//------------------------------// // *3* Meet Up // Story: Of Sunshine and Laughter // by M1Garand8 //------------------------------// Foreword: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to Hasbro and Lauren Faust. Of Sunshine and Laughter By M1Garand8 *3* Meet Up The gentle sunlight streamed through the window of the Ponyville Library down on a bed of blue sun and moon patterned sheets. Twilight Sparkle’s eyes fluttered open to the warm rays shining on her face. Slowly, she sat up in her bed and stretched, her mouth dropped open in a wide, wide yawn. Slipping out of her bed and onto her hooves, her horn lit with her magenta magic and the bed sheets and pillows arranged themselves as they were and neatly. Of course, there was no need for Twilight to check—she had done it countless of times ever since her telekinesis was strong enough. Trotting up to her vanity mirror, her magic now levitated a hair brush and ran it through her mussed mane, turning her bed hair into something presentable. Her mouth twitched into a satisfied smile, she set the brush down and headed down the stairs to the ground floor. All in all, it was a typical morning. The smell of freshly made pancakes drifted from the closed confines of the kitchen to where she was. A burst of her magic poked the kitchen door open, revealing the sight of Spike in his cute little heart apron. He stood on a small stool, with a wooden spatula in hand and a chef hat almost as tall as he was on his head while Peewee fluttered about the young dragon. The sizzling of pancake dough on a hot pan could be heard. With an expert flick of his clawed hand, the pancake soared briefly in the air and landed cooked side up, now a rich golden brown. Spike had scarcely noticed Twilight’s entry into the kitchen, so focused he was on the pancake. Twilight cleared her throat and spoke: “Good morning, Spike.” Spike’s face darted around at the sound of Twilight’s voice. “Oh, good morning, Twilight!” He raised the spatula. “Just in time for breakfast!” Twilight sniffed the air. “We’re having pancakes this morning, huh?” Her mouth curled into a smile. “Yup! The last one will be done in a minute.” “Well, I’ll go freshen up first then.” Twilight retreated and the kitchen door closed with a glow of magenta. Twilight returned minutes later to a set dining table with two plates stacked with several pancakes each and a bottle of honey between them. She smiled at the sight of Peewee trying to peck a few crumbs off Spike’s portion and a sniff allowed the aroma of the nicely cooked breakfast waft through her nostrils. “Mmm, smells delicious.” She sat down on the cushion. A fork and a table knife levitated in a magenta glow of magic and cut a piece of pancake. Spearing it with the fork, Twilight lifted the piece into her mouth and chewed. “Mmm! This is delicious! Did you try a new recipe this time, Spike?” A nervous laugh escaped Spike as the baby dragon rubbed the back of his head. “W-well, Princess Celestia gave me the recipe back when we were in Canterlot for Shining Armor and Princess Cadance’s wedding. She said it was her secret recipe.” “Really? Because it’s really good~” Twilight levitated the bottle of honey and tipped it over her plate, the dark amber liquid dripped thickly onto the pancakes. “I’m glad you like it—” The sudden sensation of dragonfire filling his stomach cut off the rest of his words. A belch later, the pale green flame expelled from his mouth and coalesced into a parchment sealed with the royal seal of the moon. Spike caught it before it dropped onto his pancakes and broke the seal without a second thought. “Huh, I wonder what Princess Luna is doing, sending a letter this early in the morning or sending a letter even. I don’t ever recall her sending any letters before.” Twilight leaned forward in her seat. “So, what does it say?” Her eyes twinkled in anticipation. Twilight had been suspecting something to be up with Princess Luna, since her mentor mentioned her promotion to the next level of her studies. “Is it something to do with my studies?” Spike’s browless eyes narrowed in a frown. “Well, no. It says something happened to Princess Celest—” He was cut off with a loud gasp from Twilight. “Something happened to Princess Celestia!?” She slammed her forehooves on the table. “What happened!?” A worried look replaced the frown on Spike’s face. “Well, she didn’t say what but she did mention the sun was late rising this morning.” He tapped a claw on his chin. “Come to think of it, it was awfully dark when I woke up at eight or so…” “What!?” Twilight stared wide eyed at the baby dragon. “How come I wasn’t aware of this!?” Spike shrugged. “You went to bed pretty late last night and you slept in a little this morning.” His eyes narrowed again. “Hmm, weird. Princess Luna is asking you to bring Pinkie Pie along with you to Canterlot