Much Ahoof About Nothing

Chapters

Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Finale
Chapter 1
Chapter 6

Chapter 2

"Rainbow?" Applejack said, frowning in disbelief. "Rainbow Dash? Really?"

Rarity nodded. "Oh darling, it suddenly occurred to me while I was chatting with Twilight over tea this morning. She said she felt as if she was missing something, and I suggest that it was somepony she was missing, rather. And when I suggested it was young Spike, she laughed. But then I remembered that Rainbow was also out of town. As you know, she's in Canterlot at the moment helping the Wonderbolts with the Spring Moon Festival performance – that rather striking Spitfire has a marvellous aerial spectacle in store for the Princess Luna, I hear."

"Ah dunno, Rarity," said Applejack. "Ah mean, Twi and Rainbow? What do those two even have in common?"

"Oh, Applejack," sighed Rarity, lifting a soft forehoof and placing it on the muscular withers of her lover. "I do so love you, but when it comes to the finer points of romance I'm afraid that it's very much a closed book for you."

"Nah wait jus' a minute," started Applejack, but Rarity slipped a forehoof against her lips.

"No, no! Please let me finish. What I mean to say is that unless one has experience in such things or has read an awful lot about them, there are hints that one can easily miss. Signs are what I'm speaking of. Now, I know you don't read romantic novels-"

Applejack snorted. "That's for darn sure. Ah dunno how you kin stomach all that soppy malarkey."

"See! That's what I mean," continued Rarity. "So you're probably unaware that there are personality types that naturally fall in love with each other, even though they're quite different."

"What're you talkin' about?" said Applejack. "You mean that whole 'opposites attract' business?" Suddenly the earth pony's eyes went wide. "Ya don't mean – Rainbow an' Twi are jus' like… US?"

"Oh darling!" Rarity eyes grew large and glistened. "So you do know what I mean! Just as you and I are very different ponies and that no doubt plays a part in our attraction for each other, so is it true with Rainbow and Twi." Rarity's voice grew deep with melodrama as she warmed to her explanation. "Just imagine the scene. Twilight! The bookish librarian, who knows so little of life except what she has read in her books. Shy and retiring, she one day meets another mare. Rainbow! The confident sportspony, who is afraid of nothing and risks everything! They become the best of friends…" She brought a forehoof to her forehead and mimed a faint. "But alas! Twilight falls for Rainbow, drawn to her by her charisma, her devil-may-care attitude! She is so alive, so real – so different from herself. She's like Paragon, the valiant Pegasus mare of old who helped keep Equestria safe from the Griffon menace!"

Applejack listened, and as she listened she started to nod. Maybe Rarity had a point. "An' so Rainbow has no idea 'bout Twi's feelins for her?"

Rarity snorted. "Oh please, darling! This is our Rainbow we're talking about here. Of course she has no idea!" Rarity fell down onto the floor on her knees, her forehooves clutching her chest. "And so now poor Twilight wastes away with longing for her, unable to understand these new feelings that have sprung up deep within her breast. She's sad, and longs for something – but being inexperienced in the ways of romance she doesn't recognise that it is love that torments her so!"

Applejack brought a forehoof to her chin. "And what about Rainbow?"

Rarity chuckled. "Oh, Rainbow! She doesn't have time for that sort of thing, and so she doesn't recognise the gorgeous, sensitive mare who loves her so, the one right in front of her face!" She slipped in front of Applejack and slid her forelegs around her neck, making the earth pony blush. "The one who would complete her soul and make her happier than anypony else in all of Equestria!"

Applejack looked deep into Rarity's blue eyes. Why hadn't she realised this all before? It was just like their story. She hadn't even realised her feelings for Rarity until that great storm had brought them together. And if that storm hadn't happened, well…

Applejack slipped out of Rarity's embrace, then walked up to the window and looked outside. Big Mac and the others were still hard at work in the afternoon sunshine. None of the wonderful times the two of them had enjoyed would ever have happened except for that storm.

Applejack closed her eyes. Even just imagining her and Rarity never coming together was like an awful black sadness deep in the pit of her stomach. Poor Rainbow.

She turned back to Rarity at last, her face suddenly determined. "So what're we gonna do about it?"

"Why, we have to bring the two of them together of course!" replied Rarity. "I fear that the two of them are unlikely to ever recognise their own feelings, so we must step in and give love a helping hoof, as it were."

Applejack nodded. "Like the storm that brought us together?"

Rarity's eyes moistened at the memory and she nodded. "Oh yes, darling – but something not so dramatic. Subtlety is required here, or else who knows what confusion we might cause! The gentle touch is best for affairs of the heart." She tapped her chin with a forehoof. "I suppose we shall have to wait and see. Perhaps when Rainbow returns to Ponyville a situation will present itself."

Rarity was about to say more when there was a sound of voices outside the homestead. Applejack turned to Rarity and put a hoof to her mouth and hissed, "It's Big McIntosh and the others back from the plantin'! Plannin's gonna hafta wait 'til morning ah'm afraid."

***

Rainbow Dash, standing atop the highest pennant on the highest tower of the castle fussed at the straps that held the multi-coloured lights on her flight-suit - she'd worn them numerous times this past week, but they still didn't feel comfortable. Maybe she was just nervous.

She craned her neck as Spitfire, followed by some two dozen other Pegasus ponies, flew overhead in a V-formation silhouetted against the evening sky. The flame-coated Wonderbolt, along with her two fellow team members Vertigo and Solar Flare, had spent the whole day putting the Spring Moon Festival Aerobatics Performance Team through their paces: loop-de-loops, barrel rolls, and the always crowd-pleasing Immelmann. Rainbow whistled, impressed. It was some impressive flying from a group made up of enthusiastic amateurs drawn from all around Equestria!

Soon Spitfire was bringing the squad in to land on the grassy meadow high up on the Castle Mount that had been serving as their base of operations over the past week. Rainbow threw herself off the tower and with a few keen sweeps of her wings she caught one of the many updrafts that made flying in the mountains such a delight. She swept up to where Spitfire, flanked by the other Wonderbolts, was already debriefing their squad, and hovered there, high above them, watching her heroes in action from a discrete distance.

"Good work today, fliers!" Spitfire said, walking up and down the row of steely-eyed Pegasus ponies standing to attention. She came at last to one Pegasus who was perhaps a lot less straight-backed in her standing to attention, and whose eyes were not particularly steely, but brimming with pride and confidence all the same despite their amber pupils looking in different directions. "Especially you, Ditzy!"

"Thank you, Spitfire ma'am!" said Ditzy, saluting first with her left forehoof before changing her mind and saluting with her right instead.

Spitfire looked the blonde-maned Pegasus up and down. "I know your day job as a mail-mare doesn't really give you much of a chance to do any performance flying, but I have to say I'm impressed with your spunk. You don't even seem to understand the meaning of fear."

Ditzy saluted. "No Spitfire, ma'am, I do not!"

Spitfire nodded. "I'm glad we agree!"

As Spitfire walked back to where the other two Wonderbolts were standing, Ditzy turned to the purple-coated Pegasus with a tornado cutie-mark standing beside her and asked "Hey – what does 'fear' mean again? I forgot!" She brought a forehoof to her head and sighed. "Oh, Ditzy Doo! You can be such a Derpy Hooves sometimes!"

But there was no chance for her purple-coated friend to set Ditzy straight as Spitfire had already turned back to address them again. "We'll meet back here later tonight, squad, for some more night-flying practice." A happy murmur rippled through the squad. "Oh, and some endurance flying as well!"

The happy murmur suddenly changed to exasperated sighs, but a glare from Spitfire silenced them. "No complaining! Cardio work is the backbone of performance flying. I don't want to see any of you falling out of the sky mid-display – Princess Celestia will be totally disappointed if her little message to Princess Luna isn't perfect in every way! Squad dismissed!"

The Pegasus ponies, led by the other Wonderbolts, flew into the air and dispersed to enjoy their free afternoon time in the mighty Capital of Equestria.

Rainbow flew down from her vantage point and landed next to Spitfire, who grinned at her and punched her offered hoof with a laugh.

"You totally put them through their paces, Spitfire!" said Rainbow, and the Wonderbolt grinned at her. "That was one totally hardcore training session."

"It's all about tough love, Rainbow," said Spitfire, grinning and wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Keeping your eyes on the prize and not letting anything distract you from it – that's number one!"

Rainbow's face fell. "But how am I going to get good enough in the next couple of nights so that I don't stink up the skies for you guys?"

Spitfire's grin turned to a smile and she placed a forehoof on Rainbow's shoulder. "You're not going to be stinking up anything, Rainbow. You've been doing an awesome job – the stuff you've learned in just a few days has been totally astounding!" The smile dropped from her face. "You know, if you hadn't come to our rescue after Soarin ended up going on a pie bender and ended up too fat to get into his suit, it'd be the rest of us that would be looking like gnarly dragon eggs. Everything has to be perfect for Princess Celestia's surprise for Princess Luna."

"But to fill Soarin's suit, I've got to pull down weeks of training in just a few days," protested Rainbow.

"You'll do it no problem," said Spitfire. "I've seen your moves – you're one of a kind, girl." Spitfire's eyes crinkled at their corners. "I just know you're going to be totally awesome, Dash."

Rainbow's heart swelled at the praise, and she grinned proudly. "You really think so? For real?"

Spitfire nodded. "For true. Now let's go through that Suicide Dive again while there's still light!" And with that she grabbed Rainbow's forehoof and pulled her over the edge of the cliff, not seeing the deep blush on the rainbow-maned Pegasus filly's face as hoof in hoof they plummeted down through the cold mountain air towards the spiralling earth below.

*******

Up against the orb of the moon, Princess Luna hovered, unseen, a mischievous grin on her face. She watched as the two Pegasus ponies flew in and out in dizzying patterns, the lights on their wings illuminating the darkness in a multitude of shapes and bursts of rainbow colours.

Spitfire's dreams had been so vivid that even without prying into them, Luna knew how the flame-coated Pegasus felt. Oh, trying to bring ponies with compatible hearts together was so much fun! And all it had taken was forty delicious pies!

"What the ponies say is true – the night is indeed for lovers," she whispered to herself. "Maybe I shall rename myself the Princess of Hearts!"

But time was wasting, and she had an important invitation to deliver.

*****

Having finished polishing the objective lens of her telescope and buffing the eyepiece with a cloth, Twilight swung the telescope in the direction of one of her favourite stars – the Dragon's Eye.

She bit her lip in concentration as she gingerly made the final adjustments with her magic, the clockwork clicking over in minute increments as the setting circles slid into the right configuration of graduations for the coordinates of the star she was looking for.

"18 hours 59 minutes right ascension, 39 degrees 26 minutes declination… there!" She looked through the eyepiece and soon her eye was filled with the star's startlingly bright purple orb surrounded by the glittering halo which gave it its name.

For some reason, looking at her favourite stars gladdened her heart. As she sat there and turned the knobs little by little, scanning the sky for her favourite celestial bodies, she was distracted from that strange emptiness for a little while. Her mind filled to the brim with thoughts of whether there were other planets orbiting around those stars and whether there were ponies just like her on those planets as well, looking across at Equestria through their own telescopes and sighing and wondering why.

She walked over to where the Encyclopaedia of Celestial Bodies was open on her book stand and she scanned it, looking for the current position of the next star she wanted to view. But as her eyes flickered over the turning pages, she noticed the small pile of scrolls in the corner of the room – replies from Princess Celestia. The little unicorn clucked her tongue in annoyance. That Spike! It was so like him to go off and leave a job half finished.

She sighed and trotted over to the pile to levitate the scrolls into a more seemly order. It only took her a moment, and as she looked at the neat little pyramid of scrolls she was suddenly taken aback by how few there were.

The Princess hadn't been replying as often as she'd used to.

Twilight's heart sank. Is it… is it because she's still disappointed with me?

She couldn't look at the scrolls any longer. She trotted back to the encyclopaedia and at last found the coordinates she'd been looking for. A few quick turns on the setting circles of the telescope later she peeped again into the eyepiece.

Everything was blurry! She changed the focus and quickly realised that the blur was actually one of the towers of Canterlot Castle. She muttered, annoyed at herself for making the wrong calculations – it was much too early in the evening to see that particular star, still hidden as it was by the castle's great bulk.

Her horn glowed and she changed the magnification of her telescope until the tower resolved itself into clearer focus. Looking at the pattern of pennants fluttering in the night breeze that always seemed to be blowing through the castle, Twilight guessed that she was looking at Aurora's Tower. Wait, so that meant that her old tower was just over… oh, there it was!

She felt a sudden pang of melancholy when she remembered all the years she'd lived in that tower. Her life had been made up of only a few individuals back then – Spike, Princess Celestia, her parents… she'd never wanted to make friends, because having the Princess had been enough for her. She'd been so many things to her – her friend, her confidant, her teacher, in some ways even a second mother to her. She'd been able to tell her anything, knowing that dwelling behind those beautiful magenta eyes of hers was limitless love and kindness.

Without even realising it, Twilight manipulated the telescope so that the lens was pointing towards the Inner Tower, at the top of which Celestia had her bedchamber. She didn't mean to spy or anything like that – it was just that at that precise moment she needed to see the lights on, to know that Celestia was there, or else her heart would break in two.

The lights were on, and as Twilight focused in on the window she could see the opposite wall of the room, the tapestry lit up by the flickering of the fire in that fireplace, perpetually lit throughout the year to chase away that chill night wind that lurked in the mountains. But there was a movement, and Twilight saw a flash of a white coat and a blue and pink mane as Celestia herself stepped up to the window.

Twilight jerked her eye from the eyepiece like it was suddenly a red-hot poker. She'd never intended to spy, but seeing the Princess made her so happy that she couldn't resist bringing her eye back to the eyepiece and looking again.

Celestia was looking out of the window now, her mane flowing about her beautiful face, and Twilight's heart leaped up inside her chest. But then she noticed that something was wrong. The Princess's face was clearly troubled – her eyes were narrowed and she was frowning. Twilight felt her heart flutter as she realised she must be looking down towards Ponyville. What was going through her mind right now? Was she… angry for some reason? Was she angry at somepony in Ponyville? Was that somepony…her?

Don't be so silly, Twilight! Princess Celestia has a million concerns worrying her at any given moment. There's no way she's angry at you. What would she be angry at you about?

Twilight's mind raced across all the possibilities, and it was still racing when a flicker of blue passed across her vision. Suddenly the entire viewer was filled with a single teal-green eye which blinked at her.

Twilight cried out in alarm and, jerking away from the view finder, she fell backwards off the chair and onto the floor, landing on her rump.

"My apologies!" said Princess Luna. She was sitting on the window sill of the library, one forehoof resting on the length of the telescope, the other up against her mouth stifling a giggle. "I did not mean to startle you quite so much, Twilight Sparkle."

"Princess Luna!" Twilight got up off her rump and fell down on one knee, her face glued to the floor. Luna slipped in through the window and was before her in a moment, lifting the unicorn's head and smiling gently at her.

"Oh, no need for such formality!" said the Princess. "This is just a friendly little visit to see how my sister's favourite student is getting on down here in Ponyville."

"A friendly visit?" Twilight's heart sank. Was… was Luna here to check up on her? Had Celestia sent her?

Luna's eyes scanned Twilight's bedroom as she continued to talk. "Well, yes. And also to extend to you an invitation. Well, technically it's an invitation from my sister. She was intending to come and invite you in person, but you know how busy she is. And with your little dragon away and unable to receive mail, she sent me in her place."

Twilight nodded. Something didn't seem quite right to her, but at the thought of an invitation her heart warmed and the strange void inside her disappeared for a moment. "An invitation?"

"As you know, the Festival in honour of my Spring Moon is coming up, and Celestia and I would be most pleased if you could come and join us. The fireworks will be most spectacular I am told!"

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" cried Twilight. "It's been so long since I've seen them from the castle. Oh, the girls will be so excited!"

"The girls?" said Luna, not really understanding.

"My friends!" said Twilight. "They've never been to the Spring Moon Festival before. I'm sure they'll be so overjoyed by the invitation."

Luna blinked at her, her stomach suddenly sinking. "But…" She stopped before she said any more. Of course she couldn't just invite Twilight Sparkle! She'd refuse to come alone without a good reason, and even suggesting it would make her suspicious. Luna tried to think of a good excuse on her hooves, but nothing came. She just smiled and nodded. As long as Twilight got some time alone with Celestia, all would be well. Luna would see to that!

With a clandestine flash of her horn, Luna turned the single ticket hidden under her wing into five and floated them over to Twilight, who took them eagerly from her.

"Oh thank you Princess Luna!" Twilight said, clopping her forehooves together in delight. "Oh, I can't wait!"

"I also," said Luna with a secretive smile. She hopped back onto the window sill, unfurled her wings and was about to fly off when she turned back. "It was good to see you again, Twilight Sparkle. You are very dear to Celestia, you know. And to me, also."

With that the Princess jumped from the window and swept up into the air on outspread wings. Twilight ran to the window and watched as she dwindled away until she was a single night-blue dot against the yellow disk of the rising moon.

Twilight sat back on her bed, her heart beating fit to burst. Dear to her? She was dear to the Princess?

She snuggled her muzzle into the star-embroidered pillow and squealed. Luna's visit had somehow chased away that feeling of bluh-ness. It seemed as though things were finally looking up!

*****

Celestia lay on the rug in her quarters, fidgeting. No matter which way she tried to put her body, nothing seemed comfortable at the moment. The rug felt suddenly itchy, as if it was covered in burrs, and her bolster cushion, which she usually found so supportive and relaxing placed against the long arch of her back, dug into her like the elbow of a giant.

At last she gave up on all thoughts of sleep and got up. As she walked to the window she levitated the goblet of wine she'd half-finished earlier in the evening to her and left it hovering near her head while she stared out through the window across the moonlit landscape at the great mountains and plains that were the domain she ruled.

Or used to rule. With Luna back, she felt more and more as if she could trust her to take over her half of the rule of Equestria again.

Celestia sighed. It would be nice to have some responsibility taken from her back. Lately she'd thought back more and more to how things had been when the two of them had been younger and Equestria had been a simpler, if far less peaceful, place. Over there, far to the left, she could see the black shape of the Temple of the Two Sisters deep in the Everfree where once she and Luna had ruled together. Then her eyes were drawn to Ponvyille, and she remembered when there'd been nothing there excepts plains of grass and a single, inexplicable apple tree growing beside the road that led between Hoofington and Manehatten. They were both cities now, but back then they'd been little towns – Manehatten a fishing village rather than the epicentre of Equestria's luxury and fashion, and Hoofington a fortress town established against the Griffons of the North, so different from the quaint tourist resort it was now.

Beside Celestia herself, only Luna remembered those times now. When Twilight and her friends had released her from her prison of Nightmare Moon and the sisters had been reconciled, Celestia had assumed that the two of them would be spending more time reminiscing about the good times they'd shared – but Luna was looking more and more to the future, and she seemed disinclined to discuss the past in any detail. Celestia couldn't really blame her – after all, discussions of the past brought up the memories of bad blood between the two of them, and of her exile. Who could blame her for seeking to reinvent herself?

But it was the vibrant youth of Luna that Celestia realised she was envious of. Trapped in the moon by the Elements of Harmony, she hadn't aged those thousand years, whereas Celestia had. Maybe that was why they never really talked anymore. Maybe they didn't have quite so much in common anymore except for sisterly love. She'd always been the younger of the two, but with the added tyranny of time the gap had widened between their ages and between their personalities.

Celestia brought the goblet to her lips. She only drank while she was alone – it wouldn't be seemly for a Princess to drink in front of her subjects, except on ritual occasions. The wine, squeezed from the grapes of the golden-leaved vines that only grew wild on the distant Western mountains, warmed her – but it didn't cheer her as she had thought it would.

She sighed again. Every Spring Moon Festival recently had brought with it this strange melancholy. At first she'd decided it was thoughts of Luna, trapped in exile on the moon, but this year, with her restored to freedom, the feeling was far worse than before. What in Equestria was wrong with her? Was she getting old? Now? Was she even able to get old?

"I must be having a mid-second millennium crisis," she muttered, taking another sip of wine.

"Problem, sister?"

Celestia looked up and saw that against the shining disk of the almost-full moon was silhouetted the shape of her sister, Luna – her wings were outstretched as she glided down through the air to join her.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Celestia.

Luna stopped her soaring and hovered there in the chill night air just outside the window, a soft smile on her face. For once it had no trace of irony, just fondness, which Celestia recognised right away.

"It's OK, Lulu," she said. "I'm OK. Really."

Luna's eyes went wide. "Lulu? It's been so long since I've heard you use that old name." She was pleased.

Celestia arched her eyebrows. "Is that so?"

Luna nodded, but said nothing, and for a while the two of them remained there, not speaking.

Celestia, looking up at the moon shining above the two of them, at last broke the silence. "Aren't you busy?"

Lulu shrugged. "I think it sometimes does the moon good to find its own way now and again."

Celestia laughed. "Oh really! Do you remember the last time you did that?"

Luna looked suddenly cagey. "What are you talking about?"

"You honestly don't remember?" said Celestia, teasingly. "The time you 'let it find its own way' and it ended up landing in the Painted Desert and then rolled into the ocean? We spent hours looking for it!"

Luna looked up at the glowing orb in question and smiled in embarrassment at the memory. "Oh, of course I remember that. But don't worry – I'm keeping my eye on it this time." She turned back to Celestia, the smile becoming an affectionate one. "I only dropped by to tell you that I invited Twilight Sparkle to the Spring Moon Festival."

Celestia sighed in exasperation. "I did tell you that I'd invite her, Lulu."

"I know," replied Luna. "But I also know how busy you are, and that you'd just send a letter to her or something. Poor Twilight deserves more than just a chilly old letter."

"Perhaps you're right," said Celestia thoughtfully.

"There is a little problem though," her sister said, suddenly rueful.

"Why am I not surprised?" said Celestia with a discrete rolling of her eyes.

"It seems I ended up inviting her and all her friends as well."

Celestia chuckled. "Well, of course you did. You know our Twilight – her friends are so important to her. Of course she'd want them to come as well."

Luna's smile deepened in the moonlight. "That's all very well and good, but the Spring Moon Festival is also a time for lovers, is it not? At least, that was the case a thousand years ago."

Celestia looked up at Luna when she said "a thousand years ago" – so her sister did, in fact, think about the past, then. "No, the event is still popular with couples. I didn't change it while you were…" Exiled.

Luna laughed. "Oh, you can use the E word, sister. I know now that I deserved my punishment. And I thank you for taking mercy on me." Her smile became a softly mischievous grin. "Although I should also take the time to thank Twilight Sparkle herself. Perhaps I should invite her to a little private viewing of the moon on the top of the Castle Mount? The air is so clear there that it appears almost twice its usual size…"

The smile slipped from Celestia's face. "Are you talking about a date, Luna?"

Luna laughed. "Perhaps!" But when she saw the strange fire in Celestia's eyes, she realised she'd perhaps gone a step too far in her teasing. "Oh, of course not. It's just that I think Twilight would benefit from a little private Princessly attention. She was disappointed, was she not, when the two of you could not share any private time together at the Gala?"

Celestia closed her eyes. "You're right of course. There have been so few opportunities for the two of us to spend time together recently." She looked up at her little sister. "Perhaps you could entertain her friends during some of the festivities so that Twilight and I can spend a little time by ourselves, Lulu?"

Luna resisted the urge to cry out in triumph and instead made do with clapping her forehooves together. "I would be delighted!"

Celestia noticed the gleam of mischief in her little sister's eye and she became suddenly wary. "You're not going to try and do any matchmaking between Twilight's friends, are you?"

Luna shook her head, but her lack of a reply told Celestia straight away that she wasn't being strictly truthful.

"Oh, you and your matchmaking, Lulu," Celestia sighed. "It's not a game, you know. You should be careful. Hearts are very different from croquet balls – they're fragile things and sometimes even with the best intentions they can be broken."

Luna shrugged. "I know you do not approve of my more hooves-on approach," she said. "But sometimes some ponies need just a little push in the right direction for them to find true happiness. What about Moondancer and Star Catcher? If I hadn't gotten involved, the two of them would never have admitted their love for each other and they would still be wandering the battlements, dolefully staring into the darkness, filling the night air with their incessant sighing and keeping you awake."

Celestia's eyes narrowed. "They do seem happy together, Lulu – but regardless, you should take a little care in how you orchestrate these little matches of yours. Was it really necessary to push Moondancer off the battlements so that she would land on top of Star Catcher?"

"Old tricks are often the best tricks," Luna sniffed. "I can't help it if I am an adherent to the old school!"

"Well, just so long as you don't trick your way into any trouble, little sister," said Celestia sternly.

"I promise to take the utmost care," replied Luna. "I just wish to make everypony happy, that is all."

Celestia sighed. In one respect it was nice to see Luna concerned with the feelings of others for once. But the road to unhappiness was often paved with good intentions, as the saying went. She would definitely have to keep an eye on her.

Luna, glancing up into the sky, noticed that the moon was already 30 seconds off its proper declination and she clucked her tongue in annoyance "Well, I must get back to watching the moon. It seems to want to dive into the water again!"

Celestia looked at her little sister, and there was sudden glimmer of moisture in her eyes. "You were always better than me at keeping that mischievous thing under control," she said.

"Thank you sister." Luna's heart leaped up in her chest. Her work had been done, and done in spades! "Well, au revoir!" She waved goodbye and flew up into the star-sprinkled sky, leaving Celestia gazing up after her until she could be seen no longer.

When Celestia returned to her rug, she felt suddenly as if all the sleep that she'd missed recently came flooding over her all at once. She curled up, no longer feeling any burrs against her coat, and rested her back against the bolster, no longer feeling any poking or prodding. And soon she was asleep, while far overhead Luna hummed happily to herself as she sent the moon zigzagging this way and that across the sky.

*****

The next morning at Sweet Apple Acres, Big Mac, Applebloom and the farm hands had all finished breakfast and Rarity, who had spent the night (in the homestead's little guest room rather than with Applejack."Alas! Exiled from the one I love. This most cruel torment, this most dreadful…" "For Celestia's sake, Rarity – mah room is just across the hall from you! No need to get all me-lo-dramatic on me!") was helping Applejack to do the washing up. It was usually Applebloom's job, but the unicorn had sent the little filly off to play with her friends.

"Oh don't you worry yourself about this 'chore', Applebloom!" Rarity had told her, enjoying the earthy feeling of that Applejackish word 'chore' coming from her own mouth. "I'm more than happy to do it after those delicious apple fritters that your big sister made!"

Applebloom had thanked her in her usual over-energetic fashion and raced out the door to find the other Cutie Mark Crusaders and get up to some wholesome mischief or other, no doubt! And soon after Big Mac and the hands had left for the fields, which meant that the Rarity and Applejack were at last alone.

Applejack rinsed the plates under the running water and passed them to Rarity, who took them with her telekinetic magic and quickly dried them with her puritanical attention to detail, leaving them sparkling. Suddenly Applejack stopped in mid-rinse and turned to the unicorn, her green eyes questioning.

"What yer were sayin' earlier, Rarity - d'you really love mah fritters, or were you just sayin' it so that…"

Rarity slipped up and hugged the earth pony from behind. "I don't love them, darling," she whispered with sudden heat into her lover's ear. "I adore them!"

Applejack squirmed as she felt Rarity's lips lightly brush the coat on the back of her neck, then turned to face her, throwing her forelegs around the unicorn's svelte waist. "Ya do know the secret ingredient is love, right?" she said, her eyes glistening.

"Oh, I just knew there was a romantic heart struggling to get out of that earthy exterior," murmured Rarity and

She'd just begun to nibble on the earth pony's neck when the front door suddenly flew open and an explosion of lurid pony-shaped pink bounced into the homestead.

"Applejack! Rarity!" cried Pinkie Pie, her blue eyes flicking left and right as she searched for her friends."Big Mac told me that..."

Rarity and Applejack, their mouths hanging open, stared in horror at the unexpected visitor for a heartbeat before they realised that they were still locked in their embrace. They immediately leaped away from each other - but Pinkie had already spotted them.

The little pink pony's eyes were literally boggling out of her head. "I found you! I found you! " she cried, jumping up and down. "Oh, I'm so excited! Wait until I tell Fluttershy the news!"

