Princess Celestia stood next to the windowsill, tapping her hoof on the floor in anticipation. Oh, how much longer is this going to take? Celestia thought as she watched the sky.
"Celly!?" Luna shouted as she galloped into Celestia's bedchamber, a wide grin plastered on her face.
Celestia gasped upon hearing her younger sister call out her name. "Lulu, what is it!?"
"Oh, I am sorry sister. You are not busy are you?"
Celestia gave one last glance towards the clouds to see if her royal coach was in sight. It wasn't. "No, not at the moment."
"Well then I have some news for you! I just read about a wonderful creation called daylight saving time. It's this mystical power that allows the moon to set one hour later during a part of the year, which means that I get to have one more hour of glory!"
"Lulu--"
Without allowing her sister to interject, Luna kept talking. "I know this may be quite upsetting for you, Celly, seeing as how your sun doesnt have as much time as my illustrious moon anymore, but rest assured I will not think anything less of you."
"Lulu---
"You know Celly, if you play your cards right I might just---"
"Luna!" Celestia said, cutting through her sister's proud attitude. "Even though the moon may set an hour later, the sun also sets an hour later."
Luna giggled at Celestia's statement. "Celly, I know that this may be hard for you to believe, but you should not fib to resolve your problems." Luna posed augustly while her sister facehoofed.
Accepting that Luna would obviously not let go of her delusion of grander, Celestia continued the conversation. "Is that all you had to tell me, Lulu?" Celestia asked in a stern tone.
Luna's stance sank as she looked upon her straight-faced sister. "Is something wrong, Celly?"
Celestia exhaled deeply and massaged her forehead. "No, it's just that..." Celestia's words halted as she recalled what exactly she was waiting for.
Luna... She was the last one who brought up the subject of democracy. So many lives lost; so much bloodshed. And it only took a mass air drop of memory-erasing powder and a one-way ticket to the moon to clean up that whole mess. There's no way Luna can be here when Twilight arrives!
Luna stared closely at her sister's blank expression. "Celly? Are you alr--"
"Luna!" Celestia shouted, breaking from her abrupt silence and causing her sister to fall backwards. Luna panted on the floor. "Lulu, uh... You can't be here!"
Luna, who was still choking on her own breath, questioned, "What?"
Celesta, recovering from her slip up, anxiously said, "I mean, Lulu, you don't want to stay cramped up in this stuffy old castle on such a beautiful day now would you?" Celestia gave a pseudo-pleasant grin and batted her eyelashes, as sweat cascaded down her cheeks.
Luna put a hoof to her chin. "But I thought you said that I needed to treat my position with more respect instead of playing around with--"
"Yes yes, Lulu. I know what I said, but you've worked hard enough lately, right? You've done all your chores, so you should take a break." Celestia was practically shoving Luna out of the room as she backed Luna towards her bedchamber's door.
The dark alicorn bit her lower lip, and rubbed the back of her head. "Actually, I haven't really finished all my chores completely."
Celestia's eyes turned a 360 as she sighed. "Well have you at least written up the guards' duties chart for the month?"
"Um... no."
"Did you listen to some of the citizens' pleas lately?"
"No."
"Have you cleaned Philomena's cage?"
"Uh-uh."
"Did you get a new carton of milk?"
"Oh!" Celestia perked up from not hearing an instant "no" from Luna. "You never gave me my allowance, so I couldn't buy any."
Celestia moaned. You're asking for allowance now! Were you even paying attention to any of this?
"Please Luna! Have you done anything today?"
"Well--"
"Anything productive?"
"Oh..." Luna frowned, gazing into the marble floor for some type of answer. "Hmm... I know! I put away all my socks like you told me too!"
Celestia threw her hooves in the air. "Thank myself, she actually did something!" An over ecstatic beam came across Celestia's face and was mirrored on Luna's. "Okay, Lulu. Because you put away your socks, I want you to go and have fun." A saddlebag glowed with a yellow aura that surrounded it and plopped onto Luna's back.
"But what should I do, sister?" Luna asked as Celestia was now really pushing Luna across the massively regal bedroom.
"I don't know. Go play with Pipsqueak. Check out that one DJ everypony's talking about. Just get ou... er, have fun!"
Luna grunted as Celestia gave one last nudge to get Luna out of the room. "Can I at least have my allowance?" A shower a bits shot out of the bedchamber, shortly followed up by the slamming door.
~~~~~
Resuming her post from earlier, Celestia anticipated her student's arrival. I thought I told those two coachcolts to have Twilight here by two. She peered over at the sundial that was planted in the center of her room. It's almost three! Those two are definitely get a horseshoe up their...
Just then, a chariot chauffeured by two pegasi broke through a distant cloud. Celestia gasped, the urgency of what this meeting truly was hitting her like a hug from Tom. Celestia sprinted out the doorway and headed to the castle's entrance foyer.