and to make haste…” Spike looked up from the letter. “What’s ‘haste’?” A glow of magenta magic tore the letter from Spike’s hands. “It means to be quick, Spike.” Twilight’s eyes darted left and right as she went through the letter. “This doesn’t make any sense… Something happened to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna asks me to get Pinkie Pie and head to Canterlot as soon as possible?” Spike raised a claw. “Maybe it has something to do with Pinkie Pie? Maybe the princesses need Pinkie for an urgent party?” Twilight shook her head. “If the princess had wanted Pinkie Pie for a party, she would have sent an invitation. Something bad must have happened.” Something had happened to her mentor. “I guess we should go get Pinkie and find out what happened.” She got to her hooves. “Wait! Shouldn’t we at least finish off breakfast first?” Spike waved at the rapidly cooling pancakes. Twilight was about to open her mouth to protest when a loud growl in her stomach resonated throughout the kitchen. An awkward smile appeared on her face, her cheeks tinted pink. “W-well, I guess we should go about this on a full stomach…” She gave a nervous laugh. And thus the both of them tucked in as fast and equinely—or in Spike’s case, as dragonly—as possible, all the while contemplating what has happened to Princess Celestia and did their best to push their worries aside. *** The grey pegasus mare had been in the shop for the past hour, munching on a selection of muffins. With her face scrunched in happiness, it was impossible to notice her directionally mismatched eyes, being closed and all. Princess Celestia had noticed it shortly after her greeting after all and had wondered what misfortune befell the poor pegasus. “One vanilla smoothie, please!” Celestia looked up at the pegasus, whose outstretched hoof waved at her, trying to get her attention. The gentle smile returned to her muzzle. “One smoothie coming right up!” Celestia trotted through the kitchen doors and return shortly after with a large cup of white smoothie on a tray balanced on her back. Her head reached back, nipped the tray with her teeth and raised it to the round table. It was a rather new sensation for Celestia, having relied on her magic for almost everything for centuries, if not millennia. The first time she did that, she had miscalculated the amount bite force required and the platter pretty much flew from her mouth. The result was a frantic catch-the-potato with the tray and the muffins, applause from the pegasus and an awkward smiling pink earth pony. With the smoothie delivered, Celestia scooped up the bits and trotted back to the treats counter and dumped them in the till but not before checking with the list of prices of the products Sugarcube Corner was selling. Either somepony was forgetful of the price or haphazard with the collection but as long as she was collecting the correct amount, Celestia did not care. Celestia laid her head on two hooves propped up on the counter. The shop was quiet except for the sounds of muffins being munched on and smoothie being slurped. With nothing else to do, Celestia’s mind wandered again. I have to get out of here… but how? She scratched her chin idly with a hoof. Celestia had seen Pinkie Pie several times over the past two years and at least twice while she was in Sugarcube Corner when the sun princess was there for brunch. The Cakes who run the shop seemed to tolerate whatever antics the party mare came up with but reined her in whenever she went overboard. Case in point was the brunch where Pinkie chomped on a cupcake she was about to eat—she was about the only pony not in the slightest in awe of the sun princess. A smile crept into Celestia’s mouth at that bit of memory. The point was that Pinkie Pie, although working as an assistant in a bakery, did not seem as restricted as an assistant, who say, worked in a bakery in Canterlot, if what she had heard from her subjects was correct. Was it really that simple? A frown settled on her brows. So simple that I should just ask Mr. and Mrs. Cake? With that thought, she trotted to the double doors and pushed her head in. “Um, Mrs. Cake?” The blue mare in question looked up from frosting her cake at Celestia. “Yes, Pinkie?” “Um, I just remembered I have to something to ask Twilight Sparkle… I’ll be back in um, ten minutes!” Celestia gave Mrs. Cup Cake a smile she hoped was not awkward. “Uh… sure, Pinkie. Just be quick, the crowd’s coming in about thirty minutes,” Mrs. Cake said, referring to the ten o’ clock morning crowd. “I’ll be back as soon as I can!” Celestia popped her head out of the kitchen and trotted as quickly as she would allow herself—which was a slow jog—across the dining area. Just as her hoof reached for the door, she heard a soft, brittle voice said: “Oh, did you think I have forgotten about you, Princess