The Sun, the Moon and the Cushion

by Bunnybooze79

Chapter 4

“How long is this going to take?” Scootaloo whispered to her friends sitting at her side.

The party was now in full swing. As fun as that might have sounded it was nothing more than the same boring thing from the very first room. The exception being that ponies did not go around to introduce themselves, but rather stuck to the ponies they actually wanted to talk to.

Three fillies were not on anypony’s list apparently. Which in truth was fine with them as they wanted to enjoy their work without any questions from others. Unfortunately, ten minutes into the party, nopony had yet fallen into their traps and Scootaloo was getting impatient.

“We only prepared one on each tray remember? So it wouldn’t be too obvious.” Sweetie Belle reminded her friend.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m going for something to drink.” Scootaloo left her two friends standing on the edge of the garden in front of a hedge to find something to quench her thirst. The first table she found had some drinks on offer. After a brief exchange of words with the stallion that presumably was a waiter she hobbled back to her friends carrying a tall thin glass in one hoof.

“What’cha got there, Scoots?” Applebloom eyed the glass her friend was holding. The very pale liquid most certainly had a lot of bubbles in it.

“Champion’s flute or something like that. I wasn’t really paying attention.” Scootaloo explained and took a sip. She scrunched up her nose as the unfamiliar taste hit her tongue. In a display most unladylike she turned around and spat it back out into the hedge. “Ugh. I think it’s gone bad.”

The rest of the CMC giggled as the pegasus shook her head in disgust. “I can’t get the taste away.”

“The food not quite your taste?” a familiar voice spoke up beside the crusaders.

“Hey Spike! Where have ya been?” Applebloom smiled at the young dragon wearing a small tuxedo.

“We didn’t see you when we met Princess Celestia or Shining Armor and Cadence.” Sweetie Belle continued.

“They made it? Cool. As for me, well I always visit Donut Joe when I am in Canterlot. Seeing as we are leaving rather early tomorrow morning Twilight gave me permission to visit him before dinner started.” Spike explained and smiled at the memory of the sapphire and ruby coated donut that Donut Joe had made especially for him. “Did I miss anything important?”

“Not yet.” Applebloom smiled at the dragon.

“Uh, ok. You know where Twilight is right now?”

“Ah think she’s over that way.”Applebloom pointed a hoof towards the direction that she assumed Twilight was in. Spike promptly made his way there leaving the fillies behind.

“Come on, let’s get something to eat. I need to get this taste off my tongue.” Scootaloo led her two friends to the nearest table. She snagged one of the carrots shaped into a flower from the first tray she saw.

“Ya really think it’s wise to eat somethin’?” Applebloom watched her friend closely waiting for anything unusual to happen.

“There are about fifty of these snacks on the tray. Only one of them is…special. I am willing to take my chances, besides anything is better than waiting for something to happen.” Scootaloo chewed the appetizer and was grateful that it took away some of the taste from the horrid drink earlier. Shrugging the other crusader joined their friend with eating some of the offered food.

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It didn’t take long for Spike to find the ponies he was looking for. Other nobles merely gave him a curious glance as he ran past them. Twilight was talking to her brother and his wife when he finally joined them.

“Hey Spike. How did it go?” Twilight Sparkle asked her assistant and had to wait for an answer while the dragon greeted the Prince and Princess.

“Joe says hi. And he gave me a box full of donuts for us to eat on the train ride back. It’s in my room for now.” Spike explained. He turned his head in time to see Twilight’s parents join them in their little group. “Hello there…mmmpff.”

Any others sounds were muffled as Twilight’s mother hugged the little dragon close to her chest.

“How is my little Spikey doing?” she asked and released him for her hug.

“Just super!” Spike smiled at Twilight’s parents who in a way were his as well.

“I hope Twilight doesn’t make you work too much. Having fun is important sometimes. Something my dear daughter sometimes likes to forget.” Twilight’s mother smiled at the little dragon.

“I know how to have fun, mom.” Twilight commented her mother’s mild chastising dryly.

“Oh I remember a time when you would get up to the weirdest things. That was before you started reading all the time.” Her mother smiled as she remembered back to a time when Twilight did not only read and study, as unbelievable as that may have seemed today. “Remember the time you went searching for treasure in your auntie’s vase? That really big tall vase?”

“Mom, you are not going to…” Twilight couldn’t finish her protest as her mother merely continued with her recollection.

“You got stuck halfway inside. I remember it like yesterday, coming in through the door and being greeted by my daughter’s flank sticking out of a vase. Not something you would expect to see.” The family chuckled at the little tale she had told with a smile, save for Twilight who was slightly blushing.

“Moooooooom.” Twilight protested with an almost whispering whine. She would swear that parents would remember these types of embarrassing stories during social gatherings on purpose. One day she would have to research if her theories were correct, hopefully involving somepony else’s parents.

