Jazzy Mellows is playing at the Moon Festival Concert but she receives a threatening note to tell her to back down. Can Princess Luna help the mare or will Jazzy be forced to back out?
The Moon Festival is a party in which the denizens of Equestria put together for Princess Luna to help her feel more comfortable in this modern era. Jazzy Mellows a Vibraphone playing unicorn is playing in the concert however a nasty pony wants to keep Jazzy from playing and ruin her reputation by foalnapping her friend Chatterjoy and holding her for ransom. Can Princess Luna help her subject?
A slick white pegasus yawned and sat up in her bed. Her mane and tail were a mess and looked like she had just flown through a hurricane. The said mane and tail were a pure brown with black highlights running through it. Her eyes scrunched up from yawning finally opened revealing an orange that reminded anypony who looked into them the golden leaves of autumn.
The pegasus slowly climbed off of her bed made of clouds only for her to slink on to the cloud floor her eyes only half way open. Without moving her forelegs the pegasus pushed across the white cloud floor with her back hooves and on her flank was a yellow smiley face with three lines suggesting talking or screaming.
"Uuuuuugggghhh!" groaned the pegasus as she came upon a dresser made of plain wood, enchanted so that it may stand on the cloud of the pegasus' home. Stretching her forehooves the pony slowly lifted herself up where she could see into the mirror that lay atop the dresser but the pegasus didn't even bother glancing into the reflective object and instead chose to just yawn and grab a red cloth that she folded into a triangle and tied around her neck.
The pegasus turned around just for her right front leg to lock into place causing the pony to stumble awkwardly out of her bedroom and into another room with cloud cupboards and a plain wooden table, also enchanted to stand on clouds. The pegasus' stomach decided to make itself known as it gave a giant growl and seemed to shake the entire cloud home.
"Woah bessie, Raisin Bran it is..." mumbled the half asleep pony.
The pegasus opened cupboards lazily searching for her lost cereal and bowls. The pony constantly mumbling curses inappropriate for any mare to say. She thrashed her tail in her frustration and stamped her hooves on the clouds in her home accidentally causing a section of her kitchen to go missing in thin air.
"Horseapples."
The pegasus sighed angrily and went to a section of her cloud home where many clouds floated lazily about. Grabbing one and quickly returning to her damaged eating room the pony carefully began to repair the hole in her cloud floor. Almost OCD like the pegasus examined her floor as she fixed it making sure no stray puff of cloud was floating and everything was in place even going as far as to make sure the new cloud piece was as thick as her original cloud floor.
As the pony lifted her head up it came in contact with the wooden table. The pegasus grunted and hissed while rubbing her head where a soon to be bump could be felt forming. The tiny quake that spread across the table do to the pony headbutting it caused a very simple calendar to hit the pony on the head.
"CELESTIA'S BEARD!" cursed the very irritated pegasus. The book that had unceremoniously descended upon the pony's head had opened to a date. Not just any date though, today's date.
Pack and be ready to leave by noon for Canterlot to hang with Jazzy Mellows before the Concert on Saturday.
It took a few minutes for the pegasus to realize that if she didn't start packing now she wouldn't be ready to fly all the way to Canterlot which would mean she would have to take the train and that would end up meaning being bored out of her wits. As this processed in the mind of the pegasus her eyes grew almost as big as saucers.
"HOLY CELESTIA I BETTER START PACKING!" screamed the pony hurrying back to her bedroom and grabbing her saddlebag that was plain with just a picture of her cutie mark on the buckles. The pony began packing a pad and some ink and quills. Writing was not her talent but the pony enjoyed a good story now and then even if the grammar was off by a large margin. In her excitement her head injury was completely gone and instead of feeling hungry and irritable the pegasus was flying on cloud nine.
"I'm going, I'm going, I'm going to see my friend!" sang the pony, her voice was not like a swan's or a famous pony singer but it was not too bad. "She's taking me to the concert! A concert we will go! And there at the lovable music concert! Princess Luna there will be!" the pony switched the tune often in her singing making the song more horrible than it actually sounded.
"But more importantly! I can not wait to see my good friend Jazzy!" finished the pegasus, "Wow that actually rhymed! Maybe spending time with Zecora is actually improving that skill, though lacking in the tune department."
The pegasus looked at her overstuffed saddlebag. She pulled on the buckles tightening the bag down and releasing all the air that got trapped inside of it making the bag small and easy to carry. The pegasus wiped her forehead and smiled she was almost ready to go. All that was needed to do now was to lock the door and be on her way.
Till her eyes landed on a tiny dark spot on her bed. It was a dark plush pony with sparkles that twinkled like stars in her mane. It was enchanted as well so that it wouldn't fall through the clouds. It was a mini Princess Luna beanie baby. A well taken care of one at that.
"All right Princess Luna! I'm counting on you to watch my house, you can do that can't you?" the pegasus asked the doll. Of course the doll didn't answer but the pony smiled anyway, "Good, then I'm off to hopefully meet the real Princess Luna! Oh! Don't get offended little mini Luna!"
Without further distractions the pegasus left her house and locked it. By locking it the pony took a huge cloud and hid the doorway.
"Good mornin' Chatterjoy!" an orange mare exclaimed. The pegasus now identified as Chatterjoy looked over her cloud to spot Applejack already up and bucking trees.
"Morning!" Chatterjoy replied. Her cloud cottage floated lazily next to Sweet Apple Acres. Chatterjoy was known around ponyville as the pony helper. Originally she had wanted to be a schoolteacher but Cheerilee was already in that position. Chatterjoy wasn't upset or anything but didn't want to take somepony else's job. Chatterjoy was most known for helping the Apple family buck the trees.
"Where you off to this mornin'?" asked Applejack. From the looks of it the orange mare was taking a little break. It wasn't the busy apple season yet so the mare could take time to relax during these days.
"Canterlot! My friend Jazzy Mellows is playing the concert held for Princess Luna and of course for these fancy gatherings she gets an extra ticket for a pony of her choice, she always picks me," explained the happy pegasus, "You're the element of honesty aren't you so won't you be going as well?"
Applejack shook her head, "Just cause I be takin' it easy right now don't mean I can later this week, I have ta work the farm."
Chatterjoy's ears drooped. She was not a fan of social gatherings but it was always depressing if somepony couldn't make it with their friends. Applejack seemed to read her mind.
"The other elements aren't goin' either, Fluttershy has the feather flu so Rainbow Dash is helping her, Pinkie Pie is also sick though I don't know what that random pony's got but Rarity is busy caring for her and o' course Spike don't want to go to a festival without his crush and Twi' don't want to go without her friends."
Chatterjoy's ears lifted a little, it was so refreshing to see such good friends. She waved her hoof goodbye and took off towards Canterlot, she was not the fastest flier but she had stamina and could keep this steady pace up till she got to her friend's house.
Meanwhile in Canterlot a rosy pink unicorn was cleaning a well sized house. It wasn't as big as some of the nobles like Fancypants' or Prince Blueblood's estates but it was definitely not a small house either. On her flank was a baby blue treble clef with music notes. Her mane and tail were short but styled with excellent grace and simplicity.
Her diamond blue eyes pierced the room as she looked for any stray dust particles that were able to escape her dust rag of doom. The mare smiled at her work. She had money to pay for a maid but she felt so much more accomplished when she did it herself. The unicorn went over all the rooms once more to make sure there was no renegade dust particles still flaking about.
Chatterjoy hit the Canterlot skyspace an hour before noon. Pulling out a detailed drawn map courtesy of her friend Jazzy Mellows she scanned it over with her autumn eyes. The directions were simple and there were no names or extra figures to confuse Chatterjoy's simple but joyful mind. And with all the correct landmarks drawn perfectly on the map Chatterjoy soon found Jazzy standing outside her house waving a hoof at her.
Chatterjoy made a huge grin back to the rosy pink unicorn and stuffed the map back into her saddlebag before slowly descending down to meet her friend.
"I trust you didn't have too much of a hard time finding my house this time?"
"Nope not this time! It was as easy as Celestia's pie!"
"Speaking of Princesses did you bring your mini Luna?"
"How did you know? I haven't told you!"
"Because Luna is your hero."
Both ponies giggled at the assessment. Using her magic Jazzy opened the door for her friend. As usual Chatterjoy would gawk at how clean and big the house always was. Her golden eyes wide and sucking in the marvelous sight of the house.
"I can never get over how big your house is," Chatterjoy gasped to her friend. Jazzy just shrugged.
"I believe you remember where your room is? I have to go to practice but I'll be back before dark."
"Yep! And I may just go for a stroll around Canterlot and browse some shops."
"You mean go to Donut Joe's right?"
"If I went there first I'd spend all my money that I brought and not have any for when the festival starts!"
Both ponies burst out laughing till Jazzy was able to compose herself first. Chatterjoy still shaking with unreleased fits of giggles.
"I'm your friend Chatterjoy don't worry about money, worry about having fun and remember don't talk to ponies you've never met before that know your name," warned the unicorn as she opened her door and with a final goodbye left for her concert practice.
Chatterjoy just rubbed the back of her head and shrugged, lugging her saddlebag to the room that she always used when she came for a visit. Dumping her bag onto the guest bed she began to orderly assemble her objects. She took out her ink and quills and carefully and OCD like lined them up on the wooden desk carved with intricate wind designs.
Next, Chatterjoy took out her spare red clothes that made the scarf around her neck and began to neatly put them in the dresser that also had intricate wind design carvings. The pegasus almost wished she brought her mini Princess Luna but Jazzy knew about it without her telling so the last thing she needed was for other ponies to find out.
Now that Chatterjoy thought about it, why did she have a dresser back home in her cloud cottage the only thing she had was her red scarves and the dress that Rarity made her for the concert. Again the pegasus' eyes grew wide as she remembered she forgot the dress back home in Ponyville.
Chatterjoy had finished packing and came back into the room where she had first come back in. As usual Jazzy's house always amazed her but it was too big for her tastes. She had grabbed her saddlebag again and filled it with just the map to her friend's house in case she got lost and her coin purse filled to the brim with the bits she had earned helping ponies around Ponyville.