Celestia?” A gasp escaped Celestia just as a pink glow descended on her. *** Princess Luna glided high above the spires of Canterlot, her large swan-like wings held taut as she rode the rising thermals. Her head scanned left and right, hoping to the shape of her sister from high above. Evidently, she had miscalculated the head start she had given Pinkie Pie and now she was paying the price of losing her in the vast mountain city for the past hour. How does that party mare speed around so quickly? Luna was acutely aware that it was already way past the time for the session of morning court and her anxiety for the breach of protocol and weariness crept steadily higher each passing second. Canterlot was, by no means, a large city and Luna marveled at how the largest pony in all existence of Equestria could not be easily found… Blurriness crept into her sight wherever she looked and the bright golden spires seemed to be conspiring with the sun to do their best to ruin her eyesight. She ran a hoof across her eyes a few times and blinked furiously to clear her vision. Where in the hay is she? An exasperated sigh left the midnight blue alicorn. Scanning the city of white gleaming walls with squinting eyes several more times, a galloping white figure caught her attention. A twitch of her wings banked Luna in a tight right turn in the direction of the figure. Luna squinted at the figure just her vision blurred again and another round of rapid blinking cleared her sight enough to catch a hint of flowing multicolored mane on the figure, darting past numerous upper-class ponies trotting along the streets. Luna folded her wings and dropped into a sharp dive at Pinkie Pie, whose wings tucked tightly against her, seemingly heedless of herself running off the edge of the city. Just as Luna flared to a landing and her horn washed aglow, her magic ready to snatch the white alicorn if she went over, a pink glow washed over Pinkie Pie and she screeched to a halt just shy of the stepped parapet. Luna hazarded a step towards Pinkie Pie as she stood stock still, her entire being awash with the soft pink glow of unfamiliar magic. “Sister…?” Luna glanced briefly at the gathering crowd of startled ponies, now muttering amongst themselves. “Are you alright?” Luna took another step. A high pitched muttering filtered through the growing cacophony of background noise to her ears: “… wish to be the princess of parties…” “I desire to be the princess of parties…” Ice stabbed through her—she recognized the mantra. Another step. “S-sister?” “… I… Am… The… Princess… OF PARTIES!” Pinkie Pie turned into a blur of white right at Luna. The momentarily astonished Luna became a veritable whirlwind of midnight blue and platinum, cumulating in a crumpled heap of tangled hooves and mane flapping out of shape. A collective gasp of shock escaped the crowd as Luna stared cross eyed at the circlet of hovering birdies above her head. Dissipating it with a shake of her head, Luna stood shakily on her hooves. “What…” “Just…” “Happened?” She raised a hoof to her face, breathing heavily. Then Luna realized the background noise had dropped away. She looked up at the collective faces of the Canterlot elites. A squeak emitted from her mouth. “A-as you were, fair citizens of Canterlot! My sister and I have… matters to attend to!” Luna took to the air with mighty swish of her wings, leaving the stunned crowd staring at the disappearing back of their diarch. *** “Spike, go get Rarity. I’ll get Fluttershy and Applejack. Meet me at Sugarcube Corner.” Twilight’s horn started to lit with her magic when Spike stopped her. “Wait, what about Rainbow Dash?” he said. “Fluttershy will get her when I get there, now go!” Twilight’s horn glowed brightly and the unicorn disappeared in a crackle and a flash, leaving Spike alone on the street. There was a moment of pause before ran as fast as he could towards Carousel Boutique. *** Spike was hyperventilating by the time he reached the shop. He rested a hand on the purple half-door while he caught his breath. It was a while before the baby dragon raised a clawed fist and started banging on the door. A squeaky, muffled voice of a young filly could be heard from the confines of the boutique: “I’m coming! I’m coming!” The lower door opened to the sight of Sweetie Belle, who now stared at the panting dragon. “Whoa Spike, are you okay?” A pair of claw hands grabbed her shoulders, shaking the young filly. “Sweetie Belle! Get Rarity… Huff. Twilight… Huff. Sugarcube Corner…” Spike rested his hands on his knee as Sweetie Belle twisted out of his grasp and ran further into the shop. “Rarity! Spike’s here and he’s saying something about Twilight and Sugarcube Corner!” Sweetie Belle returned with Rarity in tow a moment later. “Spike? What’s this about Twilight and Sugarcube Corner? What’s wrong?” With a more even breath