“Oh you sound just like your brother used to.” Twilight’s mother changed her target. Shining Armor coughed into his drink.

“Mom!” he quietly warned, but was happily ignored by his parent.

“Oh, but it is true. When we didn’t buy you that toy sword you wanted or when you refused to eat your sprouts or go to bed on time. There was a reason we called you Whiney Shiney when you were a foal.” It was Shining Armor’s time to be embarrassed, much to Twilight’s own amusement.

Any protest died in his throat as the damage had already been done. A look over to Cadence revealed that he most certainly wouldn’t be hearing the last of that tale for some time. The mischievous twinkle in her eyes along with the wide grin told him that she wouldn’t be forgetting that story any time soon.

“Parents….” He muttered into his drink, but couldn’t help a small smile forming on his lips.

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Minutes passed uneventful. The crusaders had had their fill of small snacks and had found a table offering glasses of orange juice that they gladly accepted. They were beginning to lose hope that Princess Luna’s plan would work. Then somewhere somepony in the party brayed like a mule.

High above Canterlot in the highest tower the Princess of the Night observed the party far down below through a telescope. Her lips curled into a smile as she saw confused faces on the ponies down below. “And thus it begins.”

Canterlot’s high society exceeded at ignoring anything that would offend them. They would voice their offence in a close circle of friends later, but during a prestigious event such as this anything out of the norm would be duly ignored until it went away. This ability of theirs would be tested mightily over the next half hour.

The noble unicorn stallion wearing a top hat and elegant jacket did not know what suddenly overcame him. It started with his legs twitching, before he knew what was happening he started bouncing in place. The small group of ponies around him carefully stepped a few paces back. He let out a gasp of surprise as a pink pony wearing a dress decorated with candy started bouncing along beside him.

“Ooooh! I see you like to bounce as well! I looooove to bounce all the time, but Rarity and Twilight said I wasn’t to bounce, jump or skip this evening unless somepony else started first. And now I found you!! We can show these ponies how to have a proper party!” Pinkie Pie smiled her trademark wide smile at the noble pony. He wasn’t too enthusiastic about her proposal. In fact he was a little bit terrified about his current predicament.

Ponies watched in disbelief as the stallion tried to bounce away from the pink menace, to no avail as Pinkie bounced after him in hot pursuit.

“Where are you going? We’re bouncing buddies! Booooouuuuuunnnncing buddies!”

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On the other side of the garden Rarity was having a pleasant chat with Fancy Pants about latest trends and styles, when Fleur de Lis came rushing up to them.

“Fancy! Something terrible has happened!” Fleur seemed shaken and was for once not posing as she spoke to her fiancée.

“Fleur? Dear, what is the matter?” Fancy Pants replied and turned his attention fully to the distraught mare.

“I can’t lie!” she burst out, but still quietly enough for no other pony to hear.

“You can’t….lie?” Fancy Pants raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure what to make of her statement. “And that means?”

“Just now I said that Hoity Toity is an overrated hack who leeches off the talent of other talented designers and severely underpays them while lining his own coffers to buy more ridiculous wigs like the one he is wearing tonight.” Fleur explained very quickly, gaining the undivided attention of Rarity in the process who currently was working for Hoity Toity.

“And that…” Fancy Pants began, but was interrupted by the model.

“Fancy, I said that to his face.” Fleur’s eyes shifted nervously around. Rarity took note that her posh canterlot accent had also suddenly disappeared.

“Oh dear.” Fancy Pants couldn’t help but smirk. It had been a long time coming that somepony told Hoity Toity some truths, the timing was just very unfortunate. A thought entered his mind.

“So you suddenly cannot lie? What do you think of me?” Deep down he knew that she truly loved him. Money or fame had never been a factor in their relationship, as they both had enough of either before they had even met. Still it intrigued him to hear what she might have to say about him.

“Your mustache always tickles me when we kiss and makes me want to sneeze.”

Well that wasn’t so bad. He thought to himself.

“But I like the tickling feeling when you….”

“Yes, ok…” he hastily interrupted Fleur before she could finish the sentence, much to Rarity’s dismay as she found the sudden turn of events most interesting. “I shall see if I can’t contain the damage done somewhat. Why don’t you stay here with Rarity for the moment.”

Fancy Pants trotted away searching for Hoity Toity to do some damage control. Fleur sighed heavily and tried to relax. Rarity casually stood beside her and leaned in closer.

“Tell me, Fleur. What was that about Hoity Toity you mentioned just now?” Rarity battered her eyelashes in a friendly manner. Fleur winced as she couldn’t stop herself from answering.

“He buys fashions designed by ponies all over Equestria and sells them for the quadruple amount he bought them for. If not maybe even more.” Fleur explained.

“Even now? I thought the business wasn’t flowing as well as it had previously.” Rarity was still smiling, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“No that’s not true. In fact the fashion business is booming. It’s never been better than right now.” Fleur continued and nervously held watch for anypony that might be listening in to their hushed conversation.

