//------------------------------//
// Those Who Can't Sleep 
// Story: The Quest for Celestia's Raiment 
// by GaPJaxie 
//------------------------------//

	Azure does not have trouble sleeping. Unicorns and earth ponies just have trouble constructing a bed that isn't made of pebbles and sharp rocks stuck into a burlap sack.

When ponies talk about the many glorious achievements of the pegasus race, they rarely mention their superior bed and couch cushion technology. It's the sort of thing that's easy to forget. You know, up until the bed you were so kindly offered by your host keeps jabbing you in the back every three seconds.

To Azure's far left, Silver Shine snores like a saw—his natural talent for silence evidently not extending through his rest. Somehow, the noise wakes neither the other guests around her, nor Balti, who sleeps curled at the foot of her masters bed.

To her right, Dot Dash occupies the somewhat-more-prestigious master's space. She talks in her sleep it seems, muttering a constant stream of: "Beep... beep... beep..." It nicely harmonizes with Silver's snoring.

Azure Charger gets up off the bed, craning her head straight back, trying desperately to pop her back into alignment... and failing. Yeah, maybe getting out of bed was a good idea. She's not particularly a light sleeper, but everypony has their limits.

She's not sure exactly what time it is, save that it's probably morning by a technicality. The guest quarters have only arrow slits instead of windows, and the castle as a whole tampers with the flow of heat too much for her to tell by the temperature. The guest quarters are pretty dark in any case, the only light coming from the slitted windows and the sputtering remains of a candle by the courtyard door.

Azure heads for the doorway, leaving her armor behind for now. She exits into the courtyard, heading in the direction of the main gates while giving a few tentative stretches of her wings and legs in the process.

The courtyard is freezing. A unicorn would, of course, blame the pegasi for not wrapping up winter properly. Azure would probably put the blame on the unicorns for insisting on clear skies all night, like their stargazing was more important than trapping heat. Whomever is to blame, she can see her breath when she emerges into the courtyard and out under the starry sky. There's few ponies awake at this hour—just a few guards asleep in the stable, and two more by the gate, gathered around a torch and what looks like a pot of something hot.

As Azure stretches her legs, she hears a door open, torchlight briefly spilling out into the yard. Virtue emerges from the door to the castle kitchens on Azure's left, a small bag held in her teeth as she makes her way out. Even from a good five paces away, Azure can smell the bag.

It smells delicious.

Virtue is, in fact, looking rather pleased with herself. Like Azure, she's not yet wearing her silver caps or her robe, her sparkling gem cutie mark visible.

Azure smirks. "I didn't realize breakfast was served this early."

Virtue pauses in mid-trot, craning her neck around. "Ah," she mumbles around the bag, before lifting it onto her back. "Good evening, Miss Charger, I was merely..." She pauses a moment, considering a good excuse. "I'll cut you in if you never speak a word of this."

"To the cooks?” Azure teases. “Or to your fellow court members?"

"Depends how much you like cupcakes."

Azure Charger pauses and frowns, quickly eyeing the surrounding courtyard, years of guard training paying off for a quick surveillance. She coughs and beckons with a wing. "Cupcakes? What cupcakes?"

"Precisely," she motions her on, starting towards one of the gardens. Azure follows after Virtue, still stretching with each step.

At this time of night, a cloud house would be freezing. Nothing that can't be solved with a good blanket of course. Or, if you're really a traditionalist, toughing it out. But still... cold. Unicorns cheat, of course, which might explain why the air seems to grow warmer the closer they move towards the courtyard garden.

By the time they reach it, the flagstones are hot to the touch under Azure's hooves, and the air around them is pleasantly warm, even if traces of the chill air sometimes blow in from above. Beside them, a fountain trickles, breaking the silence of the night, and above, the stars glitter and shine, undimmed by firelight or cloud cover.

Virtue finds a nice bench to lay across, her horn glowing blue. Six little cakes topped with frosting come marching out of the bag. True to her word, she piles three up for herself, leaving the others on the bench directly across from hers. 

Azure grabs one of the "abandoned" cupcakes from the bench and dives in, in a manner... somewhat unladylike. In a few moments, all that remains is a smear of frosting on her cheek.

Virtue delicately nibbles one, hovering it in front of her as she watches Azure demolish her own

"You know," Azure says, licking idly at the frosting, "sweets this early—before morning drills—would really ruin my strict diet. Good thing we're not eating any."

"They would simply ruin my figure if I ate too many," she giggles, glancing around. She opens her mouth wide and takes a great bite. "Good thing there's none to be found."

