even.
She debated asking them to take a break, but was pleasantly surprised to find she didn’t need to. Their energy, their enthusiasm, it was infectious. She felt like she could do this for hours still. So instead, she shook herself a second time, especially her wings. Then, she took to the air and let the wind do the rest. On a whim, she did a flip. The three fillies cheered. Celestia smiled. There it was, all the encouragement she needed.
She pulled out all the stops. Though she was no Wonderbolt, she prided herself in her excellent flying skills. Of course, some of her style had depended on using magic to support some of the tighter turns and sharper ascents, but she compensated well enough. Her audience shouted out requests and cheered her on when she succeeded or encouraged her when she didn’t quite make it. But every show had to end. With a flourish, she dove and landed right next to the fountain.
“So!” she said eagerly, “What’s next?”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders exchanged glances. One by one, they pulled themselves from the pool and shook themselves dry. At least, as dry as could be expected. They looked to each other again and still no one answered.
“Well,” Apple Bloom began, “Let’s start with a list of everything we have done.”
Sweetie Belle cleared her throat. “Hear ye, hear ye! The official record of the Cutie Mark Crusaders Canterlot Adventure! Day one: Twilight gave us Sunny Skies as a personal valet. We tested her to see if there were things she wouldn’t do and found none. She brought us all the sweets we asked, let us stay up as long as we wanted, and didn’t once tell us to get our hooves off the furniture or anything like that.”
“I was ordered to do whatever you wish,” Celestia said with a smile, “Though I do wonder what Twilight will think when she turns over the pillows in the library and finds them covered in hoofprints.”
“Day two,” Sweetie Belle continued, “We went on a tour of the palace. And we got to see everything. Even where Starwhirl--”
“Starswirl,” Celestia corrected.
“--Kept his lab. And all the cool magic junk in there. We almost turned Sunny into a newt, but she got better.” Sweetie Belle cleared her throat. “Day three, we took mattresses and surfed down the stairs. We tried to bake a cake. We succeeded in sneaking into the guard barracks. They got mad, but Sunny talked them down. Then, we explored the garden and picked out the perfect place to build a treehouse.”
Apple Bloom brightened. “An’ the wood should arrive tomorrow. We’ll have a second clubhouse by the end of the week.”
Sweetie grinned. “Day four, today. As a thank you, we got up really early and baked Sunny pancakes. They were...edible. And syrup masked the burnt flavor nicely. Then, we dragged her out of bed and made her fly us around the palace. Afterwards, we went swimming. Now...now...hmm.” She frowned in concentration. “Now we should...um...play a board game?”
Scootaloo scoffed. “You can do that if you want, but I’m not going to.”
“The palace does have a lovely spa,” Celestia offered, “I’m sure an athlete such as yourself would enjoy a massage.”
“No thanks,” Scootaloo said, “I’m a cool filly.”
“I kinda want to see the garden again,” Apple Bloom said, “I’ve never seen some o’ those plants before.”
“Boring,” Scootaloo declared.
Celestia stepped closer. “Scootaloo, if you had your choice, what would we do?”
Scootaloo grinned. “I want to set up a daredevil scooting track so I can get really high.”
“But neither of us can scoot, Scoots,” Apple Bloom protested, “We should try somethin’ we can all do.” Scootaloo and Sweetie nodded. All three pondered the problem, giving it the closest attention they could give anything.
Celestia cleared her throat. “If you don’t mind,” she said, “I might have a suggestion.”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders blinked in unison. “Go on,” they chorused.
With a smirk, she leaned in. “How do you three feel about pranking the palace staff?”
* * *
“Ya did what now?”
Twilight chuckled nervously. “Well, Sunny was making my life impossible, Applejack. I had to do something. And I know from experience how much of a hassle they can be to keep in line. So I thought handing Sunny over to them would keep her distracted.”
Applejack took her hat off and held it to her chest. “Twi, it’s been real nice knowing ya. I promise I’ll say something real nice at your funeral.” She shook her head. “How’s that been working for ya so far?”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “It’s going better than expected. I saw Sunny this morning. She looked completely out of her depth.”
Applejack wasn’t convinced. “I dunno. She did raise you, so I don’t think she’s out of her element with fillies. An’ I know my sister and her friends. They’re more trouble than a whole herd of cats.”
Twilight wasn’t sure if she should be insulted by that. “Regardless, the past few days have been prank-free. I can finally focus my full attention on ruling the nation again. It is a welcome relief. I was almost going crazy.”
Applejack took a nervous step back. “Well...if ya were feeling crazy, you’d tell me right?”
“Why?”
“Well…” Applejack chuckled nervously. “Ya ain’t exactly pleasant to be around when ya act crazy-like.”