Rarity’s smile turned into a very angry frown. She had talked to Hoity Toity earlier that evening and had listened to him complaining about the decline in the fashion business. He had gone on to say that he wouldn’t be able to pay her more for her designs and in fact would have to pay her a third less instead. The fashionista would have loved to find the pompous pony right then and there to give him a very specific piece of her mind, preferably the piece with the horn sticking out of it. Yet she swallowed her anger, as the unexpected opportunity presenting itself in Fleur was too good to miss. She would deal with Hoity Toity at a later time.

“So the business is booming. What do you think of my designs?” she asked sweetly.

“I love them, though I am disappointed you do not make them in my size.” Fleur was taller and more slender than the average mare. And it was true that Rarity did not make dresses in her size, due to apparent lack of interest in the market. Or so she had been told at least by a current business partner. “It would be nice if you didn’t have such a hack for a business partner.”

“I was thinking the very same thing.” Rarity said dryly. “Perhaps you would like to come to Ponyville one day. I’m sure I could make you a stunning ensemble with ease.”

“I…I would actually like that.” Fleur relaxed somewhat. So far she had not been asked anything too bad by the white unicorn at her side. In fact she had often talked to Fancy Pants if he could not take Rarity as a business partner himself. That way she would be able to model for somepony who’s designs she actually liked for once. The business world in Equestria was however a savagely fought battlefield and if anything then Hoity Toity excelled at keeping his partners on his side. Usually by lies and deceit, but it worked nevertheless.

Rarity smiled at the tall model. Things were looking good for her and her mood picked up as a result.

“Can you tell me anything interesting about Photo Finish?” Rarity asked innocently while Fleur winced.

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The three fillies were struggling to keep their laughter as quiet as possible. As the poison joke slowly took effect on the ponies unfortunate enough to eat one of the prepared appetizers, their mood began to rise. They were currently watching a pegasus mare trying in vain to keep her wings from flaring out. In the end she covered up her wings with folds of her dress, the effect being that she looked massively huge.

“This is awesome!” Scootaloo said to her friends and laughed as the very wide pegasus mare knocked over another stallion accidentally by turning around. Applebloom laughed along with her and anxiously awaited the next victim to make his or her appearance.

Sweetie Belle stopped laughing when she spotted a familiar figure amongst the guests. She watched as Prince Blueblood paraded through the garden, entirely oblivious to anything around him. Silently she wished that he would eat one of the tainted items.

“Let’s follow him and see what happens to him!” she said and pointed a hoof at the supreme snob. Her friends gladly followed her and the trio began carefully stalking Prince Blueblood, always making sure to stay out of sight.

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Jet Set and his wife Upper Crust were appalled by the behavior of some of the guests. His mood soured some more when he noticed an orange mare trotting up to them.

“Oh dear. It’s that country mare from Ponyville.” He whispered to his wife.

“That uncouth country bumpkin? Don’t tell me she’s coming over here to talk.” Upper Crust sneered at the thought of being seen with that individual.

“Let’s hope she doesn’t say anything and moves along. I don’t think I can take much of her horrid accent.” He made a point to not look at the approaching mare.

“Howdy!” Applejack greeted the pair in a friendly manner. “Good ta see some familiar faces.”

“Do we know each other?” Jet Set asked and hoped the earthpony could take a hint from his frosty demeanor. He felt a strange prickly feeling in his throat for a moment.

“Yeah sure. We met at th’ garden party that Fancy Pants fella held last year. Remember?” Applejack was well aware that their first meeting had been a little awkward. Most likely due that her initial thoughts on garden parties involved actual gardening.

“Ah could hardly fergit that pardy.” Jet Set stared blankly at the earthpony in front of him. Had he really just mimicked her horrid accent? A quick glance to his wife told him that he had indeed just said those words, as she stared at him with a mixture of surprise and disgust.

“Hey, yer not from around these here parts either are ya? Ah was beginnin’ ta feel a bit outta th’ place as th’ only pony from th’ country.” Applejack smiled at the stallion.

“Ah was born ‘n rais’d ‘ere in good ol’ C'nterrrlot.” He replied hoping that his change of speech had been a mere accident before.

“Really? Ah couldn’t tell. Yer accent is even thicker than mine.” Applejack joked earning a nervous chuckle from the pair.

“Maghllbfff!” Upper Crust’s contribution to the discussion was less than intelligible. It wasn’t really her fault as her tongue had suddenly doubled in size making clear speech impossible.

“Beg pardon?” Applejack turned her attention to the mare who had half her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth.

“Blarghl. Magrl blff. Aaaaaughibbrgubugbugrguburgle!“ Her outburst just earned her confused looks. Upper Crust tried stuffing her tongue back into her mouth with a hoof.

