Leaning against the building that the Guards knew as The Shack, Gallus cut an imposing figure, regardless of the way he was shaking from trying not to laugh.
"It's just...too precious," he finally choked.
To his left, Spike looked up from the scroll he'd been scribbling away at. "They are a sorry sight, aren't they?"
On the field in front of them stood four normally imposing creatures; three Alicorns and one Changeling queen. However, that morning the four of them looked like they'd rather be dead, each squinting in the bright sunlight and swaying on their hooves. Celestia even had a slightly greenish tint to her face.
In front of them, a sergeant major had mixed some sort of concoction in a small pot, which he was now ladling out into four cups.
"What is this?" Chrysalis asked, sniffing hesitantly at the cup he passed her.
"Trade secret!" the sergeant replied, puffing his chest out proudly. "One of the oldest traditions of the Guard. Guaranteed hangover cure."
The three Alicorns exchanged glances, knowing what was in the cup.
"All right, the four of you, drink up."
"And if I don't want to?" Chrysalis asked.
"Then I'll turn you back to stone," Twilight snapped, before wincing. She'd opened her eyes for that one, a mistake the sun quickly reminded her of.
With considerable trepidation, the Changeling tipped the cup upward, downing the foul smelling mixture. She immediately gagged, choking and coughing.
"You're trying to poison me!" she shouted, as the other three downed their cups and began the short walk to The Shack.
"I am not!" the sergeant responded indignantly. "This here is a cure, missy!"
"Poison!" she hissed again.
"I tell you, there's no poison in there. Just cayenne pepper, hot mustard, ipecac, asafetida, croton oil, and, uh, gunpowder."
Chrysalis opened her mouth to say something else, but stopped, looking downward as her stomach gurgled angrily.
The sergeant grinned. "Now, you best be off to The Shack with the others. Next few hours are gonna be downright lousy, and I figure you don't want anypony seeing ya."
As she quickly trundled off, Gallus finally let out the laugh he'd been holding in.
"Ah, you love to see it," he said, wiping a tear from his eye.
"That's easy for you to say. I have to be the one to hear Twilight go on about this for the next few months."
The two of them began walking back toward the Palace. "That bad?" Gallus asked.
Spike snorted, faint trails of smoke exiting his nostrils. "If I know Twilight, she's going to turn this into a crusade. Just you wait."
"For our sakes, I hope you're wrong..." Gallus replied, looking considerably less pleased than he had a moment ago. "But in case you're not, I've got a bottle of scotch in my desk calling my name. Care to join me?"