//------------------------------// // Operation Cookie! // Story: Mother Moon, Joys of Parenthood // by ShadowStar_IMHP //------------------------------// She walked back and forth in her prison cell. Her hoofs stop against the ground as she studies the gangs of fellow inmates from her cell. The mass of pony thugs was having their meals as she continued her unfair confinement. She goes to a shadowy spot and puts her hoof down ready to shadow step out of the cell. Only to look confused as she felt resistance to her magic. “Look Gentle Breeze seems the enchantment Celestia put on the playpen is working. She can’t use that shadow power.” Azure Moon's voice called out to her fellow caretaker. ~So it’s Celestia's fault, is it? One day Celestia! One day!~ Nightshade thinks to herself as she moves away from the failed attempt to shadow step. Celestia learned about her ability and already moved to keep her in confinement. It was unfair and it was time to do something about it. She turns to look at her fellow prisoners in the cell. There was her trusty right hoof mare Bonnie Cream puff and her partner in crime Clyde Hops. Cream Puff was drinking from the bottle she snuck into the prison. Hops dutifully stood by the wall blue eyes unblinking and watchful. Then there Buster though not the best agent of hers he still loyal. It was time for an inspiring speech! “I Want cookies too!” Now that was a perfect speech. Nightshade nods solemnly as she looks out of the playpen to the caretaker Gentle Breeze and her fellow caretaker Azure Moon. The other two foals in the playpen came over. “What’s a cookie?” Buster asks. “It a yummy thing to eat. See the older foals are munching on some now. I think those are chocolate chips the very best kind.” Nightshade smiles as the other baby foals look at each other than at her. “How we get cookies?” Cream Puff asks “I see mommy make those a lot but never had them. Just suck on tasty stuff on a wooden spoon when she does.” “Okay time for plan Cookie Monster! Buster, I want you to push against the wall there. Cream Puff, use your magic on that wall there. Me I fly up and get our cookies!” The three foals split up to perform their part of the plan. Buster lifts on his rear legs and puts his front hoofs against the net and pushes. The gems on that side started to glow a little bit brighter as the magic resisted the enhanced strength of an earth pony foal. On the other side of the pen Cream Puff, looked at the net. She didn’t know any magic beyond the simple telekinetic field every unicorn picks up. Thought it an instinctive spell fine control is learned. Much like running is not complex but a professional runner can outperform and outlast any novice. So not knowing any better Cream Puff picks up Mr. Hops her stuff bunny and slams him against the net. Now all four gems were glowing as the magic stored in them resists the foals. Gentle Breeze narrows her eyes seeing the odd behavior. “She’s up to something.” Azure Moon hearing Gentle looks over “Really Gentle she just a baby what could she do.” Just as if Azure spoke a challenge to fate Nightshade went into action. Leaping up in the air and casting her magic against the Anti-Pegasus field keeping her in. The flash of light was bright enough the older foals screamed and bunch up together herding instincts kicking in as they look around in confusion. Gentle Breeze faces hoofs seeing the Purple Royal Foal break the enchantment and fly free of the playpen. “I told you she was up to something. Same as last time our trouble maker got out. You calm the others and I get her.” Gentle was the only one that could fly and thought Azure was a Unicorn her magic was minor she never developed beyond the instinctive basic telekinesis of her tribe. Gentle went flying after the trouble maker. “Come on Nightshade your not surging this time. Just give up no tricks going to help you.” PPPPBBBHHH Nightshade blew a raspberry and flew in the direction of the kitchen. The next part of the operation was tricky. She needed to let Gentle Breeze catch her just on the border of the kitchen. Close enough to trick the foal proofing spell keeping the older foals from the kitchen. The foals including her two fellow babies were no longer panicking but laughing watching the royal filly play a game of tag with Gentle Breeze. Sure enough Gentle was right she didn’t feel the building magic of a surge, in one way she needed to be caught, and not having a surge causing a distraction was a good thing. The bad part was she underestimated Gentle Breeze flight skills. Hooves came close enough she felt them brush her mane. As skilled as Gentle Breeze was, Nightshade was Nightmare moon reborn. Though her foal body didn’t have the muscle memory of her former life her mind still has the combat maneuvers and memories of much harsher times over a thousand years ago. Below the foals laugh as Nightshade performs a snap roll twisting her body to spin out of the hooves' grasp before performing a half loop so she was flying upside down over the foals' heads before righting herself and heading to the kitchen. This caused cheers and stomps of the foals' little hooves. “Children don’t encourage her.” Azure Moon sighed and softly “She’s a little Wonderbolt.” Gentle Breeze growled in frustration as she just manages to stop before hitting the wall. Sure she was skilled at flying indoors but stunts like the ones Nightshade just did were near professional. Already she was thinking of how to write it down for the report to Celestia. Twisting she resumed her race after the royal pain... princess. All was going according to her daring plan now was the hard part she flew to the kitchen and right before hitting that forcefield that kept foals out she twists her belly up in the air and back to the kitchen. Her flight speed dropped due to this and Gentle Breeze hooves caught her. “Got you!” Just as the words you were spoken Gentle realized something was wrong she felt the field let the two of them passed. The field detected her holding Nightshade so didn’t prevent the filly from entering the kitchen. This dawning came to her she looked to Nightshade's smiling face. “Clever girl.” Nightshade horn lit up. Unlike Cream Puff or even Azure Moon, Nightshade knew hundreds of spells and a good number of them were combat spells. True a large number of those spells she lacked the amount of magic needed but a simple stun spell she could muster even if it was weak. The magic hit and Gentle Breeze's limbs instantly went numb as the sensation of her limbs nerves falling asleep take hold her grip on Nightshade was lost. “Why you little...” Gentle fell to the floor as her wings went limp. “Gentle Breeze you okay?” Azure Moon took a few steps to her friend. “Yeah, I’m fine. Somehow she knows a weak stun spell, it will wear off in a moment.” Nightshade got her objective and without care tosses the top of the cookie jar behind her smacking Azure Moon in the face. A quick levitation spell and two cookies fly out and to the playpen. Her payment to her friends' taken care of it was time to enjoy the spoils of war. She dove headfirst into the cookie jar causing it to wobble. “Nightshade!” Azure Moon looked up and spotted Nightshade's head still in the jar fall off the counter. ------------------------------------------------------------- “I shall like to know why thou summoned me to the hospital telling me my daughter was here. But insisted that it not to rush.” Luna was not happy. She got woke up early without any coffee, then told her daughter was at the hospital. Who it was that woke her added to her frustration. Both Celestia and Cadance were with her as they headed down the hall to the medical room where Nightshade was located. “If my filly needs medical attention why is she not in the emergency room. This is just a normal doctor's office.” Cadance could not hide her smile hearing the frustration in Luna’s voice. A voice of a loving mother worrying over her foal. A good sign that Luna was recovering from the dark taint that corrupted her so many years ago. “Because Luna it’s not a medical emergency. With the light of her horn, Celestia opens the door revealing a royal purple filly sitting on the medical bench with a cookie jar firmly planted on her head. “She got her head stuck in the cookie jar.” The sound of Cadance laughing echoed off the hall walls. Only a thousand years of practice could Celestia keep from joining her. From inside the jar was the clear sound of a happy filly munching on cookies.