"Indeed." She starts on her second.

"What brings you up at this hour, I'm curious?" asks Virtue.

"Partially habit. It's good to be loosened up before a mission such as this. And partially"—Azure cranes her wings back over her head and grunts—"well, let's just say loosening up will take some time."

Virtue hums. "I heard the snoring. I would not have imagined such a voice."

"Yes, well..." Azure snickers at first, but her face falls stoic as she looks at the cupcake wrapper in her hoof. "It's going to be a long few days... for everypony. For their sake, I hope they're well rested." She looks up to Virtue. "And you in turn."

Above the pair, perched upon the edge of the rooftop, an owl peers down at them, wide, golden eyes glinting in the torchlight. It takes a step sideways, then spreads its wings, and glides down, near silently, to land upon the bench besides Virtue.

"I will be,” Virtue says to Azure. "I habitually get up during the night, helps me sleep the rest of the..." She pauses, looking at the owl. "...morning."

"Who?"

"Me."

The owl blinks, then swivels its head to look at Azure. "Who?"

Azure scowls in response. "It's improper to barge into a conversation and ask others their name, you know."

The owl spreads wide its wings, as if to shrug, then freezes, pupils narrowing into an intense stare.

Virtue eats the rest of her first cupcake, levitating another. "I'm not giving a bird a cupcake. It would probably be unhealthy.”

The owl’s stare swivels to Virtue, and, despite the lack of expressive mouth or eyebrows, she manages to frown.

"Oh. Yeah." Azure glances at her remaining cupcake on the bench and picks it up. "Sure, that's probably right. Better safe than sorry."

"WHO WHO!"

"You, dear.” Virtue nibbles into her second. “We're not giving you any cupcakes. Dot Dash would never forgive me for killing a bird, I'm sure."

The owl flaps its wings for a moment, then narrows its eyes. For a moment, its chest expands, and then it lets out the loudest call it can possibly manage. "WHO WHO! WHO WHO! WHO WHO!"

"Dot Dash, she's my apprentice."

Wide-eyed, Azure shoves her cupcake into her mouth, to keep it safe... realizing a moment too late that it's still in its wrapper. She holds it in her mouth a moment, as she contemplates her course of action. She nudges Virtue in the side and hissed. "Vv-ruu, gaas hee va buu.”

"I beg your pardon?" Virtue shoves the rest of the second cupcake into her mouth. "Vu shoulvn' veet vith your mouth vull."

From across the courtyard, the rattle of a door in its frame can be heard, and after a few failed attempts, Balti manages to work the knob on the door to the guest quarters, letting herself out into the courtyard. She noses it shut behind her, making her way across the flagstones towards the garden at a measured pace. Making her way slowly up to the space between the benches, she parks himself between them. She seems less than pleased to be awake. "Mrrrr."

Azure Charger turns her attention to Balti's approach and, slowly, hesitantly, swallows the cupcake, wrapper and all. Now, pegasi are battle-hardened and warriors at heart. But eating paper is a bit much, even for an herbivore. Looking a bit green, Azure casts a furtive glance at the fountain behind her.

The owl blinks slowly, one eye following behind the other, as the cupcakes vanish. Then she hops off the bench and onto Balti's head, its back to the two ponies, rather pointedly.

Balti makes a show of licking her teeth, and raises a paw up towards the cupcake.

"Well, I'm certainly not giving one to you, either,” huffs Virtue. “I can't imagine what it'd do."

"Mrrr!"

"Who whoooo."

Virtue lifts her third one overhead in her glowing aura, out of reach. Refusing to be outdone, Balit crawls up onto the bench to try to reach higher, with the owl still balanced on her back. "Fluffy vandals!" Virtue shouts, taking a step back. She considers the threats arrayed against her, and then, shutting her eyes, she stuffs the whole cupcake into her mouth, smearing frosting on her face, letting the wrapper drift back down.

Balti looks between the two ponies, her expression, disdainful at the best of times, perfectly conveying: “And I got out of bed for this?” The owl, meanwhile, snaps her head around, eyes zeroing in on Virtue's frosting-covered face.

"Virtue? That, uh..." Azure struggles to swallow. "That bird's sure giving you the evil eye." She reaches up to wipe the frosting from her face, only succeeding in staining it further into her coat.

"Evidently she has enlisted Miss Meadow's feline in attempting to rob me of my prize."

The owl takes a couple steps around, body turning while the head remains still, then spreads her wings. With a single wingbeat, she goes from Balti's head to Virtue's horn, talons latching on as if it were a branch.