Applejack took a step forward. "Nah Pinkie, Ah dunno what you think yer saw, but Rarity an' I…"

Pinkie blinked at her, uncomprehending. "Oh, wait a chocolate-coated second!" she said. "I haven't even told you two what I found out yet, and here I am talking about Fluttershy! She's next on my list of ponies to tell!"

Rarity stared at Pinkie, shaking her head "Wait, darling. What in Equestria do you mean? Slow things down to a non-Pinkie Pie pace, if you would be so kind."

"Oh I want to, but I'm just too excited!" said the little pink pony, clutching her head in her hooves. "My mind is getting all muddledy-fuddledy, even more than Pinkie usual, and I'm getting ahead of myself when I should be going backwards instead."

"Pinkie Pie!" cried Applejack and Rarity in exasperated unison.

Pinkie shook herself like a dog, which seemed to at last get rid of all the muddled-fuddlediness. "Twilight has been invited to the Spring Moon Festival in Canterlot! And we're all invited too!"

At the realisation that Pinkie Pie hadn't seen anything suspicious, both Applejack and Rarity slumped in relief, the tension draining from their bodies. It was a nerve-wracking thing trying to keep secrets from a friend who had the mysterious ability to appear literally in any place at any time!

But now their anxiety was replaced with sudden excitement. "The Spring Moon Festival?" they cried in unison. Oh, could things be any more more perfect?

"C'mon everypony!" cried Pinkie, grabbing the two friends before they had a chance to protest and dragging them out the front door. "Let's go tell Fluttershy!"

***

"The Spring Moon Festival?" asked Fluttershy, her green eyes going wide. Pinkie Pie, with Rarity and Applejack in tow, had come to the door of her tree house and, grabbing her by the forehoof, had dragged her to the Library without an explanation. But now that she'd heard that they'd all been invited to the Spring Moon Festival, she was overjoyed.

"Oh, how wonderful," she gushed. "The star orchids in the castle gardens will look so beautiful in full bloom under a Full Moon! I've always wanted to see them." But then her face fell and she squeaked.

"Whatever is the matter, darling?" asked Rarity.

"Oh, well… you know," Fluttershy whispered, digging a forehoof into the floor before looking up guiltily. "The Grand Galloping Gala?"

Twilight looked at her sternly. "I thought we all agreed that we would never speak of that evening again."

Fluttershy squeaked again. "But I'm worried that ponies will remember the terrible, terrible things I did!"

"Nah Fluttershy, it wasn't just you," said Applejack. "We all went a bit crazy, ah seem to recall." She looked at Rarity. "But ah reckon that things have probably calmed down a lil' since then."

Twilight nodded. "Besides, the Spring Moon Festival isn' a big formal event like the Gala. It will be just us and a few others at the party in the Castle. All the nobility and other citizens of Canterlot will be out in the spring evening enjoying the light of Luna's specially created full moon."

Fluttershy's eyes went wide. "Oh yes! The full moon. And Rainbow will be there as well, won't she, performing with the rest of the Wonderbolts during the fireworks?"

"That's rightamundo!" said Pinkie. "Dashie's going to be completely covered in all these glittering magical sparkles and she's going to be swooping and sweeping and flashing past the moon and everything! I just can't wait to see it!"

Fluttershy blushed. "Neither can I," she said. "I was expecting that I'd have to watch her from a distance, but now that Princess Luna has given us all tickets we'll be able to see it in person! Oh, won't Rainbow be surprised when we arrive to watch her perform!"

"But we all have to be on our best behaviour this time," said Twilight sternly. "We're lucky to be invited back so let's try and make sure that nothing happens to embarrass the Princesses."

"We promise!" said her friends in unison.

Chapter 3

Later that day Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, dressed in the new gowns that Rarity had designed especially for the Spring Moon Festival, were waiting in the Town Square in the clear and mild spring air for Twilight to arrive with their transportation.

“I thought we were going by air balloon,” said Pinkie Pie with some disappointment. The truth was, she loved flying in it every opportunity she could get.

“Now darling,” said Rarity indulgently. “That’s scarcely a dignified way for us to arrive in Canterlot, all squashed together in that tiny gondola! Besides, it’s traditional when travelling to Canterlot to go by coach.”

“That reminds me,” said Applejack. “I wonder who Twi’s gonna get to pull it this time – everypony is awful busy at the moment, what with all the spring cleanin’ and plantin’ goin’ on.”

Just then there was a sharp clatter of cartwheels on cobblestones as a coach burst out from behind a nearby row of houses and came racing along the road at breakneck speed. It was a stately vehicle, not unlike the one that had taken them to the Grand Galloping Gala - but strangely, this one was not being drawn by ponies and the driver’s seat was empty, the reins swivelling back and forth in the air of their own accord.

Everypony stared at it, wide-eyed and rooted to the spot by the shock of its sudden appearance, and they were still staring when, with a sudden twist of the floating reins, it turned and came careening towards them.

At the last moment the strange device veered to the right and came to an abrupt and shuddering halt a foot from the wall of the Town Hall. The door on its side flew open and Spike, dressed in his little suit and clutching his top-hat to his head, crawled out, his face a deep green colour. He stumbled towards the bewildered ponies in a dizzy zigzag, while behind him Twilight clambered out as well and leaned against the coach to steady herself as her friends continued staring at her in dumbfounded astonishment.

“I’m alive! I’m alive!” cried Spike, falling to the ground and kissing the cobblestones. “Oh thank Celestia, I’m alive!”

Twilight glared at the little dragon and despite being dizzy she was still able to act with characteristic exasperation. “Oh come on Spike. I admit the spell needs a little work, but it wasn’t all that bad!”

“Well, Ah’ll be! A ponyless carriage,” chuckled Applejack, who had trotted over to it to investigate and was busy kicking the cartwheels. “What’ll you think of next, Twi?”

“I found an old spell that makes a coach move under its own power,” explained Twilight with pride. “And it works perfectly.”

“…perfectly?” asked Fluttershy, who had just now come out from behind Pinkie Pie after the alarming ordeal.

“Well, the spell worked perfectly,” said Twilight with chagrin. “The only problem is I’m not very good at driving.”

“Oh, just leave that to me, Twilight!” said Pinkie Pie, clopping her forehooves together in excitement. “I’m completely competent at controlling any kind of crazy cantankerous contraption!”

“Ah dunno, Pinkie,” said Applejack, considering the little pink pony through narrowed eyes. “Ah’ve seen you pilot that air balloon and it’s come awful close to plungin’ into the Lake and crashing into the Whitetail Woods a couple o’ times.”

Pinkie blinked at her friend. “Oh, that’s just after I’ve had a few too many snacks. The sugar gets me all jittery skittery and my forehooves can’t be as non-twitchy as they usually are!”

“‘Non-twitchy’?” repeated Twilight, frowning. Then she sighed. “Well, I guess you can’t do nearly as bad a job as me, Pinkie. I guess I’ll leave the driving up to you.”

While Pinkie bounced up and down in typical Pinkie-Pie glee, Spike made his way up to the assembled ponies, obviously feeling better now and walking a lot straighter. He looked at the five friends and whistled in obvious appreciation . “Wow, Rarity! You sure did a great job with everypony’s dresses!”

Rarity beamed at the little dragon. “Why, aren’t you the most charming little gentleman, Spike! I’ll admit, it was a challenge to find the right balance between formal and casual - for an event like the Spring Moon Festival, it’s essential to be light and airy, while for a soiree with Canterlot Royalty, one must have formal elements as well of course – otherwise one risks causing grave offence!”

As they all climbed into the coach and got comfortable Rarity continued to wax lyrical about how the lightness of the tulle in the skirts offset the formality of the satin they were cut from. Twilight smiled softly to herself. Everypony, even her friends, thought that Princess Celestia was concerned with royal procedure and the proper way of doing things. Twilight knew better, though. The Princess took care to go through the necessary motions because that was the way “things had always been done,” and she didn’t want to upset the aristocracy. But Twilight knew that she sometimes found all the little rules and minutiae of Canterlot life to be a bit tiresome and would rail against them when nopony else but her was around. She had often joked about sending the entire aristocracy to the moon for a little while until they were cured of their pretentiousness. As a little filly, Twilight had half-expected to wake up one morning to find the long lines of squabbling and chattering earls and barons and princes and marquises at the Royal Audience all gone and the Princess herself alone on the throne, a self-satisfied smile on her face. But to Twilight’s disappointment it had never happened.

“Is everypony ready?” asked Pinkie from the front of the coach, holding the reins in her mouth and champing at the bit to start driving.

“Ready!” chorused her friends from inside the coach.

And so with a surge of magic Twilight set the coach in motion, this time at a far more leisurely speed. Pinkie Pie, despite Applejack’s trepidation, proved quite adept at controlling the vehicle and soon they’d left the little streets of Ponyville behind and were driving among the foothills, about to start on the long ascent up into the Canterlot Mountains themselves.

Spike climbed up and sat next to Pinkie to help her navigate the steep mountain paths that lead up to the Castle while Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity became embroiled in a deep discussion about what the evening’s festivities would be like. Twilight’s mind, tired by her magical exertions, began to wander, helped along by the rocking of the coach that lulled her into a sleepy half-dreaming reverie. Her heart, for the first time in weeks, was calm once more, and she had the wonderful anticipation of seeing the Princess again to thank for it. Getting letters from her was all well and good, but seeing her again, in person!

Twilight resisted the urge to bring her forehooves to her mouth and squeal with pleasure. The thought made every little hair on her body stand up like it was filled with electricity and a delightful warmth spread throughout her body.

Being with the Princess always makes me so happy, she thought. Ever since that very first day when I went to live in the Castle...

*****

It had been on a bright spring day just like today that Twilight’s parents had brought her to the Castle to live and study under the personal tutelage of Princess Celestia herself. The long walk through the city to the main gates of the Castle had been just like the one they’d all made on the day Twilight had come to sit for the Entrance Examination - but this time, instead of the stern and uncaring faces of the members Board of Magical Inductions waiting for them in the grand Inner Courtyard, it had been the smiling face of the Princess that had greeted them. The tiled piazza and the marble of the great walls had shone so brightly that it had been if they’d stepped into the centre of the sun itself, but somehow the Princess’ smile was even brighter still.

“It’s such an incredible honour!” was all that Twilight’s mother had been able to say, as the three of them knelt before the Princess. Ever since Twilight had been accepted into the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns - no, not just accepted, but chosen to be the Princess’ protege! - it was all that her mother seemed to have been able to say, over and over again until it was almost an incantation. But today, as she said it, she was crying – Twilight watched the little dark patches appear on the glowing cobblestones she was staring down at as her mother’s tears struck them.

“Mr and Mrs Sparkle,” The Princess’s words had been warmer than the spring sunshine that surrounded them all that day and the three of them had looked up to see her still smiling down benevolently. “Please feel free to come and visit Twilight whenever you wish. The gates of Canterlot are forever open to you both.”

It seemed like Celestia always knew the exact right thing to say, for Twilight’s parents had been transformed by those simple words – her mother had finally stopped crying, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, and her father’s stiff smile, hiding the pain of saying goodbye to his daughter for the first time, had softened.

As the Princess and her parents spoke together, Twilight stood there smiling, but inside she was praying that her mother wouldn’t say or do anything embarrassing.

When it finally came time to say goodbye, it seemed that her mother didn’t want to ever break the hug that held the little unicorn filly to her. Twilight had eventually squirmed herself free, blushing in embarrassment at her mother behaving that way in front of the Princess herself. “Oh mom! I’ll be fine.”

“You haven’t forgotten anything have you, Twilight?” her mother was still fussing about, checking her saddlebags. “You’ve got your toothbrush and your horn wax and…” Twilight rolled her eyes in consternation and was about to say something when her father laid a forehoof on her mother’s shoulder and pulled her away.

“Now dear,” he said. “If Twilight’s forgotten something, we can always come by and drop it in for her.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “You can just post it, you know,” she sniffed. “The Dragon Post accepts packages now as well, as long as they’re under fifty pounds.”

Her mother smiled. “Oh, well of course they do, dear.”

After what had felt like an eternity of goodbyes, Twilight and the Princess finally walked through the Innermost Gate, leaving her parents still waving and shouting their goodbyes as the two had started along the great main corridor that led deep into the Castle keep.

Twilight looked up at the Princess apologetically. “I’m so sorry about my parents, Princess. They’re always like that.”

Celestia laughed, and the sound made it seem like the sunshine outside had crept in to illuminate the corridor rather than the torches that hung from iron sconces along its stone walls. “Oh, Twilight Sparkle! You’re a remarkably strong filly not to have cried when you said goodbye to your mother and father.”

Twilight had grinned in delight at the Princess’s words.

As they walked together, Twilight hung on Celestia’s every word, her eyes only grudgingly leaving the beautiful alicorn whenever she pointed out a tapestry or suit of armour they passed by to tell her the history behind them.

Twilight’s chest was filled to overflowing with happiness. The Princess knew so many things, and she made no attempt to talk down to her like her teachers had in Canterlot Elementary. The way the Princess spoke to her was like she was a grown-up, but more than that…

…a friend even!

At the thought, Twilight felt her heart leap into her chest and she’d gasped.

“Are you alright, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight looked up into Celestia’s mauve eyes, which were full of concern, and for a second the universe and everything in it disappeared, until at last Twilight had managed to answer.

“I’m sorry, Princess,” she whispered. “It’s just that I’m so… happy.”

Celestia chuckled. “You don’t ever need to apologise for being happy, my dear Twilight Sparkle.”

They continued to walk in a comfortable silence for a while when the Princess spoke again.

“I do hope you’re not afraid of heights,” Celestia said. “I’ve chosen a little tower for you to stay in in the East wing. It hasn’t been used for a long while, and I thought it was time to get it cleaned up. I hope you don’t mind…”

A whole tower? Inside, Twilight was galloping in a circle crying ‘Yes, yes, yes!’ in joy, but outside she kept calm, the only sign the almost impossible deepening of her grin. “Oh, thank you so much Princess!”

“It is my absolute pleasure, Twilight Sparkle.” Then the Princess suddenly stopped and looked behind them. “Oh, but I think you dropped something.”

Twilight looked down at her saddlebags and noticed that in her efforts to get away from her mother’s meddling, the top had of one of them had been left open. Then she looked behind her in the direction of the Princess’s gaze.

About three feet away, lying on the cobblestones, there was a tiny little stuffed toy of a pony with button-eyes and a polka-dot pair of pants, and as soon as Twilight recognised it, her face went a deep red. “Oh, it’s nothing,” she said, flustered. “Let’s just keep go…”

But Celestia was already walking over to the doll.

“Please Princess!” Twilight called to her. “You don’t need to…”

Celestia leaned down and picked the little doll up in her mouth – her mouth! – and brought it over to Twilight, who accepted it with a crimson blush on her face.

“She’s cute!” said Celestia, smiling. “What’s her name?”

“Uh… Smartypants.” Twilight hadn’t wanted to reply, she’d been so embarrassed, but it was the Princess herself who was asking the question. She dropped her gaze. “It’s just a silly doll my mom made for me when I was a little foal.”

“You don’t like her?” asked Celestia.

“I used to like her.” said Twilight. “But she’s all dirty now and her eyes are all wonky. And no matter how many times I sew them back on, they always come out crooked.”

“Well, I really love her mane,” said Celestia. “Sometimes things are just like that – a little crooked. Let me show you something.”

She led Twilight up to a nearby arched window that overlooked a sleepy little courtyard. “Do you see that tree?”

In the far corner was a tree so gnarled and misshapen that it took several moments for Twilight’s mind to register it as a tree at all.

Celestia noted the look of offence on Twilight’s face. “Look a little closer…” she said.

And as the little unicorn filly looked, there had appeared a single pink blossom, and then another, and another! And soon it was as if the whole tree had exploded into a starburst of pink flowers.

Twilight gasped in joy, so beautiful was the sight. But then the blossoms had faded away, and with them the magical halo enveloping Celestia’s horn.

“What just happened?” asked Twilight.

Celestia sighed. “It was just a memory,” she said. “Brought to life for a moment so you could see it. That tree is my favourite in all of the grounds of Canterlot Castle – when I was a lot younger, maybe even not much older than you – I can’t remember though, since it was so very long ago…” She winked at Twilight. “It used to bloom just like that. It’s a peach tree - it even had fruit on it once. But then one day, about three hundred years ago, it stopped blossoming all of a sudden. A lot of the aristocracy wanted to replace it, but I wouldn’t allow it. Is that what we do to things that no longer delight us?”

Twilight’s eyes had gone wide, and in silence she’d put Smartypants away in her saddlebag.

Celestia had looked at her, her eyes literally glowing in pride. “Oh, I just know you’re going to be my favourite student, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight’s eyes misted up at the memory. She’d never forgotten the lesson the Princess had taught her that day. She’d learned so much from her, and not just magic either.

But just then Pinkie Pie, cried out from in front, bringing Twilight’s reverie to an abrupt end. “Look everypony! It’s Canterlot Castle!”

And there indeed it was, looming up from beneath them as the coach crested a steep rise. But between them and their goal the road zigzagged down a steep cliff, barely wide enough for a pony, never mind a coach.

“Aw jeeze,” said Spike at her side, slapping a claw to his forehead. “I forgot how steep this road gets. Sorry Pinkie - there’s no way the coach will make it. I guess we’ll have to go back and try another road.”

“What are you talking about, Spikey Wikey?” said Pinkie cheerily. “It’s not that steep. We can totally make it!” She snapped the reins and the coach sped up. “Besides, we’re already late - and we need to take a short-cut if we don’t want to leave the Princesses waiting!”

“No, Pinkie!” cried Twilight, leaning up out of the window and attempting to wrestle the reins off the little pink pony. “You’ll smash us all to bits!”

But it was too late. With gravity and speed on the impetuous Pinkie’s side, the coach quickly reached terminal velocity and flew straight over the edge of the cliff and into the open air as the occupants screamed in terror and the little pink pony at the reins whooped with delight.

******

High up in the same Inner Courtyard of Canterlot Castle that Twilight had just been recalling, the Princesses stood waiting for Twilight and her friends to arrive.

Suddenly, Celestia’s eyes went wide. “I just realised something, Luna” said Celestia, turning to her sister. “It’s the Spring Moon Festival!”

Luna looked at her through narrowed eyes. “Yes, sister. But then I thought you already knew that.”

Celestia shook her head. “No. What I mean is that it’s an evening for couples to enjoy.” She brought a forehoof to her temple. “Oh, I should have let Twilight and the others bring a date if they wanted to!”

Luna sighed. “Well, Twilight gave no indication that she already had plans for the evening. You’re worrying about nothing, sister. And besides, it’s my fault anyway. I, of all ponies, should have remembered – tonight is for lovers, is it not?” Her eyes sparkled.

Tonight is for lovers… thought Celestia. Now when was the last time somepony said that to me?

******

“The Court thought that tonight would be an ideal time for you to finally make a choice, Highness,” said the dashingly handsome unicorn stallion kneeling at the foot of her throne. He lifted his head with its tousled black mane, his piercing blue eyes considering her with an air that was as confrontational as it was charming. “After all, the night of the Spring Moon Festival is an auspicious one for lovers.”

As Celestia stepped down from her throne, the unicorn stallion got to his feet without waiting for her permission. His bow had been precisely as deep as protocol demanded and not a single inch deeper.

That was Lord Quasar all over. All the ladies of the court found his smiling arrogance charming, but Celestia found it annoying. The Lord was handsome, it was true, and he was of the purest bloodline of all Canterlot royalty, stretching right back a thousand years. It was said he could trace his family back to the lady Jubilee – a very fine pedigree indeed.

“My choice?” repeated Celestia, feigning ignorance.

Quasar’s eyes crinkled at their edge in deferential humour. “Why yes, Princess. You have not forgotten the Court’s suggestion that you choose one of our number as your consort and raise them to alicornhood, have you? As I recall you viewed it with approval.”

Only as a way to stop the incessant infighting that was tearing the Court apart, thought Celestia. She’d walked into a few audiences half expecting the stallions waiting there in their finery and glaring blackly at each other to start biting and kicking each other at any moment, but her half-muttered assent had put a stop to it for a while.

Quasar cocked his head, clearly wondering what was going through her head. “With another alicorn at your side you would be absolved of the added and onerous duty of raising the moon as well as the sun.” A thin smile crept onto his lips. “That would leave you at leisure on an evening such as tonight and free to enjoy yourself.”

He was a clever one, this Quasar. He could see the tightness of her eyes, the slight dimness of her auroric mane and tail. She was exhausted, it was true, even with the almost limitless power of alicorn-kind to maintain her. Raising and lowering the celestial bodies was no small feat. Tradition demanded that the moon be far larger than normal for the Spring Moon Festival, and the drain on her energy in maintaining it was considerable. His words were all the more tempting. What matter if she chose to raise him to alicorn hood and took him as her consort? Longevity was one thing she could not bestow on another, so that any mistake she made would not be a permanent one.

But then the long line of future consorts appeared before Celestia’s eyes, an endless troop arrayed along the barely visible endless sequence of tomorrows. She would live to bury them all, of course, and even if she never took one who she loved truly, the thought of hanging over them like a grim reaper, of becoming that old joke of the ‘black widow’ who did her husbands in, made her flush inwardly in embarrassment.

After a while she lifted her eyes and looked at the stallion with sudden challenge. “I suppose you see yourself in the position, Lord Quasar?” she said.

Quasar stared at the Princess, totally disarmed with having his machinations so bluntly uncovered. “Well,” he said, carefully. “My name was one of those that came up during the discussion.”

“I’m flattered by your romantic interest,” said Celestia, her words dripping caustic courtesy. “But I am afraid that I have yet to come to any decision on which pony I choose to take as my partner.” She turned to look out of the tall arched windows of the audience chamber at the early evening sky, where the huge disk of the Spring Moon was just now beginning to rise. “For, Lord Quasar, I have seen it in the stars that Nightmare Moon will soon return, and the one who took my hoof in marriage would have to be ready to fight her by my side. That is not a responsibility I would wish to place on another lightly.”

“Night... Nightmare Moon?” Quasar’s eyes went impossibly wide.“But I thought… I mean, we thought… that she was just an old mare’s tale!”

“Oh, she is quite real,” said Celestia. “Can you not see her in the disk of the moon, her eyes staring down at you?”

Quasar followed Celestia’s gaze, but he could only look at the coldly shining moon for a few moments before he pulled away. “Forgive me, Princess.” And with that he bowed low then turned and walked away from the throne, breaking into a canter as he neared the arch that led outside.

Celestia gazed up at the moon, her eyes growing misty in the orb’s light. “I’m sorry for using you as an excuse, my dear sister. But it is true that the time of your return is coming so very soon.” She closed her eyes. “What is it about this time of year? The Spring Moon Festival? It always brings out the worst in me it seems.”

You’re just finding excuses now, she thought. Quasar is a perfectly suitable choice for consort. A little stuck up, perhaps, and taking a bit too much delight in courtly intrigue and obsessed with status, but he would mellow with time. There is a good hearted stallion under that arrogance. And it would be good to have more time to myself… to be free for just one day would be a blessing. And with the thousand-year anniversary coming up…

But then why does the thought of marriage fill me with such dread?

Celestia was still standing there on the red carpet when the door to the throne room creaked open again. Had Quasar thought of another approach and come back to try again? He was smart, and he probably realised that she would start to vacillate….

…but it wasn’t Quasar. It was Twilight Sparkle that popped her head in through the crack.

“Princess?”

Celestia’s heart lifted at the sight of her protege. “Twilight Sparkle! Such impeccable timing,” she said. “Please come in.”

“I noticed Lord Quasar in the Inner Courtyard,” said Twilight as she trotted up. “He looked quite put out, so I thought that maybe you two had had another argument.”

Celestia sighed. “Oh, it was nothing important. We were just discussing marriage.”

At the word ‘marriage’, Twilight’s face caved in. “You’re going to get married, Princess?” she whispered. “To Lord Quasar?”

Celestia burst out laughing. “Oh, my favourite student! Of course I’m not going to marry Lord Quasar.”

Twilight’s face brightened. “Really?”

“Do you really think I’d marry him?” asked Celestia. “Do you think he’s my type?”

Twilight came up close to her. “No, he’s not your type, Princess.”

“So what is my type, do you think, Twilight?” she asked.

Twilight brought a forehoof to her chin. “Well, for one thing he’d have to be intelligent,” she reasoned. “To match up with you, since you’re so smart…”

Celestia laughed. “Oh, Twilight! You flatter me.”

Twilight looked at her in all seriousness. “Well, it’s true. He’d also have to be kind and wise and…” She blushed suddenly. “Handsome as well, because you’re so beautiful, Princess.”

Celestia smiled. “Intelligent, kind, wise and handsome? Oh, Twilight Sparkle. It sounds as if you’re trying to doom me to eternal spinsterhood. I don’t know if any such pony exists in all of Equestria.”

Twilight frowned. “So you are thinking of getting married.”

“Oh, not seriously,” replied the Princess. “I’m merely thinking aloud. It’s just that it’s the Spring Moon Festival, as you know.”

“Oh, I know,” said Twilight. The smile that had begun to appear on her face was quickly replaced with yet another frown, deeper this time. “I don’t much enjoy the festival.”

You and I both, my faithful student. But for different reasons, I suspect. “Aren’t you going out tonight? I hear that Moondancer is having one of her famous parties.”

“Oh, yes, well,” said Twilight, suddenly embarrassed. “I’m thinking of spending the evening working on my research paper on amniomorphic magic. I’m really behind – the old Eqquish that Starswirl wrote his notes in is almost incomprehensible.”

“You’re not planning on going to the party?” asked Celestia. She had to make herself sound disappointed.

Twilight shrugged. “The same thing happens every year. Moondancer drinks too much sarsaparilla and all sorts of stuff happens.”

“Stuff?” Celestia raised an eyebrow.

“Everypony ends up kissing,” said Twilight. “It’s so… so… unhygienic.” She stuck out her tongue.

Celestia tried not to giggle at the look of disgust on the lavender-coated unicorn’s face. “You know, Twilight Sparkle, some ponies enjoy kissing.”

“I don’t mind the idea of kissing,” said Twilight. “I just want my first kiss to be with somepony special.” She sighed. “Somepony I love.”

“I never knew you were such a romantic,” said Celestia in surprise.

“Oh, I don’t really care for all that soppy romance stuff,” said Twilight. “But a first kiss is special.”

“You’re quite right,” said Celestia. “But what about that nice colt you were telling me about?” She brought a hoof to her chin. “His name was ‘Asteroid’ or something as I recall...”

Twilight giggled. “Do you mean Asteron?” He was a young petty nobleman’s son who enjoyed puzzles, cute rather than handsome in an unassuming way. He’d seemed such a good match for Twilight, which is why Celestia had unobtrusively set the whole thing up in the first place. “We kind of broke up.” She didn’t at all seem upset.

“That’s a shame,” said Celestia, not at all disappointed to learn of the failure of her matchmaking. “He seemed so nice.”

“Oh, he was nice,” said Twilight. “I guess there was just no spark between us.” She sighed. “In fact, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt a... a spark with any colt I’ve met.”

“You should really give them more of a chance,” said Celestia gently. “It’s not always as sudden as a ‘spark”, you know.”

Twilight’s face took on a look of annoyance. “Oh, but they always want to go and do stuff that doesn’t interest me.”

Celestia smiled. “They can be a pain at times, but they can be also be quite charming, you know. And sometimes it’s nice to have somepony around to talk to when you feel sad or lonely or...” She stopped, realising that Twilight was staring at her.

“But Princess,” protested Twilight. “You don’t have a stallion by your side.”

Celestia’s opened her mouth to justify herself, but then she laughed instead. “You have me there, Twilight Sparkle.” She sighed, looking once again at the full spring moon in the darkening night sky beyond the tall windows. “So I guess we’re both alone during the Spring Moon Festival.”

Twilight came close up beside her. “I much prefer being here with you, Princess, than at some stupid party.”

Celestia’s heart skipped a beat. “You can’t be serious,” she replied, laughing. “I’m no fun.”

Twilight looked at her, the same frown on her face that she wore whenever she felt she was being patronised. “Oh, of course you are Princess! How about that night we spent discussing the Second Griffin War?”

“Yes, well,” Celestia smiled. “It seems we both have a pretty unique idea of what ‘fun’ is.”