now, Spike spoke: “Twilight is gathering everypony there! Something happened to Princess Celestia!” Sweetie Belle gasped and Rarity slapped a hoof on her head. “By the heavens! What happened!?” “I-I don’t know! Twilight can explain it better. C’mon!” Spike moved towards the door. A blue glow wrapped around Spike and lifted him onto Rarity’s back. “You can ride on me, Spike. It’ll be faster this way.” Rarity turned to Sweetie Belle. “Now Sweetie, be a dear and stay here while I go find out what happened, okay?” “But I wanna come too!” Sweetie Belle stamped her tiny hoof on the floor. Rarity raised a hoof. “Now, be nice, Sweetie Belle. I will be back once I find out what happened.” Sweetie Belle groaned. “Okay…” Rarity turned and trotted out of the door. *** Outside of Sugarcube Corner, two pegasi, one earth pony and one unicorn waited impatiently. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash hovered near Applejack while Twilight Sparkle paced nervously under the awning. “Ugh, where’s Spike and Rarity?” Twilight said as she continued pacing. “I-I’m sure they’ll be here very soon, Twilight…” Fluttershy said. “Argh, I’m tired of waiting. Where the hay are they?” Rainbow Dash hovered on her back, a bored expression hung on her face. Applejack pointed a hoof. “There they are.” The rest turned to the direction Applejack was pointing just in time to see a slightly winded Rarity skid to a stop and Spike disembarking her back. Twilight rounded on them. “Where were you two?” Rarity made a dismissive gesture. “Hush, Twilight darling. It’s been quite a while since I had to run this far and this quickly!” Applejack adjusted her Stetson and said: “Now that everypony is here, would cha care to tell us what exactly is goin’ on?” Twilight let out a breath and explained. The letter, Princess Celestia, Pinkie Pie and how the sun was late rising. When she finished, Applejack, with a frown on her face, spoke up: “Now that cha mentioned it, the mornin’ was awful dark at eight, and then the sun shot right up the sky like it was thrown up in a hurry.” Rainbow Dash gave a big yawn. “I didn’t notice anything different.” She stretched and hovered on her back. “Oh, I woke up at eight-thirty… So I didn’t notice anything either…” Fluttershy scuffed a foreleg with her hoof. “I awoke at nine to a beautiful morning, so I did not notice it either.” Rarity patted her coiffured mane with a hoof, making sure it was well. “I didn’t know either until Spike pointed it out to me,” Twilight said. “Now, I hope Pinkie holds the key to our question.” Twilight lit her horn with magic and threw the blue door of Sugarcube Corner open and was immediately rewarded with the sound of a muted whap and a gasp. She stepped into the confectionary shop to sight of a glowing Pinkie Pie on her back with hooves pointing in four different directions and a shocked Ditzy Doo. Twilight gasped. “Pinkie!” She was thrown forward when the rest rushed into the shop right behind her. “What happened to Pinkie!?” “Whoa, nelly!” Fluttershy and Rarity gasped at the sight. Mr. and Mrs. Cake popped their heads out of the kitchen. “Ugh…” Twilight rubbed her head. “Oh, sorry Twi.” Applejack helped Twilight on her hooves. The lavender unicorn shook herself clear and stepped closer to Pinkie Pie. A warm pink glow suffused from the body of the earth pony. Twilight turned to the scrunched up face of Ditzy. “What happened to Pinkie?” “I-I don’t know…” A frown settled on her brows above her directionally mismatched eyes. “She told Mrs. Cake,” Ditzy pointed a hoof at the blue mare, “she was going to ask you a question and got to the door and then she gasped and the pink light dropped on her like a blanket!” Ditzy suddenly held Twilight on her shoulders. “And I was wondering what happened and then the door slammed—” Twilight brushed Ditzy’s hooves off her. “Okay, I get it.” She turned to the glowing Pinkie and took another step closer. Whatever magic that held Pinkie was powerful and was nothing like Twilight had ever felt before. A low muttering reached her ears: “I wish to have a vacation…” “I desire to have a vacation…” It’s like Pinkie’s in a trance… A flash of realization shot through Twilight. Wait, I recognize this… This is just like King Sombra’s Worst Fear spell! Her horn lit up with a magenta glow, tipping her head, Twilight let a wave of her magic wash over the lying figure of Pinkie. It was the same Dispel spell she used to unmask the Changelings during the fight outside the vault housing the Elements of Harmony and the results were immediate—Pinkie groaned and sat up, rubbing her head. She was immediately tackled by the gang. “We were so worried about you!” “Yer scared us half ta death, Pinkie!” “Yeah, you scared the hay out of us!” “I-I’m glad you’re okay…” “Oh, Pinkie, I’m so glad you’re okay.” Twilight leaned in for a hug too. “… Twilight?” Pinkie’s