The pegasus opened the door to a busy Canterlot. Her ears folded back and her eyes widened in shock and fear. She flinched every time a huge crowd came upon the street and the extremely loud music of show Unicorns.
"On second thought staying inside the house till the festival starts on Saturday sounds like a better idea," grumbled Chatterjoy as she turned to enter back into the house. To her misfortune the door had closed itself and had locked. A special unicorn lock that could only be opened with the owner's magic. No matter the case, unless Chatterjoy wanted to break her friend's window and cause an alarm she had better just walk around Canterlot till Jazzy got home.
The pony turned around and began to walk down the street in the direction she thought the shops were. Chatterjoy squealed in delight when she found she was correct and shops littered both sides of the street. Unfortunately for Chatterjoy most of them were clothing shops. Chatterjoy detested wearing anything but her red scarf other clothes like saddles and bridles were too uncomfortable for her.
"There has got to be more shops than saddle and bridle shops," groaned the white pegasus her feathers ruffling in irritation. For a brief moment Chatterjoy considered buying a dress to replace the one Rarity made for her but she shook her head. It would be impolite since Rarity had slaved over it for her. It made a rush of guilt flow into Chatterjoy at the fact that she forgot it.
"I suppose I could always make a checklist so as not to forget like Twilight does, but I always forget to make checklists too, so maybe a checklist to remember to make a checklist?" pondered the confused pegasus, "But if I forget to make checklists how will I remember to make a checklist to remember to make a checklist!?"
Chatterjoy's eyes began to swirl and she shook her head violently to snap herself out of it. Unfortunately thanks to her pondering the pegasus came to an almost abandoned section of Canterlot. Many warehouses littered the streets and as far as the eye could see there were no ponies in sight.
"Next time, don't confuse yourself Chatterjoy because then you don't get lost!" Chatterjoy huffed at herself. She made to turn around when she saw a shadow disappear behind a building. "Now is not the time to get paranoid either!" Despite her words the pegasus became a little more jumpy. Her ears laid back next to her head and her eyes jumped from side to side.
Her hooves echoes on the stone and as she listened Chatterjoy swore she could hear another set and as she turned around violently nopony was there. Her eyes widened and her face contorted to anger. "Really, Chatterjoy? Just your own hoofsteps right?"
Chatterjoy continued up the street and the extra set of hooves sounded again and in response the pegasus just flicked her ear and kept her head straight. She decided to play a game with whatever was gnawing on her nerves. As she walked she brusquely stopped and so did the extra set just as she did. Chatterjoy did this a couple more times but still whatever was pursuing her was good.
Chatterjoy grunted and decided just to take off. She turned around rapidly to see if she could catch the culprit but again nothing but paper trash and dirt blew in the evening breeze. At the sight of the fading light Chatterjoy looked up into the sky to see that she had been lost in the warehouse district for far too long.
"Aww man Jazzy will never let me walk around Canterlot alone again!" groaned the white pegasus. She spread her wings and was about to take off when she felt an ominous presence behind her.
"Don't leave so soon, perhaps I can help a lost traveler such as yourself," said a voice. Chatterjoy screamed and just about took off then and there a couple of her feathers falling onto the ground at her panic attack. A very light blue almost white magic aura enveloped her keeping her in place and turning her around to face the pony who spoke.
He wore a full black body suit. It covered his mane and his tail, more importantly it covered his cutie mark the most identifiable part on a pony. The suit even covered his horn though it could not hide the aura of his magic, a mask that covered his face, where the eyes were was just huge blue eye shaped cloth pieces apart of the costume.
"Hehe um, hi, a bit early for Nightmare Night isn't it?" Chatterjoy laughed nervously her voice almost as soft as Fluttershy's. The weird pony set her down onto the ground confident that she wouldn't attempt to fly away. "You said you could help me, thats nice but I have a map I can find my way to the house just fine thank you." Chatterjoy wanted to get away from the creep as fast as she could.
"Then why did you not take off earlier?"
"Enjoying the sights."
"Of a warehouse district?"
"No, the sunset."
"Face it you're lost, Chatterjoy."
Chatterjoy's eyes widened as she remembered what Jazzy told her back at the house.
Don't talk to ponies that know your name.
"How do you know my name," Chatterjoy asked. She squinted her eyes accusingly at the unicorn before her, "Besides only superheroes and foalnappers wear that kind of clothing anyway." Chatterjoy smiled smugly at her observation.
"I know you're name because you were talking to yourself earlier."
''So you admit to stalking me?"
"No, I've been standing here the whole time."
"No you weren't, you snuck up behind me."
"You're imagining things."
"Are not"
"My name is Sleepy Drift," The unicorn said suddenly. Despite the mask upon his face Chatterjoy could tell that he was getting irritated with all the talking she was doing.
"That's nice but I need to go now," Chatterjoy replied as she tried to walk around the intimidating unicorn. He sidestepped her getting in her path again. The pegasus let out a small growl of irritation as she tried to go around him in the other direction. Again the unicorn blocked her path.
"Could you move please?" Chatterjoy huffed and spread her wings deciding to just take off like she should have done earlier.
"Aren't you curious about my talent?"
"No. Move."
"I'll tell you anyway."
"Not interested."
"Better yet why don't I show you?"
Chatterjoy flicked her ears in annoyment. She was not going to stay and watch a unicorn brag about his ability that she couldn't even see on his rear end. As she was about to stroke her wings down to propel her in the air Sleepy Drift's horn ignited to life and a faint glow could be seen around his eyes.
Chatterjoy was attracted by the glow as per the spell usually did to its victims, like a moth to a flame. In mere seconds Chatterjoy's eyes began to glow the same glow like Sleepy Drift's horn. A smirk could faintly be seen under the mask.
"Hush now, quiet now..." sang the unicorn his voice melodic and hypnotizing as his entrancing magic began to take hold around the pegasus' mind.
"Its time to lay your sleepy head," muttered Chatterjoy as her glowing eyes stared blankly at Sleepy Drift's horn, never moving an inch and never blinking.
"Hush now, quiet now..." repeated Sleepy Drift.
"Its time to go to...bed," finished Chatterjoy. The moment the last word left her lips the pegasus leaned to the side and collapsed asleep, light snores leaving her body as she breathed deep and even with no sign of waking up anytime soon. Sleepy Drift levitated the sleeping pony onto his back and under his mask a pony could see a faint wicked grin.
In Jazzy's home the unicorn was pacing frantically. She muttered curses under her breath as she started to wear a groove into her polished wooden floor.
"Where is that scatterbrained pegasus! I leave her alone for two hours and she disappears off the face of the planet!" Huffed the unicorn as she stamped her left hoof roughly onto the floor causing a minor rumble in the floor and almost knocking over a glass vase.
Jazzy sighed irritably, "I've looked around the shops, I even asked Pony Joe and he said he hadn't even glimpsed her!" The unicorn levitated a pillow to her face and screamed into it. She did a couple more screaming pillows till she heard a knock on her door.
She opened the door an angry face painted on her features, her glare looked like she was about to be able to kill a timberwolf, "Its about time Chatterjoy! I've been looking...all over...for you." As Jazzy looked at the poor mailmare unicorn she flattened her ears behind her head and a red blush made itself apparent on her cheeks.
"Sorry about that Ms. Speedy Delivery," Jazzy apologized taking the letter that the mailmare had for her into her own magic. Speedy Delivery in her messy jet black mane and bright blue pelt quickly accepted the apology and teleported away from the house. Jazzy massaged her temples with her hoof as she once again thought about the problem at hand.
Where is that pegasus?
Jazzy decided that she would need some tea to calm her nerves and read the letter. Setting fire to her stove and beginning to boil some water, Jazzy took the letter and opened it.
Dear Ms. Jazzy Mellows, Lovely weather isn't it? I guess we have the pegasi to gratefully thank for that. Speaking of pegasi I bet you are wondering where your friend is? We have her and we will be keeping her with us till the concert. You are to back out of the concert and not partake in it otherwise your friend, Chatterjoy, gets it! If you don't believe me here is a lock of her mane. Also you are to tell no one or else. Sincerely, Foalnapper
Throughout the whole letter Jazzy's eyes began to widen till only tears were left to dabble onto the paper and splatter on the ground. The letter began to shake in the unicorn's telekinesis and the unicorn gritted her teeth so hard her mouth began to hurt as she tried to keep her wails at bay.
"I should have never left her alone! I should have taken her to practice with me!" Hiccuped the unicorn as the tears began to fall down more rapidly. The unicorn finally went to her room, more of stumbling as the tears that streamed down her face blurred her vision.
The note had fluttered to the ground forgotten and littered with drops of moisture. Jazzy turned the stove off and took the lock of mane that had accompanied the letter.
Jazzy hugged one of her pillows and cried herself to sleep muttering, "Oh Chatterjoy, what should I do?"
Jazzy thrashed and bucked upon her bed. Tears streamed from her sleeping eyes and her mane and tail became frizzled with all the tossing she was doing. The unicorn was mumbling incomprehensible words but the word or rather the name that became most apparent was Chatterjoy.
Jazzy was in the arena where the concert that she was to play in was being held. She looked above in the high stands she could make out Princess Luna. Jazzy smiled to herself, "Chatterjoy would be so jealous." Her face quickly slipped into a frown as she scanned the audiences. Wasn't Chatterjoy supposed to be here?
Jazzy shrugged it off as Chatterjoy just running late as usual or she had left. A nagging feeling in the back of her head was ringing alarm bells at the missing Chatterjoy. Chatterjoy could be a lot of things but not being there for her friends was something that Chatterjoy never did. To see the pegasus missing in the crowd and not sitting in the seat she had reserved for her was uncharacteristic for the pony.
The unicorn looked at the director as he lifted up his baton. He began to direct the other players and per the baton's cue Jazzy would strike her shiny golden vibraphone. The music they created sounded like a royal procession that would most have likely been used in Princess Luna's time.