"AH!" Virtue waves her hooves. Flails, really.

Balti, her task done, slinks off into the garden to curl up next to the fountain. The owl stands there for a moment, then swings down to scrape frosting off of Virtue's face with its beak. Azure Charger, for her part, scrubs more vigorously at her face, keeping a safe distance.

Normally, Virtue would just pull the bird off, but unicorns cannot grasp objects directly adjacent to their horns. Along with football, long division, and ear rubs, it's one of the Four Secret Weaknesses of the unicorn race. She normally uses earth ponies for all four of those things.

The bird, for its part, refuses to be dislodged, hanging on with a solid grip. Soon, it has neatly picked the tasty, tasty frosting off of Virtue's face, leaving her with only one or two little nips on the cheek worse for wear.

Virtue lights up her horn, fuming at the bird. "Dot Dash will just have to find it in her heart to absolve me." The owl has just a moment to bite at Virtue's ear, before Virtue blasts at her with a Color Spray.

Usually, casting that spell on a small animal results in it stumbling around blind and dazed for the next several minutes, at least. This particular bird however, neatly scrambles down Virtue’s back and away—and in the process, gives her a lesson on the dangers of casting an area of effect spell right next to her own head.

Azure has never seen a unicorn get blinded by the light from their own horn before. That must happen in mornings a lot… Looks painful.

"Agh!" She stumbles, rubbing vigorously at her eyes.

Azure Charger tries really hard not to laugh. It would be cruel and spiteful. Really, she tries. The owl joins in with its own mirthful hoots, before taking wing and disappears into the castle shadows. Spots dance in front of Virtue’s eyes for a good seven or eight seconds before they manage to clear, and when they do, there's no sign of the cursed owl. One could imagine it was never there, were it not for the scratches on her cheek and Azure laughing so hard it seems she might cough up the wrapper she ate.

Virtue says nothing. She crumples the bag and remaining discarded paper into a ball. "Never happened." She turns, and walks away, miffed.

It is at this point that Moonlight chooses to walk into sight, her big, fluffy, pink mane standing out even in the torchlight. She stops, looking quizzically from unicorn to pegasus.

Azure Charger wipes a few tears from her eyes, in time to notice Virtue departing. Flinching, she trots to catch up. "Yeah... sorry about that. Owls can be particularly vicious if they don't get what they want."

Virtue brushes right past Moonlight. "Evidently."

"Owls?" asks Moonlight.

She looks aside to Moonlight. "Long and completely secret story." She chases after Virtue. "Those scrapes look a bit rough. I've got a first aid kit, if..."

Virtue pauses, as she persists after her, looking down slightly. "All right. Thank you."

Moonlight Meadows tilts her head. "What's that on your cheek, Azure?"

"Some damned bird gave me scratches," she says, slicing a hoof across the ground hotly, looking like she very much doesn't want to talk about it.

Azure winces at Virtue, then turns back to Moonlight. "I was eating some cupcakes, when that bird came after us. When I didn't share, and Virtue tried to shoo it away, well..." Her ears fall limp as she looks at Virtue, mumbling something that vaguely sounds apologetic.

Virtue sighs, making a sort of courtly gesture. "It's all right, Miss Charger. I did not ask for help. I should have."

Azure Charger tries to straighten up to a crisp posture, but she looks as if she's having trouble carrying her own weight. "You shouldn't have needed to."

"No, no, I can admit to my own pride. You would have had no idea I would have so much trouble with it."

A hesitant smile returns. "I suppose so." Azure nods toward Moonlight. "You missed the fireworks earlier. Virtue was letting loose a wide array of magics to spook the foul thing."

"Persistent beast, next time I should just cook it," Virtue grumbles.

Moonlight blinks rapidly, then tilts her head. "Do you have picky dogs or something?"

Azure Charger blinks back. "Dogs?"

"I only ever heard of one dog that insisted his meat be cooked. But nobody really knew how, so he just had to live with it, or become a vegetarian."

Virtue looks at her, skeptically. "So I see."

In the stables, a very quiet munching can be heard. It seems the guards found popcorn somewhere. Though, when Azure glances their way, they are all suddenly preoccupied or asleep. Azure glares daggers in that direction, just to be extra super sure her intentions are clear.

"What was that about cupcakes?"

Azure Charger coughs, feeling a sudden scratchiness on the back of her throat.

"I…” Virtue shuffles a hoof. "Fetched some cupcakes from the kitchen. And shared them with Azure."