“Ya might wanna lay off the drinks Lady.” Applejack’s advice was met with an icy glare.

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“This is a really strange party.” Rainbow Dash commented as she stood beside Fluttershy. The pegasi had declined to join in any conversations and had rather taken up post next to a buffet table, quietly eating a few select items and talking. Talking meaning that Rainbow Dash would comment on some of the snobbish behavior and lack of Wonderbolts, while Fluttershy would politely listen and every once in a while give an understanding murmur.

As they watched Pinkie Pie bounce after an also bouncing stallion on the other side of the party, Rainbow Dash’s interest shifted back to the party. She welcomed the change and began laughing at some of the actions performed by the guests.

“Let’s go around and see what else is going on here.” She said to her silent companion as she watched a mare in an elaborate dress trying to hide her suddenly elongated ears under a fancy hat.

Rainbow Dash trotted after the mare, but halted when she noticed Fluttershy not following her. The pale yellow pagasus remained where she was with a slightly worried expression on her face.

“What’s the matter? Don’t you want to come with me?” Rainbow Dash asked and trotted the few paces back to her friend.

“I….I can’t.” Fluttershy stuttered.

“For the umpteenth time, there are no changelings going attack and nopony is looking at you funnily. Come on, let’s go.” Rainbow Dash wrapped a foreleg around Fluttershy’s neck and began moving her away from where they had been sitting. The timid mare complied for a moment, but after only two steps Rainbow Dash felt some resistance. It seemed as if her friend was being held back.

“I said I can’t” Fluttershy stated weakly.

“Why?”

“My tail….” Rainbow Dash turned around and looked past her friend at the mentioned problem.

“Why’d you wrap it around the table?” Sure enough Fluttershy’s tail was securely wrapped around one of the table’s legs.

“I didn’t. It did it by itself.” Fluttershy looked worried and bit her lip. Rainbow Dash slowly turned her head to look at her friends face again.

“By itself.” She stated flatly and arched an eyebrow.

“Y…yes.”

Rainbow Dash sighed and trotted behind Fluttershy to inspect the appendage gone rogue. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with it by looking at it. She carefully touched it with the tip of a hoof, when nothing happened she began unwrapping it from the table’s leg. After a moment she held the end of the tail in her hoof, carefully inspecting it in case there was something going on. The pink soft strands of hair slowly drifted off from her hoof behaving just like anypony’s hair would.

Rainbow Dash shrugged and turned around. As she took a step past Fluttershy, something curled around her foreleg tripping her.

“Oof!” Facedown on the ground she groaned. Rainbow Dash lifted her head to see what had caused her sudden introduction of her face with the ground. Sure enough her right foreleg was wrapped up in Fluttershy’s tail.

“Why did you trip me?” she asked and held her foreleg up for Fluttershy to see.

“It wasn’t me. It did it by itself.”

“Oh come on Fluttershy, that story is just…” Her words trailed off as the pink hair unwrapped itself from her foreleg. She stared at it in disbelief as it moved in a way no pony’s tail should even be able to move. It reminded her of a snake. With a foreleg still raised she observed and it slowly raised itself to her eyelevel. Suddenly it darted to her left foreleg, wrapped itself around it and yanked it out from under her.

“Oof!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Fluttershy apologized quietly to her friend face down on the ground. Her tail snaked its way away from the literally grounded pegasus.

Rainbow Dash pushed herself up with a snarl. She tuned out the apologies being uttered by Fluttershy and focused her attention on her attacker. It seemed harmless enough as it simply hung there where tails usually hung. But Rainbow Dash wasn’t going to be fooled again, that tail had started it and she was going to end it.

Without saying anything Rainbow Dash pounced the suddenly sentient tail, an action that was commented by a quiet “Eep!” from Fluttershy. Before she could get her hooves on it, the tail swished away in amazing speed. Rainbow Dash felt it suddenly tickle the underside of her belly.

“Hahahaha! I mean grrrrrr.” She jumped back out of reach to get a good view of the enemy. Taking aim she launched herself back at it. “Come here you!”

This time her efforts paid off as she held the squirming tail between her front hooves. She glared at the strands of pink hair and suddenly felt rather stupid having begun a fight with a tail in the first place. Fluttershy kept apologizing and was even trying to reason with her own tail. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous this little escapade was.

The tail however seemed to still have some fight in it. It made its move by stretching out from between Rainbow’s hooves and lightly tickling her nose.

“HaaaaaaatCHOOOO!” Rainbow Dash let go of the tail during her sneeze. The tail now back in control quickly wrapped itself around both of Rainbow Dash’s forelegs effectively binding them together. “Hey!”

“Oh my goodness, please stop. You are normally such a good well behaved tail. Why are you doing this? Is it something you want? Maybe a nice brushing?” Fluttershy’s usual course of action with wild creatures fell on deaf ears.