“I guess I just like spending time with you,” said Twilight, looking up at her with a shy smile.

The burst of frightening happiness that gripped Celestia at that moment was echoed in a surge in the happy noise of the spring moon festivities outside, and she smiled back at Twilight. “It sounds as if the fireworks are going to begin in a short while,” she said. “You’ll miss them if you stay down here, reading all night. I usually watch them from the eastern battlements - the view is most impressive.” She hesitated a moment, but then continued. “Why don’t you join me?”

“J-join you?” stammered Twilight. “But Princess, don’t you have other plans?”

“None at all, my dear Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia brought her lips close to her ear, not noticing the blush that appeared on the unicorn’s face. “You see, the truth is I don’t really care for the Spring Moon Festival either.”

Later, as they’d stood on the eastern battlements looking out across the darkened landscape of Equestria and waited for the fireworks to begin, Celestia had chastised herself for her selfishness.

You really should be ashamed of yourself, she thought. Making the poor girl keep you company! She’ll never meet a nice colt if you keep monopolising her time.

But then the fireworks had started, and the sky had exploded into a series of fiery blossoms, each more spectacular and colourful than the last, which were met with a chorus of loud “ooh”s and “ahh”s that rose up from the crowds of ponies gathered in the countless darkened squares and gardens and streets of Canterlot far below them. And all the while the little lavender-coated unicorn at her side had chattered on and on about the fascinating chemical reactions responsible for the beautiful colours they were seeing, and with every word Celestia had felt as if the fireworks were being reflected somewhere deep within her heart.

Why does being with her fill with me with such happiness? she wondered. Am I really so lonely? She lifted her eyes to the moon overhead. Maybe once Luna is back, these foolish feelings will disappear.

*********

Celestia’s reverie was broken a moment later by a coach hurtling down through the air into the Inner Courtyard. The Pegasus guards stationed at the gate jumped in its path, but the barrelling vehicle made short work of them, tossing them aside like dolls, and now on all four wheels again the coach picked up speed and raced towards the two Princesses.

Celestia and Luna didn’t hesitate. Lowering their horns in unison, a brilliant flare of gold and silver light speared from the two alicorns and the coach, enveloped in the shimmering magical aura, came to a sudden, wood-splintering halt. Pinkie and Spike both flew head over heels off the drivers seat, and joined by the other ponies who spilled out of the open door of the coach they all floated, encased in the Princesses’ magic, softly onto the ground of the courtyard where they lay, dazed and uncomprehending, in an unseemly pile.

“I am sorry!” said Luna, trying not to laugh. “We could perhaps have been a little gentler. You startled us, that is all.”

“Oh no Princess!” said Pinkie, who with her rubber-like body had already bounced back onto all four legs. “It’s all my fault! We would have all been squashed flatter than a flapjack if you hadn’t stopped us.” She rubbed the back of her neck with a forehoof. “I kind of got carried away with my short cut.”

“Short cut?” muttered Applejack, holding her head in her forehooves. “The only thing that short-cut would a’ cut short is our lives!”

The others were on their hooves now as well, dusting themselves off, and Celestia scanned the group until she saw Twilight. The little unicorn was still dizzy and she staggered rather than walked towards her.

“Oh Princess!!” Twilight cried, steady at last, throwing herself up at Celestia, who grabbed her and hugged her quickly with her forelegs before putting her back down again.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia smiled down at her warmly. “My faithful student. It’s so nice to have you home at last!”

Luna turned to the others. “And welcome and well met to you all,” she said, grinning. “We are most pleased by your coming to celebrate the festival of our Spring Moon.”

Now that they had recovered and were in a semblance of order, the ponies all dropped onto a knee and bowed their heads respectfully. Twilight looked about, and suddenly embarrassed by her forgetfulness of royal protocol, did the same.

Celestia laughed. “Oh, please, my little ponies. Today you’re our guests, so let’s not stand on ceremony. Make yourselves at home! Your belongings will be taken to your rooms momentarily. Now perhaps a little light refreshment is in order?”

With a nod of Princess Celestia’s horn, a scintillating starburst of light enveloped all of them where they stood, and when the brilliance of her magic dissipated away the walls of the courtyard that had surrounded them had disappeared to be replaced with the great blue dome of the open sky.

They were standing in the open now, and before them were a number of long, rectangular tables covered with multi-tiered platters of sandwiches and cakes and all sorts of dainty snacks and bottles of the finest sarsaparilla.

Everypony was staring at the delectable food spread across the tables, but it was Applejack who first noticed the strangest thing of all. “Now jus’ where in Equestria are we?” she asked, looking around. “And why’s the ground all fluffy an’ white and such?””

“That’s not ground,” said Fluttershy, pushing on it with a dainty hoof. “It’s cloud!”

“Woooooooo!” cried Pinkie, the white, fluffy ground giving her bouncing extra height. “We’re a bajillion miles up in the sky!”

The other ponies walked to where the little pink pony was lying and they gasped as one. Pinkie was right! The tables, the chairs, all of them had been transported onto the surface of a cloud that, although not a bajillion miles up in the sky, was very high up indeed.

Below them they could see the great range of the Canterlot Mountains, arching away like the spiny back of a mighty dragon, the many peaks dusted with snow. But it wasn’t cold at all – rather, they were up close to the sun which embraced them with a cheerful glow that set their coats sparkling and tingling with warmth.

“Oh, what fun!” cried Luna. “We haven’t had a high tea in so long, dear sister!”

“Well, it’s a very special occasion,” replied Celestia, smiling. “I’m so glad to have my darling Twilight Sparkle and her friends back with us.”

All the ponies blushed, but it was Twilight herself who blushed the deepest.

Chapter 4

Much Ahoof About Nothing Part 4 starring Princess Celestia and her faithful student Twilight Sparkle

Moments later, there was a loud whoosh as a multi-coloured streak flew overhead and Rainbow Dash came in to land on the cloud not far away from the assembled group and quickly trotted up to them.

“It’s so awesome that you guys could all come!” she said, grinning at her friends. Then she bowed to Celestia and Luna, saying “Spitfire sends her apologies, Your Highnesses - she’s still not happy with some of the choreography and she wants to fit in as much rehearsal as possible before tonight.”

Celestia smiled. “It sounds as if you have a wonderful show prepared for us tonight.”

Rainbow nodded enthusiastically, but then frowned suddenly. “I just hope everything goes according to plan…” …and nopony screws anything up! A vision of a certain blonde-maned Pegasus pony with quizzical eyes appeared before her and she resisted groaning out loud.

But Rainbow didn’t have time to worry about Derpy for long, as Rarity cantered up to her and threw her forelegs around her neck.

“Oh Rainbow,” she said. “We’re so glad you’re here! We’ve all missed you terribly.” The unicorn looked meaningfully at Twilight, who blinked at her, uncomprehending.

Rainbow chuckled somewhat nervously as she extricated herself from Rarity’s perfumed embrace. “He he he – thanks Rarity,” she said. “It’s just been a week, though. I’ve been away for longer than that before.”

Rarity’s face took on a pained expression. “But without you around, we’ve all felt so empty! Haven’t we, Twilight?” She again turned to the unicorn pony and leaned forward, coaxing.

Twilight frowned at her. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, you know,” said Rarity, arching her eyebrows. “As if we were missing something?”

Pinkie suddenly interposed herself between the two unicorns. “Oh, I know!” she said, bobbing her head up and down. “I’ve totally missed Dashie and our little pranking sessions.”

“Pinkie, darling, I don’t think…” began Rarity, but Pinkie was already bouncing around, lost in her own little world.

“Oh oh oh! And there’s all this rainbow Castella left over at Sugarcube Corner, ‘cos you’re not around to eat it!” She brought a hoof to her chin and looked thoughtful for a moment, “No, wait a second! I ate all that left over Castella.” She rubbed her head sheepishly. “Sorry!”

Rainbow shrugged, a polite smile on her face. “Aw, don’t worry about it Pinkie Pie. They’ve been feeding me well here in Canterlot.” She patted her stomach. “I’ve got to be careful though – the reason the ‘Bolts needed me was because Soarin went on a pie binge and got too fat to fit into his costume. Just how he got the keys to the Royal storeroom, I have no idea.”

Celestia looked sideways through narrowed eyes at Luna, who shrugged. “He kept complaining of feeling hungry,” said the Princess of the Night. “And Canterlot is famous for its delightful pastries, is it not? I was merely trying to make him feel at home.”

“So you guys have really been missing me?” Rainbow’s rose-coloured eyes glistened with emotion.

“Oh yes,” said Fluttershy, but before she could continue Rarity jumped in between her and Rainbow.

“Of course, darling!” said the unicorn. “Why, just the other day Twilight was mentioning how much she was looking forward to watching the aerial spectacular you have organised for tonight. It’s all she’s been talking about recently.”

“Really?” Rainbow turned to the lavender-coated unicorn and grinned at her. “Thanks Twilight – I promise I totally won’t let you down.”

Twilight looked at the Pegasus, confusion reigning on her face. “Uh, but I…”

“Now then,” said Applejack. “Why don’ we continue this romantical conversation over vittles!”

“’Romantical’?” frowned Twilight.

Celestia’s eyes flickered from Twilight to Rainbow and she smiled. “An excellent idea, Applejack,” she said. “You must all be hungry after your exciting journey. Please be seated, everypony.”

“Please, sister! You must sit here,” said Luna, pulling the chair at the head of the table out with her telekinetic magic.

Celestia stared at the glowing chair. “Thank you, Luna – but the position of honour must…”

Luna rolled her eyes. “Oh Tia! I thought you said we’d be dispensing with all that tiresome formality today. I shall be perfectly happy at your other side. Besides, I am sure that you and Twilight Sparkle have many things to talk over!” And with that she helped the lavender-coated unicorn sit down beside the Princess of the Sun.

Rarity winked at Applejack and with a sparkle of magical energy she pulled the chair on the other side of Twilight away just as Pinkie Pie was about to sit down on it. The little pink pony fell rump-first onto the fluffy white surface of the cloud and bounced away a short distance.

“Oh dear!” said Rarity, trotting over to her and helping her to her feet. “My apologies, Pinkie Pie, but I need you to sit next to me so that we can have a nice chat about…” She lifted her eyes and darted them back and forth as she tried to come up with a plausible subject. “Why yes, of course. Baking!”

“Baking? Oooh!” And with that Pinkie jumped back onto her hooves and sat down in the proffered seat while Rarity took the one next to her.

Rarity shook her head. Baking? Oh dear Celestia, what had she just got herself into!

“Now Rainbow, here’s your seat,” said Applejack, pulling out the chair that was next to Twilight. “An’ ah’ll jus’ set myself down here…”

Rainbow began to protest, but Applejack brought a hoof to the Pegasus’ lips.

“Now no need ta thank me,” she said. “It ain’t no hassle whatsoever.”

“My, what courtly manners,” said Rarity as the earth pony sat down next to her. “Darling Applejack, you’ve outdone yourself!”

“Aw shucks,” said Applejack, and Rarity looked with such sudden heat into her green eyes that she blushed.

Fluttershy and Spike, meanwhile, had sat themselves down on the other side of the table and with everypony now seated, Luna levitated a glass of sarsaparilla up into the air and tapped it with a spoon.

“Everypony, if I can have your attention,” said Luna. She turned to Celestia. “I hope my sister does not mind me taking the initiative and saying a few words.”

Celestia smiled. “Not at all, Luna. Today is your special day, after all.”

“I’d just like to thank you all for coming,” said Luna, her eyes going from pony to pony. “You have all performed numerous services on my behalf, from rescuing me from the prison of my anger and jealousy, Nightmare Moon, to helping me to reintegrate into modern Equestrian society.”

“Disintegrate?” stuttered Pinkie Pie, her eyes going wide in horror.

Rarity placed a forehoof softly on Pinkie’s to calm her. “Re-integrate, darling,” she explained. “It means to be reintroduced.”

Luna continued. “As I can no longer consider you my subjects, but my friends, I hereby propose a toast – a toast to the magic of friendship!”

“To the magic of friendship!” everypony said in unison as they leaned forwards and clinked their glasses together.

The high tea got underway, and once everypony had finished their sarsaparilla, Princess Celestia floated an ornate china tea pot about the table, filling everypony’s cups with hot fragrant tea.

“What tea is this, Princess?” asked Fluttershy, taking a dainty sniff of the steaming cup. “It smells delicious!”

“It’s from the aurora tea-bush,” Twilight told her. “camellia effulgens, which grows only in the Sunrise Mountains. It’s the Princess’s favourite.” But then she looked towards Celestia and blushed deeply, suddenly self-conscious that she’d answered for her.

Celestia laughed. “You know me so well, Twilight Sparkle!” She levitated the tea-pot back to her place at the table and finally poured cups for Luna and herself. “It is my favourite, although I do love all the other wonderful teas that Equestria has to offer.”

Everypony took a sip, and even those who didn’t usually drink tea agreed that it was, indeed, delicious.

“Luna informs me that she has quite a marvellous evening organised for us,” said Celestia, turning to her little sister, who gave a jaunty salute with a forehoof.

“I’ve been in training for this evening for a long while,” explained Luna. “The moon shall be in marvellous form tonight. And as you all are aware, the Wonderbolts are in charge of the fireworks this year.” She turned to Rainbow Dash, who was already half-way through a cupcake.

The Pegasus put the treat back down on her plate, her mouth still covered in crumbs as she grinned hugely. “We’ve got a little surprise in store for you guys,” she said. “It’s gearing up to be the best Spring Moon Celebration ever!”

“It all sounds marvellous!” said Celestia. She turned to the others. “I do so hope none of you had any other plans for this evening. It completely skipped my mind to ask you all to bring a date if you wished.”

“A date?” Twilight’s face became suddenly troubled.

Celestia’s noticed the look and her heart sank. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Twilight Sparkle. You had a date for this evening and…”

Twilight smiled, shaking her head. “Oh no, Princess. I’m not dating anypony at the moment. It was just that...”

“Oh?” Celestia managed to hide the look of relief on her face as soon as it appeared. “You haven’t met any nice stallions or mares in Ponyville?”

“Well,” said Twilight, embarrassed. “It’s not that I haven’t met anypony nice…”

Applejack discretely jabbed an elbow into Rarity’s side. The unicorn grimaced, but she ignored the pain and managed to turn and smile sweetly at Twilight.

“Why of course you have, darling,” she said. “I mean, Ponyville is home to some of the fastest and bravest ponies after all. Who wouldn’t find their head turned by some beauty or another, with a gorgeous body toned by athleticism and eyes aglow with determination?”

“Eyes aglow with… what?” said Twilight, her brow furrowing in confusion.

“Well, I most certainly do not have a date either,” said Luna, raising her snout in the air. “I have yet to find anypony suitable.”

“What do you look for in a partner, Princess?” It was Fluttershy’s shy little voice, suddenly piping up for the first time. She had been listening to the conversation intently, her cyan eyes flicking back and forth from speaker to speaker. But when everypony looked at her she blushed. “I mean, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Oh, of course not,” said Luna. “It is the perfect time to be talking about matters of the heart.” She suddenly looked serious. “I would need to meet somepony like my first love.”

Everypony looked at each other in surprise, but it was Pinkie, of course, who dared asked the question that was on everypony’s lips.

“Who was it?” babbled the little pink pony, bubbling in excitement and almost bouncing out of her seat. “Oh, please tell us, Princess! Prettyprettyprettypretty pleeeeeeease!”

Luna looked at her, a look of bewilderment on her face. But then she shrugged. “Why, of course. It is, after all, no secret.” She sighed. “It was the great Darkmane.”

Twilight almost spat out her tea. “Darkmane?” she yelped. “The great tyrant who ruled over the Eastern Plains between the First and Second Griffon Wars?”

Luna managed to look hurt. “A tyrant?” she said. But then her face softened. “Well, perhaps he was a little tyrannical. But you need to understand that there was so much more to his personality…”

Celestia took a sip of tea, clearly trying to hide a smile.

Twilight’s eyes were wide. “But he enslaved the ponies of Hoofington and made them build him a statue of himself over forty feet high!”

Luna sighed. “Darkmane always was a bit of a narcissist, it is true. But he had the heart of a poet.” Her lips quivered into a soppy smile.

Celestia took a sip of her tea. “You should tell everypony about the poem he wrote you, Lulu.”

Luna was scandalised. “Tia!”

Celestia chuckled. “Oh, it’s alright. You’re among friends here – your reputation is safe.”

“Darkmane wrote you a poem?” Twilight asked in disbelief.

Rarity’s eyes were wide. “How romantic!”

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh, I just love poetry.”

“Ooh ooh!” piped up Pinkie Pie. “Was it a good poem? Did it rhyme? Was it a limerick or a haiku or a-“

Luna looked at the bouncing pink pony with a measure of annoyance. “It was a most excellent poem, and it did rhyme. But it was neither a haiku nor a lim, a lim…” She looked to Celestia for help with the unfamiliar word.

“A limerick,” said Celestia. “It’s an amusing anapestic poem. They’ve become most popular in Equestria.”

“Yes! Yes!” cried Pinkie. “O, limericks are the most funnest and most rhymingest of all poems! Would you like to hear one, Princess?”

Luna blinked at her. “Well, I-”

But Pinkie was already on top of the table singing:

“There once was a pony called Pinkie,
Who ate the most ginormous twinkie,”

And then she stopped. “Oh, there are hardly any words that rhyme with Pinkie!” she said with a frown. Then a fresh smile burst onto her face. “Ooh ooh, this one is much better!”

“There once was a Princess called Luna,”

Twilight lowered her face into her forehooves. “Oh, please no...”

But nothing was going to stop the little pony now!

“Who wanted the night to come sooner.
So ‘round about noon,
She raised up the moon,
Which could only ever happen in a cartoon-a!

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Pinkie Pie, I don’t think…”

“A most excellent limerick!” said Celestia with a smile, and Pinkie beamed hugely at the compliment.

But Luna was still deep in reminiscence and hadn’t really been listening. “Yes, it was most amusing. And Darkmane – well, he was brave and strong as well, you know,” she said. “I once saw him fight a dozen ursa majors at the same time! With his bare hooves!” Her eyes went wide. “And we used to dance up above the storm clouds of an evening.” She sighed deeply. “It was… delightful.”

“So what happened to this Darkmane fella?” asked Applejack.

“Nopony knows,” said Twilight. “One day he just... vanished.”

“Without leaving me so much as a goodbye note!” cried Luna, and it was almost as if tears would start at the corners of her teal eyes. She floated a handkerchief over and began to dab at her face with it.

While the others were distracted by the Princess of the Moon’s reaction and trying to console her, Twilight slid her head close to Celestia’s and whispered. “Did… did you have something to do with Darkmane’s disappearance, Princess?”

Twilight felt Celestia’s lips open in a smile and her coat tingling under the sudden touch of the Princess’s hot, sweetly-scented breath. “I did,” she said.

“Did… did you send him to the moon?” whispered Twilight.

Celestia shook her head, and her mane brushed softly against the unicorn’s face. “No – but let’s just say the fact that there’s a comet called ‘Darkmane’ that visits Equestria every hundred years is not a coincidence.”

Twilight shivered. The Princess was always so jovial and kind that Twilight often forgot that she was a being of colossal power, capable of great feats of magic.

Seeing her student’s reaction, Celestia quickly said “Oh, but you must remember he deserved it, Twilight Sparkle. You know your history, of course.”

Twilight nodded. After all the terrible things he’d done,Darkmane had deserved it, admittedly. But still...

The Princess sighed. “Maybe after another hundred years he’ll have learned the error of his ways. I shall have to go and ask him myself, I suppose. I can’t ask you to deal with all the individuals I’ve exiled on my behalf, my dear Twilight Sparkle – although you have proven yourself more than capable of doing it.” She chuckled. “You know, I have no idea what I would do without you.”

The little unicorn blushed.

“Well, I agree with Princess Luna,” said Fluttershy suddenly. “I’d love to meet somepony like Darkmane.”

“Wh-whatever do you mean, darling?” asked Rarity, shocked.

“Oh, I don’t mean somepony tyrannical,” Fluttershy said, shaking her head. “I mean somepony who’s brave and strong - but they would need to be kind, as well.” Her face glowed with enthusiasm.

“Oh, kind. Yes,” said Luna, still sniffing behind her handkerchief. “Kindness is very important too, of course.”

“And how about you, Twilight?” asked Spike, who had been listening to the conversation in interest but had not had anything to say.

“Me?” asked the lavender-coated unicorn, suddenly cagey. “Oh, I haven’t ever really thought about…”

“Oh darling, what rubbish!” said Rarity. “Everypony thinks about romance.”

“Some ponies more th’n others,” muttered Applejack cheerfully.

Twilight turned to Celestia for help, but the Princess was looking at her in interest just like the others.

She sighed. “Well, OK – maybe I have thought about it.” She lifted her eyes to gaze across the glistening sunlit landscape of Equestria and smiled shyly. “Just a little bit.”

“And?” said Spike. He’d never heard Twilight talk about this sort of thing before. It wasn’t that she didn’t have her admirers – over the past months, he’d had to apologise to a number of Ponyville’s bachelors and spinsters at the front door to the Library, explaining that Twilight Sparkle was too busy to see them. And it seemed like every second week Derpy would arrive on the front doorstep – well, crash into it, rather – with another box of chocolates or flowers from some admirer or other. But Twilight had shown no interest in any of them.

And all eyes were on Twilight now, so she coughed and said, “Well, they – this hypothetical pony, I mean – they would have to be-“

Rarity’s eyes went large in expectation. “Yes, darling?”

“-they would have to be kind, of course…”

“Oh, of course!” said Rarity, her eyes darting from Twilight to look at Rainbow, who was listening with some interest.

“-and loyal-”

“Oh, most definitely!” exclaimed Rarity, clopping her hooves together.

“-and sensible-”

Rarity looked towards Rainbow and frowned. “Oh, yes, well…”

“-and interested in studying-”

Rarity frowned even deeper. “Studying? But don’t you think-?”

“-oh, and-” Twilight said, remembering suddenly. “-she would have to be graceful, too.” Her ears turned back and she blushed.

Rarity looked at Rainbow Dash, who was now bored with the conversation and was scratching herself behind an ear, and sighed.

Luna clopped her hooves together. “A most appropriate answer!” she said. “Don’t you agree, sister?”

“Of, I would have expected nothing else from my favourite student,” said Celestia. Twilight lifted her blushing face just long enough for the Princess to notice, and Celestia, feeling her own cheeks grow hot, quickly continued: “But I must admit to being a little surprised that ‘gracefulness’ was one of your requirements, Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight looked up at her. “W-well, we were talking about my ideal partner, right?” She looked out across the landscape again. “I mean, it would be nice if she were graceful – I mean, I’m not graceful myself and…”

“Oh, but you are graceful, darling,” said Rarity, a little uncomfortably.

“Oh c’mon Rarity,” said Spike. “You’ve seen Twilight dance, right?”

The white-coated unicorn looked at the little purple dragon sternly. “Twilight has a most natural manner, young Spike.”

“What about you, Rainbow?” asked Applejack, turning to the Pegasus. “Don’tcha jus’ find that sometimes it’s the quiet ponies that are the most intriguing-like?”

“Intriguing… like?” repeated Rainbow, a quizzical smile on her face. “Well, I don’t really know about all that romance stuff. Seems to me that it just gets in the way of achieving your dreams.”

Rarity was scandalised. “But surely finding the pony who is your perfect match is just as important, Rainbow, as any other dream you might have?”

Rainbow was just about to reply when Pinkie Pie piped up. “Well, I hope I never find the pony of my dreams,” she said, her mouth full of cucumber sandwiches.

“What in Equestria do you mean, darling?” said Rarity, annoyed by the distraction just as the conversation was going in the direction she wanted.

“Well!” said Pinkie, swallowing hurriedly and leaping into her story. “A few nights ago I was working late at Sugarcube Corner, throwing out the expired apple danishes that I’d found hiding in a corner of the pantry…”

“’Throwin’ out?’” said Applejack, her eyes narrowed as she looked at the little pink pony in suspicion. “You, Pinkie Pie, throwin’ out food?”

Pinkie’s eyes darted left and right. “Well, maybe I ate one or ten of them– but it was late and some of them weren’t all that moldy or dusty. So anyway, I was working so hard that I fell asleep and I had this mysterious dream! Well, actually it was more spooooooooky than mysterious…”

“Oh brother,” said Twilight, rolling her eyes.

“Let us hear about this dream,” said Luna, suddenly curious. “It sounds most delightful!”

“Okie dokie lokie!” said Pinkie Pie happily. “But I must warn you, it’s totally spookeriffic!”

“Just tell the story, darling!” said Rarity in irritation.

Pinkie took a deep breath and began her story. “I was walking in a strange forest – it might have been the Everfree forest, but it was even stranger than that super-strange and spooky forest! There were muffins and danishes growing from the trees, and the path I was walking along was covered with powdered sugar…”

Rainbow Dash burst out laughing. “Sounds like your ideal forest, Pinkie Pie!”

Pinkie nodded. “Oh, it would have been! I even found a river filled with hot cocoa and there were all these marshmallows floating along it. I leaned forward to take just the teenie-tiniest little Pinkie Pie taste when I suddenly saw the most strangest stallion I’ve ever seen in my little pinkie life!” Her eyes bugged out in alarm.

“Wh-what did it look like, Pinkie?” asked Spike, his own eyes going wide.

“Oh, he was totally dark and mysterious,” explained Pinkie. “He was an alicorn, but he had the claws of a griffon and bat wings and he had a craaaaazy cutie mark - it was a sword surrounded in flames with three lightning bolts bursting out of it!”

“How ostentatious!” sniffed Rarity, unimpressed.

“That’s not all, though!” Pinkie continued, getting more and more excited. “He had these marking on his face like a wolf’s and he had long fangs and... oh, he had spiky hair, and some of it was brushed down over his eyes making him look totally mysterious. And his eyes were dragons’ eyes, just like Spikey Wikey’s! And he shot lightning out of his eyes and he had the power to freeze things with his breath and and and…”

It was all too much for Fluttershy, who flew under the table with a yelp.

“Oh, don’t be so silly Fluttershy,” said Twilight. “There are no records of such a ridiculous pony ever having existed in Equestria, even back in the Dark Ages. It’s just a figment of Pinkie Pie’s tainted-apple-danish-fuelled imagination.”

Fluttershy nodded, but it was only with some gentle coaxing from Spike and Luna that she at last came out from under the table.

“I remember the last time we met, dear Fluttershy,” said Luna suddenly. “Are you really so fearful that mere words can scare you?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Oh, yes.” She lifted her eyes and counted off in her head. “Words, loud noises, sudden movements, anything I’m not expecting, actually. Ever since I was a little filly I’ve been afraid of my own shadow.”

Luna laughed. “Afraid of your own shadow? That charming silhouette?” She waved a forehoof towards where Fluttershy’s shadow was splayed along the surface of the cloud behind her.

The Pegasus blushed deeply. “Well, I suppose it doesn’t look at all that scary right now,” she said. “But sometimes…”

Everypony was looking at her shadow when it suddenly grew larger, like a balloon filling with air, and the larger it got, the more grotesque its appearance became, as it grew spines and spurs and a huge maw of shadowy teeth. Then it snapped off from the real Fluttershy and leaped at the seated ponies, scattering them even as it dissipated into a purple mist.

Fluttershy fell off her seat sideways, and lay on the cloud mewling in terror, while Rainbow Dash jumped onto the table to interpose herself between the monster and her friends. Rarity had leaped into Applejack’s arms and was clinging to her, shivering, and Spike was cowering under the table where he had crawled as soon as the shadow had appeared.

Twilight, however, was clopping her hooves together in delight. “Umbramorphic magic!” she cried. “Oh, I’ve only ever read about it in books. I never thought I’d ever get to see it.”

Celestia was far less pleased and leveled a dark look at her little sister. “Luna, can we perhaps for once have a meal without some trick of yours?”

Luna lowered her face, chastised. “I’m sorry sister. I just wanted to make everypony laugh.” She looked across at where Fluttershy was still cowering and she reached down and drew her up onto her hooves again. “My sincerest apologies. I did not mean to terrify you so – I only wished to amuse you.”