The unicorn took brief moments to glance up at Princess Luna who was intently listening and smiling to the tune. The song seemed to be a success. When Jazzy wasn't looking at the Princess she scanned the crowd for her white pegasus friend. While looking she almost missed her cue and the director gave her a subtle glare. Jazzy smiled apologetically and took a deep breath and focused solely on the gray unicorn with a short gray mane and tail that she called her director.
Too soon for Jazzy the concert ended and she began to roll her vibraphone backstage. The unicorn heard movement in the direction she was heading and almost jumped. In fact everything had become dark and quiet as if all the ponies had just left or disappeared. Deciding to take a peek backstage Jazzy set her stuff down and began walking down the stairs. The stairs seemed to never end but she finally made it down to some sort of basement.
It was completely black down here and even though Jazzy used her magic to illuminate the area around her she could still not see very far. She scanned the blackness till she came across a white pegasus. Her mane was brown with black highlights but it was more messy than usual. Chatterjoy had constantly tried to keep her mane and tail looking neat but all of it was in vain. The messy style was horrible.
Bags were under the pegasus' eyes and the smiley face on her flank almost looked like a frowny face. Her wings, where were her wings and thats when Jazzy gasped in horror. Chatterjoy's wings had been clipped. The pegasus may not have been as athletic as the element of loyalty, Rainbow Dash but she enjoyed the gift of flight.
In fact many pegasi did and that is why you never clipped their wings, it would be just as bad as if you broke a unicorn's horn so they could no longer conjure up their magic. Then Jazzy noticed that Chatterjoy was trying to say something but upon the pegasus opening her mouth Jazzy could see or rather not see the tongue that was supposed to be there. How cruel, not only was Chatterjoy lost to her pegasus needs her talent had been stripped from her.
A voice echoed in the dark room as tears streamed from both Chatterjoy and Jazzy.
"You didn't leave the concert."
The voice sounded very similar to Chatterjoy's voice.
"You left me for your stupid music! How could you!" The voice screamed. It almost seemed to echo inside Jazzy's head. The unicorn shook herself to get rid of the horrifying experience and stared up at the broken pony before her.
"Did your concert mean more to you than me?"
"Never! You're my friend my best friend!"
"But all you had to do was leave the concert and this wouldn't have happened!"
"I'm sorry!"
"Sorry won't cut it! I can't fly! I can't talk! And it is all because of YOU!" hissed the disembodied voice of Chatterjoy.
Jazzy gasped in her tears and curled into a ball as Chatterjoy's accusations got sharper and sharper. All the unicorn could do was repeat sorry in a mantra and try to drown out the voice of her friend. Suddenly and very quickly the voice disappeared and Jazzy could feel the wind blowing through her fur and smell the flowers.
Cautiously, hoping not to see the deformed Chatterjoy, Jazzy opened her eyes and gasped. She was in a moonlit meadow and the flowers gleamed with the same brightness of the full moon, almost glowing. Jazzy looked up at the night sky to see the millions of stars twinkling at her and the full moon at its peak.
"I hope that thou appreciates this scenery compared to the last," a voice said behind her. Jazzy snapped at attention and turned around frightened that it might be her friend. Instead the unicorn made a hasty bow to the Princess of the Night. "Pleasantries is not what We came here for, instead a question. Why dost thou fear that thine friend will become deformed and hate you?"
Jazzy gulped as she remembered the horrible words scribbled on the note that she had received late last night. "It is nothing but a nightmare Your Highness," Jazzy gulped hoping against hope that the Princess would buy her lie. Instead Princess Luna clicked her tongue and rubbed her chin with a hoof. Jazzy then knew that she was against luck and that the Princess didn't buy her lie at all. Instead the unicorn tried to change the subject.
"What are you doing here Princess? I know you guard our dreams but this is my first nightmare in months!" Jazzy mentioned hastily. The Princess stared down at the rosy pink unicorn with her own piercing teal eyes. The Princess made a hmm sound and looked up at her night sky smiling.
"A fair enough question, for the past few nights We have been slipping into the other concert players dreams to, oh lets say to get a sneak peek at the songs to be played at the concert, only you however have dreamt of the concert," Princess Luna replied putting her hoof down and smiling warmly at the unicorn.
"So the Princess Luna in the high stands?"
"That was Us, thou art a very good vibraphone player, though worry for thine friend played throughout the dream, thine nightmare proving it, very good trying to get Us off topic, again We ask, What has happened to thine friend?"
Jazzy just folded her ears against her head and whimpered. The unicorn finally decided to concede to the Princess after all there was not much that she could do and the foalnapper would never know she had spoken to Princess Luna.
"My friend has been foalnapped and if I do not back out of the concert they threatened to harm her," Jazzy whimpered covering her eyes with her forehooves thinking that now that she had released the information the deformed Chatterjoy would spring out at her and begin to accuse her again.
Instead Jazzy felt an icy anger and she dared to peek at the Princess of the Night. The anger was not directed at her but the tremendous power that Princess Luna was emitting was making it very hard for Jazzy not to be afraid of her.
"Thou will bring the note and thyself to my sister's court tomorrow, she will be made aware of the events and We will do Our utmost to find thine friend, after all this culprit has not just wronged you but has wronged Us by trying to ruin Our festival!"
"But Princess!"
"No buts! You will come to see Us tomorrow morning!" Princess Luna had her face extremely close to Jazzy and the shock and terror caused the dream world to crumble and the unicorn woke up screaming.
She would show up to court tomorrow just to make sure that she wasn't dreaming that Princess Luna would help her. A little bit of doubt weighed on her heart. Chatterjoy was just an average pegasus she could not see the Princesses helping her but it was worth a shot wasn't it?
Jazzy got out of her bed and shook herself. She was drenched in her sweat from the nightmare and the shadows that danced on her bedroom walls from the night made her jumpy and she was afraid that the deformed Chatterjoy she saw in her nightmare would pop out and attack her.
She went to the bathroom that passed the guest room along the way. Jazzy couldn't help but glance at the empty bed hoping that she had hallucinated the whole thing and Chatterjoy would be in there snoring but that wasn't the case. It was as silent as an empty theatre.
Finally reaching the bathroom she dampened a cloth under some cold running water and pattered herself till she felt a little cleaner and refreshed. She didn't dare look into the mirror to see what zombie she would find there. The unicorn sighed sadly and allowed herself to silently cry at the sink, the running water drowning out her sobs.
Golden sunlight from the dawn filtered into the bedroom. Jazzy groaned and her diamond blue eyes opened to reveal herself in her bed. The events of last night flashing through her mind as she remembered that Princess Luna had requested her presence in the throne room this morning to discuss Chatterjoy.
The nightmare still rang fresh in the unicorn's mind as she remembered sobbing at her sink and when she was finally spent she had dragged herself back to her bed. Jazzy could not remember if she had had any more dreams that night or if she just shut down and rested but it didn't matter, Chatterjoy was still missing and Princess Luna still expected to see her in court today.
The unicorn lugged herself out of bed and forced herself to get to her restroom. Sighing she closed her eyes and opened them to stare in the mirror, still afraid of what she might find waiting for her in the reflective oval. Only a sleep-deprived unicorn stared back at her.
Jazzy's mane was a total mess, it almost looked exactly like Chatterjoy's except that the pegasus could pull this look off with an aplomb. A unicorn playing in a concert could not and Jazzy chuckled at the thought. She enveloped her brush in her telekinesis, a baby blue glow surrounding the object. Jazzy slowly and robotically began to brush out her mane and tail till they both gleamed and looked presentable.
Next, she grabbed toothpaste and her toothbrush and began to brush her teeth till they sparkled like freshly fallen snow or as Chatterjoy liked to put it, sparkle like Princess Luna's starry mane. Sighing for what seemed to be the hundredth time, Jazzy pulled out a different brush, one meant for the thin fur of one's pelt. Jazzy normally ever used this brush for special occasions like her concert or like for today, going to see a couple of Princesses.
When Jazzy finished freshening up she went to the kitchen and heated the stove. She still wanted that tea especially now that her friend was missing and she was going to see royalty. She would need a good calming drink, even more now that she was so nervous the unicorn wouldn't be able to stomach anything.
The note was still on the floor, forgotten and littered with drops of dried tears. It took all what Jazzy had to not burst out into tears again. How was she going to keep it together for practice this afternoon? The unicorn had no idea, besides what did it matter if she practiced? She couldn't participate if she wanted to make sure that Chatterjoy would be okay.
The tea kettle went off and without looking Jazzy enveloped a tea cup and the kettle in her blue aura and mechanically poured herself some tea. It was her favourite made from the moonflower that Princess Luna prided herself on.
"I hope that the Princesses will be able to find Chatterjoy, if just for her sake," Jazzy murmured to herself as she sipped her tea without even tasting a single drop.
Jazzy had brought the lock of mane that the foalnapper had mailed to her along with the threatening letter and the unicorn neatly folded it back and put the letter back into the opened envelope. Out of curiousity Jazzy flipped to the backside to see if there was a return address.
3456 Prance St Canterlot 67893
A fake, Jazzy should have figured, there was no Prance St. in Canterlot, in fact very few streets were named here in the Equestrian capital. If the streets were named at all it usually was some other alias or title of the royalty. Bringer of Dawn was a popular street and many of the higher nobles lived on that road.
If a street name was required most unicorns just named the street with the most shops it had on the sides. Even then it was pointless, the only streets that had names were the residential ones.
To Jazzy's disappointment due to her musing she had finished off her tea and so it was time for her to head to the castle. Part of her wished that her subconscious had just made all of that up. I mean really? Princess Luna dream spying like a little foal who tries to open their Hearth's Warming Eve presents early or peek into them to see what they got. The thought was pretty funny and Jazzy chuckled at the memory.
The unicorn finally steeled her courage and walked out of her house and turned towards the castle. It was going to be a long day indeed.