The end of the tail seemed pleased, at least that was Rainbow Dash’s impression as it waved around in front of her face. It began taunting the captured Pegasus by lightly slapping her cheeks. Rainbow Dash snarled at the rebellious hair.

“Oh you asked for it now.” Rainbow Dash tried biting the taunting tail, yet it slipped away fast than she could get a hold of it. It peeked out from behind her bound forelegs and did a little waving motion. Rainbow Dash’s head shot forward and she missed it by a hair. Then the tail peeked out on the other side of her forelegs and again Rainbow Dash just barely missed it. This game of peek-a-boo lasted for a few seconds during which Fluttershy kept pleading with her tail to stop the shenanigans and be well behaved.

Finally Rainbow Dash had managed to outwit her opponent by feigning her attack and diverting it to the other side at the last moment. Whether that was a victory to be proud of was still up for debate.

“’ave you now!” she growled between her teeth biting down on the tip of Fluttershy’s tail.

“Girls! What are you doing?” Twilight asked as she stood in front of her two friends in disbelief.

“It started it!” Rainbow Dash said in her defense. Twilight’s eye twitched slightly in response.

“I know you are unhappy that none of the Wonderbolts are here tonight, but could you please find some other way to alleviate your boredom?” Twilight sighed and trotted away while shaking her head, leaving the two pegasi alone with their hairy problem.

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Twilight returned to where her parents, Spike, Shining Armor and Cadence were standing and chatting. Her errand of procuring some glasses filled with juice had been successful, evident by the six glasses in her magical grip. She levitated one each to the thirsty ponies and thirsty dragon.

They raised their glasses to a toast to the family and took a sip. Twilight felt a bit hungry so she levitated a small bird made of seaweed over to her from the nearby table. The salty taste did not mix very well with orange juice. Her not to thrilled expression caused the group to chuckle.

“That reminds me of the face Shining Armor always used to make when we tried making him eat his broccoli.” Twilight’s mother smiled that certain smile that their children feared. The smile of a parent about the regale her listeners with a tale most embarrassing to the parties involved. Twilight was glad it wasn’t a story about her. Shining Armor had resigned to his fate some stories ago. What made him feel uneasy was how intently Cadence listened to each and every one.

During her telling of the tale from the past the attention of the ponies listening shifted away. They exchanged nervous glances as something was happening to their mother.

“Erm, Mom?” Shining Armor tried to break his mother’s retelling of the time he had caused havoc in Kindergarden.

“Oh hush, I haven’t even gotten to the part where you eat all the crayons.” She tried to bat away her son’s objections, but found that her hooves didn’t obey her will. “What? What’s going on?”

“You’re….dancing.” Twilight stated flatly.

“I am? Well it’s about time we made this party a more interesting one, isn’t it?” Twilight’s mother smiled and embraced her sudden urge to cut up the nonexistent dancefloor. Twilight barely managed not to facehoof. Something she shared in common with her brother. Much to the siblings chagrin their father joined his wife with some dance moves of his own.

A mystery was solved that evening. The mystery of where Twilight Sparkle learned to dance. One look at the rather unorthodox moves being shown by her mother solved the mystery instantly. Much to her dismay her father seemed to have adopted the unique styles himself.

To the surprise of ponies in attendance and that were actually paying attention to their surroundings, Princess Cadence joined her in-law in an impromptu dance session.

“Come on Shiney.” She smiled at her husband once again with that cheeky twinkle in her eyes.

“Well you know what they say. If you can’t beat them, join them.” Shining Armor simply couldn’t resist and to Twilight’s surprise started dancing himself. Before she could say or do anything Spike joined in as well.

“Et tu, Spike?” Twilight murmured to herself and downed the rest of the orange juice in one gulp.

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High above Canterlot Princess Luna wiped a tear from her eye. As a precautionary measure she had added a soundproofing spell to the magical bubble surrounding the observation platform. Her at times booming laughter would have most likely spooked all of Canterlot, let alone given away her possible involvement in the proceedings down below.

It wasn’t just the random effects of the poison joke taking effect, but rather her older sister’s reaction to the events. Countless years of ruling the land had given her the ability to never lose her cool in instances of unusualness. Now that mask was beginning to slowly erode away.

It had begun in a very subtle manner. First there was a slight twitch of the ears, soon followed by a twitch in her eyes. Now she was even pacing about. Celestia had given up her position in the center of the garden and was slowly circling around amongst her guests. Most likely to just be doing something as not to burst and drop that royal façade.

“What does thou think of thine party now, dear sister?” she said aloud in the old Canterlot speech pattern. “Have I not doubled thine fun?”

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One small white unicorn was not laughing. In fact she was getting frustrated.

The cutie mark crusaders had been following Prince Blueblood for a while now, desperately hoping he would be affected by the poison joke at this time. Yet he seemed to be unaffected by the appetizers he had consumed up until now.