voice was a curious low pitch. “My faithful student!” Pinkie Pie folded Twilight into a ferocious bear hug amidst all the hooves. “Faithful student?” Twilight chuckled. “Pinkie, you’re not my mentor!” “B-But I am…” Pinkie’s look turned forlorn. “You have to believe me… I’m Princess Celestia.” A set of eight jaws dropped. “WHAT!?” “P-Pinkie, this is another of your pranks… right?” Twilight’s laugh turned nervous. “… Right?” ‘Pinkie’ sighed. “Then perhaps this will convince you of the truth: On the eve of your eleventh birthday, you stole into my chambers in an attempt to ‘receive’ your present early and instead found a stash of—” She was cut off by a pair of lavender hooves stuffed into her mouth. “Alright, alright!” Twilight’s cheeks were tinted pink. “You’re my mentor!” Her eyes darted nervously amongst her friends. “And nopony should be hearing about that!” A lopsided smirk appeared on her mentor’s stuffed muzzle. “But I don’t understand… How did you end up in Pinkie’s body?” She pulled her hooves out of Celestia’s mouth. The smirk disappeared. “I am rather perplexed myself too.” Celestia’s head drooped. “It is not just a simple Body Swap spell…” Twilight’s eyes shrunk to pinpricks. “… You mean Pinkie is…” Celestia nodded. “Yes, she is very likely so, Twilight.” Everypony gasped. “B-but if Pinkie is in you, then Canterlot…” Celestia booped her faithful student on the nose with her pink hoof. “Luna won’t allow her to run amok, I’m sure of it.” “O-okay… but how do we undo the spell?” Twilight grabbed her mentor’s hoof. “We must return the two of you back as soon as possible!” Celestia nodded again. “But I fear it would not be easy. As I had said, it is not a simple Body Swap spell and—” “And… I will not allow you to undo it, Element of Magic…” A soft, brittle voice interrupted. Eight pair of eyes darted around for the source of the voice while Celestia suddenly sat stock straight. “It’s her…” Twilight looked at her mentor. “Who?” “The pony who—” “Fulfilled… the party mare and your desires…” The voice finished for Celestia. “Such… ungrateful words from an ungrateful pony, aren’t you? Presently, a swirl of magenta light erupted amongst the tables and a strange mare materialized. She looked roughly the proportion of the Saddle Arabian representatives Twilight had entertained a while back, with a magenta body and white long flowing mane and tail, ethereal like the Windigoes. Her pale pink eyes stared intently at the assembled ponies, a small smile on her muzzle. “Who… What are you?” Twilight said. The smile turned into a smirk. “What… I am is not important.” Her gaze settled on Twilight. “But… I will not allow you to undo the spell, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight stomped a hoof. “What did you do to our princess!?” A chuckle escaped from the mare. “I… fulfilled her desire, didn’t I said that?” “Whether I wanted it or not,” Celestia spoke up. The mare chuckled again. “Yes… I do feel that you need it a lot… That… accumulated tiredness… Even… I feel your pain, princess…” “What are you up to, spirit?” Celestia joined Twilight’s side. The cheerful disposition of the mare evaporated. “Repaying you for your sins, Princess Celestia.” Her eyes narrowed. “Think on it, will you?” A flash of bright pink lit up the spirit, her eyes glowing brightly. Everypony else shielded their eyes. “Say… what is your desire, Twilight Sparkle?” Her smile grew bigger. “Ah… a teacher’s pet?” “Don’t listen to her, Twilight!” Celestia set a hoof on Twilight’s withers, only to see her faithful student’s eyes glowing bright pink. “No…” “What are you doing to Twilight!?” Rainbow Dash scooted up and dived at the spirit. The spirit glared at the pegasus. “All… unnecessary ponies will stay in their places, pegasus.” Bright pink restraints appeared on wings, legs or horns. Rainbow Dash crashed into a nearby table while the rest toppled onto the floor. Another chuckle escaped the spirit. “So… Twilight Sparkle…” Her eyes glowed brighter. “Do you… desire to fulfill all of your mentor’s tasks?” “Twilight—” A pink band lashed Celestia’s mouth close. “Well…?” A magenta glow lit Twilight’s horn. She lowered her head and let loose a blast of magic at the spirit. The spirit disappeared through the wooden walls of Sugarcube Corner in a tremendous crash, wood splinters and dust. “How… dare… you…” Twilight was breathing heavily. “How dare you!” The spirit shook the debris off herself, her eyes wide in surprise. “Impossible…” She looked on at the angry visage of the lavender unicorn, her eyes glowing brightly pink. “She is… still under the spell…!” This… isn’t good… I must get to Luna now… A pink ethereal swirl surrounded the spirit and she was gone when it dissipated. With the spirit gone, the restraints disappeared. Everypony picked themselves up and gathered around Twilight—who was still breathing