Finally the castle was in sight and Jazzy took a deep breath and entered the white fortress. The guards showed her to the courtroom that was surprisingly empty. A pony would think that Princess Celestia received more petitioners.
"Glad you could make it Jazzy Mellows," Princess Celestia said. Jazzy slowly walked into the large throne room her ears laid back and her eyes scanning for anypony that was not supposed to be there. Her fears were alleviated as she saw that the only ponies in the room were Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
"Thou hadst brought the note and lock of mane, yes?" Princess Luna asked as she locked eyes with the nervous unicorn. Jazzy nodded and from the saddlebag that was on her back she lifted with her telekinesis the lock of Chatterjoy's mane and the letter.
Princess Celestia enveloped the letter within the envelope with her own magic and lifted it up to her face to read. Princess Luna took the lock of man and inspected it. Jazzy suspected that they were making sure both items were real and not faked though the unicorn couldn't imagine faking a foalnapping for any reason.
Princess Luna returned the lock of mane to Jazzy. The unicorn just put it back into her saddlebag and watched Princess Celestia as her eyes swiveled back and forth as she read the letter. No expression was visible on her face but the room seemed to get a bit hotter as the Princess read on.
After a while Princess Celestia gave it to Princess Luna who read it with incredible speed. The room that once began to get really hot began to get really cold.
"The foalnapper is very proud of himself, he thinks himself smart, however he has made two mistakes," Celestia stated looking back at Jazzy while her sister scanned over the note. "In some of the sentences it sounds as if it is only him, one pony involved, but in another sentence he used the plural."
"It tells us that the foalnapper is working for somepony," Princess Luna spoke up. The Princess of the night returned the letter and took the envelope and looked at the return address. She made a face as she realized the fake.
Jazzy folded her ears back, all they knew now was that the foalnapper was working for somepony else. They had nothing and her concert practice would be in an hour.
"Dost thou hast any inkling of who would do this to you?" Princess Luna asked. She had lowered herself to eye level and was smiling kindly and reassuringly to the distraught unicorn.
Jazzy looked away from the Princesses. She had an idea of who would do this but she didn't want to point any hooves at anypony.
"We can not help you Jazzy if you don't give us the information we seek," calmly stated Princess Celestia as she too walked up to the unicorn and put a hoof on her shoulder. Jazzy sighed and relented.
"Prince Blueblood absolutely abhors Chatterjoy, he barely even allows me in his presence, he detests that I mingle with common pegasi like Chatterjoy," confessed the unicorn as she tightly shut her eyes and waited for the Princesses to throw her out for accusing their nephew.
"It would not be beneath him to do so wouldn't you agree little sister?" Princess Celestia asked looking at Luna. Jazzy seemed all but forgotten.
"I agree Sister," Luna said and then turning to Jazzy, "We will find out the truth of what has transpired as now We have information to work upon!"
Luna then conjured up with her magic a bubble pipe and a Sherlock Pones cap. Jazzy just stared open mouthed at the Princess of the night and Princess Celestia rolled her eyes. Leaning to her level Princess Celestia whispered in Jazzy's ear, "Ever since she read the books, Luna has been obsessed."
Jazzy only nodded and shut her mouth. "By your leave, Your Majesties." Jazzy bowed and with a wave of their hooves the unicorn left to head to her concert practice.
Luna puffed on her pipe, "We go forth now to find clues!" The Princess of the night then puffed a few more bubbles and teleported away. Princess Celestia was left by herself in the throne room. Now all that was left to do was to secretly inform the director via coded message of Jazzy's dilemma.
Jazzy opened the door to the stadium. She was barely on time as all the other players had their instruments already out and set. Some of the ponies tuning their instruments by playing the scales and then adjusting as seen fit.
Jazzy spotted her director, a stallion by the name of Lead Note. He was a graying stallion as it shown in his mane. His coat was a natural gray but his mane had traces of the jet black that used to dominate it. His cutie mark was a baton with black music notes swirling about it. Other than that he seemed to be a regular nice unicorn.
Lead Note was reading a note, Jazzy couldn't tell from whom as she was too far away. Whatever the note said however seemed to have the director on edge as his brow furrowed in concern and anger seemed to flash across his green eyes.
"Sorry for being a little late, sir," Jazzy said as she walked up to the elder unicorn. At the sound of her voice Lead Note quickle rolled up the letter and poofed it away somewhere.
"Quite alright dear, if you could get your instrument and be ready as soon as possible we will begin practice," replied Lead Note. After he said his peace he turned and began to give instructions to the other players. Most were unicorns but there were a few earth ponies and pegasi.
Jazzy went backstage to roll her vibraphone from where she usually kept it to on stage. She was hesitant as the memory of her nightmare came at the forefront of her mind. "Hurry up Mellows!" a voice yelled and Jazzy recognized it right away. Besides Blueblood it was the other bane of her existence. It was just a regular orange unicorn but he was always on the move. He wasn't bad but he was a pain in the flank.
"Get off her back Strummer," said the director and Jazzy left a silent thank you as she finally got the courage and rolled her vibraphone from backstage to the back of the other players. Finally in position the director took his baton in his mint green magic aura and the players began to practice.
Meanwhile, Princess Luna began to scout around Canterlot. It finally occurred to her the moment that she left the castle that she had nowhere to start or begin. All she had was a missing pegasus, a note, a lock of mane, and a unicorn friend. The Princess of the Night sighed and landed. Best to ask around to see if somepony had seen her.
A gray brown earth pony with a clover cutie mark was enjoying a smoothie just delivered by a waiter. The Princess walked up to him.
"Excuse Us gentle sir but We are looking for a white pegasus with a messy brown mane and tail with black highlights with a talking smiley face for a cutie mark. hast thee seen her?" Princess Luna asked levitating her bubble pipe right next to her. The earth pony stood stock still and screamed. He ran away from the Night Princess yelling incoherent words along the lines of she is going to eat me.
The Princess just grumbled till she saw a white unicorn mare with a needle and thread for a cutie mark. The dark Princess teleported right in front of her.
"AH!" the startled mare exclaimed almost jumping ten feet into the air.
"Forgive Us, gentle mare but would thee be kind to tell Us if you have seen a white pegasus with messy brown tail and mane and a talking smiley face cutie mark?" At this time the Princess had gotten extremely close to the mare. The said mare violently shook her head and whisked herself around the dark Princess and ran.
Princess Luna simply took her bubble pipe and irritatedly puffed a few bubbles.
In the arena, Jazzy was having a hard problem correctly playing her instruments. Many of the other players gave her glares which only increased the stress on the unicorn. She took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on her music and not what would happen to Chatterjoy if she didn't comply with the foalnapper's conditions.
"Get your head in the music!" hissed Strummer to her quietly. Jazzy just gulped and folded her ears back.
Princess Luna had finally located a pony that told her a possible location of the lost pegasus. Either the dainty blue unicorn was only saying so to get the Princess out of her face or she had actually seen Chatterjoy wander into this desolate area.
"How could that pegasus even wander into the warehouse district?" Princess Luna asked herself, producing bubbles from her pipe.
The air was crisp and a breeze seemed to howl as it gusted by. No movement could be seen or heard and the Princess had to admit to herself that it really did look like someplace where somepony got murdered in one of her Sherlock Pones books. Princess Luna walked down the sidewalk carefully observing the warehouses. Everything was so dull so when she saw a flutter of movement it quickly caught her eye.
Stuck in a closed warehouse door was a pure white feather. Upon closer inspection the Princess concluded that it was most likely Chatterjoy's as it was pure white and pegasus feathers had a certain texture to them. They were softer than most bird feathers; most likely a combination of fur and feather is what caused the different feel to them.
"This must be the location or very near so to wear our young pegasus friend was foalnapped!" declared the Princess bubbling on her bubble pipe with a thoughtful expression.
"We'll break for thirty minutes," said Lead Note. He walked up to the rosy unicorn who was still trying to practice the notes for the first song. "Jazzy, its time to take a break," he said putting a hoof on her back.
Jazzy snapped up, "Of course sir, just wanted to practice a few more rounds."
"Is anything bothering you? Normally you have no problem with these notes," Lead Note asked genuine concern for his player etched onto his features.
Jazzy shook her head and walked off to a nearby water trough where she began to gently sip cool refreshing water.
Princess Luna began to follow a path to the train station. There had been a mud puddle that the foalnapper; she assumed had stepped into and left faint hoofprints. No more feathers were found and this was her only lead. Besides it was most likely he hid Chatterjoy out of town since most of the population consisted of unicorns and the pegasus would stand out.
The dark Princess asked around the train station. She found the engineer and trotted up to him.
"Good afternoon fair colt, We were wondering if thee hast seen any strange ponies in the last twenty four hours?"
The engineer bowed and raised his head again. He was a fairly old pony and he rubbed his chin.
"Now that you mention it Princess, I saw a strange unicorn wear a full black body suit and he was carrying an awfully large sack to. I offered to help him carry it but he was determined to do it by himself. I coulda sworn I heard breathing but I can't be sure, my hearing isn't what it used to be."
Princess Luna huffed on her bubble pipe before replying, "Thank you fair colt, do you know where this strange unicorn that wears black was headed?"
To her disappointment all he knew was the direction south which could leave many towns open to opportunity. It seemed the Princess had gathered all the physical evidence that she could at the moment. Now, she believed it would be time for some dream hopping.
It was a special skill, one that Princess Luna was proud to call her own. The only one else even perhaps capable of learning it would be her sister's pupil; Twilight Sparkle. The foalnapper would be in for a nasty surprise if he told Chatterjoy where she was. It would make it that much easier to find her.
Jazzy sulkily began the walk home. Concert practice went horrible, fortunately she had not cried but her concentration was lacking. Not that it mattered anyway.
She was about to open her door when a poof of magic opened before her eyes. It was sealed with Princess Luna's cutie mark and was most likely coded. She quickly opened it and read it aloud in case the foalnapper was watching her.
"To Jazzy Mellows, We request thou's presence in the throne room. We wish to discuss with you the concert. Princess Luna."