The trio of fillies were hiding under a large table and spying of the pompous prince as he drank some punch. Applebloom and Scootaloo were having a great time, laughing at all the randomness around them. Yet it disturbed them that Sweetie Belle wasn’t joining in on the fun, but seemed to be rather fixated with Prince Blueblood.

“Come on Sweetie Belle, laugh a little. This is the best party ever.” Scootaloo nudged her silent companion with her head.

“What’s with ya and that Prince anyhow?” Applebloom asked.

“He was mean to us and especially mean to my sister!” Sweetie Belle said calmly. There was a brief pause as Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened in shock. Not so much because of what she had said, but rather how she had said it.

Scootaloo and Applebloom started laughing uncontrollably. Sweetie Belle held a hoof to her mouth unsure of what was going on.

“S…say somethin’ else, Sweetie B…Belle.” Applebloom had trouble breathing from laughing so hard.

“I…what’s going on?” Instead of her usual sometimes even angelic voice every word she spoke was in a deep bass laden stallion’s voice. Not unlike something that had befallen Fluttershy when she had been influenced by poison joke.

“Hahahahahaha! Stop it!” Scootaloo was holding her belly at this point.

“I can’t. What is this?” Sweetie Belle tried clearing her throat. The noise sounded like a giraffe gargling rocks. Scootaloo was fighting for breath while rolling on the floor.

“Ah’m guessin’ ya got the bad one earlier.” Applebloom was correct with her guess. Sweetie Belle had indeed been so unlucky to have eaten the single tainted appetizer on the tray they had snacked from.

“Oh great. How long is this supposed to last?” she asked and failed her forelegs over her head in frustration.

“The Princess said it would last only fer about ten minutes. Ya will be back to yer normal self soon enough.” Applebloom tried to calm her friend down a bit.

“Wait, wait, wait. I gotta try something.” Scootaloo didn’t bother explaining what she had in mind, but rather jumped onto Sweetie Belle’s back and gave her a squeeze like she had done back in the kitchen.

“HOONK!”

The pegasus howled with laughter and slid off her friends back to the floor. Applebloom soon joined her with tears streaming from her eyes.

“This isn’t funny.” Sweetie Belle’s growled statement proved the opposite as her friends were soon gasping for air. With a huff she turned her attention back to observing Blueblood, who was still making a show of himself while drinking punch.

“That was the best thing all evening.” Scootaloo had calmed down a bit, her face still flushed red and breathing heavily. Sweetie Belle merely grunted in a deep bass voice.

“Ya know, Ah bet ya could use yer voice fer somthin’.” Applebloom stated as she rose from the ground.

“Like how?” Sweetie Belle looked at her friends and rolled her eyes as they began snickering once more.

“She’s right. You could say anything right now and nopony would know that it was you.” Scootaloo tried to think who they could surprise with Sweetie’s new voice.

The unicorn had already a target in mind and she smiled a little devilish smile.

“Prince Blueblood is an airheaded oaf with as much style as a moldy carrot!” Sweetie Belle said very loudly from under the table.

“HA HA!” came a reply from somewhere to their right that sounded very much like Rarity.

To her dismay the target remained unmoved, silently sipping his punch.

“Grrrr….what does it take to get to that pony.” Sweetie Belle rumbled to herself. What she didn’t know was that under any other circumstances Prince Blueblood would now be beside himself with outrage. He didn’t react to Sweetie Belle’s outcry due to the fact that had indeed been affected by the effects of the poison joke. He was for the moment deaf. The joke somewhat backfired as he rarely paid any attention to what other ponies said anyway and didn’t even notice that he was deaf.

“We could ask the Princess for help.” Scootaloo suggested.

“Good idea. Let’s go where she can see us.” Sweetie Belle led the way from under the table to a more open position next to a rosebush. She began waving towards the tower.

It only took a few moments until she felt a tingling sensation around her head. Suddenly Princess Luna’s voice appeared right beside her, although she was still high above.

“Yes, my child? You can speak to me and I will hear.”

“We need your help with something.” Sweetie Belle said and waited for a reply. For a moment there was only silence and she began to wonder if the Princess had heard her. “Princess? Are you still there?”

“Yes….” The answer sounded strained. “Ahem…yes I am here. How can I help you….”

The voice was cut off suddenly. Sweetie Belle had a suspicion why the Princess had ended the transmission so abruptly.

“Are you laughing?” she asked and frowned to where she suspected Luna would be standing.

“Err…no. There was something in my throat. How can your Princess assist you?”

Sweetie Belle already had a plan in her mind, but for that she needed a certain item. She hoped the Princess would be able to supply her with it. The crusaders laughed as Sweetie Belle quietly explain her idea to the Princess. After a moment her voice came back into Sweetie Belle’s ears.

“I shall procure the item you have requested. Meet me back in the hallway in fifteen minutes.” With a faint popping sound the magic surrounding the unicorns head vanished.