Twilight glared and retorted. Applejack eventually apologized, but by the time the conversation got back on track, they were onto other matters. The Cutie Mark Crusaders and Celestia were, for the moment, forgotten.
* * *
The castle had never known such terror. The four ponies tore through it like a force of nature. Between the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ natural enthusiasm and Celestia’s devious mind and ability to plan, nopony was safe and no space was sacred. Invisible ink in the scribe’s inkwells. Helium-cream in the guard’s drinks (ever heard a drill sergeant try to chew somepony out with a high-pitched, squeaky voice?). And lastly, the Great Cookie Heist, with a gallon of milk to go with them.
When the end of the day came, the three fillies collapsed into bed exhausted. “That,” Scootaloo said with a huge grin, “Was awesome.”
“Tell me ‘bout it,” Apple Bloom agreed.
Celestia sat in a chair beside their bed, a massive, four-poster affair over a hundred years old. The original mattress had been replaced for a more comfortable one, but Celestia’s orders had been to fulfill their every wish.
She chuckled. “Well I’m glad you enjoyed it. I never did get the opportunity to get to know you last time we met.”
“Last time?” Sweetie Belle repeated.
“Well, Celestia said, “You were at Cadence’s wedding, correct?”
“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle said, “It didn’t go so well.”
Scootaloo studied Celestia carefully. “I mean, you do look familiar, but I don’t remember meeting you before this visit.”
“I did look a little different back then,” Celestia admitted.
“Ooh! Did you grow your mane out?” Sweetie guessed.
“No.”
“Dye your coat?” Apple Bloom asked.
“No, guess again.”
“Um…” Fashion was not Scootaloo’s forte. “Er, did you...what else do ponies do to make themselves look different?”
“Were you wearing a dress?” Sweetie asked.
“No,” Celestia answered, “But I was wearing a crown.”
Confusion filled their faces for a moment. Then, their eyes nearly popped out of their head. “Princess Celestia!” they shouted in unison. They leapt out of bed and crowded around her, babbling over each other.
“What happened?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Did you lose a fight?” Scootaloo hopped onto her back and waved her hooves where Celestia’s horn used to be.
“Are you okay?” Sweetie Belle looked worriedly into Celestia’s eyes.
Celestia waved the concern away. “Yes, I’m fine. And, well, if your sisters haven’t seen fit to tell you…”
“Nopony tells us anything,” Scootaloo muttered, “They whisper all the time, but they don’t tell us anything.”
“We thought you were sick,” Sweetie said, “And Twilight had taken over the kingdom until you got better. We had no idea this was what happened.”
Celestia could hardly believe her luck. “I was going to say, if they haven’t seen fit to tell you, then there is no reason why I shouldn’t.” They nodded eagerly. Celestia cleared her throat. “I was deposed by Twilight and her friends, your sisters, using the Elements of Harmony. Then, Twilight drained me of my magic and left me like this.”
Apple Bloom paled. “Did ya...did ya turn evil or something?”
Celestia shook her head. “No. Not that I know of. And Luna...they did the same to her, and I know for a fact that she was not corrupted again.”
The three fillies were silent for a long time. Then, Scootaloo raised her hoof. “Are...is Rainbow Dash evil then?”
“Evil ponies can’t use the Elements of Harmony,” Sweetie Belle said, deeply worried.
“But th’ Elements shouldn’t work on good ponies,” Apple Bloom said.
Celestia sighed. “These are all excellent points, my friends. And I do not know the answers. They are not evil, but something is different. They are the same at heart, but their minds are changed.”
“That…” Scootaloo flopped backwards. “That makes no sense.”
“Not especially, no,” Celestia admitted, “But the fact remains that I, the rightful ruler of Equestria, am deposed and held captive. Do you understand?”
The three of them nodded slowly. “Oh my gosh,” Sweetie Belle said, “And we gave orders to you!” Her face turned red and she dove under the covers. “We didn’t know! Please don’t be angry.”
“Angry?” Celestia laughed. “How could I ever be angry at you? I meant what I said. The past few days have been the most fun I’ve had since I was a filly. Centuries ago.” They perked up and grinned. “In fact,” Celestia said, “I have a mission for you, if you choose to accept it.”
Apple Bloom stood up and saluted. “Ya can count on us, Princess! Er, so long as it’s nothin’ scary or will get us thrown in jail or life-threatening.”
Celestia knew the things these fillies got up to. ‘Life threatening’ seemed the least of their concerns. “Oh nothing like that,” she said, “But...the Grand Galloping Gala is coming up, the first that Twilight has ever thrown.” They leaned closer. “And we’re going to make sure it is an absolute and complete disaster.”