“Oh, it was very… funny, Princess,” said Fluttershy, smiling weakly as she took her seat again. But she was still shivering.

Luna looked at the Pegasus mare’s wide eyes and the fine sheen of sweat on her face and suddenly felt remorseful. With a quick sparkle of magic she conjured up a yellow rose from thin air and levitated it over to her.

“I hope we can still be friends,” said Luna.

“Oh, thank you Princess,” said Fluttershy, snatching the flower from the air. “It’s… beautiful. But - how… how did you know that I love flowers?”

“I suppose I can see it in your eyes,” said the Princess cryptically. Then an almost imperceptible smile settled upon her lips. “Which reminds me! Since you love flowers, I have no doubt you know that the Canterlot tulips have just come into bloom...”

“Oh yes,” said Fluttershy, her eyes growing wide in excitement. “I’ve heard they’re most beautiful during the Spring Moon.”

“Indeed they are,” said Luna. “But maybe you did not know that I have the largest collection of them in all of Equestria in my private garden. You would be most welcome to view them, of course.”

“Oh, I’d love to,” said Fluttershy. “As long as it’s alright with you…”

“It would be our pleasure!” said Luna with a wink. “Think of it as an apology for my earlier joke.”

“It was a totally awesome prank, Princess ” said Rainbow, who was still chuckling at the memory. She turned to Pinkie. “But don’t think that that prank is going to let you get out of telling us about the sort of pony you really like, Pinkie Pie!”

“Well,” said Pinkie, bringing a forehoof to her chin. “Just like I like all sorts of baked treats, I like all kinds of ponies.”

“Now Pinkie, darling,” said Rarity. “I’m not sure if that comparison is at all appropriate.”

“Oh, but it is!” replied the little pink pony, grinning. “You see, romance is just like baking a cake...”

Rarity snorted. “Oh, how in Equestria can romance be like baking a cake, darling?”

“Well,” said Pinkie earnestly. “Making a cake is all about choosing the right ingredients. First you have to take some flour, and then add some butter and eggs - oh oh oh! – and some sugar. You mix it into a super-sticky batter and then you put it in an oven at…”

“Ah don’ see how this has anythin’ ta do with romance,” said Applejack.

“‘Romance’?” repeated Pinkie, blinking. Then her eyes sparkled. “Oh, yes! Romance! Well, a good romance needs just the right ingredients as well.” She started to count off things on one hoof. “You need to have some things in common. Maybe just teeny-tiny little things, but they’re super important!”

“What kind of things, Pinkie Pie?” asked Spike.

“Well, say I was to end up in a romance with somepony,” said Pinkie. “If they either liked cupcakes or sarsaparilla or pranking or pink or…” She giggle. “Well, you get the idea! But if they didn’t like any of those things, well – things probably wouldn’t work out.”

“But what if they didn’t like parties?” asked Fluttershy. “Wouldn’t that make things really, really difficult?” She smiled shyly. “I mean, with you being Ponyville’s premier party pony and all.”

Pinkie nodded. “Oh, exactamondo Fluttershy! I was just getting to that. It’s just like when you’re making a cake the recipe asks for almonds and you only have peanuts – if you add peanuts the cake will turn out different, but it’s still going to turn out absotively scrumptious! But if you put something craaaaazy like earthworms in it-“

Everypony’s eyes looked at Applejack, who grinned in sudden embarrassment.

“-well, you’re going to end up with a baked bad!” finished the little pink pony. “So if a pony didn’t like parties, well - somethings just aren’t meant to go together!”

“Ah ain’t never going ta live down those baked bads, am ah?” muttered Applejack to nopony in particular.

“Well, I thought they were delicious,” said Spike. “Say Pinkie Pie – why don’t you whip us up a batch when we get back to Ponyville?”

Celestia brought her head close to Twilight’s and asked discretely “What are these ‘baked bads’ your friends are talking about? I’ve never heard you mention them in any of your reports.”

“It’s a long story, Princess,” replied Twilight, a little uncomfortably. “It’s one of those things that I didn’t think was important enough to bother you with.”

“But they sound so amusing!” continued Celestia. She sighed. “I suddenly realise that there’s so much about your everyday life in Ponyville that I know nothing about.”

“I’ll be happy to tell you whatever you want to know, Princess,” said Twilight with a blush.

Pinkie was still in full flight. “….and of course the temperature of the oven is super important as well. So if they love each other toooo much, then things can end up all burnt! But if they don’t love each other enough, then the whole cake can end up wet and soggy.”

Spike’s mouth was hanging open. “Wow,” he said. “Romance sure sounds complicated!”

“That it can be, young Spike,” said Rarity with a chiming laugh. “But it is worth the trouble.” She slipped a forehoof into Applejack’s under the table, making the earth pony flush red, and then turned to Pinkie. “I sincerely apologise, Pinkie Pie – your analogy was most fitting.”

“Oh, I don’t have any allergies,” said Pinkie happily. “Except maybe sneezing powder.”

The conversation had however raised Luna’s spirits and she clopped her hooves together in delight. “Never before have I heard love described in such succinct terms!” She leaned across the table to Pinkie. “I must say that all this talk of baking has suddenly reminded me, Pinkie Pie. We have all sorts of delectable sweetmeats ready for our little soiree tonight - the staff of the Castle kitchens have been hard at work making sure that everything is just so!”

“Really?” Pinkie’s ears flicked up. “Sweet treats?”

“They have?” asked Celestia, raising an eyebrow. There was something about the smile on Luna’s face that she didn’t quite trust.

Luna nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes. At my personal request. Recently I have gained quite a sweet tooth. Pies, cakes, doughnuts.” She turned back to Spike and Pinkie, who were both salivating. “I heard that they initially had some trouble getting all the razzleberry jam into the doubleberry jam explosions, but it seems like they solved the problem – when I checked on things this morning, I saw that there was already a veritable mountain of the treats!”

“A… a mountain?” repeated Spike, his green eyes wide. “A mountain of donuts?”

“Doubleberry jam explosions?” said Pinkie, the final word almost a shriek in her excitement.

“Oh yes!” said Luna, chuckling. “And there are extra-sprinkled triple chocolate crullers as well. Or so the cooks told me – I am afraid I am no expert when it comes to donuts. Perhaps you should investigate and see whether everything is to your liking later.”

Pinkie and Spike both looked at each other, excitement glittering in their eyes.

“Oh Pinkie Pie darling,” said Rarity with a sigh. “Thinking about your stomach on tonight, the most romantic of all nights!”

“Oh, but it’s so hard to be romantic on an empty stomach,” said Pinkie thoughtfully. “Your tummy keeps distracting your heart from being romantic with all its grrr-grrr-grrring and rumble-rumble-rumbling! But if it’s full, it gets happy and sleepy and then you can be as romantic as you want without your tummy getting in the way.”

Luna smiled at the little pink pony. “Why, Pinkie Pie, once again you’ve reminded me of something else that may be of interest to you all.” Her eyes flickered towards Rarity and Applejack. “By chance I was walking on the Eastern Battlements this afternoon and I realised that it’s simply the most romantic part of the whole Castle. And so few prying eyes as well! Why, there’s never been the need to have guards stationed there, seeing as how it’s so remote from everywhere vital to the castle. It would the perfect spot for a romantic assignation…”

“Remote? Romantic? Assignation?” repeated Rarity, her eyes glowing. She turned and whispered to Applejack. “Darling, this is our chance! We must investigate this spot – it would be perfect for setting up a meeting between our two love birds.” She looked across the table at Twilight, who was in the middle of taking a sip of tea, and Rainbow, who was busy chewing on a cucumber sandwich, and smiled simperingly.

Twilight frowned and turned to whisper to Rainbow. “Is it just me, or is there something going on with Rarity and Applejack? They’ve been behaving a bit strangely, don’t you think?”

Rainbow shrugged. “You know those two,” she replied. “They’re always up to something.”

On the other side of the table Rarity nudged Applejack and almost made her choke on the cupcake she was eating. “Oh, my mare’s intuition is never wrong, darling Applejack! Just look at the two of them together.”

Applejack looked across to see Twilight and Rainbow laughing together, and she whispered back to Rarity hoarsely. “Y’know, ah didn’t really believe it before, but now that ah lookit them – they’re as thick as thieves, ain’t they?” She sighed.

Luna, meanwhile, had turned to Rainbow. “So, Rainbow Dash - how are things looking for tonight’s display? I’ve heard from Spitfire that we can expect some astounding feats from the Aerobatics Performance Team.”

“Everypony is totally ready and raring to go, Princess,” said Rainbow proudly. “Sure, they’re a bunch of amateurs, but I think you’ll all be surprised by the tricks they’re able to pull off!”

“It must have been such a wonderful opportunity to train with Spitfire,” said Luna. “She’s a marvellous flier, isn’t she? So powerful, yet so graceful.” She took a sip of tea. “But I must say that you’ve been an amazing help to her, especially with regards to the last minute rehearsals. When Soarin became... indisposed, Spitfire was quite at her wit’s end about how she was going to get everything ready in time. Why, just earlier today she said that she couldn’t have done anything without you!”

“She did?” asked Rainbow, her eyes going wide.

Luna nodded. “I’m very much looking forward to what the two of you have in store for us all tonight.”

Rainbow didn’t reply, but stared off into the distance in the direction of Canterlot peak, where the tiny dots of the Aerobatic Performance Team could be seen spiralling around each other. “I hope Derpy hasn’t been causing her any trouble…”

Luna levitated her cup to her lips so that nopony could see the self-satisfied smile that had slipped across them.

And so the high tea slowly came to an end as the sun began to approach the western horizon. The mountains of cucumber sandwiches and snacks had dwindled away into hills and finally molehills, with the ones closest to Pinkie dwindling at a far quicker rate than the others. Twilight and Celestia were deep in discussion about the intricacies of umbramorphic magic, Applejack and Rarity were still feverishly planning, heads glued together, while Fluttershy and Luna were chatting about the correct cultivation of flowers. Pinkie, meanwhile, was busy sneakily taking snacks from the still-full platters on the other side of the table with her serpentine tongue, and Spike had fallen asleep, his face on his chest and half a cream-cake still clutched in a little, clawed hand. And all this time Rainbow was looking forlornly across the landscape at the little black dots, trying to spot which one was Spitfire.

At last Luna stood up and tapped a spoon against the teapot, and once she had everypony’s attention she said: “I do so hope everypony has enjoyed our little tea. But my sister’s sun is now low on the horizon, so the time has come for me to leave you all and prepare for the rising of the Spring Moon.” She turned to Celestia. “Tia, if you would be so kind?”

Celestia nodded and with a brilliant flash of pure white light that radiated from the tip of her horn, the cloud, the darkening landscape, the tables and chairs and all the empty plates and cups and platters all vanished and everypony found themselves back in the inner courtyard of the castle, now lit with torches to ward off the deepening shadows. Beyond the walls the murmuring of crowds could now be heard, indicating that the festival had already begun in the streets of the city.

“Shall we all meet together again on the Royal Lawn as soon as night falls?” asked Luna. “It offers a most excellent vantage point for the fireworks, and I’ve organised a little picnic so that we shall not go hungry. So please enjoy the evening until then!” She smiled enigmatically. “You’ll find that Canterlot is extremely lively during the festival. I trust everypony has some activity to distract themselves with until then?”

Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Spike, Rainbow and Fluttershy all nodded enthusiastically.

“I’m going to check out the Castle kitchens!” cried Pinkie Pie. She leaned close to Spike. “I mean, those cucumber sandwiches were perfectly scrumptious, but I think my tummy wants to do a bit more snacking!”

“I know what you mean, Pinkie Pie,” said Spike. “I’ll come with you - I’ve got a hankering for some good, old-fashioned Canterlot doughnuts!”

“You really need to get that monkey off your back, Spike,” said Pinkie seriously.

“M...monkey?” yelped the little dragon, but Pinkie had already grabbed him and in a pink and purple blur they were gone.

“I think I’ll take a walk in your garden and see the tulips,” said Fluttershy. “I mean, if that’s still alright with you, Princess Luna…”

“Oh, please do,” replied Luna. “You’ll find my private garden not far from the others. If you get lost, merely ask any of the guards - they will show you the way.”

Fluttershy blushed a deep red, and she waved goodbye as she disappeared through the archway that she knew led to the Royal Gardens.

Rarity slipped across to where Rainbow Dash was staring distractedly into the sky. “Rainbow, darling! Perhaps you’d like to show Twilight some of your moves before this evening’s entertainment, Rainbow?” she suggested.

“Oh, that would be super cool, Rarity,” Rainbow replied. “But I’ve got to go check if Spitfire needs some help dealing with those amateurs,” She frowned. “–especially that Ditzy Doo! Well, see you guys later!” And with that she swept into the air and was gone.

Applejack and Rarity both looked at each other, then at Twilight, then back at each other again.

“Well, I think that I shall take a walk on the Eastern Battlements,” said Rarity. “I’m perspiring after all that hot tea and the cool mountain air should prove most refreshing for my complexion!”

Applejack looked left and right. “Uh, ah think ah’ll join you, Rarity, on account o’ that air being refreshin’ an all,” she muttered. And then the two of them waved goodbye, with a final bow to the Princesses.

Luna smiled to herself as she watched the two troublemakers leave, and then turned to where Celestia and Twilight were standing, not sure what to do. “My apologies, sister, Twilight Sparkle,” she said with a bow. “I must fly. I have some final preparations to attend to before raising the moon. As you know, it has been most mischievous lately and-”

Celestia smiled affectionately at her. “Oh of course, Lulu,” she said. “We shall see you at the Royal Gardens later.” She winked. “Break a leg!”

Luna grinned at her older sister and unfurled her wings. Then, with a single graceful leap, she flew into the air and was soon enveloped by the approaching darkness.

Celestia turned to Twilight in the now empty courtyard. “So that just leaves you and I, Twilight Sparkle.” The Princess smiled, but the smile was masking a nervousness that all of a sudden was swelling up within her.

Twilight looked back at her bashfully. “I guess so, Princess.”

Celestia didn’t reply, but when the silence became a little uncomfortable, she said “You don’t have any plans?”

“Oh no, Princess.” Twilight lowered her eyes and stared at the cobblestones beneath her hooves. “I’m just happy to have the chance to talk to you face-to-face rather than via letters!”

Celestia nodded. “So perhaps you’d like to join me for a little walk through the city, then?”

Twilight’s heart leaped into her throat as she lifted her eyes and saw her teacher’s smiling face. “Oh, yes please!"

to be continued

Chapter 5

Rarity grabbed Applejack and hustled her through the archway that led to the eastern battlements.

"Hey, yer hurtin' me!" the earth pony yelped.

"Oh, do come on, Applejack," said Rarity, pulling her along. "Our first foray has failed. We need to come up with another plan to get Twilight away from Princess Celestia so that she can spend some time with Rainbow. The battlements that Princess Luna mentioned are the perfect venue for some planning."

"Do we really need ta get involved?" replied Applejack. "Can't we just relax an' let love find its own way?"

"Love? Find its own way?" Rarity snorted. "Have you forgotten what dear Twilight is like? She'll start talking to the Princess about books and magic and history and, and... and whathaveyou, and before she knows it, the window of opportunity for her romance to blossom will be gone. Oh, it will be so terribly sad if that were to happen! Just like the story of the Weaver and the Princess."

Applejack frowned. "The who an' the what now?"

Rarity sniffed. "Oh, Apple-jack darling! Didn't your mother ever tell you the story? It's so terribly sad." She looked up at the afternoon sky and sighed. "I shall have to tell it to you once the stars come out."

"The stars?" Applejack frowned. "What d'ye need the stars ta be out for?"

"By way of illustration, of course," said the unicorn. "Oh, it will make so much more sense later."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Is it more o' tha' romantic malarkey?"

"It most certainly is," replied Rarity haughtily. "Although I don't take very kindly to such a heart-felt story being referred to as 'malarkey', whatever that is." She sighed, defeated, and sat back on the cool stone of the battlements. "Oh, you'll understand what I mean later. But now we have to come up with a way of getting between the teacher and the student."

Applejack sat down next to Rarity and watched as she threw herself whole-heartedly into the task. Bringing a forehoof to her chin, the unicorn began to mutter to herself as one after another idea was quickly conceived and then just as quickly abandoned.

Applejack sighed. She was glad Rarity knew what she was talkin' about - this romance stuff was far too complicated a business for a simple farm-pony like herself! All she knew about was love - and there were few more straight-forward things in the world than that.

*************

As Luna flew over the battlements wreathed in purple mist and invisible to everypony, she chuckled with self- satisfaction. Oh, this was going to be the best 'fun' ever! And this time it would not merely be doubled, nor even tripled, but quadrupled!

She glanced down at the unicorn and the earth pony with the hat, huddled together on the eastern battlements, and chuckled softly.

Luna flew down over them, still invisible, and then, with a discrete sparkling of magic, she became a violent gust of cold mountain air which blew the lighter Rarity up against Applejack, who caught her in her forelegs.

"Oh!" cried the unicorn. "My apologies, darling! It was just that there was a gust of-"

Applejack smiled at her. "Ah felt it too," she said. "D'ye think maybe the night is tryin' to tell us something?"

The earth pony looked left and right, and, finding the battlements completely deserted, she leaned forward and kissed Rarity softly on the lips.

"Darling!" whispered the unicorn, blushing fiercely in surprise. "That's most unlike you!"

"Uh, yeah," replied Applejack. She chuckled self-consciously but didn't break the embrace. "Maybe it's somethin' in the air?"

"The air?" repeated Rarity. The two of them looked out across the clear spring evening that was settling over the landscape and she sighed. "Perhaps you're right. But, darling... can you hear somepony giggling?"

"Oh, that should keep those two troublemakers busy," giggled Luna to herself as she flew away. The two of them would do an exceptional job distracting each other. Luna didn't usually pry into the dreams of her subjects - after all, every pony needs their secrets - but she knew well the love that Rarity and Applejack felt for each other. It was hard to miss when you were the Princess of the Moon, passing over that little tent way out in the lonely emptiness of the Swayback Mountains as their dreams had joined together, lighting the skies with a great aurora of magic that only two hearts perfectly aligned could produce and which only Luna herself could see. They need never worry, though; not only was the night for love, but also for secrets - and, as Princess of the Night, their secret was safe with her.

*****

Twilight gazed up at Celestia as the two of them walked out through the Western Gate of the palace and were straight away swallowed up by the throngs of partying ponies that filled the streets of Canterlot. Every little house and tower was decorated with banners emblazoned with the white disk of the moon, and flags and streamers of blue and silver hung from every eave and archway. The happy sounds of laughter and music filled the evening air, and everywhere the incessant background of cheerful voices, like the deep roar of the ocean, held them close as if in an embrace.

Ponies jostled the pair as they made their way down a narrow side-street and walked into a little square where rows of stalls were set up in the colonnades, their owners shouting out with boisterous good cheer and promoting their wares. It was an eye-catching, ear-splitting spectacle.

A group of giggling high-society mares came trotting along the street, and one of them - a svelte, pink coated mare with a fleur-de-lis as her cutie mark, jostled Celestia as they pushed their way past.

Twilight glared at her in annoyance, her mouth open and ready to make a blistering complaint, when Celestia placed a forehoof on the angry unicorn's shoulder.

"Oh, don't let it worry you, Twilight," she said gently. "She didn't mean any harm."

The Princess's words did little to calm her indignation. "She didn't even say 'excuse me' to you! And you're the Princess, Princess! I really should-"

Celestia laughed, and the sound was bright and light and clear even against the backdrop of shouting and talking ponies. "Oh, Twilight Sparkle. The truth of the matter is that she has no idea it was me."

Twilight boggled. "But how couldn't she-"

Celestia brought her lips close to Twilight's ear and whispered. "Just a little spell. I don't often use it, since it strikes me as somehow being a little... well, underhoofed, but I thought that it would be nice to be able to spend some time with you as your..." She skipped a beat as she wondered at what she'd been about to say, but then quickly went on, "...your friend rather than as 'Celestia, Princess of Equestria'." She looked out at the great crowd of ponies. "As far as anypony here knows, I'm just another unicorn pony out enjoying the celebrations."

Twilight nodded, but for once she wasn't really listening to Celestia. The word 'friend' was still ringing in her ears and somewhere in her chest, a part of her felt as if it was melting away.

As they strolled together and looked at what each little stall had to offer, Celestia continued. "I know how disappointed you were at the Gala," she said. That old familiar guilt was welling up in her again, and she needed to express it. "When my duties as Princess got in the way of us spending time together. To tell you the truth, I was disappointed as well." She levitated up a little necklace made of semi-precious stones from the stall they'd stopped in front of and examined it. "What do you think, Twilight Sparkle?"

"I- I never knew you wanted to spend time with me," said Twilight, fighting off a blush.

Celestia chuckled. "I mean the necklace," she said. "What's your honest opinion?"

Twilight blinked and, embarrassed, turned her attention to the little piece of jewellery. "It's very pretty, Princess." It was. The stones were tiger's eyes, polished and glistening, and gave off an attractive warmth of colour that was unpretentiously beautiful. The Princess had impeccable taste.

"Well, I like it too," said Celestia. "Although I do wish you'd stop using your pet name for me, Twilight. Don't you think 'Princess' is a bit over the top?"

The smiling stallion in charge of the stall chuckled. "I'm sorry to pry, ma'am, but if you ask me, the name's quite fitting. You look a lot like Princess Celestia. If you had wings and if your mane was a different colour, why, you'd be her twin!"

Celestia brought a hoof to her mouth and giggled, and Twilight was almost knocked over to see a blush appear on the Princess's face. "Oh, what a lovely compliment!" she said. "It's this white coat of mine, isn't it?"

"And your eyes, ma'am," said the stallion. "And may I say that you share the Princess's excellent taste. That necklace you've picked out matches the colour of your fillyfriend's eyes perfectly."

Twilight's eyes boggled. "F-fillyfriend?"

The stallion blinked. "My apologies. I guess I was a bit presumptuous. It's just that..."

"Oh, we're just very close friends," said Celestia. "Ponies get confused all the time." She turned her attention back to the necklace, but her smile remained. "What are you asking?"

"Three bits" said the stallion.

"Sold," said Celestia, floating the money across to him. She brought the little necklace flying across to Twilight and, undoing the clasp, she slipped it around the unicorn's neck.

Twilight felt the tiger's eyes warm against her coat. She looked up at Celestia's cheerful mauve eyes, then suddenly turned her gaze away, her heart beating fast.

"I was right," said Celestia. "It does look lovely on you."

"Thank you, Princess," said Twilight, still unable to meet the Princess's eyes. "I- I love it."

As they walked away from the stall, Twilight was silent. The flush that had started with that word 'fillyfriend' and deepened with the gift of the necklace had continued to spread, and she felt as though her entire body would soon be a single blush. Celestia was immediately struck by how adorable Twilight was when she was embarrassed; her usual stream of observations dried up and her self-control was replaced with vulnerability. It was times like this that Celestia felt compelled to hug the little unicorn close to herself, but this time - like most other times - she resisted the urge. The last thing Twilight wanted was for her teacher to start treating her like she was a little filly again!

As for Twilight, she felt as if she'd been lifted off the ground by somepony's telekinesis and was floating above the street rather than walking along it. The swirl of colour and movement and noise of the crowd that surrounded them had become dream-like - it was as if she was back in the crystal caverns below Canterlot, gazing at a thousand splintered images spinning about her in every direction.

Suddenly, there was a grumbling sound, audible even over the hubbub that surrounded them, and Twilight and Celestia stopped in their tracks.

"What was that?" asked the Princess.

Twilight was suddenly distraught. "Oh, it was my stomach! Excuse me, Princess, but..."

Celestia looked at her with mock-fierceness. "Miss Sparkle, I've already asked you once not to call me Princess!"

"Wh-what should I call you, then, Princ-." Twilight asked in confusion. "Celestia?"

Celestia laughed. "Celestia won't work - as you know, it's only ever been given to members of the royal family," she said. "But why don't you call me 'Tia'?"

Twilight boggled. "'T-tia'?"

Celestia coughed. "I know. It's a little too cutsey isn't it? Luna came up with it..." She looked up at the sky, as if she would be able to see her mischievous little sister somewhere among the stars that were now winking into existence.

"Tia," repeated Twilight to herself. Could- could she really call the Princess that name? Well, it had been an order, hadn't it?

There was another rumble, louder this time, and Twilight started. Celestia looked down, mortified.

"I'm afraid that was my stomach this time, Twilight," said Celestia. "Why don't we go find something to eat?"

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Pr-" Twilight bit her tongue and, with a steeling of her will far greater than any magic she had ever performed in her life, she at last managed to say, "Tia."

***********

With the two troublemakers Applejack and Rarity already dealt with, Luna decided that it was time to deal with the funny little pink pony and her companion, Twilight's little dragon. The last thing the Princess of Hearts wanted was for them to stumble upon Twilight and Celestia and cause some consternation or other with their hijinks. So, remaining in gaseous form, she did a loop-de-loop and swept in through the window of the castle kitchens, coalescing into the shape of a rotund blue-coated unicorn mare wearing an apron and a chef's hat. And just barely in the nick of time, as the cheerful pink pony came galloping in with the little dragon on her back.

In the kitchen, a modest feast by Canterlot terms (which was to say a gigantic one) had already been prepared, ready to be taken into the small personal dining hall that the Princess used on the few occasions that she entertained only a few guests. There were gigantic wobbling jellos in a plethora of colours and flavours; dandelion cupcakes, dragonfruit blamanges, pineapple danishes, strawberry soufflés, sundaes and ice-cream cakes and fruit cups and every kind of sugary treat imaginable, and even some that staggered the imagination, with intricate filigrees of icing and festoonings of fruits that only magic could have created.

Pinkie came to a screeching halt, her eyes bulging out. Oh, it was like she was back at the Royal Equestrian National Dessert Competition, surrounded by a wonderland of incredible edibles and delightfully delicious delights!

Spike was already clinging onto Pinkie's mane and so was able to prevent himself from flying head-over-claw onto the tables of confectionaries, but he still ended up dazed and confused by the little pink pony's abrupt stop. He raised his head and shook away the stars that filled his eyes, and as he did his gaze fell onto a veritable mountain of....

"Donuts!"

"See Pinkie Pie," cried Spike, as Pinkie stood rooted to the spot, still staring cake-struck at the treats that hemmed them in. "I knew there had to be donuts. Canterlot's famous for them! Look!" The little dragon hopped off her back and ran up to one of the silver platters that were covered in piles of the tasty pastries. "Cinnamon- dusted crullers, double-jelly-filled strawberry-raspberry explosions, and quadruple-chocolate-mousse-donuts... with sprinkles!"

Pinkie's eyes began to sparkle with intensity. "Ooh, ooh, ooh! I want to try a double-jelly filled strawberry explosion!" She galloped up to the table the donuts were stacked on and licked her lips. "What're they like?"

"Careful, Pinkie!" Spike said, pulling her back. "They're called that because it's impossible to eat one without the jelly going everywhere as soon as you bite into it!"

"Oh, Spikey!" said Pinkie. "This is Pinkie Pie you're talking to, remember? I've never met a scrumptiolicious treat that I couldn't totally gobble up. I wonder if I stuff ONE double jelly-filled strawberry explosion with ANOTHER double jelly-filled explosion if that would make a DOUBLE double jelly-filled strawberry explosion? And I bet it would be double as delicious, too!" And with that she grabbed a doughnut in each hoof and, squishing them together, she took a huge bite out of them at the same time.

"No, Pinkie!" But it was too late. As soon as Pinkie bit into it, there was an audible bang and a supernova of raspberry and strawberry jam coated her, the walls of the kitchen and the little purple dragon himself, cut off in mid warning.

Spike licked the sticky red stuff off his face and smacked his lips. "You know, Pinkie Pie? I think you were right. It is doubly delicious!"

The two friends started to laugh and were busy wiping and licking the jelly off themselves when-

"WHAT in EQUESTRIA is going on in here?!"

Luna had been waiting for just the right moment. Still in the form of the portly blue chef, she leaped out from behind the pile of donuts and galloped up to the two jelly-covered friends, a livid ball of theatrical anger brandishing a rolling-pin.

Spike and Pinkie took a shocked step backwards as Luna shoved her now red and swollen face at them and yelled, "Did you just eat one of these donuts?"