Moonlight Meadows’s eyes light up. "Oooooo... Where are the kitchens?"

"That way." She points a hoof. It's not far to the kitchen doors, and from the light spilling out, somepony is still working inside. "I need to get my face patched up, though."

Azure nods, remembering herself. "Right." She takes a step toward the barracks and stops short. "Unless, well..." She rubs the back of her neck and looks skyward. "Herbs and bandages are great for healing and all, but so's a positive mindset." She looks back and forth between Virtue and Moonlight. "Perhaps... just one more cupcake apiece..."

Virtue pauses, rubbing her hoof against the flagstones. "...very well.” She smiles.

Moonlight flicks her tail, the motion almost catlike, then trots around to get a better look at Virtue's face. After a moment's consideration, she reaches up with her right left-forehoof, the one with a wooden horseshoe, to boop Virtue on the nose. 

The healing powers of nose boops are well documented.

Virtue blinks, touching her face. "...one day you must explain to me the fullness of your powers, Miss Meadows."

Moonlight Meadows wiggles her left ear—which has a small notch in it—and grins. "Ancient Earth Pony Secrets. Now. About those cupcakes."

Virtue leads the way, her dark tail lifted a little more proudly. "Indeed, ladies. Let us see about ruining our appetites."



	

Even so late at night, the kitchen is hot—sweltering, even, a coal-fueled often and stove still running. A half-dozen figures work here, preparing dough and frosting, setting more involved and complex dishes to rest for the night. It would be odd under the best of circumstances to find a kitchen where the staff keeps such odd hours, but this place is odder still, for all the ponies working each station appear rather much the same: a sky-blue stallion, with a cutie mark depicting a herd of galloping pony outlines.

"Hello, Virtue!" one of them calls when he spots her coming in through the door, the other two behind her. "Back for more already?"

"I've come back to treat my companions," she announces, as if it were some magnanimity instead of her also wanting to stuff her face again.

“You know," Azure murmurs, "I'd sort of expected this mission to require a bit more… discretion."

"Oh, there's no hiding things from Herd Think," says Virtue. "He will be discrete, however, except among himself of course."

"Discretion is not mentioning how often Virtue comes down here to borrow a thing or two,” Herd Think says, with a bit of a smile—all the stallions in the room smirking faintly. "Although, her figure can evidently withstand it."

Virtue stamps a hoof, making an indignant huff. Though she doesn't seem too angry. "I am in fantastic shape for a mare of my age and inclination, thank you."

"Just a moment, I'll make something for you."

"Sure," Azure says, pointing to the nearest stallion, "maybe he'll agree to stay quiet, but..." She motions to the other stallions in the room, but trails off slightly at the end.

"What's discretion?" Moonlight asks, having trotted over to one of the stallions to peer quizzically at his cutie mark.

"Your companions seem slow on the uptake," says Herd Think. "Mmm. Uptake. Cupcake. There's a pun there somewhere." He ponders the matter, as he passes some unfinished cupcakes over for frosting.

By the look on Azure's face, clearly the gears are turning. Trying to, at least.

The stallion who Moonlight is sniffing looks back at her. "...can I help you?"

Moonlight Meadows trots over to another one of them, eyes narrowed, and takes a sniff of his mane. He smells like cheap shampoo. And garlic! Maybe he's worried about vampony attacks. 

"Okay, um… Is this an earth pony thing?" Herd Think asks, leaning over to sniff Moonlight's mane too. You know. To be polite.

Moonlight Meadows trots to the side and sniffs this one's mane too.

"I think she may be earthier than most," muses Virtue.

"Is that why she smells like peat and bird feathers?"

"I'm going to say yes and pretend I didn't hear that." Virtue shudders.

Moonlight looks at the group of stallions. "You're all the same pony, aren't you?"

"Mmhmm!" he says, a few of the ponies in the room nodding as well. "I'm no wizard like Virtue or Up Turn, but Duplication spells have always been my special talent."

"Oh." Azure Charger blinks and jolts slightly. "Magic. Yes, of course." Barely audible, she mumbles under her breath. "Not quintuplets. Right."

"I was very lucky Sir Blueblood found me, really,” continues Herd Think. “Back home, ponies didn't care for it. They'd feel slighted if I was doing more than one thing at once, like I wasn't paying them full attention. Which is understandable I suppose." He sets about frosting a tray of cupcakes for them. "He said I had a rare talent and offered me a job here. He seems to have a bit of an eye for rare talent though. A lot of ponies with that description here. Including Virtue, of course. You as well, I'd hazard."