It wouldn't be awkward for the Princess to send a letter to a key concert player. Perhaps she had found some clues. Jazzy didn't want to think about the alternative of the Princess not finding anything.
Opening her door, Jazzy went straight to bed and awaited tomorrow morning.
When Chatterjoy opened her eyes she noticed she was in some kind of basement. Her neck felt uncomfortable and when she tried to rub it to alleviate some of the stress that surely must have built up there, her hoof was met with metal.
Upon fully opening her eyes compared to the drowsy closed ones she noticed that around her neck was some sort of clamp and it was chained tightly to the wall behind her. The pegasus observed the wall with close inspection. It was a sturdy one, it would seem no matter how hard she would tug on the chain, it wouldn't budge from the wall.
It was damp and the air smelled of mold and humidity. The ground beneath her was cold stone and her joints did not fail to complain to her about their predicament. Bars, occupied the opposite side of the wall and made a perfect rectangle with two other stone walls. From her observations it looked like she was in an indent in the wall. A fairly big indent.
"You've awoken, finally!" A familiar voice exclaimed but then added annoyed, "That spell was only to keep you out for a few hours instead you slept for the whole day!"
Upon the shadow emerging from the darkness Chatterjoy recognized the full black body suit wearing unicorn to be her foalnapper. He stood proudly and he stood smugly as he watched her every movement.
"What do you want with me? I have no money! In fact if you wanted money you probably should have foalnapped somepony else. But then that would mean somepony else wouldn't be happy. I don't want ponies to be unhappy. But if I'm here and not at the concert than Jazzy won't be a happy pony and that makes me sad that she wouldn't be a ha-"
"ENOUGH!" yelled the foalnapper, "Your talking is annoying and I will have none of that. In fact it is probably some elaborate trick to have me let you go! I'll have you know that my employer is paying me big bits for this and I will not HAVE you ruin it by tricking me!"
Chatterjoy just stared at him her mouth still open from talking. She hummed to herself and smiled. She nodded her head enthusiastically as if she agreed not to talk to him. The pegasus turned her back to him and plopped herself down on the damp cold stone floor.
"I do however need you to tell me all you know about Jazzy," he spoke up. He seemed to have calmed down and walked to the bars pressing his snout against them.
Chatterjoy sat up and looked at him. She shook her head and sealed her lips.
"You can talk now," he growled unamused.
Chatterjoy took a huge gulp of air and puffed out her chest.
"Well! I've know Jazzy for a really really really like dinosaur, cave pony, old time and there was this time that she had to keep time for me when I went against Pinkie Pie, you know the party pony of Ponyville in a trial of tongues competition. I can't remember who won but it was really really really super fun like a huge grand galloping gala fun!"
A few minutes passed of Chatterjoy stopping nonstop and saying unusable things that the foalnapper would not be able to use against the rosy unicorn in any blackmail attempts.
"Enough."
"And then there was that time that I got lost trying to find her house but no matter how hard I looked I couldn't see it. Somepony had messed up big with all the fog and stuff. So I was like CELESTIA'S BEARD! I can't find it! Like lost in the middle of the ocean between Equestria and the Griffon Kingdoms lost. You know cause the ocean is so darn big! Have you ever seen anything so big and vast! Like vast as in all of Celestia's knowledge vast!"
"ENOUGH!"
"And then I was like potato soup are you crazy!?"
Sleepy Drift was glaring at the pegasus with all his might. Somehow this talkative pegasus had managed to side swipe his question. He could see now why she was called Chatterjoy. A pony would think that she would reveal secrets easily but she was much more clever than he initially thought. Perhaps she was one of those ponies who pretended to be dumb but were actual geniuses.
"Lets play a game," he drawled levitating a game board and some pieces to play on.
Chatterjoy's eyes lit up and she clapped her hooves excitedly.
"I love games! Like I love them as much as I love to eat food! What's your favorite food? I like cheese hay fries but I also like many other things. I hate coffee though. Do you like coffee? Hey since we are playing a game does that technically not make you my foalnapper but instead my foalsitter?"
Sleepy Drift's eyes were twitching as he tried to control his anger at the chattering pegasus. It seemed he wouldn't be able to shut her up anytime soon.
"I am fairly certain pegasus, that I am indeed your foalnapper."
Chatterjoy just shrugged and eagerly awaited the game.
"I assume you know how to play chess?" Sleepy Drift asked as he levitated the board and pieces and now a foldable table between the bars and set up the game.
"Yep! Though Jazzy beats me at chess all the time! I'm not very good at it because I always go for TOTAL DOMINATION!" Chatterjoy exclaimed and Sleepy Drift could have sworn he saw a fire behind her at her excitement.
"Ladies first."
"See, I think you are more of a foalsitter! Maybe you should try that job instead of foalnapping. It seems like it would be easier, I like easy things, I'm not very smart so the easier the better. Like math I wish it was easy but its not its SUPER hard and no matter how many times I try I can't ever do it right! Its like directions. Why do ponies have to name EVERYTHING? Can't they just say I live right next to this place or right next to that thingamajig."
Sleepy Drift just tried to tune her out as Chatterjoy continued to blabber nonsense into his ear.
That blasted Moon Festival better end soon otherwise I'm going to go insane!
The unicorn moved a knight and had taken out one of Chatterjoy's archmages.
Sleepy Drift began to notice a pattern as he played Chatterjoy countless times. She seemed to want to take out every piece on the board and attacked pieces blindly. There were a few times the pegasus seemed to think things through but all though she seemed to think outside the box she could never see outside of it.
Finally the unicorn decided that Chatterjoy was not some genius pony in disguise but in fact the simple pony his employer had described to him about.
After Chatterjoy's fifteenth loss she screamed in frustration.
"Lets play a different game!" she exclaimed throwing her hooves up in anger.
Sleepy Drift rolled his eyes and levitated the chess game and put it back into place on a shelf in a corner of the room where Chatterjoy saw a number of different games; mostly puzzles.
This time the unicorn put a deck of cards on the little foldable table. He shuffled them and handed her seven and himself the same amount.
"Lets play a simple game of Go Fish shall we?" He asked.
The pegasus nodded enthusiastically and at the motion of Sleepy Drift she looked at her cards and made hmmm sounds.
"Do you have any Princesses?"
"Go fish."
Chatterjoy drew from the deck.
"Do you have any Captain of the guard?"
"May Celestia curse you..."
Chatterjoy handed him two of her Captains.
"Do you have any Princesses?"
"No. Go fish."
Chatterjoy drew from the deck.
"Do you have any threes?"
"Go fish."
Sleepy Drift drew from the deck.
"Do you have any Princesses?"
The cards in Sleepy Drift's telekinesis were beginning to shake as his anger built up.
"BY CELESTIA I HAVE NO STINKIN' PRINCESSES!" He yelled toppling over the foldable table and the deck of cards that went flying into Chatterjoy's mane.
The pegasus shook herself and mumbled words that went along the lines of no needing to scream or yell.
"If you don't like Go fish we can always talk? Do you like to talk? I love to talk! I love talking even more than I love eating! And I love eating like Pinkie Pie loves throwing parties!"
A few minutes later Sleepy Drift was huffing as he stared at the sleeping pegasus. He had cast a quick sleep spell on her and he rubbed his temples as he felt a headache coming on. Of all the ponies he had foalnapped in his life, this one took the cake.
Chatterjoy was rolling a rock uphill but to her disappointment every time she got it up it always rolled down. The pegasus couldn't imagine what drove her to do this useless task but she felt compelled to do it anyway.
She was in a very hot and humid area. Volcanoes erupted in the background but thats all it seemed to be. The lava never reached her and never stopped flowing. The air smelt burnt and she could practically taste the sweat as it dripped from her brow.
Everything looked red and angry and it felt right as Chatterjoy felt frustrated and aggressive but she couldn't place why she was feeling so to begin with in the first place.
As the pegasus began the chore of pushing the rock up the hill again a voice greeted her ears. A voice she liked hearing almost as much as her friend Jazzy.
"Why art thou pushing a rock when it is fruitless to be doing so anyway?"
Chatterjoy looked and saw the pony she idolized; Princess Luna.
She did a quick bow and for once in her life found herself lost for words.
"Raise thine head, Chatterjoy," Princess Luna said. Chatterjoy did so but the Princess could tell that she was very bubbly.
"Tell Us fair Chatterjoy where the foalnapper has taken you,give Us all the information you know."
Chatterjoy gulped, "I believe he said his name was Rift Sleep...Sleep Rift...Rifty Shift?"
Princess Luna stared blankly at the pegasus.
"Sleepy Hollow? Shifty Sleep?......he is a unicorn!"
Princess Luna rolled her eyes. She had guess as much, "Is the vile unicorn working for somepony?"
Chatterjoy seemed to think about it and nodded, "Affirmative Your Majesty!" The pegasus gave a quick salute and began to try to recall the name of her tormentor again.
Princess Luna rolled her eyes again. No wonder this pegasus wandered into the warehouse district and got herself foalnapped. The Princess of the Night had to wonder if said pegasus was broken in some way or another.
"Has he mentioned where he has taken you?"
"Um...that would be a negative Your Majesty! But it is quiet or at least it seems quiet. You know not like a big town. Big towns are noisy and I really don't like big towns but I come to Canterlot to visit my friend and for my friend I would do anything. Well, except listening to her when she told me not to talk to strange ponies and thats how I got in this predicament anyway. How is Jazzy doing? I bet she is totally freaking out right now! What do they want with me anyway? Do you know? I bet you do! Your Princess Luna and the Princesses know like everything right!? Well, maybe no-"
Princess Luna had stuffed her hoof into Chatterjoy's mouth.
"Enough fair Chatterjoy, the information you have given Us has helped. Please do try to remember the name of the unicorn though. It will help Us to know who he is. If able We need you to find the name of his employer as well."
Chatterjoy grinned and nodded and the Princess removed her hoof and shook it free or moisture.
"We will tell Jazzy that you are fine. As for what they want with you, We think it is to get Jazzy to back from the concert."
