“More cake Cadence?”
“No thanks Aunty. I’ve already had way too much.” Cadence chuckled as she fell off her sitting pillow and onto her side.
Celestia couldn’t help but smile watching Cadence. Ever since she was a filly, she had that habit of falling over after eating too much. Looking towards the side of the table, Celestia watched Twilight. The young alicorn had fallen asleep, her horn stabbing a slice of cake. Celestia couldn’t only guess that she had stayed up all night reading again, given that it was only breakfast time.
“I love how even though you both are legally grown mares, you both are still considered fillies in alicorn age. Mainly because I don’t think theses habits are going to change for a while.”
“Wait, how am I a filly? Twiley I understand, but I’m twice her age.” Cadence asked not even bothering to try and sit up.
“You have only recently ascended. You’ll understand what I mean in a few hundred years.”
Sticking her tongue out for a second, Cadence watched as Celestia went over and sat down next to her. “I’m glad you were able to join us, or rather me…” Celestia corrected herself, after a quick glance at Twilight, “for breakfast. My apologies that Luna couldn’t be here. She said she had important matters to tend to.”
“I’m more than happy to come for the day. Life at the Crystal Empire is so boring. It’s nice to have a day off for once. Now if the OVER PROTECTIVE GUARDS…” Cadence half yelled looking towards the door; “would settle down for a while, and actually enjoy their break, that would be even better.
A second later the door burst open, making Twilight jump. “Huh? What’s going on?” Twilight mumbled, trying to look around the room.
“You called?”
Sighing, Cadence sat up while shaking her head. “No. Also, didn’t I tell you two to go and relax.”
“We thought that it had been a request, rather than an order, Princess.” The younger guard offered, earning him a glare.
“Seriously?” Groaning as both guards nodded their heads, Cadence laid back down on her side. “Flash Sentry and Shining Armor, you are officially ordered to relax. Also, it’s ridiculous that I have to order that, here of all places. Not to mention, one of you is my husband, and not even in the royal guard anymore”
“We just wanted to make sure you were safe, Cadence.”
“No, you wanted to spy on us. Ever since we told you that we were having a girls day, and you’re not invited, you haven't left my side.
Twilight walked up to them and whispered something in their ears, laughing as both of them turned a bright red.
“What did you say?” Cadence asked, as Twilight sat back down with a rather proud expression plastered on her face.
“Trust me, it’s best if you don’t know.” Twilight took a napkin with a hoof, and slowly started rubbing her horn up and down, cleaning the cake off of it. Cadence watched as Shining and Flash carefully followed the movement of Twilight’s hoof, their faces turning even redder.
“Twilight!” Cadence shrieked, realizing what her sister-in-law had been suggesting. “That is your brother! Do I need to explain to you how wrong that is? Please just save it for Flash in…”
“What? All I said was that I know a spell that...you know what, never mind.”
“Twilight.” The mare in question froze at the warning tone from her Aunt-in-law.
Sighing in defeat, knowing better than to ignore Celestia, Twilight started rubbing her right left foreleg with her hoof. “I said I know a spell that could turn them into mares for a day. If they wanted to join us for some fun, that is.”
Both Cadence and Celestia looked at each other in confusion. After a moment of silence. Celestia finally spoke up. “How would just saying that make them like that?”
Shining walked over to his wife and whispered something in her ear. Less than a second later, Cadence had tackled Twilight, holding Twilight to the ground by her forearms. “You have to teach me that spell!”
“No!” Both stallions yelled in unison.
“Sure, no problem. It’s actually relatively easy to perform. It’s reversing it that is the difficult part. When you fuse the two bodies together, you have to make sure that the stallion's body is covering the mares perfectly, otherwise Shinny might become a mare for the rest of his...or rather her life.”
“It’s worth the risk, and I’ll be careful. I don’t really want a wife.”
“Don’t I get a say?” Shining Armor asked, holding his hoof in the air as if he were back in school.
“Maybe.”
“Alright, that’s enough of that.” Celestia interrupted. “You two can have fun later tonight, when Luna is responsible for you guys.”
“But Aunty, we don’t need anyone watching over us. Besides, Luna always wants to make the peanut butter cups with us. Can’t we get away for one night of making candy, without having to worry about Luna eating all of the chocolate?” Cadence whined, laying her head on the table.
“Luna loves her candy. I wouldn’t worry too much, she should still have some from last Nightmare Night. Now get over here and help me eat this cake.” Celestia levitated two plates off the cart and onto the table. “I think this is Pinkie Pie’s idea of an apology, after the brownie incident.”
“This wasn’t Pinkie. She’s out of town with Rainbow Dash..” Twilight explained while passing out more cake. “Wait, what brownie incident?”
“That is a story for another time. Although now I’m curious to who would send me fifty pounds of cake.”
“You mean you still don’t know about the sacrifices?”
“Sentry!” Shining Armor snapped, backhoofing Flash on the shoulder.
“Sacrifices?” Celestia asked, setting her fork down to listen.
“It’s nothing!”
“Shining Armor, this obviously isn’t nothing.”
“We can’t tell you Cadence! Now drop it.”
Twilight looked over at the pegasus, now hiding behind his wings. “Flash, what do you mean by sacrifices?”
“Twiley, stop.”