“Eeeeexcellent.” Sweetie Belle rubbed her front hooves together in anticipation.

__________________________________________________________________

“I think Discord may be around.” Twilight Sparkle stood beside her mentor Princess Celestia and voiced her concerns about the strange occurrences all around her.

“No, I do not think it is Discord.” Celestia was watching Twilight’s ears very closely.

“Are you sure? Because this would be just his kind of thing I believe.” Twilight looked around at the ponies trying to ignore all the randomness around them.

“He is currently near the Griffon Kingdom I believe.” Celestia watched as a bubble rose out from Twilight’s left ear. At first she had thought she was seeing things, but now there was no doubt. There were indeed bubbles coming out of her student’s ears and the unicorn seemed oblivious to the fact. “I would have detected his magic if he were here.”

“I guess you are right. What should we do about this?” Twilight asked and flicked one ear absentmindedly, causing a small stream of bubbles to rise up. Celestia felt her eye twitch at the sight, but she kept her cool.

“I believe we are dealing with the effects of poison joke. It was only a small diluted amount so the effects should wear off soon.” Celestia had explained. She had come to this conclusion while eating a tainted appetizer a few moments ago. Her magical senses had detected the foreign substance immediately and neutralized it without any problems. How the poison joke had found its way here remained a mystery for the time being.

“So we just wait it out? Shouldn’t we administer some kind of antidote?” Twilight looked up to her mentor.

“As long as nopony is harmed I see no need to intervene. Please, enjoy the rest of the evening. I am sure all this will be over soon.” Celestia kept a straight face while more bubbles began leaking out from her student’s ears.

“As you wish, Princess.” Twilight bowed and made her way back to where her parents were, trailing a stream of bubbles behind her. Celestia pursed her lips and continued on her rounds through the garden.

She ignored as many strange things as possible. Calmly talking to ponies and radiating an aura of control over everything. Yet her control was wearing thin. Every once in a while she felt the corners of her mouth twitch. Princess Celestia passed a unicorn mare with large rabbit ears and politely nodded to her. She spotted her youngest guests by a rosebush and silently sighed relieved that they at least seemed unaffected.

“My little ponies.” She greeted them with a friendly smile. The trio bowed in respect to the Princess of the Sun. “Are you enjoying the festivities this evening?”

“Yes, yer Highness.” Applebloom bowed once more.

“We are having a lot of fun.” Scootaloo smiled at the Princess.

Sweetie Belle remained silent and only smiled.

“And what about you, my Dear?” Celestia asked politely.

“Yes.” Came the answer in a deep bass voice from the little unicorn. Celestia froze for a moment, not daring to breathe.

“I mean, yes, your Majesty.” Sweetie Belle corrected her blunt answer from before. If Rarity had found out she had been so short with the Princess no less, she wouldn’t have a minutes rest for weeks on end.

Celestia remained totally still. This was indeed unexpected and she was fighting the toughest battle yet. She could feel her lips desperately trying to form a grin and the air in the lungs fought to escape her lips in form of a laugh. Her iron will wrestled the laugh down for the moment and she formed her lips into a friendly smile.

“I am glad to hear that. Please, enjoy the rest of the evening.” She calmly said and stuck her head in the rosebush beside the fillies. The entire bush started to glow in a golden light as Celestia performed a spell, a soundproofing spell to be more precise.

Princess Luna watched as her sister stuck her head in the rosebush. She watched with glee as her sisters body heaved with silent laughter. Too bad she had been near the rosebush and not out somewhere without a convenient hiding spot. The fillies beside her sister looked at each other with confusion and carefully tip hoofed away from her.

“Seems like you are having fun, ‘Tia.” She smirked as her older sister pulled her head out from the rosebush and magically removed some leaves from her ethereal mane. Celestia seemed more in control again and began circling once more around the garden. Her little slip had gone unnoticed by anypony, save for the three fillies.

Luna checked the time by looking up at the position of the moon. She would still have to procure the item that Sweetie Belle had requested. A small task as such, but do to it unnoticed might have been tricky. Thankfully Celestia was distracted so a small conjuring spell would go unnoticed.

__________________________________________________________________

Right on time the crusaders entered the hallway. Princess Luna was already waiting for them.

“Do you have it?” Sweetie Belle asked, her voice having returned to normal.

“Indeed I do. Pray tell when do you plan to use it?” Luna inquired and used her magic to hide the item in Sweetie Belle’s dress.

“When we all sit down for dinner.” She replied while whispering.

“Hmmm. You do not have much time.” Luna mused and thought of a way to assist the little unicorn. Perhaps the fun would continue for a bit longer if she helped her with her plan. “There are guards inside as well. Come with me.”

Princess Luna led them through the hallway, through a large door and halfway through the hallway behind it. They stopped at a large set of double doors.