Chatterjoy grew angry and her wings flared furiously.
"Tell Jazzy not to let bullies tell her what to do! The concert is everything to her and I want her to play in it even if I'm not there!"
Princess Luna smiled and nodded. A genuine smile and with a shimmer she had vanished from Chatterjoy's dreamworld.
Jazzy opened her eyes as the golden rays of sunlight filtered and danced upon her bed. She got up and stretched and did her morning routine with extra sprucing up to get ready for the meeting with Princess Luna and maybe Princess Celestia. The unicorn could still not believe that just a day ago her friend Chatterjoy went missing.
She trotted quickly to the castle skipping breakfast. She couldn't eat even if she felt hungry anyway and the faster that she got the meeting over with the faster this nightmare could be over. At least Jazzy hoped it would. Whatever the case may be the unicorn was just positive that she wanted to wake up with Chatterjoy talking her ear off.
As last time the court was empty and it was just the two princesses that were in the throne room. Princess Luna looked slightly pleased with herself but also a little annoyed. She also looked just as tired as Jazzy felt. The concert was the day after tomorrow and Jazzy was sure that the Princesses wanted this over with so the festival could go without a hitch.
"Greeting Jazzy Mellows, We hope that thou received thine letter without incident?" Princess Luna asked trying to suppress a yawn behind her hoof.
Jazzy bowed lowed and then raised her head. Nervousness shook her whole body but it was not because of the Princesses this time around. No, after seeing Princess Luna with her Sherlock Pones get up the last time Jazzy was far more comfortable around them.
"I have hope that you found clues Princess Luna?" the unicorn asked. She wanted the answers but she was afraid of the answer that she might get.
At the mention of clues Princess Luna became excited and a spark of light ignited in her teal blue eyes. Conjuring up again her hat and bubble pipe the dark Princess puffed a few bubbles before answering. It seemed as if she was waiting for a dramatic effect.
"Indeed We have!" exclaimed the Lunar Princess. She had sometime conjured up a dark cloud behind her and with a swift kick to it the cloud emitted lightning and a thunderous crash, lighting up the entire room dramatically while Princess Luna puffed her pipe. The air soon became littered with the floating bubbles.
Princess Celestia rolled her eyes and shook her head. Jazzy imagined it was taking all of the Solar Princess' self-discipline to not facehoof herself at her sister's dramatic behavior.
"We have made affirmative that our foalnapper in question is indeed working for somepony else, though Chatterjoy was unable to say who and as a matter of fact the pegasus could not remember her tormentor's name either," Princess Luna began to list and at the mention of Chatterjoy an unamused face etched itself onto her features as the dark Princess recalled the weird pony.
"That sounds about right, Chatterjoy is horrible with names," interjected Jazzy who copied Princess Luna's face.
"We have also concluded and affirmed that Chatterjoy is no longer in Canterlot, she stated that it seemed quiet where she is being located so it may mean a small town in the south as an engineer stated that he too saw a strange pony board a train heading south," finished the Princess.
Jazzy tried to suppress her tears. So far they were nowhere near finding Chatterjoy, they had only affirmed things.
"Please do not be so upset Jazzy Mellows," spoke up Princess Celestia, "You may think it is not much but think about it for a moment. My sister has made contact with Chatterjoy and as such if we can get your friend to find out information for us we can find her that much faster."
Jazzy perked up a bit. With Chatterjoy basically their inside pony they would be able to locate her if she could get the information they needed. Chatterjoy was good at doing that with her talking skills. Unless the foalnapper had already harmed her.
As if the Lunar Princess read her mind the dark pony made an oh yeah face and spoke, "Also Chatterjoy has told Us that she is doing perfectly just fine and thou shouldst still perform in thine concert even if she is not in the vicinity."
So they haven't hurt her just yet.
Jazzy sighed in relief. Noticing the time she bowed and took her leave for practice a little more hop in her step.
Princess Celestia looked at her sister and smiled but facehoofed when she saw her sister smugly puffing on her bubble pipe.
"I imagine that you are pleased with yourself Luna?" Celestia asked.
"Very much so dear sister, pray tell how will we connect Blueblood into this?"
"I have gotten a letter earlier today from my Faithful student and you will never guess who she has said has been skulking around Ponyville."
"Our little nephew has strayed a ways from his home here in Canterlot sister. What business would he have?" Luna asked as she hopped up and down on the cloud she had conjured up earlier. No bolts or thunderous sounds escaped the fluffy object as well as no moisture but it was entertaining.
"To make sure his guest is being well taken care of?" Celestia replied raising an eyebrow in amusement.
Princess Luna chuckled and puffed on her bubble pipe some more. She had stopped bouncing and was now resting on the cloud instead.
"Shall We go investigate, Sister?"
Celestia shook her head and smiled almost devilishly, "Why Luna, I appreciate your eagerness but you are to be here remember for your festival? Besides what other reason could you have for visiting such a tiny village not in the middle of the night?"
Luna blushed as her sister referred to her weekly outings to Twilight's library for their stargazing dates. It was nothing romantic but her sister always implied that it was.
"I will go," continued the elder sister," on a pretense that I am visiting with my student about her studies. There will be no issue there and if I hurry I may stumble upon Blueblood and his plot."
Princess Luna nodded and puffed a few more times on her bubble pipe.
"We agree Sister, We pray that you will be careful and not entice our nephew. Even a mouse will bite when cornered," Princess Luna warned as her sister began to make way and get ready for the short trip to Ponyville.
Ponyville would be the most likely place to hide a pegasus anyway. It was small, quiet, and most of all close to Canterlot.
Princess Celestia turned around and faced her younger sister who had grown serious. The Solar Princess then grinned almost smugly and as the doors opened and let light into the the throne room. The light haloed around Princess Celestia's form and her eyes almost glowed with untold power as she replied cryptically.
"Why sister? Why would the cat ever play with the mouse?"
And in a golden flash Princess Celestia was gone from the room and left the now tiring Princess Luna alone.
"We are going to require the substance that many ponies call 'coffee' soon."
Chatterjoy woke up to be in the same place. The last thing she remembered was playing games with her captor but the said pony had gotten mad at her and everything after that is a blur.
"Ugh, he must have knocked me out, that pony has some serious anger issues," Chatterjoy grumbled rubbing the back of her head.
The pony got up and stretched her limbs. Audible cracks and pops could be heard throughout the basement as it echoed. As Chatterjoy yawned a flashback of her dream that she could barely remember came flashing through her mind.
"I was talking to Princess Luna and she wanted to me to...oh yeah!" Chatterjoy grumbled but became serious as she remembered the mission that her idol had given her. Since her idol had given it to her the pegasus would not fail.
A scent filtered from upstairs down to her holdings and made Chatterjoy's mouth water and her stomach began to roar. Soon the delicious aroma permeated the entire basement and the pegasus began to groan in discomfort as her stomach coiled and rumbled.
"I take it that you're hungry?" Her captor said walking down the stair with a tray full of cheese hay fries.
At the sight of the food Chatterjoy just sat and stared while her mouth let loose drool.
Sleepy Drift chuckled evilly and levitated a fry to his mouth and slowly chewed it. Chatterjoy began to whine like a dog but she remembered her mission.
"Oh...." she groaned, "Mr....."
"Sleepy Drift."
"I'm so hungry Mr. Sleepy Drift! Can I please have the cheese fries?" Chatterjoy asked as she scuffled her hooves in the dirt.
"Only if you promise not to talk."
Chatterjoy gulped and nodded as her mouth began to waterfall drool at the sight and scent of the hay fries. Sleepy drift levitated the tray of food between the bars and set it down in front of the pegasus. The moment the food left his magical grip the pegasus had already begun to stuff her face.
Sleepy Drift grimaced at her manners but it had been a day and a few hours since she had actually eaten.
"Sleepy Drift!" a voice yelled.
Chatterjoy looked up from her food, her face was littered with cheese and hay fry guts and her cheeks were puffed out more than a chipmunk's filled with acorns.
"Boss! What are you doing here?" Sleepy Drift asked twiddling his hooves.
The pony in question stomped down the stairs. He was wearing the same full black body suit that her current captor wore. He was also a unicorn and was fairly taller than Sleepy Drift and much more bulkier.
"To do something! Jazzy showed up to practice and apparently she has been talking to the princesses! We have to give her another warning. A lock of mane isn't going to do it!"
Sleepy Drift gulped but stood tall, "What do you plan to do?"
The other unicorn used his magic to bring out a knife, "I think her tongue will do nicely in a little box as a present for the Moon Festival."
Chatterjoy gulped, she liked where her tongue was.
Sleepy Drift blocked the other unicorn's path.
"No, I may be a professional foalnapper but a torturer I am not!"
"Um, you were being fairly torturey earlier with the hay fries..." Chatterjoy pointed out while hiding out of view of the newcomer.
"SHUT UP!" both unicorns shouted in unison while glaring at the pegasus.
Chatterjoy clapped her hooves together and smiled nervously while gulping. She lost her appetite.
The glaring contest continued for a few more minutes till the new unicorn sighed and put the knife down.
"Fine! But I want her under spell unless eating you hear? Who knows what information she can get while awake!"
Sleepy Drift nodded and the other unicorn stormed out of the basement.
"You heard my boss, finish eating and get comfortable, I think you hit your head pretty hard last time I spelled you," commanded the unicorn.
"Who was that?" Chatterjoy asked referring to the unicorn that had recently just tried to cut out her tongue.
"No pony important."
"Sure he is if you called him your boss!"
"Fine, he has a lot of influence in the court."
"So he is royalty?"
"Eat! Or you go to sleep now."
Chatterjoy sighed irritably but began to eat slowly compared to the gusto she had shown earlier.
"I'm not really tired can I go to bed in like an hour?"
"No."
"Please with a cherry on top!"
"No after dinner."
"An hour after dinner!"
"Right after dinner and no longer!"
"An hour!"
"A minute!"
"An hour!"
"A minute!"
"A minute and no longer!"