Moonlight Meadows nods, one ear flicking in Azure's direction. "Back home, everybody had to learn to do three things at once, and then talk as well."

"I should hope my talents are self-evident," Virtue says, running a hoof through the hair draped over the left side of her face.

Azure Charger stares at Virtue as she brushes her hair, eyebrow furrowing slightly. "Uh..."

Herd Think seems to consider interrupting, but decides against it, grinning as he starts to box up the finished cupcakes. "Care to render a guess?"

Moonlight trots over, looking at Virtue for a bit, head tilting side to side. "Your talent is looking pretty?" she says, puzzled.

"Your talent is looki—" Azure stops short.

Virtue tilts Moonlight's chin up with her hoof. "Dazzling, dear."

"Hmmmm... I don't know,” says Moonlight. “I've seen dazzled ponies, but usually only after a big lightning bolt or a firebug flare-up."

"Altogether a different sort entirely." Virtue tilts the smaller mare's head this way and that. "Have you ever considered doing anything with your hair? We won't really have the opportunity to do anything special with it while we're on the move, but I could always give it a try... a wash, certainly…”

Moonlight tries to nod her head, but given it's in Virtue's grasp, she doesn't really succeed. "Pearl Necklace kept getting hold of it when I was her sort-of-neighbor. She gave up after she broke three combs to get it just right, and then saw me after I did my usual daily things."

"My combs don't break very readily. Then again, I also cheat outrageously." Virtue smiles. "A few days on the road and I think we'll all need a refresh. Unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony alike."

"Kay." Moonlight Meadows turns away and starts nosing at the cupcakes.

"Get away from there! Shoo!" Herd Think pushes her away, just about finished making a box for the cupcakes out of carefully folded paper.

Azure Charger clears her throat, polite. "Even with the full entourage, we shouldn't be gone long. At most a week. I'm sure that proper pampering could be put on hold until then."

"Fair enough," sighs Virtue. "A week of roughing it shall not kill me, though I'm sure it'll try."

Moonlight Meadows backs up a couple steps, blinking. "And with pegasususes along, we can always take rain showers."

"There's that," Azure says, chuckling at Moonlight.

Virtue blinks. Then giggles.

"That always seemed suspect to me,” Herd Think says, frowning. “Maybe I don't see the appeal in bathing in something another pony just put their hooves in. Though I suppose she could just wash her hooves first."

He levitates the cupcakes into the box one at a time, until a full dozen are inside, folding up the top quietly. "Here you go, Virtue. A dozen. That should last you and your friends the night, and a few for the road."

Virtue pecks him on the cheek. "You are a prince, Herd Think, a prince among pegasi." It's a little odd to see a half-dozen stallions all blush at once and look in Virtue's direction. Well, maybe she's used to it, when she walks into a room. She “happens” to brush one of them with her tail when she collects the box, her hindquarters swaying on the way out.

Azure Charger arches an eyebrow.

"Uh... good night!" he manages, after she's long out of the room, just as Moonlight and Azure are making their way out.

Outside, the night has grown no warmer, but it's probably a relief, after so long in the kitchen. Besides, after three rich cupcakes each, Azure and Virtue probably have some energy to spare.

"I thought he was among unicorns?" asks Moonlight.

Virtue shifts her head side-to-side. "Unicorn princes often leave something to be desired, truth be told. Of course, strictly speaking, pegasi don't have princes, so it's something of a double compliment.” 

Azure opens her mouth a moment, before thinking better and closing it. "I... see."
“Incidentally, that which you just witnessed is a small part of my special talent," she says, amusement on her face. "And one that I hope is appreciated!"

"Well, it should seem that your talents will be of most use to the group," Azure adds, pointing with her muzzle at the box.



	

The cupcakes are, it must be observed, quite good.

The audience chamber is abandoned this late at night, and while it may not technically be sound for Virtue to sneak into her liege lord's court late at night to sit in his chair and eat cupcakes… well. He probably wouldn't mind.

Inside, it is warm, and the odds of owl attack are considerably reduced, the three able to enjoy the cupcakes in peace. However, all is not as well as they might have first thought. Some of them are coconut and there's no clear way to distinguish which is which other than to bite into one abruptly. As Virtue just did.

 "So, since none of us appear able to sleep," she says, nibbling around the edge, "t'would seem a proper hostess would inquire after her guests. How are you enjoying the stay at the castle?"

Azure very carefully and deliberately peels the paper off her cupcake, sets it neatly aside on the chair next to her, then inhales the cupcake. The sound of a pony inhaling a cupcake is a strange one, but may be reasonably approximated as "snarf."