Entering the foyer, Celestia found a couple of servants waiting in as she had directed previously. "Princess," the first of the chefs began as she proceeded down the curved stairway. "The meal you ordered me to prepare is ready anytime you want it."
"Good. Thank you. I will whistle once when I want you to bring it out."
"Yes, your Majesty," the chef replied, saluting the Princess before returning to the kitchen.
The baker approached her this time. "Princess Celestia, I've got the chocolate souffles keeping warm, awaiting your orders."
"Excellent. The second time I whistle, you will bring the the souffles to me."
Saluting, "Of course, Princess." He then fled to the kitchen as well.
Celestia's nerves loosened. Everything seems like it will run smoothly. I think I may pull this off without a hitch!
Hearing the faint sound of a carriage landing, Celestia moved a curtain out the way to see her front yard. She found one of the pegasi opening the door and helping Twilight out of the vehicle; the other servant ached as he carried a bulky sack up the stone stairs, towards to front door. Celestia propped the doors open, allowing for the pegasus to drop the sack onto the main entrance's floor. Twilight, who was kindly talking with the servant about who knows what, slowly ambled up the stairway.
Once Twilight had made it to the top, Celestia sweetly greeted her. "Why hello Twilight. How are you this fine day?"
Twilight grinned at her glowing mentor, replying, "Good day, Celestia. I am very good today. Thank you for asking."
Her student's calling her by her first name pierced Celestia. Celestia was peeved by it, but she had to make sure that Twilight was in a pleasant mood. Faking a small laugh, Celestia said, "I'm glad to hear that you are doing well my dear student. Please, tell me about your day."
And don't be afraid to keep it short and simple.
Celestia gestured for Twilight to come in to her home as the young unicorn commenced with the explanation of her day. "Well let's see... I woke up, and then I went over my hygiene check list. First, showering. I used a new shampoo Rarity gave me that had kusambi, yarrow..."
As Twilight droned on about the ingredients of her shampoo, Celestia thought, It looks as though that bag is filled with all those books Twilight found about democracy. Wow, I really did a horrible job of confiscating all those books. It's going to take awhile to burn all of them. I don't think burning the books while I 'go to the bathroom' will work now. I'm going to have to think of a longer excuse. Uh-oh. I think she quit discussing her shampoo. What is she talking about? Oh well, just keep nodding and smiling...
Tuning back into Twilight's voice, Celestia heard, "...And then Spike fell off the ladder and landed on his bum! It was a great laugh to start off my day. And then I--"
"Twilight, I've prepared some lunch for us. You haven't already eaten have you?"
Twilight held her stomach as it rumbled. "Does that answer your question?" the student giggled.
"Great! I had the chefs whip up your favorite dishes because nothing's too much for my most faithful protege."
Twilight squealed with excitement. "You made me carrot and potato stew?"
Celestia's smiled drooped. "...I thought your favorite meal was chrysanthemum and lavender salad?"
"Oh," Twilight chuckled, trying to hack threw the awkwardness in the room. "I guess my tastes have changed a little."
Celestia slapped the grin back on her mouth, attempting to please Twilight. "No, it's quite alright. I'll just have my chef make us another--"
"Celestia," Twilight interrupted the alicorn that had pivoted to leave for the kitchen. "There's no need to change the dish. I will still enjoy a nice meal."
"If you insist." Celestia and Twilight navigated through a few rooms, finally entering the dining room. The two planted themselves on the fancy, red velvet pillows that rested beside the table. Putting a hoof into her mouth, Celestia whistled for her first chef to bring out the chrysanthemum and lavender salad. A silent moment slowly breezed by without so much as the noise of any hoofsteps. Impatient with her workers, Celestia whistled once more. Almost immediately, the clopping hoofsteps could be heard from the room over and grew louder as the chef made his way to the dining room.
The chef was dragging a silver cart with two covered platters. "Very good," Celestia remarked at the chef's arrival. The chef placed one tray in front of each of the two and lifted the platters' covers in unison. The scent of the dish spread throughout the dining room, gracing the three ponys' nostrils with its delectable aroma. Such a delicious smell of chocolate.
Chocolate...?
Celestia gazed upon her plate and Twilight's across from her, with her eyes as platters themselves. "Chef, why have you brought us the souffles?" Celestia asked, agitated. "We haven't even got our lunch yet?"
His body quivering and hooves shaking, the chef answered, "Well uh... that's what you told me to do the second time you whistled."
Celestia scowled, but knew not to yell at her servant. "Then what happened to the other chef I whistled for?"
"Well, Princess, it looked as though he tripped over some large sack that was in the foyer."
Servants these days...