"An hour and no less!" screamed Sleepy Drift.
"Okie doki!" Chatterjoy exclaimed as she began to munch on her fires again.
Sleepy Drift just scratched the back of his head and tried to figure out how he had been conned into letting Chatterjoy stay up later than what his boss told him.
Chatterjoy burped as she finished the last of her fries and patted her extended belly. Sleepy Drift shook his head.
"Sorry but I'm not a foalsitter, I'm a foalnapper and the boss wants you to sleep so sleep you will!"
Casting his sleep spell he watched as Chatterjoy slumped against the wall and began to snore lightly. Sleepy Drift sighed and rubbed his temples. This pegasus was going to be the death of him he knew it.
Chatterjoy was bouncing on hay fries when Princess Luna appeared. Her jaw dropped at the sight of all the hay fry clouds and Chatterjoy laying on said cloud while eating a humongous hay fry dripping melted cheese.
"What in my sister's name?" Princess Luna whispered as she carefully walked around the fries.
"Hi Princess Luna!" Exclaimed Chatterjoy with a mouthful of hay fry.
"Um...greetings," Luna replied still wary of the dream world she had wondered into. She had cast a spell on Chatterjoy last time to let her know when the pegasus fell into her subconscious.
"Have you found the name-"
"Sleepy Drift! Positive this time!"
Princess Luna sighed in relief. "Anything else?"
"He is working for a pony with influence in the court and thats all I got before his boss ordered I be put to sleep unless I am eating."
Luna closed her eyes and rubbed them with her hooves. It would be almost impossible to get information now.
"We are gracious that thou hast gotten the information We require," Luna said before shimmering fairly quickly out of Chatterjoy's eat fest.
The pegasus shrugged and began to stuff herself with more cheese hay fries.
In Ponyville Twilight was reorganizing her library again. As the purple unicorn put the final book into place a knock was heard at her door.
"Coming!"
Twilight opened her door to see her mentor, Princess Celestia standing at the doorway.
"Princess what are you doing here?!" Twilight exclaimed fumbling around with her magic to make tea.
"Why can't I just visit my Faithful student for a nice cup of tea?" Celestia asked as she began to prepare the tea herself when she saw that Twilight was about to drop the cups.
"Of course," Twilight replied blushing as she realized that her mentor had to help her prepare tea.
"Just a casual day of course!" Celestia exclaimed clapping her hooves and using an illusion spell to hide as a unicorn with a pink mane.
"Shall we go out and see the town? As it were?" Celestia asked putting the tea cups up.
Twilight just shrugged and led Celestia around the town. They stopped at Sugarcube Corner and other places to visit. They had cupcakes and tea and the entire time Celestia seemed to be looking for something. Her magenta eyes scanned the town till she found who she was looking for.
"Twilight as I understand it, you were saying how Blueblood seems to be skulking around town."
"Yes Princess! For a while now!"
"Shall we find out why?" Princess Celestia asked as she raised an eyebrow and a cat like smirk appeared on her face.
Celestia motioned for Twilight to sit up and the unicorn followed the disguised pegasus to see a hooded figure. When he turned around she noticed the blond mane and ice blue eyes.
It was Blueblood.
"Hello kind sir!" Celestia greeted waving a hoof and sounding more like a cheerful pony who had pranks planned for the unsuspecting. "You look like the famous Prince Blueblood! Why would you be in a such a small town like this one. And why would you be in such a place filled with common ponies?"
Blueblood proudly lifted his head and snorted. "My fellow companion had some business to attend to. He said it would be some sort of gift for me! But the rascal disappeared around the corner and I've been standing here hurting my poor delicate hooves waiting for him!"
Twilight rolled her eyes while Celestia merely narrowed them. Scrutinizing his every move, his every flick of his eyes. The Princess had been alive for at least a thousand years. Poker Faces especially the political faces of the nobles, she had learned to read, the atmosphere was another thing easily read by the temperance sun.
Blueblood seemed unnaturally hard to read today.
Jazzy was inside her house pacing back and forth. It would be hours before the actual festival would start and even longer before the concert. Chatterjoy had still not been found and the unicorn had recently heard that Princess Celestia had gone to Ponyville to meet with her student. Jazzy still couldn't understand why the Princess would need to visit her protege.
Princess Luna was now the acting Princess in the Solar Court now that Celestia was gone. Needless to say the Lunar Princess was not very happy. She had gotten little sleep throughout the week and now that the festival would soon start the Princess of the Night would have to get prepared.
Not only that but she would also have to lower the sun.
Princess Luna was definitely not looking forward to that.
So now Jazzy was left to worry by herself till the concert. The director was confident in the groups concert skills and had dismissed them earlier. Jazzy was worried though as Strummer hadn't shown up but that was sometimes usual for the orange stallion. Always ditching the final practice before a show.
He usually did it to prove that he was the best player in the band and the director hated it when he did that but so far nothing bad had happened yet. Well, excluding the part of Chatterjoy getting foalnapped and Jazzy getting blackmailed but there was no way the director could know that.
All the worrying the unicorn was doing was beginning to take a toll on the young mare. Jazzy suppressed a yawn with her hoof and headed to her bedroom. She would get up in time for the festival. If she was lucky Chatterjoy might even be already there smiling and waving goofily.
Jazzy smiled at the thought of seeing her friend at the festival.
Chatterjoy wouldn't miss it for the world. The food anyway.
With the happy thought of everything going to turn alright for the best sent Jazzy into the happy world of dreams for once not plagued by the nightmares of Chatterjoy degrading her or being gone from the land of Equestria and ultimately the land of mortals forever.
In the basement of the captive Chatterjoy the foalnapper was covering his ears as Chatterjoy sang a song so old it hurt his pop cultured appendages.
Puff the Magic Dragon.
It was sung by three ponies, a mare and two stallions.
And it absolutely drove Sleepy Drift crazy! He covered his ears and didn't dare use his magic. Oh no, he couldn't put her to sleep to his dismay.
She was sleep talking, or in this case sleep singing.
Not only did he hate how old the song was, he hated her singing, it wasn't extremely bad, he had heard worse singers but it was just too much. Sleepy Drift was seriously considering cutting her tongue out like his boss wanted but he hated getting messy.
His boss was also supposed to be arriving today any minute and he hoped he came soon and put him out of his misery.
"Is your friend giving you a tour?" Celestia asked Blueblood who looked irritated to be speaking to a commoner.
"Most certainly not! This place is too dainty and small. Pathetic really and that rude mare lives here. The white unicorn mare who splattered cake all over my royal pony body!"
"There must have been a reason for him to take you here though," Celestia pressed. She needed to get Blueblood to tell him his plans or at least a vague idea of where she was being held, besides him getting splattered with cake by the Element of Generosity was highly amusing that night.
I must remember to gift Rarity for that marvelous display.
"A reason, why yes, you ignorant foal!" Blueblood exclaimed that sounded like Celestia should know what the reason was. The Princess also needed to remember to increase the Prince's punishment for that comment. She may be disguised as a regular pegasus at the moment and even though no pony should ever be rude to another she doubted the unicorn would speak to her like that if he knew who she really was.
"My friend said he had a gift for me. He told me to wait here while he went to a small cottage near the Everfree forest, though why anypony would have a cottage near such a dreadful place is beyond me. He told me not to get it confused with the one called Fluttershy."
Princess Celestia smiled and Twilight shook her head. If Blueblood was really behind this entire act that was a stupid thing to say. If he wasn't behind it, the words were still the wrong ones to say.
Celestia knew that Blueblood hadn't really given anything away but he had given a clue and it was a lead. Even if it was nothing.
The Solar Princess looked up at the sky as she felt the sun tugging on her powers to get her to set the large sphere of light. She sighed and smiled. It would have been nice to have Luna try to set the sun but with her festival just moments away she didn't want to tire her out before she could have her fun.
Blueblood was still looking perturbed, his face however began to show surprise as his eyes grew wide and his mouth stood agape that four apples could have been piled and fitted into his mouth. Celestia had taken a white glow as she began to grow. Her mane elongated and began to take on its normal multi color hue as the colors began to streak through the pink. Her horn grew and elongated well past many unicorns in this age.
When her transformation back into her normal self or at least the self shown in public was complete, an aura as bright and as brilliant as the sun seemed to emanate from her and Blueblood and Twilight had to squint their eyes to keep from becoming blinded by Celestia's power.
"If you would come with us please Blueblood," Celestia said. Her smile held joy and amusement but as the Prince stared into her magenta eyes that were filled with wrath no doubt at his rude behavior to her commoner form he began to tremble.
"Princess! I didn't-"
"Of course you didn't mean to do it to royalty nonetheless the one that is higher than you."
The Princess had said it so nicely that Blueblood almost believed she wasn't that mad at him. He was right, she wasn't mad at him. She was furious at him.
The smile faded into a frown and the entire population of Ponyville could see the true extent of the Princess' anger.
"Now if you would be so kind nephew take us to the spot that your friend mentioned."
The festival had started a long time ago and the concert was about to start in an hour.
Jazzy was behind the curtain. Many ponies had already shown up to get seats that were for everyone. Only the front section of the arena was used for reservations and the chair in the middle of the front row was reserved for a pegasus. Unusual for something in Canterlot.
The arena was designed so that the ponies on the stage could speak normally and the ponies in the stands, even the ones in the far back could still hear them perfectly. This was to avoid the loud speakers and other technology destroying the eardrums of the ones closest to the stage.
Jazzy was practicing on her instrument to help calm her nerves and to make sure that she had the music down and the most important thing of them all; to make sure she could keep her composure up on stage and not break down crying.
Some of the other concert players were also practicing some last minute notes on their own instruments. Some of them began to stop and then deeply bow. Jazzy looked up to see what was stopping the music so abruptly.
Coming towards her direction was Princess Luna. She was wearing some kind of fancy dress that Rarity probably made to ask forgiveness for not being able to come. Her hair flowed like her sister's but it sparkled more noticeably. Jazzy could have sworn that all the constellations were in them but other than that it mostly looked like the Princess had poured a bucket of glitter in her mane and tail.