"Well", Azure chuckles, "the vittles—which if anypony asks, never existed, what we have tomorrow morning is all that existed—are actually quite tasty."

Moonlight Meadows nods, the paper from her first cupcake neatly covering her snout; she does not use her hooves to eat them at all.

“The accommodations, well..." Azure says with a glance to Moonlight, "we might be more 'in our element' on the road, so to speak."

"I confess pegasi beds are hard to come by,” says Virtue. “It's difficult to get the clouds to stick together just right. I'm sure the Knight wouldn't have minded you building your own temporary one."

"Yes, well, no need to pester anypony for only one night's stay." Azure frowns slightly and sets her cupcake aside. "If I may speak earnestly? I'm a touch surprised with your demeanor, Virtue. You seem very..." She trails off, fumbling for the right word. "...open-minded. Many ponies of your station, in my experiences, are more cloistered in their beliefs."

Virtue considers her answer, along with the coconut. Where does one even find it this time of year, she wondered… "Some ponies would like to believe, even after a hundred years, that Celestia's New Order changes nothing."

Moonlight Meadows snorts, causing a few cupcake papers to go floating away.

"In theory, they are correct,” Virtue continues. “Unicorns are still unicorns, pegasi are still pegasi, and earth ponies are still earth ponies. No amount of harmonious relations will permit me to cloudwalk and no amount of hope will give a pegasus a horn." 

Virtue pushes the cupcake away, slicing it in half and offering the uneaten part to Azure. "When I was a little filly I had a friend who was a pegasus, and my father, Authority, informed me in the strictest terms that I was not to associate with him any more. Instead of obeying him, I took him with me to a dance in town."

Azure Charger listens on, vaguely aware of grasping the offered half. She frowns. "Why?"

"Because I was a little filly and I thought he was very, very cute. Which he was, of course.” She titters. "Oh I pretended like I was doing him a favor. But you know how little girls can be."

Moonlight Meadows giggles. "Also, she was rebelling against Authority."

Azure Charger smirks in spite of herself.

"Succinct." Virtue smiles. "When we arrived, the other ponies jeered, and said some very unkind things to poor Straight Shot." Moonlight Meadows nods, knowingly. "I, however, made sure he didn't run away. I danced with him, shared my punch with him, let him walk me home. He left that day feeling like a knight."

Virtue finishes her half. "I had a sore bottom for three weeks and no pastries for twice as long."

Azure thinks, her cupcakes sitting untouched. "Had you gone with a unicorn, your father would not be cross, and your friend would have been saved his harrowing embarrassment. Was it worth it?" She tilts her head. "For you? For him? And your father?"

"Mm!" Moonlight mumbles, then swallows. "It was only embarrassing to start with, but he left feeling good. I remember that part."

"Mmm..." Azure looks out the window.

"Was it worth it? He couldn't show his face for a time and I was punished. Father was humiliated in front of all his peers. All we got out of it was one night of fun." Virtue considers the remaining cupcakes, now that the others have had their fill, and places the lid over the box. She folds her hooves, one over the other. "But it was worth it, to me, and to him."

Azure Charger turns back to look at Virtue. She pauses a moment, then shakes her head. “I see. As I said, Miss Virtue, you are quite open-minded on these matters."

"I never did say what I did was particularly smart or wise, even for a young filly," Virtue says, smiling.

Azure smiles back. "That's fair to say, I suppose. Matters of the heart being what they are." She chuckles.

"Is the Prince married?" Moonlight asks, her face covered in the detritus of her cupcakes.

"Sir Blueblood," Virtue says, with a very minimal emphasis on the title, "is as yet unbetrothed."

"I should imagine not. His greeting this afternoon was rather..." Azure frowns, looking at her hoof. "Familiar."

Moonlight Meadows flicks her tail, a smirk on her face.

"Truly,” chimes Virtue. “But tell me, Miss Charger. A proud scion of a fine House, come calling to a unicorn's castle to embark on a quest at his behest. You seem rather open-minded yourself."

Azure Charger's ears twitch slightly at Virtue's question, and she pauses a moment before answering. "Indeed. Typically our orders—Blueblood and Charger—would not interact so directly. However, the nature of the mission was brought to our attention." Azure Charger looks to Moonlight. "Of the relics in question."

Moonlight Meadows blinks slowly. "Uuuuh-huh."