“Don’t Twiley me! Something is going on here, and if you don’t tell us, then I’ll just have to use that little spell we talked about earlier, and I won’t reverse it until you explain everything.” Twilight snapped, grinning as both of them crossed their legs.
Flash leaned over towards Shining “She wouldn’t really do it. Would she?”
Twilight shook her head. “You’re safe. Him on the other hand, is another story.”
“Seriously! It’s not enough that you used me as your lab rat to create the spell, now you threaten me with it? I suppose it’s not the worst spell you ever casted on me, but it’s up there. Now unless your name is Cadence, you’re not allowed to go near me with that spell ever again!”
“That could be arranged.” Cadence smirked, placing her hoof on his cheek.
“Shouldn’t have said that.”
“Enough.” Celestia interrupted. “Shining Armor, you and I both know that neither one of them will hesitate to use that spell. Now will somepony please explain the sacrifices?”
“Alright.” Flash sighed. “There’s a small village somewhere in Everfree, that are full of ponies who call themselves The Worshipers. During the major holidays, they honor the respecting Princess with a gift. They happened to chose cake for you.”
“So an isolated village in the middle of the forest sends her cake as a sign of respect?” Twilight asked skeptically. “So why are they called sacrifices?”
Shining placed a hoof on Flash’s shoulder, before he continued their explanation. “They follow their own set of rules. It’s more of a cult than anything. It’s said that if somepony neglects to participate in the offering for the Princess, they are killed in respect to the throne.”
“I am sure they are merely rumors. Luna and I would have heard about it, if it were true.”
“No, your Highness.” Flash took a deep breath, looking down at his cake. “They have scouts everywhere. Anypony who tried to tell you was assassinated. If they found out I told you...I-I mean, the guards aren’t even supposed to know either. A pegasus who had been trying to break free of the cult had told me about it. In turn, I told Shining Armor.”
“Why didn’t you tell me!” Cadence shouted, slamming her hooves on the table.
“Because we were scared for your safety!” Shining Armor shot back. “We already dispatched guards to investigate. We’re still waiting for word back.”
“Ok Shiny, haha you got us. Do you really thing you can prank us so easily?” Twilight rolled her eyes before taking another bite of cake.
“We’re not joking! Why do you think we arranged this for today?”
“Give me proof that what you say is the truth.” Twilight growled, as both of them stood up and stood muzzle to muzzle.
“Who do you think started Nightmare Night?”
Twilight took a step back, blinking a couple times. “I, I don’t know. There’s not much about the holiday in my books, except for a couple of myths. Wait, if this village is true, could they be the ones who kept sending rock candy gems to my house during the Summer Sun Celebration?”
“You never told me about that, Twilight.” Celestia looked at Twilight, concern written on her face.
“I thought it had been Pinkie Pie. She makes rock candy for her sisters, and figured she had some left over.”
“Cadence, have you gotten anything?”
“Those chocolate roses. Still think it was you who put them there though.” Cadence looked over to Shining, her pupils slightly dilated.
“I think we should investigate this further. Shining Armor please let us know if your guards find anything. I need to find Luna. And do not think that this conversation is finished. You two should have told us sooner.” Celestia glared at Shining and Flash before leaving, closing the door behind her.
“You had to tell them.” Shining groaned, glaring at Flash.
“How dare you NOT tell me something like this!” Cadence yelled. She started leaving as a letter materialized in front of Shining Armor. Before he had an opportunity to read it, Cadence snatched it in her magic and opened it.
Sir,
We regret to inform you that three more bodies have been discovered. The total is now up to thirteen. We will inform you if we discover anything else.
“Th-thirteen!” Cadence dropped the scroll on the floor, watching as Twilight walked over to her. “Send them a return letter telling them to go back. Do not risk their safety.” Nodding Shining Armor and Flash Sentry ran out of the room.
They quickly ran down the hallway, and into a study around the corner.
“I can’t believe they fell for it!” Flash bursted out laughing.
“Thou not know who thy messed with. Tis was fun, now I must to return to the meeting.”
Both of them watched Luna left the room, all three trying not to laugh; and failing.
“Thanks for helping Flash. You’re scary good at lying.”
“It’s my guard training sir. I had a good teacher.”
A moment later they heard a scream. Running into the throne room, the noticed Twilight and Cadence trembling in the middle of the room.
“What’s wrong?” Shining yelled, running up to the mares. Without a word, Twilight pointed up. Looking at the ceiling, Shing saw a unicorn's corpse hanging by a rope. A small note taped to the pale hoof.
Using his magic, he carefully removed the note and opened it.
This is what happens to anypony who tries to tell.
“Flash, get Twilight and Cadence out of here!” Shining yelled running out of the room.
A moment later, they heard a phantom voice, almost like a whisper filling the air.. “When are you going to tell him I’m not really dead?” Celestia asked, removing the illusion spell on herself, and gliding down to the ground.
“When it stops being funny. He’s the worst at pranks, I swear.” Cadence laughed, giving Twilight and Flash a hoof bump.
“Thanks for helping us Flash.” Twilight nuzzled him for a moment, before they all started walking out of the throne room.
“Pranking a Princess is only going to get me killed. However being able to prank a former captain of the Royal Guard, that’s rare. Thank you for including me.”
“Alright everypony.” Celestia interrupted, guiding them out of the room. “Next lesson on pranking...acting! You see, you’re supposed to act like yourselves. Not like changeling imposters…”