"Uh huh," said Pinkie, lowering her jam-covered muzzle, overwhelmed with guilt. "Well, it was two, actually..."

"How dare you!" cried Luna, thrusting the rolling-pin at Pinkie who blinked at it impassively. The chef's round face grew redder and redder until it resembled a tomato that was set to explode at any minute. "How DARE you! These donuts were intended for the Princesses and their friends only! I should call the Royal Guard and have you dragged away to wash dishes in the royal scullery for the next six months for this despicable crime!"

Spike threw himself down on the floor. "We're sorry! Please, please, please don't report us! I hate washing dishes."

"Oh, c'mon Spikey!" said Pinkie, who was actually rather happy at being given the opportunity to make up for her mistake. "Washing dishes is almost as fun as making them dirty in the first place!"

"Then you can wash and I'll dry, Pinkie Pie," said the little dragon, who didn't really enjoy washing or drying dishes very much.

"Pinkie Pie? Spike?" Luna's expression straightaway changed from one contorted with anger to one of happy surprise. "Oh, but you're friends of the Princesses, aren't you now?"

Both Spike and Pinkie nodded rapidly.

"Well, then you've done nothing wrong," said Luna. Her face had returned to its original blue colour, and was now sporting a huge, friendly grin. "You just had a little taste-test before the dinner itself. No harm with that." Her eyes went wide as she mimed coming up with an idea. "Oh, I know! Why don't you try some of the other snacks as well? You can tell me if they're good enough for the Princess's friends or not." She grabbed the two friends and dragged them away with her through the maze of tables groaning under the weight of delicious dishes.

"Oh," said Pinkie, licking her lips. "If that raspberry double-destructive strawberry-sprinkles explosion was anything to go by, I'm sure they are!"

"Uh, Pinkie Pie?" said Spike. "It was a double-double jelly-filled rasberry-strawb-"

"But I insist," said Luna, and with that she pulled them in front of a table piled higher than all the others with every kind of delicious treat imaginable.

Spike and Pinkie raised their eyes to the roof, but the mountain of goodies was so impossibly tall that the summit of it wasn't visible. In fact, it almost looked as if it had snow covering the highest part of it - but maybe it was just powdered sugar.

"That's funny," said Spike, scratching his head. "I didn't see this table when we came in."

"Oh, enough with these tiresome questions," said Luna impatiently. "Please, help yourselves!"

Spike's eyes went wide. "Well, everything does look delic-" But Pinkie had already leaped onto the table and had thrust her muzzle into a massive, wobbling mound of jello.

"Come on in, Spikey," cried the little pink pony as she began to swim back and forth through the jello as easily if it was water. "The jello's fine!" And with that she grabbed the little dragon and dragged him inside.

A smile broke onto the portly face of Luna's persona as she watched the two of them burrow through the giant jello treat. This would keep them busy! She turned and, as soon as she was out of sight, she once again dissolved into mist and flew out the kitchen window.

************

Twilight and Celestia sat on the edge of the ornate fountain that was the centrepiece for an out-of-the-way square they had found, enjoying the little oasis of calm from the din and excitement of the main streets as they ate their snacks. The gentle tinkling of the water flowing from the mouth of the dolphin carved from the marble, which would otherwise have been so calming in another situation, did nothing for Twilight's rapidly beating heart.

The little unicorn took another bite of her deep-fried hibiscus flowers and braved a glance at Celestia. The Princess - or rather 'Tia' (Her heart pounded even harder at the thought!) - was enjoying a tofu-dog, taking dainty bites from it and chewing each mouthful so softly that it was hard to tell she was eating anything at all.

Twilight looked down at her own food and at the jagged bite-marks in it. It looked as if a beast had been gnawing on it. Oh, she'd tried so hard as a little foal to develop those exquisite manners that she'd seen every day from members of Celestia's court! It had been her dearest wish at one time, that she'd become one of them after some fashion. But her dedication to her studies, and her natural awkwardness, had put paid to that. Many of the daughters of the aristocracy had disliked her at first sight, jealous at how close she was to the Princess, and she'd retaliated against their coldness by shutting them all out and diving ever deeper into her books. Celestia had never forced her to try and follow the intricate set of rules that the nobility lived by, and Twilight knew that the truth was that the Princess found a lot of it silly, but was inclined to adhere to the old traditional ways to keep the peace among the volatile at-the-best-of-times court.

"It's what everypony expects from me," Celestia had told Twilight one evening when she'd been a foal. The Princess had arrived to her lesson late, and Twilight had been annoyed. Seeing the pout on the face of her favourite student, the alicorn had tried to explain things to her. "If I do things differently, then ponies will think that something is wrong."

"But you're the Princess!" Twilight had protested. "You can do anything you want!"

Celestia had laughed, and ruffling Twilight's fringe she'd told her, "Oh, I wish that was true, Twilight Sparkle. But you know, in a lot of ways you have more freedom than I do."

Twilight's eyes had lit up straight away. "Oh! So does that mean I can stay up late tonight? I'm in the middle of reading 'Derring Do and the Maze of the Manticore' and Derring's just found this strange key covered in ancient Eqquish hieroglyphs and..."

Celestia had laughed and replied, "Maybe just an extra hour, Miss Sparkle. You know how grumpy you become when you don't get enough sleep."

Back in the present, Celestia looked across at Twilight, who was staring at her, her mind obviously far away.

"A bit for your thoughts, Miss Sparkle?"

Twilight blinked and blushed, rubbing a forehoof against the back of her head in embarrassment. "I was just remembering back to when I was a little filly," she said.

A smile flashed across the Princess' face. "It seems so long ago now, doesn't it?"

Twilight was struck by a sudden thought. "Do- do you remember when you were a filly, Princess?"

"I had no idea you were so interested in ancient history," replied Celestia.

"What do you mean, Princess? You know I love history...Oh!" The unicorn flushed with the sudden realisation that Celestia had been making a joke. "I'm sorry. Oh! And I called you 'Princess' again, didn't I?" She shook her head in exasperation. "And I think I might have called you Princess earlier as well..."

"Oh, don't let it worry you, Twilight," the Princess reassured her. "There's nopony around to overhear us. And to answer your question, I-" She hesitated. "I don't really remember being a filly. I know I was one, once, but I can't seem to remember what it was like. I remember remembering it, though, if you understand what I mean."

Twilight nodded.

"Memories are a strange thing, aren't they?" said Celestia. "I have so many years of memories that I guess there isn't really enough space in my head for all of them, and I've lost some over the years. Some days I used to feel as though my bad memories outweighed the good ones, and I wondered whether it might be best not to remember anything at all."

Twilight looked across at her. She'd seldom heard the Princess talk this way about herself.

Celestia met her concerned gaze and grinned. "Oh, but that's not true anymore, Twilight. Ever since you entered my life, the happy memories have far outweighed the bad ones."

Twilight coughed as a piece of her flower tried to go down the wrong way, but Celestia gave her a quick telekinetic pat on the back and the offending morsel was soon dislodged.

Twilight managed to mutter a 'thank you', but then a silence settled over the two of them.

Celestia's eyes were drawn to the half-eaten snack floating in front of Twilight and finally broke the silence. "I'm afraid I've developed 'food envy'," said Celestia with a sigh. "Watching you eat that delicious looking hibiscus flower. Would you mind terribly if I tried a little nibble?"

"Oh, of course," said Twilight. She floated it across to the Princess and was surprised to see the tofu-dog fly past it on its way to her.

"Oh, you don't need to..." started the little unicorn, but Celestia shook her head.

"I'm afraid the etiquette of food-swapping is quite clear," said the Princess seriously. "I can't just steal a bite of your snack - it must be reciprocated."

Twilight stared at the tofu-dog hovering in front of her face, complete with Celestia's dainty teeth-marks on it. She knew she couldn't argue with the Princess of Equestria, even if she was supposed to be 'plain-old Tia' for the evening.

Twilight brought her muzzle close to the tofu dog and a single droplet of sweat appeared at her temple.

The Princess, meanwhile, had already taken a bite from the hibiscus flower and was making appreciative mutters. "Mmmm!" She looked across at Twilight, her eyebrows lifted in expectation.

Twilight closed her eyes. She didn't like tofu-dogs at all, but it wasn't the reason for her hesitation. All she could see in her front of her were Celestia's lips, those divine lips which had touched the snack in front of her. And her lips were about to touch the same place. It was almost as if...

Celestia's forehead furrowed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Twilight. I forgot that you don't like..."

Twilight immediately closed her mouth over the tofu-dog and took a bite, fearing the Princess would take it from her. As the mixtures of flavours hit her - the creamy tofu, the sweet, tart ketchup, the fluffy bread, and... - she felt her knees tremble.

"So what do you think?" asked Celestia.

"It's delicious, Princess," said Twilight. It was all she could do to stop from falling to her knees in bliss.

Her mind reeled. What in Equestria is wrong with you? she berated herself. The Princess must think you're crazy! Standing there, chewing on a piece of tofu dog, almost out of your mind with pleasure at...

Celestia broke the moment by swapping the two snacks back. "Is it really that delicious? I guess I didn't make such a bad decision after all."

And soon the two of them had finished their meal and were again trotting along the ancient cobblestones of the city streets. Celestia looked up at the tiny stars that had begun to appear, and stopped.

"Let's go this way," she told Twilight, leading her to a laneway so narrow it was almost imperceptible in the rapidly softening light of early evening. "I have a place I want to show you."

*******

"Good evening, Lady Fluttershy," said the tall pegasus guard at the gate that separated Princess Luna's private garden from one open to the general public. He bowed, and Fluttershy bowed quickly and awkwardly in reply.

'Lady' Fluttershy? Oh, it was far too nice an appellation for somepony as ordinary as her!

She stepped through the gate, still hesitant. Princess Luna had of course given her permission, but Fluttershy still felt as if she was imposing somehow. Then, through an archway in the hedge that screened the inner garden from the outside, she saw a flash of red, clear and bright even in the rapidly spreading twilight. It could only be one thing! The pegasus broke into an excited trot, and breasting the hedge she burst out into a sea of crimson blossoms.

The Canterlot tulips were even more beautiful than Fluttershy had ever imagined. Planted in perfect rows, each blossom standing high and plump on tall stems, the flowers spread in patterned waves that made her feel as if she was stuck in the centre of a kaleidoscope's lens.

She squealed in delight and rushed up to the nearest flowers. Oh, every one of them was perfect! Fluttershy loved flowers, and tulips were among her favourites. There was something so cheerful and bright about their round little blooms, and the Canterlot tulips, who pushed their heads forth out of the earth just as the warm days of spring arrived, were famous for the depth of their colour. Even with the sun setting, the dullness of the light did nothing to detract from their rich redness. It looked as if the entire garden was aflame!

She trotted from first one area to another, and it was then that she realised that the flowers were subtly different in colours - some were russet, with undercurrents more brown than crimson, while others drifted towards purple as well. Her heart filled with joy. Oh, what a lovely sight! She was so happy that the Princess had allowed her to come and enjoy it.

Breaking into a skip, Fluttershy began to hum to herself as she pranced between the rows of tulips, talking to each of them in turn. And then, happy to have been able to meet each of the little blossoms newly woken from the earth, she made her farewells and went to explore the rest of the garden.

Far above, perched on the top of the statue of Discord, Luna watched Fluttershy gambolling from one beautiful part of her garden to the next. The little pegasus danced among the roses, smelling each of them in turn with a delicate snout until a puff of pollen shot out of one and she sneezed in an adorable miniature explosion. Her long pink mane flopped in front of her eyes and she galloped about in a panic until she managed to poke her face out again and see where she was. From there, Fluttershy wandered about the night-garden, delighting in the scents of the jasmine and the violets and the angel's trumpets that filled the cool evening air. And finally, drowsy from the delicate fragrances, she daintily picked her way among the herb-maze, and Luna found herself more and more enchanted by the pegasus pony's long legs and awkwardly hesitant way of walking.

Truly, she has no idea of how beautiful she is, thought Luna to herself, and so her heart is as innocent as a child's. She sighed. Oh, how different she was from every other beautiful pony she had known! Timidity where Luna's gorgeous elder sister had power and confidence, gentleness where oh-so-many of the beauties of Celestia's court nursed a carefully-concealed arrogance. And she had a joy in simple acts, as Luna herself was just now beginning to discover, after so many centuries of being dismissive of such things as trivial foolishness.

And all at once the Princess of the Moon envied the shy little pegasus, and the tender spark that had hidden in Luna's heart, kindled back when the time they had first met in Ponyville, was warmed by the cool night air into a gentle glow. But just as quickly, Luna's laughing spirit leaped up and she at once began to think of a most delightful way to play a prank on Fluttershy. Oh, it would be so much fun to hear her frightened 'eep', to see those dainty hooves dance backwards in alarm!

But first the stage must be set!

With a nod of her horn, Luna set the hidden lights that festooned the trees and hedges of her garden alight, and all at once the entire place was turned into a sparkling wonderland of a thousand different colours.

At the sudden brightness, Fluttershy yelped and shied away, scrambling backwards with her hooves from the big oak that had suddenly become a fairy-castle of red and blue and yellow and green lights, as if a rainbow of stars had burst into life in its branches all at once. But her timidity was soon replaced with open-mouthed delight, and she trotted forward, gasping at the gorgeousness of the scene before her.

Luna watched, mesmerised, and the feeling of warmth in her heart deepened.

Not long after, a black-coated stallion, with a grey mane and stern green eyes, appeared in the gardens. With his great black-feathered wings furled against his sides, he walked slowly out of the nearby hedge-maze, admiring the many statues of famous ponies of history arrayed in rows around it.

Nearby, Fluttershy made an excited squeal, and the stallion turned to look. And when he caught sight of her, he broke into a gentle trot, a thin smile appearing on his ruggedly handsome face.

Fluttershy was admiring the veils of glittering lights, walking from one tree to another, her eyes growing wider and her heart fuller with each beautiful sight, and so she had no idea the stallion was approaching her from behind until he was almost on top of her.

"Good evening," said the stallion suddenly.

At once, Fluttershy leaped backwards against a nearby jasminum bush which, although it stopped her flight, didn't prevent her hooves from continuing to skitter beneath her.

The stallion stared down at her kindly. "I really must apologise. Did I startle you?" He gently helped the trembling pegasus out of the bush with a forehoof. "I was just surprised to find somepony else here, enjoying Princess Luna's garden."

At the mention of the Princess' name, Fluttershy's heart, which was fluttering madly, became calmer, and she managed a tiny, nervous smile. "Oh, you- you're a friend of Princess Luna's?" She caught sight of the wings furled at his side, and of the striking cutie-mark he bore - that of a red scimitar wreathed in flames. "Oh, but of course you are," she continued, dropping her eyes.

"Let's not sit on ceremony," said the stallion kindly. "I may be a member of the nobility, but I've never been one to stand for all the tiresome protocols of the court." He smiled. "Would you care to join me? I came to the gardens to enjoy some peace and quiet away from the festivities, but I find that charming company is never unwelcome."

Fluttershy blushed at the word 'charming' and she nodded.

The dark stallion led Fluttershy between the rows of flowers, and together they stopped and admired them. The little pegasus was delighted to explain what each flower was, and the stallion nodded appreciatively at every comment.

Soon they reached a little pagoda on a raised lawn, and the stallion indicated to Fluttershy that they should walk up to it. As soon as they stepped within its marble-columned shelter, he gently turned Fluttershy's face so that she was looking out across the gardens. From this angle, the geometric shapes that the flower beds had been planted in became clearer - and the pegasus 'oooh'ed at the sight.

A smile played over the stallion's lips as he watched her child-like joy. "So, which are your favourite blossoms, may I ask?"

Fluttershy smiled shyly. With the stallion standing right next to her, she could smell his gentle scent. It was strangely feminine, the smell of jasmine, and it made her think of warm summer nights in her own home in Ponyville.

"Oh, I love all flora and fauna," she said at last. "But... I think I love the tulips the best."

"An excellent choice," the stallion remarked, and Fluttershy immediately blushed.

"Tha-thank you," she said, looking up at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Do you see the pattern that the blossoms are in?" said the dark stallion.

Fluttershy felt herself shiver under the gaze of his cool green eyes. "Uh... yes, of... course." It was true - the tulips did make a pattern, one of a great, red heart.

"Glorious," said the stallion. "Simply glorious." He took a step closer to her. "As red as wine or maybe even blood, aren't they?"

"It's... it's so nice that a stallion can enjoy something like flowers," said Fluttershy shyly. "The stallions I know usually aren't interested in them at all."

The stallion laughed deeply. The rich sound had a hint of mockery, but it was not unkindly. "You know," said the stallion. "Everypony remembers me for my military conquests, but nopony remembers my love of flowers. This garden was a gift of mine, for someone special. But I'm glad that you are here to enjoy it with me now."

"Your... military conquests?" whispered Fluttershy. Her heart beat rapidly. The tall stallion's coat was giving off the most delightful warmth, and part of her wanted to move closer to enjoy it. But another part of her feared the coolness in his eyes, and was wary of the teasing nature of his words. "Are... are you a member of Princess Celestia's Royal guard?"

Again the deep laugh. "Oh no!" he said. "Quite the contrary. Actually, on many occasions I have been compelled to fight against the Royal Guard."

Fluttershy took a step back, her eyes going wide. "You... you've fought against the Royal Guard?"

The stallion nodded. "A very long time ago. In fact, I think It will be a nigh on one thousand years almost to the day."

Fluttershy's heart beat fit to burst from her chest. "But... but that means you're as old as Princess Celestia!"

"I'm not as old as the Celestia," replied the stallion with a sneer at the Princess' name. "But I did accomplish far more than she ever did. I expanded Equestrian territory from horizon to horizon in her name, and what did I earn for my troubles? Everypony forgetting my name and my deeds, that is what! But now I have returned to remind them all of who I am."

Fluttershy's ears went back and she began to tremble all over. "I know you! You're..."

"Yes!" The stallion unfurled his great black wings, and cutting off the world of fairy lights, they plunged Fluttershy into darkness. "I am Darkmane, Duke of Hoofington and true heir to Equestria!"

The pegasus yelped, took a single step backwards, and then turned and fled.

Darkmane's eyes flickered and turned teal, and his lips curled up in amusement as he watched the Pegasus fleeing. Then the illusion fully fled away, and the face of Princess Luna appeared, replacing that of the darkly handsome stallion.

Oh, what fun! The charming pegasus had reacted just as she'd expected. Soon she would be lost in the maze, unable to find her way out. But the game was not yet finished. The other ponies had been dealt with, so perhaps she could afford to indulge in a little fun of her own. It was not yet time for the moon to rise, and she would have plenty of time to see to it later.

Luna saw Fluttershy gallop back past the arched entrance of the hedge, her pink mane flying behind her in a most ravishingly beautiful display of feminine panic, and she smiled deep in her heart. Once again she assumed the form of Darkmane and with a deep, sonorous laugh she galloped into the hedge maze after her.

"Wait, my pretty!" she cried in the Duke's voice. "I did not mean to alarm you! Please, do not flee from me! I only wish to speak with you further."

There was a loud 'eep!' from somewhere ahead, and grinning, Luna galloped off in pursuit of her frightened quarry.

To be continued

Chapter 7

"Oh, do hurry up, Applejack," said Rarity, pulling the earth pony behind her. "We must find a discrete vantage point from which to observe the two lovers' meeting."

"'Observe'?" repeated Applejack, her eyes narrowing. "Don'cha mean 'spy'?"

"Please, Applejack," replied the exasperated unicorn. "We simply cannot miss seeing all our hard work come to fruition!"

Applejack felt her heart sink at the words 'all our hard work'. Rarity had got so swept up in the whole Rainbow-Twilight thing, she wasn't making a lick o' sense anymore!

"Over there!" said Rarity. She'd spotted some steps not far away that led up to a small garden around the base of a tower. It was little more than a single hawthorn-tree surrounded by low jasminum bushes, sprinkled with white flowers. They were giving off a delightful perfume with the advent of the evening, and the sweet scent wafted thickly on the breeze that was sweeping down from the mountain above them. The unicorn found a larger bush and stepped daintily behind it, pulling Applejack after her.

Rarity snuck her muzzle out the side of the bush and clopped her hooves together. "This is perfect!"

Applejack sighed and sat back on her haunches. "Well, Ah'm of the opinion Twi and Rainbow should have a little privacy," she said. "What, with all the romancin' that's about to occur an' all..."

Rarity sniffed. "We shall make ourselves scarce if anything too intimate occurs," she said, pointing her horn at the arched entrance to the tower just behind them. "I am certainly no 'peeping tom'."

"Then what do y' call all this," muttered Applejack.

"Oh, do hush a little, darling," Rarity whispered hoarsely. "Somepony is coming!"

Rainbow Dash swept out of the night sky and landed on the battlements. She trotted quickly up and down the whole length of them, but when she couldn't find anypony, she sat down on a buttress and waited.

"And now for our other actor to take the stage," said Rarity, breathless.

The night sky, with its myriad of stars, beckoned to Twilight from above as she climbed the final sets of steps that led up onto the battlements. And then she was out in the clear air of the evening, the cool Canterlot winds blowing her mane about her face.

And there, sitting on a buttress waiting for her, was...

"Rainbow Dash?"

The pegasus turned her head at the sound of her name.

"Twilight?" said Rainbow. She hopped off the buttress and trotted up to her friend. "So it was you." A look of concern flashed across her face. "Is everything alright? I-"

Twilight interrupted her. "I was about to ask you the very same thing."

Rainbow blinked in confusion. "I came here straight away, just like you asked," she replied. "So what's up?"

"Like I asked?" repeated Twilight. "But I didn't-"

Rainbow grinned suddenly. "Aw, no need to be so embarrassed," she said. "I think I know what's going on." She gave Twilight a gentle punch on the shoulder. "Don't tell me - you've got a crush on your old pal Rainbow Dash, right?"

"A crush?" Twilight shook her head. "What in Equestria are you talking about?"

"Oh, you know," said Rainbow, twirling a forehoof in the air. "It's the Spring Moon Festival, all that romance talk at lunch... I guess it got you thinking about your feelings."

Twilight broke in. "Rainbow, you're not making any sense!"

"Hey," said Rainbow. "It's not your fault, Twilight. A lot of ponies are totally into the Dash. And I'm actually really, really, flattered you feel that way, but..."

Twilight groaned in exasperation. "Look, Rainbow. Just listen for a moment. I came here because of the letter you sent!"

"I didn't send any letter," said Rainbow, frowning. "You're the one who sent me a letter."

"No, I didn't," said Twilight, firmly. She'd begun to feel very foolish indeed, standing here on the battlements in the cold wind arguing with this exasperating pegasus!

"But then, who-" A sudden rustling from nearby made Rainbow's agile ears twitch, and she looked through the corner of her eye at where the noise had come from.

A secretive smile flashed on the pegasus' lips, and she leaned close to Twilight. "I was starting to think this was all just a Pinkie Pie prank," she whispered. "But look over there - no, not right at them! They'll know you're looking."

Twilight glanced across at the little garden above them. The rustling had stopped, but she saw straight away what Rainbow had spotted. Sticking out of the top of a jasminum bush were a unicorn horn and a Stetson hat.

Twilight's eyes went wide. "Is that-?"

Rainbow nodded. "It's them alright."

Behind the bush, Rarity had grabbed Applejack's foreleg and was squeezing it. "Oh, look, darling!" she gushed. "Their faces are so close together! They must be whispering their confessions to each other."

Applejack winced in pain, and struggled to escape the unicorn's excited grip. "But don'cha think Twi looks awful confused?"

Rarity snorted. "Well of course she is, darling," she whispered. "She's still struggling to acknowledge her feelings for Rainbow, the poor dear."

As they watched Rainbow and Twilight talking, a smile burst out in Twilight's face, and Rarity gasped.

Applejack's eyes went wide. "Don' tell me-"

Twilight was trying her best to contain the laughter that was threatening to explode from inside her. "Do those two really think-"

"-that we're an item?" Rainbow chuckled. "I think they do!"

"But what gave them that idea?" asked Twilight.

"Oh, who knows with those two," said Rainbow. She moved a little closer to Twilight. "But I've just had a great idea for a prank."

Twilight leaned closer to hear what the pegasus had to say, her eyes glittering mischievously. "A prank? Oh, what kind of-"

But her question was cut off by Rainbow throwing her forelegs around her neck and kissing her, hard, on the mouth.

Twilight was so surprised she made no attempt to struggle, but just fell limp in the pegasus' embrace.

Behind the jasminum bush, Rarity gasped. She put a hoof against her forehead and fell back in a faint, and she would have fallen straight onto the ground had Applejack not caught her up in her forelegs.

"Ah think this is our signal to exit stage left," said Applejack, pulling the unconscious unicorn back through the arched doorway. As she did, a relieved smile played across her face. So Rarity had been right all along! Thank Celestia for that!

Twilight squirmed out of Rainbow's embrace and pushed her away, spluttering. "Rainbow, what are you trying to do?"

The pegasus pony was confused. "Aw, c'mon Twilight. It was just a joke! Now, when we go to the supper, those two will think we're an item and we can prank 'em and everypony else even more!"

Twilight felt strange. It had felt all wrong when Rainbow had kissed her, as if she'd had something stolen from her. Oh, and the evening had been such a wonderful one until that letter had appeared...

Twilight was suddenly fiercely angry. It had all been a joke! She'd been made to worry for no good reason, and she'd been dragged away from spending time with Tia.

Wait... Tia!

Without a word, Twilight turned and galloped away, leaving Rainbow Dash staring at her in confusion.

"Hey, Twilight, wait!" the pegasus shouted after her. "It was just a prank!"

Twilight didn't hear her. She was already racing down the stairs and retracing the path she'd taken from the little garden where shed left Tia waiting.

"Tia! Tia!" she cried, as she galloped through the hall with its murals. She almost fell over as she turned the corner and skidded through the archway - but Tia was no longer there.

The garden was empty. All that was there was the tree that Tia had been so eager to show her. But in the time since Twilight had left her there, the flowers had fallen in earnest, and now the ground was a carpet of little pink petals. There were only a handful of blossoms left.

For some reason, the sight made Twilight feel as if she'd just been bucked in the stomach. She stared at the tree. It looked so dark and twisted and naked now, old and ugly, and a sudden despair filled her.

"Tia..."

She turned and fled.

**********

As Rainbow flew back from the castle, she wracked her brains trying to work out why Twilight had reacted so strongly to her kiss. Something strange was going on inside that egghead's head!

But there was no time to worry about that right now. There was awesomeness to be performed, and Spitfire and the Amateur Aerial Performance Team were waiting for her!

She came in low over the little mountain ridge where she had left them, and found the team milling about, seemingly unaware that it was almost show-time.

As soon as Rainbow landed, the black-maned stallion who was wearing the letter Q raced up to her. "Is it go-time, Rainbow Dash?" he asked eagerly.

Rainbow nodded. "The moon should start to rise any minute." She looked about at the disorganised pegasi and frowned. "But why aren't you guys all ready for take-off? Where's Spitfire?"

"We thought she was with you," said the purple-maned mare wearing the letter P.

"Oh, I saw her fly over earlier," said Ditzy, walking up. She was struggling with her harness, and the letter E had fallen on its side to become the letter M. "She went off that-a way." The blonde-maned pegasus pointed towards the castle.

"But I just came from the castle!" protested Rainbow.

Ditzy slapped a foreleg to her head. "Oh, derp! I meant that -a way!" She pointed in the opposite direction.

Rainbow brought a forehoof to her face and groaned. "Are you sure she went that way, Ditzy?"

Ditzy nodded, and returned to messing with her harness. The E had become the number 3 now.

Rainbow grabbed the harness from her and with a swift unbuckling and buckling of belts she fixed it so that it was the right way up again.

"Promise me you won't mess with it anymore, Ditzy," said Rainbow.

"I won't," said the pegasus, smiling indefatigably. "Oh, I mean 'I promise!'"

Rainbow looked in the direction Ditzy had pointed. There was nothing that way but windswept mountaintops. What in Equestria was Spitfire thinking?

She turned to the rest of the team. "I'm just going to go find Spitfire," she said. "Until I get back, you're all under the command of..." She looked across the line, blinking at the black-maned stallion with the Q, the purple-maned mare with the P, until finally she was staring at Ditzy.