“Behind these doors is the room where we shall dine tonight. The guests will enter through the doors to the right from the garden. I shall distract the guards and lead them out through the doors on the left. You have to be quick about placing your device. You may have to reckon with guards patrolling this hallway as well.” Luna explained quickly.

“We can handle any guards coming.” Scootaloo said and Applebloom nodded in agreement.

“Then I’ll put it into place.” Sweetie Belle confirmed the plan.

Without wasting any more time Luna entered through the doors they were standing at and marched inside. She left a small gap open and the fillies could hear her talk to the guards.

“Guards! Follow me for some last minute instructions.” Her voice echoed throughout the large room, even though she had not raised her voice very much. Once they heard the doors slam shut, Sweetie Belle darted inside.

The sound of her small hooves on the polished wood seemed awfully loud to her as she raced towards the large long table in the center of the room. She quickly hopped up on the nearest chair and hoped to find name tags or some other way to see what the seating arrangement was. To her dismay there was nothing of the kind to be seen.

Sweetie Belle looked along the table trying to figure out where Prince Blueblood could possibly be seated later on. Since both Princesses would be attending the dinner, she assumed that they would be sitting at both ends of the table. That left only about fifty or more seats. She groaned at not having remembered to ask Luna where he would be sitting.

She quickly hopped down from the chair and had a look under the table. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until she saw a golden cushion. Nimbly avoiding the chairs and legs of the table she scooted over to the golden cushion. After a quick glance out from under the table she saw that she was in the middle of the table. That seemed fitting, as the Prince seemed to love being the center of attention. And he was vain enough to have an extra cushion placed for him.

“Time for payback.” Sweetie Belle muttered and removed the item from the folds of her dress. It was a whoopee cushion. With a few quick breaths she prepared the pranking device and carefully slid it under the golden cushion. Satisfied with her work she scampered out from under the table and headed back towards the gap in the door.

She slid in the gap and out the door the moment the other doors opened and the guards came back into the room led by Princess Luna. She walked over to the door the fillies were behind and joined them in the hallway beyond.

“So did everything work as you hoped?” she asked the slightly panting Sweetie Belle. The unicorn nodded in response.

They opened the door a little bit to be able to peek inside. Luna carefully placed a soundproofing spell over the crack as a precautionary measure in case the fillies burst out laughing. About a minute later the doors leading to the garden were opened as the first guests arrived inside the room. Two servants guided them to their seats.

“So that’s why there weren’t any nametags.” Sweetie Belle said quietly.

“Who are you trying to prank with your device?” Luna asked.

“Prince Blueblood. He was mean to us and was really mean to my sister at the Gala.” Sweetie Belle explained with a frown. She really hoped this would work.

“And where exactly did you put your device?”

“On that middle chair. I figured he loves being the center of attention so that’s where I put it. Under the golden cushion.”

“Golden…cushion.” Luna’s eyes widened and a smile began to form. “Your reasoning was sound, alas he usually sits at one of the ends. That cushion happens to mark Celestia’s seat.”

Sweetie Belle spun around, pupils shrunken to pinpricks. At first she merely stammered nothingness as her voice refused to work.

“Cel…Celestia? Princess Celestia!?” Sweetie Belle let out a whimper.

“Oh hay!” Applebloom cursed and covered her mouth with a hoof.

“Is there anything you can do?” Scootaloo asked Luna, who only shook her head.

“Any action on my part might only raise suspicion. Do not worry, they cannot possible know who put that there.” Princess Luna tried to calm the fillies down.

They watched as the room filled up with guests, each standing behind their assigned chair and waiting for everypony to be shown their place.

“Where are the fillies?” Twilight asked as she entered the room beside Applejack.

“Off ta use th’ little fillies room. Ah guess they’ll be along shortly.” Applejack let herself be shown the way to her seat, while Twilight waited for her parents to come inside.

Finally the last guest was waiting behind their respective chairs, when Princess Celestia entered the room. She was glad that the manic events of the outside part of the festivities was over. Now they could all have a nice relaxing meal, hopefully without any surprises.

“Please, dear guests. Be seated and enjoy tonight’s main course.” She patiently waited until every single one of her guests was seated, only then did she move around her chair to sit down.

Time slowed down for the four onlookers behind the door. Sweetie Belle was starting to hyperventilate, while her two friends looked on in shock unable to avert their eyes from the impending disaster.

With each centimeter Celestia came closer to sitting down, Luna’s smile grew wider.

Comments

[EquesTRON]

themcp.webs.com/ExcellentChaos.png
Discord is pleased.

[rainbowscoot677]

oh, HE HE HE.......

[OmniFox]

Sweet Cheeks is about to cut the cheese!!

[Captawesome]

Gta 5 Trevor reference maybe?

[Bunnybooze79]

3419134

I just couldn't resist.

[Captawesome]

3421255 can't say I blame ya Trevor is the best on that game