Azure gives a formal nod. "Simply put, House Charger is honored to be called up for such a task. Assuming," she adds with a frowns, "that it is as Prince Blueblood stated in his missive."

"And you the dashing representative thereof,” says Virtue. “It's almost like the story books: Shake the spears and flash the banners, the noble pegasus champion rides forth, her hooves and armor flashing in the rising sun..."

"And then the dragon burns off all her hair!" Moonlight says with a smile.

Virtue smirks, arching an eyebrow. "I believe that's a drinking song. I could be mistaken."

"Eeeeyup."

From Azure, Virtue gets a nod, and Moonlight a chuckle. "It is my honor to have been chosen, to represent my house and my Princess."

Virtue pauses. "It's a very uncommon pegasus who adds the latter," she observes.

Azure smiles disarmingly. "Ah, but are we not all Princess Celestia's little ponies? It is only proper that House Charger would answer the call."

"I have always thought so."

"Quite so.” Azure nods. “It is my sincere hope that the Princess sees fit to trust my House wholeheartedly. Should my actions bring this to pass, t'would truly be an honor."

"Well-spoken as well, you have a plethora of talents." Virtue looks to Moonlight Meadows, curiously; Moonlight blinks and returns the look.

"Yes, err, a plethora. I do... most certainly have..." She notices the staring contest that has emerged.

Virtue holds the look, propping her forelegs up on the table and resting her chin on her hooves. Moonlight Meadows mirrors the motion. Moonlight stays stock-still, the only motion that of her tail—which, every so often, flicks in a manner rather reminiscent of an entirely different animal. Virtue narrows her eyes.

Azure, confused by the exchange, reaches aside for another cupcake. As her hoof connects with nothing, she looks down and realises they've been put away.

“I knew it," says Virtue. "You are completely depraved."

"What's depraved?" Moonlight asks.

"Darn. She is very good." Virtue smiles at Azure. "I couldn't tell for a moment if she was actually in a staring contest or if she was just gazing in my general direction for a moment."

Azure Charger nods back. "Indeed. Her subtle nature is quite depraved."

"Oh, that was just me trying to get a rise out of her." Virtue turns to face her. "So, Miss Meadows. That brings us to the delightful question of where it is that you come from?"

Azure also shifts in her seat to face Moonlight fully. "I too have been wondering about our curious little one."

Moonlight Meadows shuffles herself about, gathering her hooves underneath her and taking a moment to lick her face clean of frosting. Including the area above her eyes. "There's three answers to that question."

"The first answer is about three day's walk thataway," she says, pointing with her tail in the general direction of the road. "But that's not the one you want. The other answer is that I was born in Tall Tale. And my parents still live there. As did Pearl Necklace. But the third answer and the real one is Whitetail Woods."

"Your opinion on the theory of answer discretion is fascinating. All three are equally interesting, however…” Virtue rests her head on a hoof. “Why do you name the final one as the Whitetail Woods?"

Moonlight turns her eyes up towards the ceiling, her gaze roving over the unicorn construction to rest upon a point completely unremarkable from everything else—save for that the moon is on the other side. "I was born in Tall Tale. But I grew up in the woods." She pauses for a moment, still staring. "I went to a ball there, once."

"In the Woods or in Tall Tale?"

"The Woods. I boogied with bears, birds, beavers, and badgers, danced with deer, dogs, and diamondbacks, and sang with the swallows and skunks."

Azure scratches her head. "...undoubtedly unique," she offers.

"I remember my dress was made of flowers and my tiara was made of bark," Moonlight continues. "It didn't work so well when I brought the bears to the harvest festival. But that same night I also climbed to the top of the tallest tree and remembered a poem a pony poet said over a night of pumpkin pie. So I said it to the moon."

"Ah! Perhaps, err..." Azure looks to Virtue "you'd like to tell it to us?"

Moonlight Meadows nods. "I can do that. But you've gotta say it to the moon. She likes it."

"Moonlight indeed," Virtue murmurs. "Also the meadows."

Azure nods, then freezes. "Wait, 'you'? As in..."

Moonlight Meadows shoves herself off her seat, landing on the stone floor with a four-footed "clop," and makes her way to the courtyard. Azure looks back at Virtue and shrugs helplessly, before following after Moonlight. Virtue rises as well, the box balanced on her back

In the time since the three awoke, the moon has made its way towards its zenith, visible now over the castle walls. It's a full moon tonight—the distinctive pattern of craters that form the shape of an alicorn's head standing out clear in the cloudless sky. They say the sun is similarly adorned, though looking to check may be ill advised.