Spitfire's voice echoed in her head. "The kid's got heart. She reminds me of another pegasus I know..."

Rainbow smiled at the blonde-maned pegasus. "...you're all under the command of Ditzy here."

Ditzy stared blankly for a while, uncomprehending, but when the truth of the situation finally trickled down to her, she leaped into the air. "Oh, thank you Rainbow Dash!" She saluted with her left forehoof, then with her right, and finally with her left again. "I promise I won't let you down."

Rainbow rolled her eyes and managed a smile. "I know you won't, Ditzy." Then she came closer, and in a whisper she said, "Listen, don't do anything until I get back, okay? Not a thing. Do you understand?"

Ditzy nodded enthusiastically. "I won't do a thing, Rainbow Dash."

"Look, it'll just take a jiffy," said the rainbow-maned pegasus. "Something tells me Spitfire's not far away."

Ditzy nodded enthusiastically. "She was flying really slowly. I guess she probably couldn't see very far ahead, since she was crying so much!"

"Crying?" Rainbow heart sank. "I've got to go." And with that she leaped into the air and swiftly disappeared into the deepening darkness.

Ditzy waved goodbye until she couldn't see Rainbow Dash's shape anymore against the still-light western horizon. Then she turned to find the entire Amateur Performance Team staring at her.

Ditzy's heart bounced around inside her chest like a muffin shoved into a washing machine, but she did her best to ignore it and smiled the widest, brightest smile she could manage.

"So, what should we do, Ditzy?" asked the purple-maned P.

'Yeah, what should we do?" asked the black-maned Q.

Ditzy, still smiling, looked at them dumbly for a few heartbeats. Then at last she cheerfully replied:

"Nothing!"

*********

Applejack and Rarity stood in Princess Celestia's private garden. A number of tables had been set up, decorated with freshly cut flowers and all sorts of refreshing drinks and light snacks. There was a veritable army of unicorn waiters there as well, all dressed in black tie and carrying trays of hors d'oeuvres and drinks as they wandered about the garden looking for somepony to offer them to.

But with the other guests yet to arrive, they had settled in orbit around Applejack and Rarity, periodically proffering a snack or a drink to the two bemused ponies.

"Where in tarnation is everypony?" muttered Applejack. "This party's as deserted as the farm come bath-day!"

"It is strange," said Rarity. The little cucumber sandwich, which she had accepted earlier out of politeness from an apologetic waiter, hovered in front of her as yet unsampled. "I suppose they might all just be fashionably late."

The waiter whose turn it was to approach them walked up with his tray of drinks.

"Might I interest either of you ladies in some elderflower wine?" he asked, looking at the two eagerly. He was a unicorn like all the others, white-coated with a slicked-back black mane and pale blue eyes.

"No, thank ya kindly," said Applejack. "But ah will take one of those apple turnovers." She trotted over to another waiter and took one off the platter she smilingly offered. "All this waitin' is hungry work!"

"Has there been any word from the Princess?" Rarity asked the waiter with the drinks.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he replied. "I really have no idea where Her Highness is. It is very unlike her to be late."

Rarity tutted and turned to Applejack. "And we have such wonderful news to share!" Her eyes glistened with sudden eagerness. "Oh, I wonder what our little lovebirds are up to right now. There must have been a tearful farewell, I expect, with Rainbow having to go off and prepare for the show, but promising to hurry back as soon as equinely possible..."

Applejack sighed. "Look, Rarity," she said. "Ah've been fixin' to say this all evening. Ah reckon we've probably meddled enough in the whole Rainbow-Twilight thing, an' should jus' leave things be for a while..."

"'Meddled'?" Rarity arched a single eyebrow. "Darling, that's not the word I would have-"

"Nah hear me out, sug'," said Applejack quickly. "You've gotta admit, you've been real single-minded about the whole situation. So much so, Ah've started to think that maybe there's somethin' else behind it."

Rarity dropped her gaze and stared at the sandwich still hovering before her. Then she sighed. "Perhaps there is," she said.

"An' that's...?" pressed Applejack.

Rarity looked at the earth pony, her expression a mixture of hesitation and eagerness. "It's just that, well, with all our sneaking around, keeping our own romance a secret, I thought that perhaps, if there were another couple in our group of friends, you'd be encouraged to make our own relationship public."

Applejack was taken aback. "Ah... well, ah see what you mean," she said sheepishly. "But don' you think we've been goin' around this the wrong way? Maybe, just a gentle lil nudge here an' there, an'-"

Rarity snorted. "Oh, Apple-jack! As if 'a gentle lil nudge' would have brought us together! Why, if it hadn't been for that storm and you losing your hat, no doubt you'd have ended up in a romance with some rough cowpoke or rodeo-type, and I'd have ended up with some prince or other..." Visions of Prince Blueblood appeared before her, and she shivered.

"Well, be tha' as it may," said Applejack, "Maybe we should let Twi an' Rainbow handle things from here on in."

"Perhaps you're right, darling," said Rarity. "Oh, once again your down-to-earth wisdom has saved me from looking like a complete foal!"

She slipped up close and was about to nuzzle the earth pony when there was suddenly consternation at the far end of the garden. The waiters who had gathered there hurriedly stepped aside as Spike burst through and rushed up to Applejack and Rarity, a look of horror on his face.

"AJ, Rarity! Thank Celestia I found you," he cried, breathless. "Pinkie Pie's been rushed to hospital!"

"Oh, good gravy," said Applejack, dropping her apple turnover. "What in tarnation happened to her? She didn't fall off Mount Snackmore, did she?"

"The doctor says it's a chocolate -overdose," said Spike.

Rarity's eyes went wide. "A chocolate overdose? Oh, the poor darling! Is she alright?"

Spike nodded. "The doctor says she'll be fine, but she'll need to stay there overnight so he can monitor her."

"Well, that explains where everypony else is, then," continued Rarity. "We should go there right away and join them at her si-"

Spike shook his head. "I was the only one there. I just came to find everypony else." He looked around. "Hey, where is everypony?"

"Tha's the sixty-thousand bit question," muttered Applejack. "Ah say we should go round 'em up. With Pinkie asickenin', she'll need all the support of her friends."

"I'll go find Twilight and Princess Celestia," said Spike. "I know the city and the castle best out of everypony."

"Ya might want ta try the Eastern battlements for Twilight," said Applejack. "Ah've a feelin' you'll find her somewhere round those parts." Spike looked at her curiously, but when no further information was forthcoming from the earth pony, he saluted and rushed off as fast as his little legs would carry him in the direction of the Eastern Battlements.

"Then we shall go find Fluttershy," said Rarity. "She said she was going to Princess Luna's private gardens as I recall, so she can't be far away. The dear has probably just let time run away with her looking at all the flowers and so on."

"Then let's get a spur under our saddles," said Applejack. "The raising of the moon'll be happenin' any moment, and it'd be a terrible shame if we all missed it."

*********

"Late, late, late, late, late!" muttered Luna as she struggled, with a combination of pushing and of her telekinetic magic, to get the gargantuan silver-yellow orb of the moon to shift. It was lying in its customary resting place in the centre of the Great Western Desert, in the valley known as the Moon's Repose, surrounded by endless dunes of ochre and russet sand. Usually, it took mere moments for the Princess to make a magical connection with the satellite and set it in eager motion, but for some reason the moon steadfastly refused to move tonight, no matter how hard she tried.

Luna slumped back on her haunches and stared at the gigantic orb. "Have you put on a couple of kilotons since yesterday?" she asked it in exasperation. The moon liked being talked to, but tonight the mischievous shimmer that usually greeted the Princess' joking was replaced by a dull dourness. "Oh, I know. It's stage-fright, isn't it? Come one now, old friend. It's spring! Your time to shine! You have to get out there and wow my subjects with your beautiful light."

Luna began to push again. She put her back into it this time, and her horn began to shine in unison with her exertion. The moon shifted the tiniest fraction, but then settled back into its little hollow with a shower of sand.

She stared at it, forehooves on her hips, and felt an old emotion - frustration - starting to well up within her.

Maybe there wasn't anything wrong with the moon.

Maybe there was something wrong with her.

Try as she might, Luna had been unable to shake the strange feelings of lassitude that had gripped her. She usually delighted in raising the moon - it was, after all, her reason for existing. And tonight was the night of the Spring Moon, when the moon was supposed to be at its brightest and most beautiful. And she, too, was supposed to be at her brightest and most beautiful as well.

But she felt far from it. She felt cold and lonely, and the only thing on her mind were two beautiful cyan eyes, filled with terror, as they gazed upon her. A terror she had caused.

After all her attempts to fit in, why did everypony still expect the worse of her?

Luna's frustration quickly began to sublimate into anger.

"Don't move then," she growled, and kicked the huge orb, which resounded with a noise like the ringing of a gigantic bell. "Disobey your mistress, who knows and loves you best. No doubt you hate and fear her, too, like the others. See if I care one jot. I shall never raise you again. Let all of Equestria languish in darkness!"

Then as quickly as it had taken hold, her anger scared her. She fell forward against the moon, wrapped her forelegs around its curvature, and burst into tears.

"Oh, I am so sorry I shouted at you," she wailed. "It's just that everything is going wrong! First with Fluttershy, and then with Twilight Sparkle and my sister, and now with you..." She rubbed her face against the smooth and gently warm surface, moistening it with her tears. "I feel so alone, moon."

She lay against it for a while, letting the sobs wrack her body. After a while, she felt better.

"I can't let everypony down," she whispered finally. "I have to raise you. It is my duty, no matter how I feel."

Once again, she pushed at the moon - but again, it gave just a little, and shifted only a short distance in the sand. It had begun to flicker, but it still refused to light into its full glowing majesty.

Luna stepped back. She rubbed the tears from her eyes, then went to push again, but stopped.

Luna felt that horrible sadness welling up within her again and every bone in her body made her want to slump down into the sand, defeated. But beneath that sadness was that anger, the same dark, black anger that had once taken control of her.

"We are not to be trifled with!" she shouted, slipping back into the Canterlot voice without even realising it. "Thou noisome orb! Thou shalt do our bidding!"

She pushed one back hoof into the sand, and then another, making her body taut, and then, channelling magical energy from every part of her body, her horn began to glow blue. It jetted out and took hold of the moon, the magic growing stronger as she moved forward to push herself bodily against it.

"Nothing shall stand in our way!" she cried. "For we are Luna, Princess of the Moon!"

Her anger exhilarated her.

She felt something give inside of her. It was as if her anger had unlocked some place within her, a place filled with limitless energy, and now more and more of it was pumping along her spine and down her horn, which started to glow incandescent. It was quickly becoming too much for her - oh, where was it all coming from? - and suddenly the welling up of magical energy peaked, and Luna cried out in abandon as she drove her horn forward to touch the flickering surface of the moon.

As soon as the tip of her horn came into contact with it, the magic was released in a torrent. She felt as though every part of her was flowing out, flowing along her horn and into the moon, and the more she gave, the more there was for her to give. It seemed without end, as if she was a conduit between some bottomless well of energy, mainlining it right into the now wildly glowing orb.

With a final, gargantuan effort, she pushed out the last of energy that was threatening to overwhelm her and the moon suddenly skidded forward, all resistive force gone in an instant. It careened across the sand, skipped once, then twice, and then began rolling across the flat sands again, gaining momentum as it did.

Luna was near exhausted by the expulsion of almost every drop of her magic, but she struggled to her feet and launched herself into the air, chasing after the moon.

The mighty orb was picking up speed, fuelled from within by the magic that Luna had bestowed upon it, and she found it a struggle to catch up. It was going much too fast! At this rate, it would roll right past Canterlot and end up somewhere in the Eastern Ocean.

The moon spun across the sand, with the Princess in hot pursuit. She gritted her teeth with exertion as she flew faster and faster, gaining on the out of control satellite slowly but surely. At last it skittered up a mighty dune as tall as a mountain, the largest of all the gigantic dunes of the Great Western Desert, and like a cannonball shot up into the air and was aloft. It flew ever higher into the sky, larger, brighter, faster than it had ever been in all the history of Equestria.

Luna, in her panic, found some tiny hidden reserve of energy and, beating her wings until she felt like they were no longer part of her, she finally caught up with the giant sparkling satellite. She jetted in front of it, and with a blistering spear of her telekinetic magic, she forced it back-

-or rather, she tried to. For the beam of magic sheered from the glowing surface of the moon, boiling away like water skittering across a hot-plate, and Luna's eyes went wide in horror as the implacable sphere smashed straight into her.

Winded and dazed, but unharmed, she clung on desperately as the glittering orb pushed her backwards at break-neck speed through the freezing cold night.

"You will do my bidding!" shrieked Luna, as she struggled to dislodge the magical connection, but it was impossible in her weakened state. "I command you to cease your movement!" But the moon remained taciturn.

It powered onwards through the sky towards Canterlot, with Luna clinging on for dear life, her cry of dismay echoing across the painted sands of the empty desert.

"Zooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuunnds!"

**********

Twilight galloped across the ancient stone floors of the castle's winding corridors in desperation.

She had been so sure that Celestia would be waiting for her at the party, but as she had galloped through the little courtyard that separated the Princess' garden from the bulk of the castle, the pegasus guard stationed there had called out to her.

"Lady Sparkle! Are you looking for Her Highness?"

Twilight came careening to a stop and galloped up to him. "Isn't she at the party?"

He shook his head. "The Princess is not there. A short while ago I saw Her Highness come out from the castle, making for the gardens, but she did not enter them and instead returned this way." The guard came closer to her and whispered. "Lady Sparkle, I fear something terrible has happened. The Princess-"

"Yes?"

The guard shook his head, as if he didn't believe what he was about to say. "The Princess - there were tears in her eyes."

The horrible feeling that had begun with the sight of that dark, gnarled tree intensified. Her knees felt suddenly too weak to hold her up, and she feared she would collapse. But the desperate need to find the Princess gave her strength.

She knew she had to find her, or else...

Or else what?

...

She didn't know.

"God speed, Lady Sparkle!" cried the guard as Twilight turned and galloped through back through the gate to the inner castle. "If anypony can mend the heart of our beloved Princess, it is you."

Mend her heart?

From there Twilight hurried to the Princess' study, but found it deserted, the guards posted at the door completely ignorant of Celestia's whereabouts. And so she galloped willy-nilly in a panic, checking every other place the Princess could be - the throne room, the Tower of Vigilance, her favourite walk along the northern battlements - everywhere she could think of.

Finally, Twilight found herself trotting exhausted into the Royal Library. The chances of Celestia being there were very small, she knew, but she had to be sure.

She checked each of the aisles in turn, feeling more and more foolish the more she looked. Why would Celestia have come here, of all places? She was stupid, so stupid, to think there was any chance of her being here!

Twilight fell to her knees, tears starting in her eyes. It was more in a desperate desire to find a place of peace and calm, to work things out, that had drawn her here. But her memories offered her little solace, and instead they fed the great sadness welling up in her heart.

Twilight remembered. Once, long ago, she had come here to find a book - it had been a genealogy of the monarchs of the Griffon Kingdom, as she recalled - and she had been surprised to see Celestia come in. It was unusual for the Princess to come to the Library, as she usually had the Royal Librarian send any books she needed directly to her study.

Twilight had shadowed her as she'd walked to one of the older parts of the library. She'd looked left and right, then with a sparkle of telekinetic magic, had brought down a book from the highest shelf and begun to read it. At that point Twilight had decided to approach her, and the Princess had been startled by the appearance of the little filly...

"Twilight Sparkle!" Celestia said, trying to regain her composure. "What are you doing, still awake? Isn't it past your bedtime?"

Twilight nodded, a little guilty. "Oh, I know it is, Princess. But I was just reading a history book about the Griffon-Pony war and the author made a reference to..."

Celestia laughed. "That's my little bookworm! I should have expected that I'd run into you here. Hey!"

Twilight squeezed past her and got up on the tips of her hind hooves in an attempt to read the title of the book Celestia had tried to hide behind her back. "What're you reading, Princess?"

"Oh, it's nothing," replied Celestia. "Just some old book-"

"An old book?" Twilight's eyes sparkled in interest. "Oh, please let me see!"

With a sigh Celestia floated the book down to her filly-eye view, and she eagerly read out the title.

"Romantick Spellef for the Ardent Swain" She looked up and frowned. "Spell-ef?"

"That isn't an 'f', Twilight," laughed Celestia. "It's just an old-fashioned way of writing an 's'."

"Why do you want to read this book?" asked Twilight. She knew that romantic was just another way of talking about all that love stuff. It seemed odd for her teacher to want to read something like that!

"I just wanted to look up a certain spell in it, that's all," said Celestia. "Now, I think that-"

"Which spell?" pressed Twilight.

"You're not going to give me any peace until you know, aren't you?" asked Celestia in exasperation. Then she sighed and smiled indulgently. "If I tell you what spell I was looking up, do you promise to take yourself off to bed?"

"I promise!" said Twilight eagerly. Oh, what sort of spell could it be? Something powerful and astounding, no doubt!

"Oh, it's a silly little spell," said Celestia dismissively. "It just shows you where the pony who is foremost in your heart is. One of the Princesses of ancient times created it to keep track of a husband with a wandering eye, or something of the sort."

"Sooooo, it's a love spell?"

"Of a sort, yes," replied Celestia.

"Love?" Twilight stuck out her tongue. "Yuck!"

Celestia stifled a laugh. "Oh, Twilight Sparkle. I would tend to agree with you there. Love can be yucky. And yet-"

She never finished the sentence.

"I thought you were looking up a powerful spell," said Twilight, disappointed.

"It is a very powerful spell," said Celestia. "Even though it doesn't make things explode or turn them to stone or anything like that." She came close to Twilight, a curious look on her face, and she whispered "You see, it's one of the very few spells designed to work on an alicorn."

"An alicorn? Like you?"

Celestia laughed and nodded. "Yes, like me. You see, alicorns have a special talent of being close to the source of rainbow magic. It's a great power, but it can also be a great burden. You always have to be careful that it doesn't get out of control. Do you remember what happened during your entrance test for the School for Gifted Unicorns?"

Twilight nodded. "When I hatched Spike?"

"The very same," said Celestia. "That feeling of incredible power surging through you? Well, that was Rainbow Magic in its purest form. Alicorns feel that all the time, and we have to learn to control it. Anyway, having all that magic inside us means that most normal magic directed towards us doesn't work."

"But there's a spell in that book that does?"

Celestia nodded. "In the future, it might be important for me to have some magic at my disposal that will affect an alicorn. You know, just in case."

"But none of the other alicorns would ever want to do anything bad to you, Princess!" protested Twilight. She tried to imagine her foal-sitter Cadence standing up against Celestia and trying to fight her. The image was ridiculous!

A shadow passed over Celestia's face. "Well, perhaps I just want to be careful. Not every alicorn is as kind as your foal-sitter."

"So why do these spells work on alicorns?"

"They go straight to the heart," explained Celestia. "Sometimes, that's the only part of us that is open to the rest of the world." She patted Twilight on the head. "Now, about that promise you made..."

Twilight had forgotten all about that book until today. Something deep in her heart had brought her here.

She raced down to the oldest section of the library, where the spell-books were all written in Middle or Old Eqquish. But there were so many of them! The shelves stretched away from her in every direction, and her heart sank. It would take forever to find it!

She slapped herself on the forehead with a hoof. Twilight, you foal! Are you so flustered that you've forgotten you're a librarian?

She located the card catalogue and with a sparkle of her horn, she flipped her way through the myriad of old, yellow cards. Luckily, they were kept in good order by the fierce Royal Librarian, and she soon found what she was looking for.

She galloped to the far end of one of the aisles and swept book after book down from the shelves, leaving them lying higgledy-piggledy on the floor, until at last she found it.

The book was as ancient as she remembered, a massive volume held together with an iron clasp and gorgeously bound in vellum, each of its pages lovingly illuminated and written in the gorgeous cursive hand which few now knew how to emulate. She quickly opened it and flipped to the spell Celestia had spoken of all those years ago.

A Most Potent Spelle of Location

For the swain, perchance beset by jealousy, who seeks to know where their errant lover may be found.

Twilight, in her haste, was eager to skip the rest of the spell's verse preface, but the final stanza leaped out at her. It was a warning.

princeps, cave!
This spelle is intended only for those
who are bewracked by true love's throws,
Those seeking not their heart's desire,
shall to their woe find it misfire.

Twilight's heart sank. Her heart's desire? Oh, but surely that meant a romantic love, not the love of a student for her teach-

She shook her head. It didn't matter. She had to try. The spell had to work. She had to find Tia, or else something terrible would happen. She felt the truth of that in the very marrow of her bones. Something inexorable and irreversible was going to happen, and she was the only one who could stop it.

Twilight quickly read the spell, letting the words unravel and reform together in her mind into the blueprint that would channel and balance the magic to alter reality in just the way it was intended to. The strange symbols in the margins glowed and leaped off the page, spiralling about her like errant fireflies, and then they lodged themselves one by one in her mind - and straight away she was flooded with images of Tia, from the first moment she'd seen her at the Raising of the Sun, to those final awkward moments at the dying tree - every moment they had spent together went flashing through her mind, like the cards in the catalogue she had flipped through to find the book. The spell fed on the information, and then she knew.

She knew exactly where Celestia was.

The Princess was in a room, deep, deep within the centre of the castle. A place Twilight had never been to, a place not even on the most ancient of maps she had pored over in the Royal Library, a place filled with reflections and refracted light, like the inside of a crystal.

But Twilight knew something else now, as well. The spell in its machinations had finally proven it to her. She'd been so stupid! So stupid that it had taken a spell to prove to her a thing she'd known for such a long time.

Twilight closed her eyes. Like the spell which had knitted itself together in her mind, the realisation that had been stealing up on her all this time had at last taken form and as it burst out into her conscious mind, it drove her down onto her knees, and the love she at last recognised in her heart burned her like a hidden flame deep in her chest.

It wasn't the love you felt for a beloved teacher, or a dear friend, not that warm and reasonable and generous love. It was a fiery love, an acquisitive love, an incandescent and inexorable love that had been there all along, demanding recognition, niggling away and draining her, every moment she had refused to acknowledge it in her blindness.

She was in love with the Princess, with... Tia.

Twilight struggled back onto her hooves and broke into a gallop, quickly leaving the Royal Library far behind her.

She found the archway in a forgotten corner of the castle that opened out into an ancient corridor that plunged straight down into the depths of the castle, spiralling down to the unseen room where Tia was at that moment. Twilight's hooves struck the stones of the ancient corridor and resounded like thunderclaps, as it led her down, deeper down, into the heart of the castle, the air growing ever colder until she could barely breath. She galloped so hard that her chest hurt and her legs ached, but the pain felt strangely distant from her.

All she could see before her was Tia, crying. And she had to find her and tell her that she loved her, or else something terrible would happen. Her heart told her that, as well.

**********

"Spitfire? Spitfiiiiiire!"

Rainbow's voice echoed through the night.

The windswept mountaintops loomed out of the darkness, capped in white snow that glittered in the starlight. But the beauty was lost on the pegasus in her desperate search.

At last she found her - a tiny black speck against the barely lighter grey of the mountain meadow where they had been taking a break together earlier. As she came clearer, she saw that the Wonderbolt was sitting beside her cooler, drinking from a bottle. The harnesses with the fireworks still lay where they'd been tossed.

Rainbow swooped in and landed near to her. Spitfire barely looked up, but too another drink from the bottle.

"Hey D," she said. "Back so soon?"

Rainbow trotted up to her. "I've been looking for you everywhere. Couldn't you hear me shouting?"

"I was busy," muttered Spitfire. Her eyes were red, and she avoided looking at Rainbow in the eyes. She took a drink from the bottle and lay back against the rock, staring up at the night sky.

Rainbow frowned. "What in Equestria do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like?" snapped Spitfire. "I'm drinking."

"You know what I mean," said Rainbow, taken aback by the Wonderbolt's attitude. "The show?"

"To Tartaros with the show," muttered Spitfire. She took another hit of the bottle and then brandished it in Rainbow's direction. "Care for some, D?"

"What's going on, Spitfire?" demanded Rainbow. The look of pain on the pegasus' face had driven away the hot anger she'd initially felt, and it had been quickly replaced with concern. "Look, I'm your friend - you can tell me anyth-"

"This is my only friend now," said the pegasus, brandishing the bottle. "You know, I usually find it pretty difficult to maintain relationships, D, but with my buddy here-" She hugged the bottle close to her. "-things are going just great." Spitfire looked at up Rainbow, but quickly turned away, tears in her eyes. "Just like you and that Twilight, I guess."

"Twilight?" said Rainbow.

Spitfire nodded. "You guys seemed pretty chummy on the battlements."

"Oh, that!" Rainbow laughed. "We were just messing around. Twilight's my friend, that's all."

"Friend, friend, friend," muttered Spitfire. "I never knew I'd ever hate that word." She tossed her hair. "I'm sure that Twilight Sparkle is a very special friend, isn't she?"

"All my friends are special," replied Rainbow, matter-of-fact.

"And what am I, then?" asked Spitfire, her eyes glistening. "Am I a special friend, too?" The word 'special' was bitter on her lips.

Rainbow shook her head. "You're my hero," she said.

Spitfire stared at her, as if she'd been slapped in the face. The bottle fell from her lips and rolled onto the ground, the brown liquor spilling from it onto the ground.

She buried her face in her forehooves. "Oh, I've been such a total dweeb! Why didn't I just ask you if you had a filly friend? Then I could've just-"

"What?" Rainbow couldn't help but smile. "Twilight's not my filly-friend!" She shook her head in disbelief. "Why does everypony think I have a thing for Twilight Sparkle all of a sudden?"

Spitfire took her forehooves from her face and blinked in surprise. "But the letter-"

"The letter? A silly prank," said Rainbow. "Actually, I don't know whether it was a prank or just a screw-up." She looked up into the sky. "It's certainly screwed up a lot of things, that's for sure."

"I'm the one who's screwed everything up," said Spitfire. "Now the entire show's ruined!"

Rainbow shook her head. "We've still got time. The team aren't going anywhere - I told Ditzy not to do anything until we get back."

Spitfire's eyes went wide. "You put Ditzy Doo in charge?"

Rainbow nodded. "Like you said, the kid's got heart."

Spitfire managed a weak smile. "You really believed me when I said that?"

Rainbow laughed. "Hey, you're my hero, right?"

Spitfire got onto her hooves unsteadily. "Look, Dash, I... I'm sorry I overreacted. After we get the show done, are you still interested in maybe-"

"Just try and stop me!" said the rainbow-maned pegasus, striking a pose. Then she suddenly blushed. "Spitfire, you- you were jealous, of Twilight?"

Spitfire's cheeks reddened, and she opened her mouth to reply, but what she said was drowned out by the suddenly, ear-splitting roar of a giant glowing orb flying overhead, and of the high-pitched cry of a pony in peril.

They stared at the moon as it sped like a bullet towards Canterlot, rapidly dwindling into a tiny ball in the distance.

Spitfire turned to Rainbow in disbelief. "Was that... the moon?"

"And Princess Luna," said Rainbow. "I don't know anything about raising the moon, but I'm pretty certain that's not the way you're supposed to do it."

"The moon's heading straight for the castle!" said Spitfire, horrified. "If the Princess can't stop It in time-"

"-then everypony is going to get a closer view of the spring moon than they were bargaining for." Rainbow grabbed up Spitfire's harness with the fireworks arrayed on it and tossed it to her.

"What's this for?" asked Spitfire, staring at it.

"I've got an idea," said Rainbow.

"But what about the show?"

"The show?" Rainbow grinned. "Oh, we're going to give everypony a show all right! Now let's go." She grabbed Spitfire's forehoof as she struggled to pull on her harness and plunged the two of them off the mountaintop into the freezing darkness. "We've got a Princess to save!"

*********

Twilight was gasping for breath as at long last the ancient corridor came to an end, opening out into a wide, high-ceilinged vestibule lit by a myriad of torches. It was far broader than it was long, as the wall on the opposite side of the entrance was entirely dominated by a massive door. Circular in shape and covered with an astonishly intricate design made of gold and silver, like the workings of a gigantic clock, it reminded Twilight of the door to some giant's treasure room, the cap of a massive vault.

She didn't stop to catch her breath and straight away began to look for the handle on the massive door among the delicate filigreed metal. And so she didn't notice the ancient pegasus guard, dressed in the decorative golden armour of a hundred years ago, who stepped up to her from the dark corner of the room where the light of the torches did not reach.

