A peaceful moonlit night had fallen upon Vanhoover, a gentle breeze wafting through the trees as midnight struck.
Few ponies were going about their business on that pleasant night, with most of the townsfolk snuggly resting in their beds.
One such pony was Magic Barrier, soundly sleeping with Daring Do by his side. As he slumbered, he laid completely unaware of the magical energy coalescing above his head.
The shapeless plume of magic steadily grew larger and larger, until it became larger than the sleeping stallion’s head.
The mystical cloud soon formed into a solid object, dropping down upon the resting pair below.
When the strange mass suddenly landed, a sharp cold washed over Barrier, shocking him to wakefulness, where he found the pegasus at his side letting out a an ear-piercing screech.
Shocked by his rude awakening and the screech, Barrier’s eyes darted around the darkened room, the only light being a single moonbeam coming through the bedroom curtains.
“What’s going on?” Barrier tossed the oddly heavy blanket off the bed with a surprising clank. “Daring, are you okay?”
“B-b-buck no!” she snorted, her teeth chattering as she spoke. “I’m s-soaked and f-f-freezing. What’s going on? Did a water pipe break or something?”
“I don’t know, but we’re going to find out,” Barrier replied as he slipped out of the bed. He glided his hooves along the wall until eventually he found the light switch. Just as the light had turned on, the room’s door was kicked open, a mare with a sword dashing into the room.
“Sir, are you alright?” The swordsmare asked as five more charged in, all in combat stances. “We heard a scream and came down as quickly as possible.”
“At ease, all of you,” Barrier huffed as his eyes adjusted to the brightness. “I appreciate that you got here so quickly, but I’m just as in the dark as you.”
As his vision started to clear, he saw that he and Daring with both dripping wet with a large wet stain in the middle of the bed.
“Uncle,” a sleepy filly poked her head out from behind Fleet’s hind legs. “Did you wet the bed? I thought only little foals did that.”
Hat Trick covered his muzzle with a hoof, choking back a laugh. Barrier responded with a glare that instantly silenced the stallion.
“Sir,” Winter Gem lifted up part of the soaked blanket and pulled something out. “I think I found what caused this.” The snow white mare held up a large metal bucket. Tilting it towards Barrier, he saw a small amount of water inside, along with a pair of ice cubes.
“Right,” Barrier said authoritatively as he marched closer to the gathering. “That explains what caused us to be soaked, now we need to figure out why a bucket of ice water suddenly ended up here.”
“Sir,” Verdant spoke up as he stepped forward. “I believe I know who did this.” Placing a hoof on the rim the metal container, he slowly spun it within Winter Gem’s grasp. With the bucket now turned, Barrier saw writing engraved into the metal in fanciful old Equestrian.
Vengeance beith mine. - H.R.H. Luna of Equestria
“Forge,” Barrier snorted at the sight of the message. “Get started on drying everything off. Verdant, get me a quill and parchment. That brat’s officially made this a war.”
“Barrier, don’t you dare,” the gold pegasus grumbled as Forge’s horn lit up, basking her in a toasty warmth.
“Why shouldn’t I, Daring?” Barrier smirked as Forge’s magic started to wash over him as well.
“Because if you try it, I will make it that your coat’s not the only part of you that’s black and your mane not the only that’s blue. Capiche?”
“Alright, no prank war,” Barrier grumbled before making his way out of the room. “I’m going to go change my horn wrappings. Keep up the drying, Forge.”
The cobalt unicorn saluted as Wind Whistler gave her mother’s wing a tug.
“Mother, why would Miss Daring threaten to dye Uncle Barrier?”
The question was the final straw for Hat Trick as he collapsed to the floor in a fit of laughter.