Luna approached her sister with her two loyal guards behind her, looking pitiful and emotionally distraught. Celestia noted the small bruise on each of their faces, indicating a struggle had happened somewhere along the lines. She returned her own eyes to her guards and motioned for Luna’s accomplices to join them on the floor. “I trust you two had a stern reminder of how guards should behave?”
“Of course, Princess Celestia,” said Poe with a downtrodden look on his face.
“Yes, Luna made sure that we’ll never act like that again.” Eclipse bowed his head in respect to both of them. He eyed the solar guards to his left and watched them exchange unsure glances.
“Well, Luna, it would seem as if our bath has been spoiled for tonight.” Celestia craned her head to take one final look at the bubbles. “I don’t feel comfortable after what has transpired tonight.”
“Nor I, sister. We should retreat this evening and save it for… tomorrow perhaps?”
Celestia smiled. “That sounds wonderful.” She returned to her stoic manner and spoke confidently, “Silver, Peep, Flash, single file.”
“Eclipse, Poe, behind Celestia.”
They formed a single line and began to march towards the door. Celestia spread out her wings and flapped them, letting the steam around them clear slightly. Luna followed her example.
They stopped at the door and exchanged glances with one another one last time. Celestia ordered her guards to exit first and Luna couldn’t help but wear a small grin in the corner of her mouth. Halfway through the door, the solar princess stopped and turned around. “Luna, now that I think of it, didn’t you have three guards?”
Luna held a hoof to her chin. “Now that you mention it, yes. I shall call for her. Penumbra! Now!”
“Now!?” said Celestia, startled.
Before she could gain her wits about her, Poe and Eclipse pushed her out the door along with themselves. Suddenly, the door slammed shut and the sound of heavy tumblers and a barricade echoed through the hallway. Eclipse and Poe stood strong at the door, bending down like guard dogs.
“What is the meaning of this?” Celestia said with a mixture of determination of fury.
“HAHAH! The tub is ours!” Luna laughed from inside.
Someone knocked on the door from the inside and the two Lunar Guards disappeared in a puff of smoke. Celestia and her companions blinked until they finally realized what had just happened.
“I can’t believe that worked!”
“This bathtub is huge, much better than looking at it from the wall.”
“Princess Luna is the best princess.”
“Hey Celestia. I’m going to build a bubble statue of you kneeling to Luna, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”
Penumbra was right, Celestia wouldn’t dare destroy her own door made of exotic wood and gold. She didn’t have the heart to tell her guards to take it down either. She had been walked right out of her own pride and joy, by her sister no less. “Luna,” said Celestia as she knocked on the door, “what’s going on?”
“I know what you’ve been up to, Celestia. And now, as punishment, I’m taking the bathtub until you give us what we deserve.” All three of her guards and herself cheered in unison.
“How… how did you figure it out?”
“What do you mean? It was right in front of me. It was pretty obvious what you were doing.”
“Was I really so transparent?” Celestia asked, slightly leaning on the door.
“It was as bright as day.”
Celestia frowned for a moment, Luna knew she hated that simile. “Sister, you know I can’t very well just give it all back.”
“Why not? If you hadn’t taken it in the first place, we wouldn’t be in this position.”
Celestia sighed. “Yes, you’re right, but even I can’t change time. We’ll just have to work something out.”
There was no response from Luna and company, but there was jovial laughter.
“Luna, you’re right, I’ll find a way to pay you back your one thousand years of allowance.” As if the bathroom suddenly was frozen in time, all sounds from the room ceased. There was a minute of intense pause as Celestia eagerly waited for a response. “Luna?” And still there was silence.
She heard something remove itself from the bath as dripping water pummeled the floor. Celestia inched herself away, joining her guards in standing away from the door. Steadily, slow hoofsteps painted the scene’s patience as the four of them waited outside in anticipation of her response.
The locks from the bathroom were lifted. The door opened slowly to her sister with a slightly wet head. “My… what?”
“Your allowance you missed from one thousand years. Mom and Dad ordered me to give it back to you once they had heard the news of your banishment.”
“You mean to tell me… you bought this expensive, over the top, gaudy, golden plated, excessive water pump with my bits!?”
“You said you knew. Why are you acting so upset?”
Luna’s eyes glowed pure white. “I was talking about my guards not working day shifts as well and you giving them orders behind my back!”
“Oh.”
“Oh? OH! OH!? That’s all you have to say for yourself!? OOH!?” Luna lifted off the ground. “OH! Did you hear that, my guards? OH! One thousand years of pay benefits, of programs I could have had benefit for you all like dental, but no. We got a bathtub. A BATHTUB.”
Celestia knew what was about to happen. “Silver, man the door, she’s about to shut herself off in there and destroy my bathtub!”
“Ma’am!” He gave a quick salute and then charged straight forward, knocking Luna backwards just a tad. Penumbra, watching from the bubbles, leaped out, furious her boss had been struck so crudely.
“How dare you lay a hoof on Princess Luna!” The two rolled out into the open hallway and struggled to separate each other as they threatened to pound each other’s’ face into dust.
Amidst the distraction, Celestia and her remaining two soldiers charged in. “You can’t play those games with me anymore, sister. I know all of your tricks.”
“All of them?” Luna laughed, flying backwards towards the mass of bubbles. “You don’t even know half of what I can do.” Her horn emitted several layers of light and Luna spread out her legs as far as she could vertically as if a hidden surge of magic was pushing through each one at a high velocity. It turns out it may have been just that as every bubble in the tub began to glow as well.
Luna was swept up in her own spell and Celestia stood there dumbfounded as the entire mass of foam floated this way and that, morphing and shaping into new things. After about a minute’s worth of waiting, Celestia soon realized what her temporarily insane sister was making.
“Capture the flag?”
“Yes!” Luna roared, “I am willing to forgive the if you can best me at my most favorite game.”
The bathroom door shut once and for all as the gold trim melted into the frame, keeping it perfectly situated.
Celestia gulped. For once, her future looked a little dim with no discernible outcome.
But at least it looked clean.