Celestia sighed. "Okay. I want you to clean up his mess, while he remakes our meals."
"Celestia," Twilight interjected, "I'm really hungry. How about we just have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with our souffles?"
"Are you sure, Twilight?"
Grasping her tummy as it barked once more, she replied, "Yes, I'm sure."
~~~~~
"Again, I am deeply sorry for the disaster during lunch," Celestia apologized, holding her bedchamber door ajar as Twilight entered the massive room.
"It's no big deal," Twilight softly said, checking out her teacher's room. Not much had changed since Twilight had been in here as a filly. The nostalgia of the room caused Twilight to turn a little giddy. "Oh Celestia, your room is exactly as I remember. Even that stain in the floor from when you drank all of that weird bottled liquid and got really silly and dizzy, and then---"
"Yes Twilight, I remember what happened."
I wouldn't mind having some of that right now though. This whole ordeal is driving me insane! I just need to come up with something to distract Twilight long even so that I can---
Crashing her train of thought, the sound of springs compressing echoed throughout the bedroom. The bright alicorn peered over to her bed to find Twilight hopping up and down on it like a foal might. Celestia wasn't sure how to initially react, but Twilight was having a grand time bouncing on the bed, squeaking out a "wee" or a "whoa" every time she hit the mattress. After a few more hops, Twilight laid back on the bed, huffing with tired excitement. "Celestia. I haven't. Done that. Since I was. A little filly."
Smirking at Twilight's random bit of immaturity, Celestia replied, "Well I'm glad you still enjoy doing that."
Eureka!
"If you like'd that, then is there anything else that you would like to that you haven't since you were a filly?"
The reminiscing unicorn pondered this offer for a moment. "Uh... Not that I can recall... Oh wait! Could we play hide and go seek?" Usually this game was very boring and childish, but when the game is between two magical creatures and inside one of the largest building in all of Equestria, it has more appeal.
"Of course we can! If only I had though of such a splendid idea." Celestia had one more thing to say to secure her plan. "You can hide first."
Twilight's expression was full of udder glee as she contemplated where to hide. "Okay, start counting and no peeking." Twilight followed that statement up by heading out of the room.
"Yes, yes." Covering her eyes with a hoof, Celestia began her role in the game. "One. Two. Three. Four. Five..."
As soon as Twilight was out of the room and far enough away to be out of earshot, Celestia set up a magical portal that allowed her to see her student. She waited until Twilight had secured herself a location to hide. Behind a curtain on the third floor? Twilight's hiding spots haven't changed at all.
Celestia left the bedchamber and raced to the foyer where the large sack of books remained. Acting stealthily and swiftly, Celestia levitated the bag to the basement. She found the worker pony down there that controls the castle's boiler room. Ordering him to dispose of the sack without inspecting any of its contents, Celestia triumphantly ascending up from the basement. Locating Twilight sticking out like a sore hoof on the third floor, Celestia quickly retrieved her mind-erasing powder from her room. The final step of her plan was finally going to happen. All possible tragedy and revolution would be avoided. A large amount of the evidence of democracy would be destroyed. No pony would be sent to the moon! Carefully, Celestia approached her unaware student as she untied the small knot that sealed off the bag of mind-erasing powder. The knot slipped loose and Celestia's victory over democracy was just seconds--
"Achoo!"
Dammit!
"Aw, you found me Celestia!" Twilight laughed as she stepped out from behind the curtain. Luckily, Celestia had not lost any of the powder and was able to keep it hidden from Twilight's view. "That must have been the longest time I've gone without being found. I must be getting better."
The irritated alicorn let Twilight pass her by in the hallway, now planning on just throwing it on her from behind. "Yes Twilight. You are getting better," Celestia added, attempting to keep Twilight's guard down. As Twilight trotted down the hallway, Celestia gradually floated the tiny bag of powder over her student's head.
"This was fun, but we must get on to discussing democracy." Celestia didn't even respond, about ready to douse Twilight in a heaping helping of amnesia dust. "Before we read all the books though, can I read all the letters I sent you? I want to make sure Spike copied everything correctly."
Celestia froze and so did the bag. "Spike?" Celestia quietly questioned. "You had Spike write all your letters?"
Twilight about faced, and answered, "Yes. I'm usually preoccupied to write them."
Celestia's knees felt like jello, shaking and jiggling just from her heartbeat that was abnormally fast. "So you're not the only pony who knows about democracy?"
"Yep. In fact, all my friends know about it. I kinda spilled the beans before you told me not to tell anypony. That's not a big deal though, right?"
Swallowing all anger, grief, and depression, Celestia accepted the fact that democracy was now public again, after 1,000 years. Understanding that she may be able to maintain the situation with the help of Twilight, Celestia exclaimed, "Twilight, I have something to tell you..."