"Stop!" he cried. The strength and tenor of his voice belittled the fragility of his aged appearance, and Twilight stepped back in alarm. "Nopony shall pass!"

"But I must," said Twilight, her eyes desperately pleading. "The Princess -"

He stepped in between her and the great door, his armoured wings unfurling to their full breadth. "It is by decree of the Princess herself," said the guard. "None are permitted to enter this room save the Princess of Equestria herself."

"Not permitted?" Twilight arched a brow. "But the Princess has given me the freedom of the entire castle!"

"None may enter this room, besides the Princess herself," said the guard. "Even you, Lady Sparkle."

Twilight's already frayed patience threatened to crumble into anger, and she glared at him. "I need to see her. She's upset and I need-"

"The Princess is always upset when she walks through this door," said the guard, simply. "But never once have I seen her come out without a look of peace on her face." His stern visage suddenly softened. "Lady Sparkle, please do not concern yourself unduly. The Princess will return to us all soon. You should wait for her back above ground, far away from this cold and draughty place." He coughed by way of illustration.

Twilight shook her head. "I must see her. And if you try and stop me, I'm afraid that-"

The guard smiled. "I would never wish to fight you, Lady Sparkle. But thankfully there is no need for me to." He slowly inclined his grey-maned head backwards, indicating the door behind him. "You see, it can only be opened by one with a Princess's power. In all of Equestria, only Princess Celestia or perhaps Princess Luna would be able to open it. The mechanism is far too complex."

"And what is inside this room?"

"I do not know," said the guard. "As I said, none are permitted to enter. Does it matter?"

For some reason, the guard's dismissiveness angered Twilight.

She stepped back and ground her hooves into the floor and jerked her horn in the direction of the door. "You'd better stand back, sir."

The guard shook his head. "This is folly, Lady..."

Twilight ignored him, and from deep within herself she drew on the wellspring of her magical energy.

It coursed along the length of her horn and sprang out of her, and as soon as it came in contact with the great door she gasped in horror. It was beyond complicated! Every single part of what she had taken as an abstract design was in fact the lock mechanism itself, cogs within cogs, wheels within wheels, all of it protected with a myriad of powerful warding spells.

Twilight split the focus of her magic again, and again, and again, as she struggled to resolve the wards and activate the magical links that would set the machine in motion. It was like trying to take a clock apart and rebuild it, with no idea what it looked like, as cyclonic winds were striving to blow each of the pieces in a thousand different directions at once.

"I... I can do this!" cried Twilight, her horn growing brighter and brighter. "I... I need to tell her!"

"What, Lady Sparkle?" shouted the guard over the noise of the magic pouring forth from Twilight and spreading throughout the door. "What is it that you need to tell her, that you would attempt the impossible?"

"That... that I love her!" cried Twilight, tears in her eyes.

The guard's eyes went wide, and then a look of deep, inconsolable sadness settled on his ancient features and he retreated back into the shadowy corner from which he had come.

The thought of not being able to tell Tia was like a dismal hole that threatened to open up within her, sucking all energy, all concentration down with it. The few wards she had broken through, the few cogs she had turned all sprang back into place, stronger, tighter than before.

Despair suddenly gripped her, and she felt her focus slipping away. She could see Tia's smiling face before her, sipping her pomegranate martini, laughing at her stupid oatmeal joke - all of it melting away as if it had never happened.

I'm too late. I've- I've already lost her.

Then, just as the coldness of despair threatened to engulf her and drag her down, a sudden burst of warmth welled up from deep within her... and she felt as if some secret part of her heart had been opened. She cried out as magic surged through her body, coursing up her legs and tail and spiralling up her spine to blossom in her mind, a rainbow born from the white light, all seven colours springing out like the petals of a flower within her. Limitless, the light poured into the bottomless hole of despair and filled it rapidly to overflowing...

...and Twilight's eyes began to glow.

A great peace all at once settled over her, and no longer was she in the centre of a cyclone, but aloft, alone, floating above the clouds in the endlessness of a blue sky, and before her sat the mechanism of the clock, laid out for her with every part visible.

It all seemed so simple, now! It was merely seven to the power of seven individual mechanisms that required they be triggered within a nanosecond of each other, each with its own magical ward protecting it. She split the conduit of her magic into seven streams, red and orange and yellow and green and blue and indigo and violet, and each of these into seven more, and again, and again, and rapidly went from cog to camshaft, hundreds at a time, stripping them of their wards and taking control of each of the devices.

Then she set the mechanism in motion. The myriad of tiny elements of the lock all slipped into place, and the intricate design on the door spun and slid and slotted together, until the emblem of the sun was revealed. Restored, it shone bright, brighter than even the real sun itself, and both Twilight and the guard fell back, shielding their eyes from the incandescent glow.

And then the lock clicked.

The door began to slide open, so heavy that it was like a fragment of a mountain pushed aside by a powerful earthquake. The floor shuddered, and the guard fell to his knees, horror on his face, staring at the door as if it were a hideous monster. "Lady Sparkle! You... you opened it!" He struggled onto his hooves, and tottered towards the door, throwing out his wings. "Halt! Thou shalt not pa-"

But Twilight had already galloped past him and through into the bright room beyond.

*********

The stallion with the Q and the mare with the P half-hopped, half-flew to Ditzy's side, all aflutter with excitement.

"Ditzy, Ditzy!" cried the Q. "The moon's on its way!"

"And it's moving really, really quickly!" said the P, breathlessly. "It'll be here in just a few minutes!"

Ditzy turned in the direction of the two pegasi's extended forehooves - and she saw straight away that they were right.

The moon was still far off, about the size of a bit, and travelling just a little above the western horizon - but rather than its usual stately ascent, it was moving very quickly indeed.

Oh, Rainbow Dash - where are you? thought Ditzy in desperation. Why did you have to leave me in charge? I don't know what to do!
The black-maned Q and the purple-maned P turned to Ditzy Doo, their eyes questioning.

"What should we do, Ditzy?" asked the Q.

And once again, Rainbow Dash's face suddenly appeared before the blonde-maned pegasus' eyes, and she saw it mouth the same advice as before.

"Noth-" she began to say, but only half the word escaped before her mouth slammed shut of its own accord.

She couldn't say it.

No, 'nothing' wasn't the right thing to say, Ditzy knew. If they did nothing, then all their hard work, all those weeks of practice, would be wasted. Oh, the audience would be so disappointed and the Spring Moon Festival would be ruined!

She shook her head, as if trying to knock the confusion of cotton wool that was threatening to clog it, and for a moment her jangling eyes went straight. A strange feeling suddenly gripped her, a feeling she'd seldom felt before.

Resolve.

The eyes of the stallion Q and the mare P followed her as she hopped onto the ridge and scrambled up to its highest point. She looked down at the crowd of pegasi milling before her, and she cleared her throat.

Every eye turned to look at her. The pegasi went quiet and stared at her, waiting for her to speak. The entire Amateur Aerobatic Performance Team.

Her team.

Ditzy gazed across at the faces of all the pegasi lined up in the meadow. Some looked confused, others nervous. But all were looking at her expectantly. She knew couldn't let them down.

I'm so sorry, Rainbow Dash, she thought. I know I'm probably just making another derpy mistake, but I have to try. I have to do something!

Ditzy shook her head and, with as loud a voice as she could muster, she began to speak.

"Hello everypony!" she began. "It's me. You know - Ditzy Doo!" She blushed, suddenly unsure of herself. Was that how Rainbow or Spitfire would start a rousing pep-talk? She tried to still her rapidly beating heart and threw herself back into her speech.

"Now, I know everypony is wondering just what's happened to Spitfire and Rainbow." There was some nervous muttering in the crowd. "I don't have any idea, either. I'm sorry! I hope the two of them are okay. But just because they're not here, doesn't mean we should all just give up. The show must go on! "

Ditzy looked down at the pegasi arranged before her. There was some murmuring and nodding of heads among them.

She continued, feeling a surge of confidence. "Now, Rainbow and Spitfire have trained us well. We all know what we have to do! We have to get out there and do it, just like we've done it a dozen dozen times before. No, wait, a dozen dozen dozen dozen times! We don't need Rainbow and Spitfire to hold our hooves for the performance, do we?"

"No!" came a smattering of shouts from the assembled pegasi.

"We can hold our own hooves, right?"

There was a number of cries of "Yes!", but also quite a few confused faces.

"I wanna go on with show, don't you?" cried Ditzy.

"Yeah!" came a chorus of shouts.

"Is everypony with me?"

"Yeah!" It was louder this time.

A tear appeared at the corner of one golden eye, and Ditzy threw her forelegs wide.

"Is this going to be the most awesomest Spring Moon Spectacular ever?" she cried.

"YEAH!" It was a roar of voices now.

"Then let's get out there and entertain Equestria!" yelled Ditzy.

The shouts and whistles of her team were echoing in her ears as she flicked the switch on her harness. All at once, the lights on her torso lit up, making the pegasi blink their eyes at the sudden square of brightness that had flashed into existence. And when they could see again, the blonde-maned pegasus standing on the hill was a glowing figure of pure white.

But it was when Ditzy unfurled her wings and leaped into the air that the assembled team gasped in unison. For now, with her torso aglow and the light of the rapidly approaching moon striking each of the grey feathers of her broad wings, Ditzy Doo looked for all the world like some glittering angel rising slowly into the heavens.

First the purple-maned P, and then the black-maned Q, turned on their own lights, red and green, and then one after another the rest of the team followed suite, until within a few moments the entire ridge was alight with all seven colours of the rainbow.

Then they unfurled their wings and leaped as one into the air, settling quickly in formation as they had been taught, and soon the entire Spring Moon Festival Amateur Aerial Performance Team were aloft, with Ditzy at the tip of the V-formation, cutting through the night sky like an errant constellation as they flew on their way to Canterlot castle.

To be concluded in Part 8

Chapter 8

“The sweetness! The sweetness!” groaned Pinkie Pie, rolling back and forth on the hospital bed.

A handsome brunette-maned stallion dressed in a white coat was at her side in a heartbeat. As soon as he saw her queasy face and the listlessness of her usually poufy mane, he cried out, “I need 10 CCs of hotsauce, stat!”

A nurse galloped into the room and poured a bottle of hotsauce into the drip beside Pinkie’s bed, while the doctor slipped the end of the tube into the little pink pony’s mouth. Almost immediately Pinkie stopped groaning and, sucking on the tube like a baby would a bottle, she quickly fell asleep.

The doctor swept the sweat from his mane as he and the nurse looked at each other in relief. But suddenly there was a commotion in the corridor outside, and the two poked their heads out of the door to Pinkie’s room, and saw a unicorn, an earth pony, a pegasus and a little dragon, all being led along the corridor by an orderly.

The doctor arched his eyebrows at the orderly, who looked at him apologetically.

“These are friends of Miss Pie’s, Doctor Feelgood,” she said. “They insisted on seeing her.”

“Oh doctor, is Pinkie alright?” demanded Rarity, running up and throwing her forelegs around the doctor with tears streaming down her cheeks. “I had no idea that chocolate poisoning was something that could actually happen to a pony!”

“Your friend is doing fine,” said Feelgood, gently extricating himself from the weeping unicorn. “Her sweetness-savouriness levels were knocked out of balance by a rather prodigious amount of chocolate. We’re administering hotsauce at the moment to help bring them back to normal, and I’m glad to say that it’s proving a very effective therapy.”

“Is it okay to give her a look-see, doc?” asked Applejack, who had taken off her hat and was clutching it to her chest, squeezing it fitfully.

“Of course,” said the doctor. “But please don’t wake her. She needs all the rest she can get at the moment.”

He opened the door a crack, and Applejack, Spike and Rarity all peeped inside. Pinkie was still asleep, a bubble of hotsauce expanding and contracting in one nostril. The pinkness had returned to her pale coat, and her mane was slowly beginning to curl back into its boisterous poufiness.

“As you can see, she’s on the road to recovery,” replied the doctor. “The hotsauce has done its work, but she’ll need to go on a strict diet of salty snacks for a few weeks. Her tastebuds will be back to normal in no time, although I do suggest that she stay away from sugary snacks for a while.”

Rarity and Applejack looked at each other then turned to the doctor.

“We’ll... try our best, doctor,” said Rarity.

It was then that Feelgood looked past Applejack and Rarity at the little dragon, who was trying to coax the pegasus out from behind a potted plant.

“Is something wrong, my dear?” asked Feelgood, stepping toward Fluttershy with a reassuring smile on his face.

Fluttershy started at the doctor’s voice and started to shiver.

“We ain’t sure exactly, doc” explained Applejack. “It seems she got awful scared by somethin’ she saw in Princess Luna’s private gardens.”

“It wasn’t something, it was somepony,” said Fluttershy. Duke Darkmane!” Even mentioning his name made her go ‘eep!’ in fear. “Oh, he was soooo scary!”

“It can’t have been Darkmane, darling,” said Rarity, stroking the pegasus’ mane with a forehoof. “Don’t you remember what Princess Luna said? He’s been gone from Equestria for over a thousand years!’

The doctor nodded sagely. “Well, it must be said that some of the Princess’s associates can perhaps be a little too much to ponies of a fragile temperament,” he said. “Moon-bats, shadow-spiders, and what have you. Any one of them might have been responsible. We often have cases of ponies suffering from post-scare spookiness syndrome.”

“Is there anything; you can do fer her, doc?” asked Applejack. “The poor thing’s got a powerful case of the trembles!”

With a kindly smile on his face, Feelgood took the still-shivering pegasus’s hoof in his own and patted it. “I prescribe a nice lie down and a hot cup of herbal tea,” he said. “Nurse, I need 30 CCs of camomile tea, stat!” He turned to the others. “And perhaps watching tonight’s aerobatic display will help take her mind off the scare. The roof has an excellent view. The orderly will show you where it is. And please don’t worry - your little pink friend will be fine.”

“Thank you doctor,” said Rarity, not completely reassured.

Feelgood nodded. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to check on another patient.” With the nurse at his side, he walked purposefully away down the bright white corridor.

“Your friend is in very good hooves,” explained the orderly as she led them in the opposite direction to the stairs leading up to the roof. “Doctor Feelgood is an expert in cases of overeating like this one. Why, we even have one of the Wonderbolts in here at the moment.” She shook her head and sighed. “Such a sad case - much too much pie!”

**************

As Twilight galloped down the corridor, the shouting of the ancient pegasus guard was cut off abruptly by the door closing shut with a resounding boom. She felt the magical wards reasserting themselves, sparkling into existence like a hidden star-field behind her.

But it wasn’t the only source of magic the unicorn could sense. Ahead of her, she could feel the powerful aura of multiple spells, rainbow magic at its most potent, burning like dozens of captured stars. Her own connection to the rainbow magic still lingered, making her hypersensitive - but Twilight suspected that even without this increased sensitivity she would have been able to feel them.

The corridor she galloped along was clearly ancient, with its high vaulted ceiling and walls decorated with abstract designs which were a feature of the earliest works of pony art. It reminded her of the Temple of the Sisters, the Princess’ ancient seat of power, but whereas that place had been a ruined shadow of its former self, this one was immaculate - the white cobblestones under her hooves sparkled as if newly polished and not a single cobweb or speck of dust was to be seen on any cornice, wall or window. Twilight had the oddest feeling of having travelled back in time.

The corridor was not long, and it soon finished in an archway which led into a great hall like a vault. Twilight galloped inside, but she came to a halt almost immediately and stood gaping at the strange array of objects that met her eye. The walls on either side of her were spotted with alcoves, each of them holding a different item, either hanging from the walls or resting on an engraved pedestal.

Twilight’s curiosity got the better of her, and she stepped up to the nearest alcove. In it was an antique suit of armour, but it had been so carefully maintained that its surface glowed as if it had been just newly cast. It was huge, big enough for an alicorn to wear, forged out of bronze and inlaid with gold, complete with a visored helm decorated with a crest of blue. But Twilight’s eyes were drawn straight to the curved blades jutting out of the armour intended for the forelegs - swordgreaves, the ancient weapon of ponies long ago.

Twilight gasped. She had read of such things, but she’d never seen them in real life. The blades looked razor sharp still, curved and cruel. She shivered at the thought of how they would have been used in the great Griffon Wars by heroes like the mighty Paragon.

She continued along the hall. More and more items appeared - a banner, emblazoned with the ancient version of the solar emblem, used by the Princess during the Hundred Days of Darkness; the mighty figurehead of a ship, a seapony carved out of wood who seemed to be cleaving the water before her; a great four-bladed star-sword, intended to be wielded by a unicorn’s telekinesis, and many more things beside.

But not everything was martial in its character. Here was a great ball-dress, of the finest silk, that shimmered with different colours depending on the angle at which Twilight viewed it; here, on a little silk pillow on a pedestal, was a withered bouquet of what had perhaps been roses. And here was a little mirror that Twilight stopped to glance at, the sort of mirror that any filly would have for doing her make-up.

She tried to imagine Celestia doing her make-up, and she couldn’t. But the true nature of the mirror was soon revealed. As soon as she came close enough, it flashed to life, and images appeared on its silvery face - images of Celestia and Luna.

Twilight’s eyes went wide. They looked so young! Of course, both of the alicorns were blessed with the extreme longevity of their kind, and looked forever youthful, but there was something different about the Celestia that appeared in the mirror. Twilight couldn’t quite put a hoof on it as the images flashed by, one after the other - Luna and Celestia at a ball, Celestia eating cake while Luna made funny faces behind her, the two of them posing for a formal photo with other alicorns Twilight didn’t recognise - and then it struck her. Celestia looked just like Luna - that same carefree, playful, almost foal-like demeanour. Her eyes were the same eyes that Twilight loved so deeply - kind and wise and gentle - but there was an irreverent sparkle to them, a mischievousness she had only ever seen in Luna. Here, in this little hoof-mirror, Luna and Celestia truly looked like sisters.

Twilight looked about her in confusion. What was this place? Everything was a keepsake from some earlier time, and it was almost as if it was a museum - but one dedicated to a single pony, Celestia herself.

Twilight felt suddenly like an invader, as if she had barged into somepony’s bedroom by mistake and was going through her most precious items.

She knew she had tarried too long. She broke into a gallop, no longer even glancing at the multitude of objects that she passed, and soon the hall finished in a single, corniced archway that led to an ever larger hall.

On the threshold of the archway, Twilight stopped and looking through it. Dozens of mirrors were arrayed along both walls, leading far off into the distance. They were all the same sort of full-body mirror that would not have looked out of place in any mare’s bedroom: the glass oval-shaped, the golden frame and stand intricately decorated with delicate filigree.

She sensed powerful magic glowing within them. In the magical spectrum, they shone like beacons of starlight, as bright as stars that had fallen to earth, and pulsing like living, beating hearts.

Twilight stepped through the archway. Celestia was nowhere to be seen, but the hallway extended off into the distance, so far that Twilight couldn’t see the end of it.

She must be somewhere ahead of her.

Twilight glanced at the mirrors uneasily as she passed them. Ancient and potent magic throbbed deep within them, but it wasn’t that that so unnerved Twilight.

It was the fact that although their glasses shone pure silver, they reflected nothing.

Twilight stopped. She took a step closer to the nearest one to get a closer look, telling herself that all she wanted to do was make sure that it wasn’t dangerous - but as she brought her face close to it, a sudden spark of magic leaped from between her horn and the silvery surface, and the mirror flickered to life.

A flurry of images flew across the glass, so quick that they were a mere blur of colour, and Twilight could catch only little of what she saw. Was that - was that a pony? And that - a landscape, the surface of the sea?

Her eyes flicked back and forth, capturing more and more images as they flew past, until her head filled to overflowing with the images, and in a panic she realised that the mirror was doing something to her - filling her with thoughts and feelings and scents and sounds. She gasped, and tried to step away...

...but the mirror was gone, and she was on a ship. Salt spray splashed up at her as she looked out over the bow at a gorgeous, moonlit sea. Beneath her she saw the ship’s figurehead of a seapony, cutting her way through the waves, and she felt a strange wave of déjà vu. There was a scent of tar in the air, and rope, and her own sweat and skin - but it wasn’t her own scent that she recognised.

It was Celestia’s.

She took a step back and raised a forehoof up to her face in a panic - and her heart started to beat rapidly when she saw the white coat clad in their golden greaves glistening in the moonlight.

Everything was so frighteningly real!

She felt the body she was inhabiting turnabout without her telling it to, and her stomach lurched - or maybe it was Twilight’s stomach back in the hall of mirrors. She couldn’t really tell anymore - she was being bombarded by the senses of two bodies now, and trying to process the information from both at once made her mind shift in strange and unpleasant ways.

She tried to will herself back into the Twilight body, but the magic resisted her, and so she tried the other direction, and found the resistance cease immediately. She was Celestia again, and she felt her mouth move as she cried out:

“Captain Seasalt!”

“Aye, yer Highness!” The reply came from a stallion from the stern of the ship. It was her old friend Seasalt, the Captain of the Silverwing. He clambered down the steps, limping with that old injury he’d received from being struck in the hind leg with the mainsail when he was a mere colt and new to the sea. He loved telling her the story. The clouds that were blacker than the heart of the Mara, and of the waves that had reached up to touch the stars and left the seabed bare, so deep that you could glimpse the depths of Tartaros itself.

“How many days are we from the shores of the Griffon Empire, Captain?”

“We be around two days away, Yer Highness, by my reckonin’,” replied Seasalt. He gazed up at constellations hanging silent overhead. “Yon Minotaur’s hand is still touchin’ the surface o’ the sea, but soon it’ll be well above, and then we’ll know that we’ll soon be passing the Pillars of Abelard.”

Celestia bit her lip. Her eyes carried her over the black, silver tinted sea to the distant shore where she had sent Verity as ambassador, as if staring and wishing would bring them closer.

Oh, why hadn’t she gone herself? Why had she let Verity convince her to let her go?

It was all her fault.

She closed her eyes. The scent of Verity’s perfume lingered at the edges of her memory, and she remembered their fateful conversation on the evening of her departure.

Verity’s pink mane had fallen across Celestia’s face as they lay together on the rug before the fireplace, and she’d pushed it away with a snort.

Verity had laughed at her annoyance. “Oh, you won’t have to worry about my mane getting in your way for a while, Tia. You’ll be able to read your reports from Aurora without disturbance.”

“You know I don’t want you to go,” said Celestia, her voice tinged with anger, an anger that she’d decided she didn’t want to hide tonight.

Verity had chuckled softly, infuriatingly. “It’s the griffons I’m going to be dealing with, Tia. It’s not like you’re sending me to Tartaros to deal with the Mara!”

Celestia had said nothing, and for a long while they lay together in silence, Verity staring into the fireplace, herself tossing a scroll away and taking up another.

At last the subconscious frown on Celestia’s face and the crinkling of scroll after scroll being unwound made Verity snap. She scrambled onto her hooves and exploded with days of pent up resentment.

“So that’s the way it is, is it Tia?” she shouted. “I’m just for show, am I? That’s all I’m good for,” She kicked at the haphazard pile of scrolls on the far end of the rug. “To be the plaything of the Princess of Equestria. You know that the court is laughing behind our backs....”

“None of the Court would dare!” snapped Celestia.

Verity stared at her, mauve eyes flashing. “And yet they are saying it, Tia.” Her voice became low and dangerous. “I’ll prove them wrong. You’ll see. I’ll show you, too. The trade routes will be reopened. The Princess’s pet will accomplish what your most senior diplomats could not.”

Celestia had said nothing, and an angry silence had settled between the two of them. Verity knew she had won.

Verity always got her way.

Celestia hated that their last evening together had been such an uncomfortable one, hated herself for having let it happen that way.

She wished her mother was here.

“Yer worried about Lady Verity, Highness?” said Seasalt. It wasn’t really a question.

“Not really,” Celestia lied. “The griffons have been our allies for generations now. Besides, Verity has always been able to look after herself. I’m sure she’s okay.”

“Better to worry on the griffons’ behalf,” said Seasalt with a wink. “I’ve seen the Lady’s anger. The violence of the ocean has nothin’ on ‘er.”

Celestia laughed. “There is truth in that, old friend.”

As she turned to gaze out over the water again, she suddenly caught sight of Twilight on the deck of the ship, standing in front of a mirror, and stepped back in shock. What in Equestria was Twilight doing here? Why was there a mirror on the ship? Had she forgotten the old sailor superstition forbidding one be brought on board?

Wait. Twilight?

Who was Twilight?

You were Twilight, she heard a voice say. Once, in the future.

She closed her eyes and remembered. Twilight remembered. She was Twilight and not Celestia, and in a sudden panic she strove to pull herself out of that time, that memory. She could almost see the hall of mirrors again, almost remember her search for Celestia, the desperate search she had to...

...find her. Where was she? Where were they keeping her?

Desperation rose in Celestia’s heart. Desperation and rage, a black, consuming rage that choked at her like a living thing.

The marble floor of the citadel clattered beneath her armoured hooves as she galloped down the corridor that she knew must lead to the dungeons. Giselda had told her she was being held there.

She would not tolerate her imprisonment for one second longer.

“Where is Verity?” shouted Celestia, the Royal Canterlot Voice resounding off the walls and echoing along the corridor, dislodging mortar and sending it showering down. “Bring her to me, or I shall tear this sun-forsaken citadel from its foundations and send it plunging down to Tartaros!”

Her shouting had alerted the Griffon Elite that the Suzerain had sent in pursuit of her. She could hear their armoured claws clattering on the marble floors growing louder both before and behind her. Black glee rose in her heart at the sound.

The squad ahead of her arrived first, unhappily for them. The vanguard of heavily-armed griffons burst out of a side-corridor just in front of her. Torchlight glistened on the serrated beak-pieces of their helms and their razor-sharp pinion blades, already plunging down towards her neck as they threw themselves at her...

Her swordgreaves flashed, and the first griffon was cut down, skidding past her to slump in a heap of feathers on the floor. The second received the full force of her hind hooves in his face, shattering his helm and sending him spiralling back down the corridor. The two behind him flew at her next, squawking horribly, but she sent them spinning back with a blast of telekinetic force to smash against the walls of the corridor like dolls.

“Bring her to me!” screamed Celestia again. The other squad was already behind her, but they were hesitating, horrified at the sight of the alicorn in the depths of incandescent rage. Celestia’s horn glowed white-hot, and the corridor’s mighty stonework shuddered and cracked as she brought the full might of her magic to bear. The roof collapsed, and the rear-guard of the squad were crushed beneath the falling masonry, and the two that made it through, swinging their bladed-wings and snapping their beaks at her face, quickly fell to her swordgreaves.

She turned, and galloped past the bodies of the first squad she had defeated, the acrid taste of blood...

... on Twilight’s tongue. She’s bitten her lip as she’d fought the griffons in her rage.

No, Celestia had.

Twilight pulled away again... and this time she broke the connection. She careened backwards and slumped back onto the cold floor of the room, the mirror in front of her flashing and flickering, before finally falling back into its original dull silver.

She could barely see it through the tears in her eyes.

The hatred that Celestia had felt, the glee, all of it she had felt as well...

Twilight stared at the mirror, and turned to go... but then she leaned forward and inexorably touched her horn to its surface once more.

She had to know.

*************

Flying behind Ditzy Doo in formation, the amateur aerial performance team cut through the cold night air above the mountain tops, a glowing V against the dark sky.

The blonde-maned pegasus shook her head, and for a moment her pupils straightened out and she was able to focus upon the castle that had appeared ahead of them, its fairy-lights nestled in the blackness of the mountains.

“Canterlot!” she cried. Her heart began to beat rapidly. “Where’s the moon?”

On her left, the purple-maned P shouted back over the noise of the air sweeping past them as they flew. “It’s right behind us!”

Ditzy glanced behind her, and the sight of the growing disc of the moon made her heart skip a beat. “Then we’re going to have to go straight into it!” she shouted back. “Q, P! Initiate ‘Rainbow Falls’!”

The two pegasi on either side of her saluted and peeled off while Ditzy kept a level course. The rest of the V broke into three columns to follow them, the one behind Ditzy far shorter than the other two. Then the two columns following the P and Q split once more, into three this time, until there seven equal columns of pegasi flying in perfect parallel with each other towards the rapidly approaching castle.

