Princess Pudding

by Twisparkfiles

Day 1

Day 1, 6:21 p.m.
On a balcony overlooking Canterlot and the rest of Equestria, Princess Luna confidently raised the moon to give way for her beautiful night. As the skies darkened, a fully-lit moon took its place amongst the stars, bathing Equestria in its brilliance. Another uneventful night awaited the princess of the night, another night of keeping the peace as ponies prepare to hit the hay. Luna went back inside the castle and walked down the hallway of stained glass. Moonlight sifted through the multicolored panes, creating scores of rainbow lights along the floor. Calm air swirled above her as she looked at her work through the glass and greeted the few guards in the area. Deep down, however, a sudden buildup of euphoria—made evident by her increasing cadence—threatened to break out and unleash her playful side. After making a quick left turn, the cadence turned into all-out galloping. The sound of gaits in rapid succession filled the empty corridor. Whatever has her in a hurry is just behind the door at the end of the corridor.
Luna entered the room, one of several kitchens in the castle, with a smile on her face. A small fridge caught her attention. Without regard for anything delicate, if not fragile, she lunged toward the fridge and opened it. But elation instantly turned into terror upon seeing an open, empty carton with traces of chocolate syrup along the edges. An appalled Luna could only scream her agony into the night: “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
By sheer coincidence, Princess Celestia happened to be passing by the kitchen when she heard her sister’s cry of despair. She entered the kitchen without a moment for second thoughts. “Luna!” she said. “Is everything okay?”
“Our cry rivals that of despair itself,” said Luna. “Doth thou think all is PEACHY?”
“Luna, calm down,” said Celestia. “Maybe I can help. Tell me what happened.”
Luna's magic flung the empty carton and hit Celestia in the muzzle, smudging it with chocolaty goodness. Her angry protest followed suit. “THIS happened!” she yelled.
Nowhere was the empty carton enough to clarify the blur. “I don’t get it,” said Celestia, one eyebrow up. “We saved one serving of pudding for this night,” Luna explained. “Where hath it gone?”
“The royal baker will make us another batch,” said Celestia.
“And wait for several moons?” replied Luna in indignation. “The knave dare take Our favorite dessert for his personal gain. It greatly irritates Us.”
“It can’t be helped. Making something so delicious takes time.”
Indeed it does. Bran biscuits and tea aside, few ponies know about the sisters’ secret snack: chocolate pudding. Rumors were aplenty, mainly within Canterlot, but this pudding may as well be the best in the land. Countless bakers and patissiers attempted to get the recipe right but failed miserably. Rumor has it that some failures forced their aprons up for good, while others grew obsessed with demystifying the recipe beyond insanity. Yet, popular opinion considered the pudding no more than an urban legend, one that left Luna in tears.
If the pudding more than satisfied the royal tongue, she had every reason to cry. Celestia offered a shoulder to cry on; it’s the best she could give right now. But the move was ill-advised. Luna picked up the scent of chocolate from her sister’s mouth. Sorrow turned into rage in a matter of seconds, pushing Celestia and her crying shoulder scant feet away.
“You!” said Luna’s anger, momentarily deviating from her archaic tendencies. “You consumed the last pudding!”
“What?” replied a dumbfounded Celestia. “No! I ate my last share last week. I would never eat your share, Luna. Believe me.”
“Likely story,” replied Luna. “Explain why thou breath reeks of chocolate.”
Celestia paused and checked her breath. Luna was right, much to her sister’s fright.
“Thou hath betrayed our promise to share Our blessings,” replied Luna. “We are ashamed to call thou Our sister.”
“Luna, wait,” said Celestia in a panic. “I can explain. This isn't from the pudding.”
“We hath heard enough from a deceiver's mouth,” Luna answered resentfully. “We hath lost much trust in thou, ‘un-sister.’” Without giving Celestia more time to explain herself, Luna stormed out of the kitchen. The few ponies, mostly guards, waiting outside scattered, lest they incur her wrath.
“What…just happened?” said a dumbfounded Celestia.

Day 1, 8:58 p.m.
Perhaps rest would clear Celestia’s mind. The thought of a good night’s sleep enticed her to retire for the night, only to be distracted by three guards outside Luna’s room.
“What’s going on here?” Celestia asked as she approached the guards.
“Your Highness,” said one of the guards. “We've been trying to call Princess Luna for an hour. She’s needed at the throne room for a very important meeting. She won’t come out no matter how much we explain the situation.”
“Who is she supposed to meet?” Celestia asked.
“A delegation from Dimondia, Your Highness,” answered the distraught sentry.
Nighttime diplomacy was unusual, but trade proposals from a gem-rich kingdom were too important to be shunned. Celestia walked up to the door and knocked in a hurry. “Luna!” she said. “Stop fooling around. You have a duty to fulfill.”
“Leave Us be!” cried Luna. “I shan’t assume my duties until We receive Our pudding.”
“Luna, this is ridiculous,” said Celestia. “You can’t get all worked up over this. It’s just pudding.”
An outburst echoed through the door and wall in response. “JUST PUDDING?! How would thou feel if the knave seized thy object of affection?”
“Just don’t take it out on Equestria, dear sister,” said Celestia, growing ever desperate.
Luna stubbornly refused—and she had the perfect way to make it known. “Thou shall have to coax Us out of Our quarters,” she dared.
It was a challenge Celestia didn’t take lightly. “Stand back,” she warned the guards, who fully complied, after taking a few steps back. “Sorry Luna, but you've tested my patience long enough.”
In an instant, a blinding beam of light dashed the remaining yards to the door. Instead of an earth-shattering explosion, however, the door magically returned the beam to its sender, much to her distraught. Soon enough, an explosion rocked the castle from spire to basement, the delegates from Dimondia too smart not to notice. As soon as the smoke settled, glass shards littered the entire length of the corridor, with a charred and annoyed Celestia in the middle.
Luna mocked her sister from the safety of her enchanted door and wall. “Like it?” she said. “We hath cast a spell on the entrance to reflect magic. Not even dispelling can dispatch it.”
An exasperated Celestia walked away, her guards followed. Equestria neither has the time nor need for Luna’s misplaced priorities. Diplomats didn’t like waiting and the cycle of day and night must continue. The enchanted door made it clear for her: Luna wants her pudding.
“Your Highness,” said one of the guards. “Are you okay?”
“I’m all right,” said Celestia. “More importantly, we need to fix this mess. Have the keepers clean up this mess immediately. I don’t want anypony stubbing their hooves.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” the guard replied and went ahead.
Celestia then turned to another guard. “Summon the royal baker,” she told him. “Tell him that I’ll compensate him for coming to the castle at this hour.”
“Will do, Your Highness,” the guard replied and left.
The last guard eventually received his instructions. “Escort the delegates to the guests’ quarters in the meantime,” said Celestia. “Tell them that I’ll be with them shortly.”
As soon as all three sentries attended to their respective duties, Celestia stormed into her quarters. Quickly, she picked up her quill and parchment.
“My dear Twilight,” she spoke while writing the exact words. “Please come to Canterlot at the soonest.”