heavily—while Ditzy and the Cakes looked on. “Oh, Twilight!” Celestia wrapped her hooves around her protégé. “You did it!” “How dare you…” Twilight’s breathing turned ragged. “How… dare you…” Her legs did not seem to want to support her weight. The bright pink glow winked out as her eyes closed and Twilight collapsed into the hooves of Celestia. “Twilight!” *** A brief stiff wind rustled Luna’s ethereal mane. She looked on at the darkened cityscape, a sea of darkness dotted with the dull orange squares of candlelight. It was a stark contrast to her star spangled night, twinkling with countless stars despite the soft glow of her moon. Her eyes closed momentarily, allowing a flood of memories to wash through her psyche. It was a night like this, after all, when she made her decision and… the agreement with her. Quietly, she sipped from a cup of tea held in the grip of her magic. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open. An unconsciously held breath released in a sigh—it had been a long day. After another short harrowing chase, cumulating with a tackle and a Sleep spell, she teleported herself and her “sister” back to the latter’s chambers. Tucking Pinkie into her sister’s bed, she turned and left for the throne room. Throwing the large double doors open, Luna announced the adjournment of the day’s morning and evening courts to an astonished assemble of officials and left before anypony could raise any objections. Returning to her own chambers, she rapidly wrote a decree declaring her temporary assumption of both morning and evening courts, due to an ill Princess Celestia. It was a surefire way to set every noble tongues wagging but Luna did not care—controlling the situation at hoof was more important. Passing the decree to Celestia’s aide, Sharp Quill, she stayed in her chambers since. The twelve grueling hours of waiting was taking its toll on Luna. She found her eyes drooping and vision blurring every so often despite the twenty cups of tea, numerous visits to her personal bathroom and her pacing. Sipping her twenty-first cup of tea again, her thoughts turned to Twilight Sparkle. Where in the world of Equestria is she? Her sister’s protégé should have arrived hours ago. Fear rose in Luna. What if she had gotten to her as well? She could not well abandon her post in Canterlot, despite her temporary suspension of activity. Luna could have summoned Princess Cadance back from the Crystal Empire but she could not bring her heart to do so—the empire was still vulnerable and recalling Cadance left it open to possible attacks. Not to dismiss her husband—Shining Armor, who was a capable pony himself—but he was but one pony and could only hold out for so long. On top of that, he held no political powers as a Prince Consort. The sound of a set of hooves alighting on the carpeted floor jolted Luna out of her reverie. She spun around to sight of an ethereal mare of magenta coat and white long flowing mane. Her pale pink eyes stared intently at the moon princess. “Good… evening, Luna.” “Cassia…” A frown knitted Luna’s brows. “What are you doing?” There was a gleam in the spirit’s eyes. “Saving… you.” She took a step towards Luna. Luna’s eyes widened. “What do you mean by saving me?” Cassia disappeared in swirl of magenta and materialized around Luna. “I… know what they, no, she had done to you…” Luna recoiled in shock. “What do you mean—” There was a flash of realization. “You surely do not mean—” “Yes…” Luna raised a hoof. “Cassia, I was foalish! I was naïve! I did not understand the magnitude of my actions—” A tap of a magenta hoof on her nose cut her off. “Then… why are you still so bitter, so sore in your wish for your ponies to appreciate your nights?” The spirit’s eyes narrowed. “She… had brainwashed you, Luna.” Luna twisted herself off the grip of Cassia and spun herself around to face her. “No! My sister did not and my subjects no longer fear the night! They even appreciate the wonders it has to offer!” Cassia did not reply. Instead, a bright pink glow suffused from her, motes of light broke off and swirled around Luna. The moon princess lowered herself in a defensive stance. Just as her horn lit with her magic, a wave of dizziness hit Luna. “Hush now… Quiet now…” A soft brittle voice sang. “It is time to lay your sleepy head…” Luna stumbled. “Hush now… Quiet now…” Luna’s eyelids drooped involuntarily, feeling like a ton of weight. “It is time to go to bed…” Luna’s legs gave out and she collapsed onto the floor. All she saw was the approaching hooves of Cassia before darkness swept over her. Cassia stood over the prone form of Luna, staring gently at the sleeping alicorn. “Don’t… worry, Luna.” She gave her a hug. “I… will give you eternal night again.” Her pale pink eyes drooped. “… I will not fail you again…” The two mares disappeared in a swirl of ethereal pink.