"Mrrr." Balti lazily unfolds from her resting place, as Moonlight rat-a-tat's her hoof on the courtyard stones, calling Balti over. She nuzzles the cat, then turns around thrice and sits, eyes locked on the moon.

And with a breath, she begins.

"'Tis Moonlight, summer Moonlight, all soft and still and fair;
The solemn hour of midnight Breathes sweet thoughts everywhere,
But most where trees are sending Their breezy boughs on high,
Or stooping low are lending A shelter from the sky.
And there in those wild bowers A lovely form is laid;
Green grass and dew-steeped flowers wave gently round her head."

Azure scratches the back of her neck. "That was... pretty nice I guess. Poetry's not usually my thing, but that had some nice..." She draws a blank. "Words."

Virtue narrows her eyes, looking at Moonlight, then up at the moon. "Do you speak to the moon...often, Moonlight?"

"She likes songs and poems," the pony says by way of answer. "Songs especially, but I'm not that good at singing."

"Does she."

"Well, I think she does,” Moonlight says. “She can't actually speak back."

Azure Charger rubs her chin. "So your special talent is... talking to the moon?"

Moonlight giggles. "That would be silly. Anypony can talk to the moon!" She shakes her head, and then nuzzles Balti again. "My special talent is more to do with her. And the bears and the plants and the earth and the water."

Azure blinks. "Right... Well, I mean, err... Your friend there, Balti I think? She at least looks like she can, um... keep you safe? Given it's a long three days of travel, and such."

Moonlight Meadows looks at Azure for a moment, then reaches a hoof into her mane, and comes out with very roughly crafted wooden pony, which she shows to the two of them. "I'ma show you something."

"Oh dear. That is very unhygienic," Virtue says, squirming her hooves and patting her own hair.

Azure blinks at the statue, more perturbed by the fact that she's getting more used to Moonlight’s mane storage than the doll itself.

Moonlight holds the doll in the cup of her hoof, then, sitting upon her rear so as to free up her other hoof, starts fiddling with the head. It's not quite possible to see what she's really doing, but a moment later, the pony is glowing, bright enough to rival the torches on the courtyard walls. There's a faint shimmer on the doll's surface, reminiscent of... something. She puts the doll down upon the courtyard floor, and nods. "See? Firebugs."

Virtue gazes at her closely. "Would that I had a gift for Divination at all," she murmurs.

Azure lowers her head to floor level, squinting as best she can at the bright figure. "...Firebugs?" It's a question in technicality only.

"Yes."

"...huh. Well, then." Azure stands back up, her hoof finding its way to the back of her neck once again. "That's certainly... impressive. For an earth pony, no less. Wouldn't you say, Virtue?"

"Verily." Virtue puts a hoof forward. "Perhaps you could explain."

Moonlight shakes her head to the side. "I could maybe explain sort of in a way but it would be kinda hard."

"I am accounted reasonably clever,” Virtue says with a calming smile. “Perhaps you could try?"

"Okay. I asked the wood to pretend it was a swarm of firebugs, and it agreed."

Virtue looks almost... offended. More like she's scrunching her face up. "Who in the wood are you asking?"

Moonlight Meadows blinks. "Not, like, a wood made of lots of trees, but just the wood the doll is made of."

Azure Charger’s own face scrunches up.

Virtue patiently rephrases. "No, dear, who in the wood did you ask to pretend? The wood in your hoof."

Balti shrugs. Moonlight Meadows turns to Balti and says, "I told them it would be hard."

"I mean," Azure offers, "you're not lying." She points to the doll. "You're clearly talking with... somepony. Guess it's an earth pony thing."

Moonlight shakes her head. "Except not really because this time I didn't have to say anything, and that's just the simplest way to put it, but I didn't ask anypony or anyone in the wood. Just the wood."

Virtue rocks back on her heels, so to speak. "Well. This has been a fascinating night, ladies."

"That's safe to say," Azure agrees.

"Perhaps we should all get to bed, we do have somewhere to be in the morning." Virtue looks thoughtful. “I may want to send out... well, never mind."

"Kay."

"Aye, that we do.” Azure nods. “No sense burdening ourselves further with exhaustion. Perhaps our companions have stopped with their snores and beeps."

Azure's optimism proves unjustified. However, at the least, they do sleep a bit easier—and come morning, each of them has been left something for the road. Moonlight, a cookie with a crescent moon on top in frosting, Azure, some light and fluffy pastry, and Virtue, a cupcake with the most exquisite frosting, perfectly depicting an owl and its upraised wings.