"Jazzy, greetings, We hope that thou hadst the best sleep last night," Luna said smiling gently at the unicorn.
Jazzy could just nod but had to look away to keep herself from bursting into tears. She knew what that kind of smile meant. It meant that she should expect the worst possible news.
"What happened to Chatterjoy?"
Blueblood slowly made his way to the cottage. They had to take the long way because the narcissistic Prince had to stare in water puddles all the way there. Twilight was sure that if they didn't push him to move it he would have tried to kiss the puddle reflection of himself and drown. The purple mare had to admit that the idea sounded appealing but it would have to wait till Chatterjoy was found.
A cottage began to come into view. If they listened carefully they could hear a faint tune emanating from the house. It sounded muffled and distanced like it was actually past the house but in the long lifetime of the Princess, Celestia knew the sound was actually emanating from underground.
They busted open the door. Blueblood had tip hoofed past the door like it was made of common dirt. All three ponies heard hoofsteps pounding on stairs as somepony ran up the basement stairs. The song was completely audible now and Celestia lightly tapped her hoof to it. It was one of her favorite songs of that time. She didn't think any pony listened to it anymore.
"Boss!" exclaimed a unicorn cladded in black. His voice caught in his throat as he noticed who had entered.
Blueblood's face turned into horror as the unicorn had looked at him.
Lead Note walked up to Jazzy. Luna was whispering encouraging words to the rosy unicorn and had stepped aside to allow Lead Note to address his player.
"Listen Jazzy, I know the situation if you feel its too much you can back out. I won't get angry if you do."
Strummer had bursted through the back doors, "Hello promotion!" His eyes widened when he realized he wasn't alone in the back. All of the players were glaring at him or looking at him strangely.
"Its a song, that I'm working on, carry on!"
"Get away you foul mongrel! My royal coat has just been groomed!" Blueblood screamed climbing onto a table and cowering.
"Your not my boss!" Sleepy Drift exclaimed and looking at the Princess tried to run away but Celestia had grabbed him with her magic.
"Then who is?" she asked sweetly. It was bait and Sleepy Drift knew it but he also knew that if he cooperated he would get a lighter punishment.
"He never gave me his name but your pegasus friend is downstairs sleeping! Spare me please and don't send me to the moon!"
Celestia sighed. Where her subjects got the idea of her banishing ponies was ridiculous but taking Sleepy Drift with her she went downstairs and true to his word laid the sleeping beauty...well almost a sleeping beauty. She was singing in her sleep and the poor foalnapper must have been going insane.
Her horn glowed a bright gold and the pegasus began to slightly stir. As Chatterjoy took time to fully wake up Twilight had unlocked the door.
"Princess Celestia!" Chatterjoy exclaimed as the purple mare also undid the clamp around her neck.
"We can talk later young pegasus but Jazzy is about to play in the concert and I would be there if I were you.
Chatterjoy saluted her princess and took off so fast Rainbow Dash probably would have enjoyed the challenge. Sleepy Drift just looked at his Princess and smiled a huge grin even though it couldn't be seen through his mask.
"I'm Sleepy Drift, Princess. How may I be of service?"
Chatterjoy was flying faster than she ever had flown before. She was hungry and even though she had been sleeping she felt more tired than a dragon in winter. Her front hooves were held out in front of her as she pushed herself to the limit.
Water began to film around her and she had to flap harder otherwise the pressure would fling her backwards or her wings would ice up and she would crash. Her lips flapped around her gums and teeth as she reached faster and faster speeds. It was almost midnight as the moon was almost on top of the world.
She had to be there for Jazzy.
Jazzy took a deep breath and prepared herself as she walked out on stage. Strummer was behind her and vaguely saw a green smoke pop a letter in front of Princess Luna.
The unicorn looked in the stands for Chatterjoy even though she figured it would be useless. The Princesses hadn't really found anything yet. Her eyes grew wide and huge grin plastered itself on her face as she saw Chatterjoy in her seat clapping her hooves excitedly. Her wings looked crimped and broken a result that happened when a pegasus flew to hard and to fast without practice.
Jazzy looked up and saw Princess Luna grinning a huge grin and winking at Jazzy. The unicorn nodded in reply. She looked behind her where Strummer was sweating and he was looking right at Chatterjoy.
Thats odd, Strummer doesn't like Chatterjoy at all.
Lead Note lifted his baton and the concert began.
"I can't believe it wasn't Blueblood," Twilight told Celestia as they walked back to the library.
The concert ended and Princess Luna appeared before the sweaty Jazzy and bouncing Chatterjoy.
"Charmed to meet the real Chatterjoy this go around," Princess Luna said as she reached out her hoof. Chatterjoy began to hyperventilate to which Jazzy gave her a bag to breath into. She shrugged at the Princess who looked a little upset.
"She adores you, don't take offense to it," whispered the unicorn into Luna's ear. The Princess' eyes grew wide and glistened that Chatterjoy actually wasn't intimidated by her.
"Where is Strummer, We needed to talk to him," Luna spoke up. The two mare shrugged their shoulders as they began to help the Princess.
Trying to run out of the arena was Strummer.
"Halt boss of the foalnapper!" Luna screamed with her Canterlot Voice as all ponies stopped moving save for the orange unicorn.
"Strummer?" Jazzy said puzzled.
"Yes, he was going to foalnap Chatterjoy as a present for his best friend and most importantly his influence in court Blueblood to make sure he kept favor with him."
Eventually some royal guards were able to capture the runaway unicorn.
'Why Strummer?" Jazzy asked hurt.
"Because I hate commoners, I hate pegasi, and most importantly I wanted to keep favor with Blueblood!"
Screams of agony could be heard throughout a house. Its wooden finishings creaked like an old shack as the vibrations of the sound passed through them.
"BY CELESTIA! OUCH! WATCH IT! That is very sensitive there. Soft, fleshy, hurtful, don't touch!" A voice cried out.
Grunts and other noises could be heard echoing throughout the house as the voice continued to scream in pain. It emanated from the guest bedroom and the occupants consisted of a unicorn and a pegasus. The pegasus was the mare screaming in agony and the unicorn mare was the one delivering the blows that caused the pegasus to cry out.
"Hold still!" she said sharply.
"But Jazzy!" the pegasus whined. "I'm fine!"
Jazzy humphed and continued to massage gently on the crimped wings of the pegasus. The mare underneath her hooves continued to squirm and whine.
"If you don't let me get out all the crimps and knots in your wings Chatterjoy I will be forced to physically or magically restrain you!" Jazzy exclaimed straightening out another feather.
Chatterjoy let out a breath and occasionally squirmed just to get some more amusement.
~&~
Princess Celestia and Twilight quietly sipped some tea. The solar Princess had decided to stay at the library for the night so as not to ruin Luna's festival with her presence.
The library was quiet as was the entire town of Ponyville. Only leaves stirred in the wind, a sign that soon fall would be coming and that Applejack would be working as hard as ever for the harvest.
Spike snored in his basket in the bedroom, neither ponies decided to wake him, thinking he had earned a day to sleep in anyway.
Twilight was calm for once in the presence of her teacher and both enjoyed the tranquility of the early morning. No words were needed to be said to each other, just the company of friends.
~&~
In a dark room littered with sparkling stars and a giant silvery dot in the center of ceiling a dark alicorn pony snored loudly on her bed. She was laid flat on her back and hugged a giant platinum moon pillow close to her chest. Her head hanged off of the bed and drool had accumulated into a puddle beneath her.
A Sherlock Pones hat and a bubble pipe laid untouched on the pony's dresser.
The Princess' leg occasionally twitched as she dreamed and a slight giggle would leave her mouth.
"Now, now Chatterjoy, the fries of hay bathed in cheese should be given in communion."
~&~
A white pony with golden locks mopped the tile floors of the Grand Hall that led to the throne room. He wore a disgusted face and the mop was held in his hooves. He slowly inched towards the grime on the floor and almost gagged.
He was a unicorn but a golden ring adorned his horn and prevented him from using magic.
Two other unicorns were joining him in mopping the floors, an orange one with a music cutie mark and a blue one with a swirly cloud cutie mark. The other two also wore the same golden ring around their horns and were forced to mop the grimey floor with their hooves.
A maid was walking towards them and smiled sweetly but her eyes had closed and she looked completely evil as she took a bucket that smelled worse than a skunk into her magic. Horror flashed across the other three unicorns faces as the maid dumped the rotting food all over the hall messing up their hard work.
"Sorry, handsome sirs but per Princess Luna's orders you are to receive three buckets of rotting food to clean up in the Grand Hall per day along with your other cleaning duties"
The maid then left whistling a tune. It sounded vaguely familiar as Puff the Magic Dragon and the blue unicorn groaned in horror.
~&~
Lead Note was calmly sipping some coffee while reading the newspaper. He chuckled at the punishment the Princesses had given three unicorns.
Three Unicorns were arrested for crimes against the Princesses. Though the punishments seemed light enough the unicorns have groaned and pleaded for mercy. The unicorn Sleepy Drift was revealed in a black body suit to have foalnapped the pegasus Chatterjoy to blackmail a unicorn that was playing the concert for the Moon Festival to back out. He is to listen to Puff the Magic Dragon three times a day while doing servant work and cleaning the Grand Hall also with three buckets of rotten food. The unicorn Strummer was arrested after playing in the concert when Sleepy Drift confessed that he had hired the hypnotist to secretly get Jazzy out of the way for a promotion and to increase favor in the court. He is to never play an instrument again and will only do the serving work under ponies of common background he has the same Grand Hall punishment. Prince Blueblood was grounded the same night under the charge of being disrespectful to his aunt also known as Princess Celestia. He only has the Grand Hall cleaning punishment with cake privileges revoked. If you ask me Prince Blueblood got off nicely but then again, he only had a minor offense compared to the other two.
Lead Note chuckled again at the punishments. The Princesses were quite the jokers.