On the roof of the Royal Canterlot Hospital, it was standing room only as everypony well enough to watch the spectacle had come out in force. Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Spike had squeezed themselves through the crowd and were squashed up together against the balustrade.

Rarity, exasperated, pushed back against the crush of ponies surrounding them. “Please, not so close, darling! There’s more than enough room for everypony!”

Applejack, chuckling, leaned across and pulled the unicorn in front of her, sheltering her from the crowd.

“Comfy?” asked the earth pony, taking the opportunity to slip a foreleg around her friend’s waist where nopony else could see it.

Rarity blushed fiercely. “Why y- yes - thank you, Applejack.”

Suddenly, there was an excited cry of “Look!” as a nearby stallion, dressed only in a hospital robe and leaning precariously over the side, pointed his foreleg towards the western horizon. “Here they come!”

“And not a moment too soon,” said Applejack, squinting into the distance. “The moon’s comin’ up mighty fast, by mah reckoning.”

“Oh, how beautiful!” gushed Fluttershy, who was sipping her hot tea and was already feeling much better. The pegasi looked like stars that had been knocked out of their place in the heavens and sent dancing along against the blackness of the sky.

“What’s happening? What are they doing?” asked Spike, jumping up and down against the balustrade - but it was too high for him to look over.

Applejack chuckled, and grabbing him by the scruff of the neck with her teeth she threw him up onto her back.

“Thanks AJ,” said Spike, holding onto her withers.

“Oh, look!” cried Rarity, pointing into the sky. “Something’s happening!”

“Rainbow lights on!” cried Ditzy.

The pegasi leading the columns all flicked a switch on their harnesses, and Ditzy too, and the lights on their torsos changed from plain white to a different colour of the rainbow. Every pegasus along each column quickly did the same, one after the other, so that to those watching it seemed as if a rainbow had blossomed suddenly into life overhead.

Far below, the crowds filling every open part of Canterlot cried out in amazement as one at the gorgeous sight, and the joyful roar rose up into the sky, so loud that it made the air around the fliers shimmer and vibrate.

Ditzy’s heart swelled. All those shouts - Canterlot was shouting for them!

A tear appeared in one golden eye - but she blinked it away.

“Now!” she cried. “DIVE!”

And with that Ditzy, stretching her wings out straight and dipping her head, plunged straight down, spearing through the chill night air, spinning precipitously down towards the castle, and every colour of the rainbow followed her.

************

Celestia knelt in the sand, the gritty wetness freezing cold against her knees and legs. In front of her, Verity lay on the beach where she had brought her after carrying her from the citadel of the griffons. The Royal Chiurgeon, a white-coated unicorn wearing half-moon eyeglasses, was busy examining her, his horn glowing as he scanned her body from ear to tail.

Verity’s once-gorgeous mane was stuck to her coat, matted and covered in soot, and it seemed as if every ounce of colour had been drained from her, all but her mauve eyes. Clear and pure, they glinted with teasing amusement as they looked up at Celestia.

“I knew you’d come for me,” whispered Verity. “I knew you couldn’t let me do anything my own.”

She raised a trembling forehoof to Celestia’s cheek and touched it.

From somewhere behind her, Celestia could hear the roaring of fire and the sharp cracking of windows bursting from the heat as the citadel of the griffons burned.

Smoke coursed across the beach, burning her eyes, but no tears came.

“Don’t talk,” Celestia pleaded with her. “You need to rest.” She turned to the chiurgeon, who had just that moment completed his examination. Celestia’s eyes were desperate, but his stoic face gave nothing away. He merely placed a foreleg on her shoulder and led her a short distance away.

“Will she be alright?” demanded Celestia. “What did you see?”

“The curse that Lady Verity has been placed under is severe,” said the chiurgeon, his face’s stony wall crumbling suddenly. “It is some of the most deadly griffon magic I have ever seen. And,” He slipped the glasses from his face and rubbed his eyes. “And I’m afraid that it has almost run its course.” He grimaced. “There’s nothing we can do except make her comfortable.”

Rage welled up within Celestia, black and hot, like a dark flame which had been smouldering within her had suddenly caught light once more, an unfocussed rage, directed at herself, the griffons, the chiurgeon, everypony. She brushed the chiurgeon aside, and brought her own now-glowing horn down over Verity.

“Tia,” whispered Verity, the admonishment clear even in the weakness of her voice.

Celestia allowed the fullness of the Rainbow magic to envelope her. As her sight shifted into the magical spectrum, Verity’s outer form dissolved away to reveal an intricate living mosaic of light. Usually, every living thing’s spirit glowed pure white with the Light of Creation that gave them life coursing within them - but a baleful blackness was rapidly spread across Verity’s, blotting out the light.

Desperately bringing her magic to bear, Celestia channelled light from her own body into Verity’s, and for a few moments the blackness melted away. But it quickly spread back across her, like ink spilling across white cloth.

Celestia’s eyes began to glow white as she channelled more and more magic, pouring it into Verity, dissolving the blackness away, only to despair when it straightaway flooded back, over and over again. Her chest heaved with the effort, and her control over the flow of rainbow magic powering through her began to slipping away.

But then she felt the touch of a cool touch of another’s coat against her own, and she broke the connection. Verity was hugging her close, her forelegs wrapped around her neck.

“Shhhhh,” she whispered. “Stop it, Tia. You’ll hurt yourself.” Her smile was wan. “You always blame yourself for everything. You might be Princess, but you’re not responsible for everything, you know.”

Verity’s forelegs were so painfully light, almost weightless, around her neck. Celestia brought her wings around to cradle the pink-maned alicorn’s trembling body.

“Thank you.” She sighed, curling her neck around Celestia’s.

Tears coursed down the Princess’ cheeks, wetting the pink mane that surrounded her like a halo. “Verity...”

“Thank you, Tia,” Verity said again, softer this time. “Because of you I know at last what it feels like to be happy.”

Verity’s embrace grew suddenly weak. Her forelegs slipped from Celestia’s neck and she slid back onto the sand. Her eyelids slowly drooped and her body grew slack, just as if sleep had overcome her.

Celestia threw herself across Verity’s body, encircling it with her great white wings, and then, at last, she broke inside, and wave upon wave of agonised sobs, welling up from an ocean of despair, wracked her.

The smooth stones beneath her grew dark, spattered with her streaming tears, and Twilight suddenly knew who she was and where she was again. Celestia was gone, but the agony stayed with her, the agony of loss and despair and regret, and the tears refused to stop.

Stumbling away from the mirror, she turned and fled.

*********

Throughout the city of Canterlot, everypony gasped as the aerial performance team transformed into a cascading rainbow above them, and when it plunged down out of the sky and swept over their heads, they all cried out in delight.

On the roof of the hospital, the whole crowd ducked as the orange column, led by the purple-maned P, came down so low that their manes were swept up and set fluttering by the displaced air.

The rainbow danced back up into the sky, swimming gracefully against the darkness of the night like a tropical fish born of light. But then it split apart, and each of the columns of colour danced across the sky over the castle, tracing individual paths like lace-work, before gathering back together and bursting out again as individual star-points, like the blossoming explosion of a firework. Finally the columns came back together, and they spun in burning circles and zigzagged across each other’s path, filling the heavens with brightness until every pony’s heart overflowed with awe-struck delight.

On the roof of the hospital, everypony was gasping and ooo’ing at the spectacle above their heads, and none more than a certain little pink pony who had appeared amongst them, leaning against a drip with her eyes glued to the skies.

“Oooooooooo!” she cried as the fliers screamed overhead. “Woooooooooah!” she gasped as they doubled back.

Spike was the first to notice her. “Pinkie!” he cried, hopping off Applejack’s back and running to embrace her.

“Spike!” cried Pinkie, hugging him back. “Oh, I’m so super-glad I didn’t miss the whole show!”

The others stared at Pinkie in amazement, but then they too quickly gathered around, and as they hugged her and kissed her and bombarded her with questions, for a moment the spectacle overhead was completely forgotten.

“Are you feeling better, Pinkie?” asked Fluttershy, her eyes sparkling.

“Uh huh!” nodded Pinkie. “The doc said I could watch the show as long as I didn’t overexert myself.”

Applejack chuckled. “Ah’m sure you’ll be bouncin’ off the walls in no time, anyhow.”

“Oh Pinkie darling,” tutted Rarity. “I’m so happy you’re feeling better, but do you really think you should be eating that cream cake in your condition?”

“Oh, don’t worry,” said the little pink pony through a mouth full of sticky cream. “The doctor gave it to me. He said it’s made of tofu and ninety-nine percent sugar-free!”

Above their heads, the aerial performance team had regrouped and were now spinning around in a double-loop folded in upon itself.

“What’s that shape they’re making now?” asked Spike.

“That’s the lemniscate, Spike,” explained Rarity. “It symbolises infinity. I suppose it must be a reference to the Princesses’ positions as eternal guardians of the sun and moon.”

Applejack laughed and gave Rarity a friendly dig in the side with an elbow. “Without Twi here, I guess we do need somepony t’ take up the slack and do all the explainin’!”

“Well I think it looks like a pretzel,” said Pinkie, taking another bite of cake.

The pegasi suddenly broke up and again formed the rainbow, which burst up into the sky like a fountain’s spray.

“Oh, and the rainbow is the source of the Princesses’ power,” said Fluttershy, almost back to her old self. The tea and the show, just as Feelgood had prescribed, had done their job, and the pink-maned pegasus was beaming widely. “Oh, it’s soooo beautiful!”

“Ooh! Ooh!” cried Pinkie. The rainbow had split up again into individual fliers, who were now bobbing and weaving in between each other in a riot of different colours . “Now they look like a bunch of candies dancing!”

Spike chuckled. “Aw, Pinkie Pie. I think you’re starting to return to normal already!”

Pinkie’s smile froze on her face and she turned and grabbed Spike up in her forehooves and started to shake him.

“Spike,” she whispered hoarsely, her eyes wild. “I need sugar, and I need it NOW!”

“Uh,” said the little dragon, searching himself as his feet dangled in the air. He pulled out a little white lozenge and offered it to Pinkie, smiling nervously. “Breath mint?”

*********

Twilight galloped headlong along the corridor, and the endless lines of mirrors flew past on either side of her. She kept as far away from them as she could, but they still flickered into life as she passed. With every rapid beat of her heart, a new splinter of Celestia’s life leaped out at her, flashing momentarily within her mind before slipping away to be replaced by another.

“... we are here today to honour the memory of Equestria’s greatest hero, Lady Aurora...”

“...I’m afraid she is gone, Princess...”

“...I hate you, Celestia! You and that brutal heart of yours! You’re colder than any place in the Frozen North,....”

“...goodbye, my Princess...”

“...farewell, my love...”

“...never forget me...”

The mirrors flashed, and memories beset Twilight on ever side. But she shook them away. All she cared about was Celestia.

She knew she was not far away.

The Princess was walking slowly along the corridor, her head lowered and staring at the floor, and so she neither heard nor saw Twilight until she was right on top of her.

The little unicorn was galloping so fast that she almost careened into her, but at the last minute she came to a skidding halt, panting.

“Tia!” gasped Twilight, at last gathering enough breath to speak.

Celestia lifted her head at the calling of her name and turned. She stared at Twilight, her face expressionless, her eyes unfocussed, so utterly unexpected was her student’s sudden appearance in this most private of all places.

After a while Celestia seemed to come to her senses and a look of surprise, and then horror, slipped onto her face.

“Twilight?” she whispered.

“Tia,” Twilight gasped. She sank to the floor, sweat rolling from her, panting hot breaths that wouldn’t stop her from saying everything she’d been rolling over and over in her mind as she’d galloped. “Please. Listen to me. I just-”

Celestia turned her face away, but not before Twilight saw the tears welling in her eyes. “Twilight, you... you shouldn’t have come here.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I- I had to come. I have so many things I need to tell you!”

Celestia stood silent, unmoving, for a long while. At last she turned back to look at Twilight. Her eyes were red, her cheeks wet, and the words came with difficulty. “If it’s about your friend Rainbow Dash, I already know. I saw the two of you-“

“It was a stupid prank!” said Twilight in a desperate rush. “Rainbow isn’t my fillyfriend. There’s nothing between us!”

Celestia took a sharp intake of breath, and for a moment she was speechless. Then she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, as if in pain, and left them closed them as she spoke. “It... it doesn’t matter, Twilight. It... it was never really about you and her, anyway.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight stepped towards her, but Celestia’s eyes flashed open and she shied away.

“Don’t come near me, Twilight, please!” The alicorn’s voice almost broke. “I couldn’t stand it. Not right now!”

“But Tia, I-“ The words spilled out of her, and she didn’t know what she was saying until she heard herself saying it. “I love you!”

It was as if Twilight had slapped the alicorn in the face. Celestia recoiled. She turned, taking a shaky and hasty step as if ready to flee away - but then she collapsed onto her knees. Fresh tears coursed down her cheeks, and she was wracked by sobs as she began to cry out breath after pain-filled breath.

Twilight stared at her dumbly. Horrified, horrified that her words had had such an effect on the one she loved.

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this! No, not like this!

“Tia!” She took another step forward, but Celestia looked at her, her eyes streaming, pleading silently with her not to come any closer.

After an eternity that must have been little more than a handful of heartbeats, Celestia stopped crying. She raised herself onto her hooves, making no move to wipe her tears. Then, with great composure, she turned to Twilight and said, “Twilight, I... I must apologise for the way I’m behaving. I... I have not been myself, lately.”

It was a strangely pat thing to say, and yet for Twilight it spoke volumes of what she thought was in the alicorn’s hidden heart.

“Tia, I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I... I shouldn’t have come here.” She wanted to cry herself, but the tears wouldn’t come, although her eyes burned. “I’ve ruined everything, haven’t I?” She looked about herself in confusion, not able to look Celestia in the eyes. She needed to escape from this situation, from this maelstrom of feelings, and so she said the first thing that popped into her head. “Tia - what... what is this place?”

Celestia answered quickly, taking refuge herself in the change of subject. “I call it the Hall of Memory,” she said. “I think I must have built it, sometime long ago. I can’t remember building it, but I remember remembering...” She gave a joyless chuckle. ”If you understand what I mean.”

Twilight blinked at her in confusion “Tia, I saw... in one of the mirrors. I saw something that happened to you long ago.”

“What did you see?” asked Celestia.

Twilight swallowed. “Your journey to the Griffon Empire. To save Princess Verity.”

Celestia closed her eyes. “Verity. I... I know her name from the history books, but I don’t remember her. But I remember remembering her, if you understand what I mean.” A tiny wave of pain crossed her face and she opened her eyes again. “Something terrible happened in that memory as well, didn’t it?”

Twilight nodded, a tear falling down her cheek.

“I- In a way, I am glad you saw that memory, Twilight,” said Celestia. “It means you’ll understand things a little better.”

“But why did I become you?” asked Twilight.

“The magic in the mirrors is of my own making,” said Celestia. “And was never intended to be used by a certain mischievous little unicorn.” Her attempt at familiarity hung dully in the air, but she struggled on. “Sometimes I come here, to remember things. When I look into a mirror, the memories return to me. I can’t change anything, and I can only watch. And feel. It is the tragic nature of the magic - and of memory itself.” She sighed. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, Twilight. I would not wish many of my memories on my worst enemy.”

Twilight said nothing, and merely blinked, her eyes again welling with tears.

“Come with me, Twilight,” said Celestia. “I want to show you something.” She turned and began to walk further along the hall and Twilight hurried to follow her.

“But Tia...”

Celestia looked back at her, her expression unreadable. “I want you to know the truth.”

Twilight followed.

********************

Luna gasped with pain as she struggled to extricate herself from the colossal gravitational force of the moon. Over and over again she gathered just enough energy to lift herself off its brightly shining surface, but then the momentum of the great, glowing orb’s flight would push her back down almost straight away.

Finally, with gargantuan effort fuelled by desperation, Luna peeled one foreleg off the surface and twisted herself around, so that she was pushed onto her back. The dark air now blew like a gale against her face, and she had to squint through the arcs of glittering moon dust and her own swirling mane to see the direction the moon was taking her.

When she recognised the sparkling lights and the black silhouette, her blood went cold.

Canterlot.

The moon was headed right for it.

Panic gripped Luna, and she resumed her struggling, all the more desperate now. But there was no more strength left in her limbs. She couldn’t even lift them now. It was as if she was irrevocably glued to the moon.

She stared at the rapidly approaching mountains, despair filling her heart. Oh, if only she were going to crash deep in the eastern ocean, or in a desert or the frozen mountains where nopony else would be harmed!

“Moon!” she cried. “Cease your momentum immediately! It is I, Princess Luna, who command you!”

But the moon, deaf to her pleas, flew onwards.

*******************

At long last the mirrors came to an end, although the hall continued on ahead of them. Twilight peered into the distance, but was soon forced to blink. She could see no end to it.

But this was the place that Celestia had intended to take her. The alicorn approached the final mirror on the left, and inclined her head towards it as Twilight came up beside her.

“Do you notice how this mirror is different, Twilight?”

Twilight looked, and she saw Celestia’s and her own face reflected in its surface.

“It - it’s just a normal mirror!” she said.

“Well, not quite,” said Celestia. “It’s just that it’s still empty. Waiting for a memory to be placed in it.”

“A memory?” Twilight whispered. “Like the ones I saw...”

Celestia nodded her head in the direction they had come. “In a thousand years, you can collect quite a few memories, Twilight Sparkle. Many of them happy, but many of them-“ She closed her eyes. “-unpleasant in one way or another.”

Twilight dropped her eyes to the floor. Verity’s face had sprung up before them, unbidden, and Twilight again felt the cold wetness of sand beneath her knees, heard the crackling of the unseen inferno, smelled the acrid smoke wafting across the beach. It felt like a memory of something that had truly happened to her, rather than just the memory of something she had seen.

Twilight lifted up her face at last. “But why?”

Celestia did not smile. “The Princess exists to serve Equestria,” she said. “She must be free of all uncertainty, all sadness and doubt, anything that might distract her. Her position is far too important for it to be at the mercy of emotional whims.” Her expression softened for a moment. “Aren’t there things you regret, Twilight? What is your own unhappiest memory? Bring it back, for just a moment.”

Twilight saw her face staring in horror in the silvery face of the mirror as she remembered. A tear ran down her cheek.

She saw Celestia approach her from behind and rest her neck over her own. “Now imagine, my darling Twilight - imagine a thousand years of memories like that, five times ten as many.”

“Tia...” whispered Twilight.

Celestia broke the embrace. “I’m not trying to escape from them,” she said quickly. “I could just have easily erased them all from my mind, forever. But I keep them here, safe, to experience whenever I wish. I owe that much at least to all those with whom I’ve shared my life. But when I leave this place, the memories fade away, and I can forget again. I can again return to the perfect, serene life of Celestia, Princess of Equestria, the Princess that Equestria deserves.” She grew suddenly angry. “Not the doubt-filled, mistake-prone, selfish, despicable weakling that I really am.”

Twilight turned to her, her eyes desperate. “But Tia, I- I love you!”

Celestia lowered her head and stared at the floor. Tears were pouring down her cheeks, dripping onto the smooth marble.

“It... it doesn’t matter, Twilight.”

“It... it doesn’t matter?” Twilight repeated in a whisper. “You... you don’t love me?”

“I do love you, Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia. And for a second the words hung there, in an airy silence as beautiful and fragile as glass, and Twilight felt as though her heart would break in two. But then Celestia continued, her voice barely above a whisper. “But that... that just makes matters worse. What I did.... how I reacted when I saw you and Rainbow Dash on the battlements. The despair I felt. The horrible, horrible rage. It’s the reason why I have to forget that love. I- I cannot allow that weakness to overtake my heart again.”

“But love... isn’t it more precious than that?” muttered Twilight. Knowing that Celestia loved her, too - it didn’t spare her from the numbness she felt at Celestia’s words. “Isn’t it worth it, even though it makes us weak?”

“That is not a privilege I have,” said Celestia.

Anger and despair all at once filled Twilight. “You... you’re going to forget me? Trap your love for me in that mirror? Just like that?”

She took a step forward, but a mauve barrier of crackling magical energy flew up between her and Celestia, pushing her violently back.

“Tia!” screamed Twilight in despair.

Celestia turned away. “I hope that one day you’ll be able to forgive me, Twilight.”

And leaning forward, she brought her horn against the mirror.

Finale

“Ditzy!” cried the purple-maned P as she drew alongside her. “The moon! There’s something wrong. It’s not slowing down!”

Ditzy turned, and knew straightaway that the mare was right. The moon had grown huge, far bigger than usual, even during the spring moon festival, and instead of its stately ascent along the arch of the sky, it was headed on a near-horizontal path straight for the castle.

With both forelegs Ditzy waved the fliers to a halt, and as a group they hung bobbing against the night sky. The pegasi looked across at the looming white orb and began to mutter.

“Is it supposed to be moving so fast?” said one.

“It’s not slowing down,” whispered another.

“It’s out of control!” cried a third.

“And it’s - it’s headed right for us!”

The team began to devolve into a confused mob, muttering and glancing at the moon and each other until one, a pegasus stallion with a yellow coat and a violet mane, suddenly split off from the rest of the group.

“I don’t know about all of you,” he cried, his eyes wide with fear. “But I’m getting out of here!” He turned and fled, flying off in the direction of the mountains as fast as his wings would carry him.

He was quickly joined by several others, and soon the rainbow of the Amateur Aerial Performance Team had split in two, one group making for the mountains, the others hanging in the air, looking at each other in a mixture of fear and confusion.

Meanwhile, in the streets and squares of Canterlot, ponies here and there in the crowd were pointing up at the rapidly growing disc of the moon and the disintegrating rainbow in the sky.

“Look at the moon,” cried one. “Something’s gone wrong!”

“The fliers are leaving!” cried another.

And throughout the great crowd that had gathered in the central square of the castle itself, frightened voices also began to make themselves heard.

“It’s going to smash right into the castle!”

“Oh, where is Princess Luna?”

“I haven’t seen her all evening.”

“Maybe something’s happened to her!”

“Where’s Princess Celestia?”

The crowd turned as one towards the balcony where on every other Spring Moon Celebration the Princess could be seen watching the spectacular. But the balcony was empty.

“She’s not there!”

“Nopony’s seen her for hours!”

It was the last straw. A multitude of cries rose up as ponies began to push past each other towards the gates that led out into the city. The pegasus guards, who had been eyeing the restlessness of the crowd with growing nervousness, stepped forward in a vain attempt to calm them and push them back. But there were simply too many ponies, and soon what had started as a boisterous but well-behaved crush turned into a desperate stampede.

The same thing was happening on the hospital roof. The roar of the frightened crowds in the streets and squares nearby had reached them, and it was like a wildfire spreading. A pony near the exit began to force his way past the others, and soon others joined him, until the crowd became a sea of pushing, shoving and shouting ponies.

“Hey, quit shoving, you, you... you big shovers!” cried Pinkie Pie. Pushing her drip out of the way and lifting Spike onto her back, she lowered her head and butted back like a billy-goat at the encroaching wall of ponies nearest to her.

‘D’ya think maybe it’s some kinda prank?” said Applejack. She was pushing her rump back against a group of panicked ponies behind her that were threatening to squeeze her and Fluttershy together.

Rarity shook her head as she shoved an elbow into one particularly aggressive stallion. “I don’t think so, darling. I’m afraid that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong!”

*******************

“HEY YOU GUYS!” shouted Ditzy, her face suddenly fierce. “STOP! RIGHT! THERE!”

Few ponies had ever heard Ditzy’s shout so loud, and nopony had ever heard her voice so angry. In fact, nopony had ever heard even the slightest tint of anger in Ditzy’s voice, and so the ponies who were in the middle of fleeing all stopped and turned, hovering there while they stared at her in a shocked fascination that even the looming moon could not distract them from.

Ditzy felt all their eyes on her, and she stared back at them, swallowing nervously.

Then she cried, “We can’t leave!”

There was a dumb silence, and then somepony asked, “Why not?”

“We’ve got continue the show!” she replied.

The yellow-coated pegasus who had triggered the precipitous flight shook his head in disbelief. “What in Equestria are you talking about?”

“Look down there!” Ditzy pointed down at the crowded streets of Canterlot. A frightened roar of voices was rising up to them. “Everypony is panicking! We have to do something!”

“But what can we do, Ditzy?” demanded the yellow-coated pegasus. “It’s the moon! We’re not alicorns.”

“No, we can’t stop the moon,” said the blonde-mane pegasus softly. “But panicky hooves are even more dangerous than the moon at the moment! The only thing we can do is buy everypony some time. And besides-” A characteristically Ditzy-sized grin broke onto her face. “-the show must go on!”

Some in the group of fleeing ponies looked at Ditzy, running the truth of her words over in their minds. Others gazed down at the terrified crowds filled streets of Canterlot and felt suddenly ashamed. All of them kept glancing back at the fearful effigy of the moon, but first one, and then another, and soon all of the ponies, including the shame-faced yellow-coated pegasus stallion, flew back into formation.

As Ditzy looked over the frightened but determined pegasi arrayed before her, her eyes began to fill with tears. She impatiently wiped them away with a forehoof and once more addressed her team, her squeaky voice steely with determination.

“Thank you, everypony!” cried Ditzy. “I know you’re all scared. I am too! See? My eyes have started to go straight!” There was scattered laughter throughout the crowd, and she grinned. “Now, this might be the last Spring Moon Festival ever, so let’s hit them with everything we’ve got!”

And with that, Ditzy flew straight up, then dived swiftly back down towards the castle, and the entire team, to a pegasus, followed her.

“Where do you think the Princesses are?” the black-maned Q shouted across to Ditzy as he and the purple-maned P flew close behind her, spearing down through the night sky.

“They’ll be here!” replied Ditzy, her blonde-mane fluttering backwards with the speed of their descent. And in her gentle, simple heart there was not an ounce of doubt.

The black-maned Q fell back alongside the purple-maned P. He turned to her, his face cast with doubt, and asked, “What do you think?”

The purple-maned P just shook her head and smiled. “I think it’ll take a miracle.”

**********************

Down in Canterlot, the roar of the panicking crowds was suddenly drowned out by the ear-splitting crash of a sonic boom from above them. They all looked up as one as the rainbow, now restored, flew low over the city. Everypony stopped pushing and stared in astonishment, their eyes following the fliers as they rocketed straight up into the sky to form a great, spinning Catherine-wheel of colour.

Then the Catherine-wheel broke apart, and Ditzy brought the rainbow back over the city again and again, running through all their most death-defying moves: the Double Immelmann, the Scintillating Spiral Starburst, the Corkscrew of Almost Certain Doom. There was no longer even any scattered shoving, as all eyes were glued to the astounding feats happening just above their heads.

“See!” cried Pinkie Pie on the roof of the hospital, hopping up and down, her head swivelled back and forth just like she was watching a tennis game. “I told you it was all just part of the show! Woohoo! Yeah! Go fliers!”

The other ponies on the rooftop stopped pushing and shoving and slowly, shame-facedly, they shuffled back towards the balustrade. Squeezing back up together alongside Applejack and the others, they craned their necks, eager to catch the next amazing move the fliers would make.

*************

Spitfire and Rainbow sped ever onward through the cold night air across the mountains in pursuit of the moon. Every muscle in every part of their bodies were beyond aching now - and yet they flew on.

Spitfire drew alongside Rainbow and in between deep gasps she asked, “Where do you think Princess Celestia has gone?”

“The Princess is never around when stuff like this happens,” Rainbow replied. “So as usual, it’s up to us to save the day.”

“But there’s no way we’ll be able to get in front of it!” protested Spitfire.

“That’s where these babies come in,” said Rainbow, patting the fireworks on her back.

Spitfire looked at her as if she was crazy. “You’re... you’re not planning on blowing up the moon, are you?”

Rainbow chuckled. “What? Actually, that would be pretty cool - but I don’t think there’re enough fireworks in all of Equestria to manage that. No, we’re just going to give ourselves a little extra boost.”

Spitfire’s eyes boggled. “We’re going to set these fireworks off? While we’re still wearing them?”

Rainbow nodded. “Just as soon as we’re going fast enough to hit the Rainboom and the Fire Tornado.”

“The Rainboom and the Fire Tornado?” Spitfire’s eyes went wide. “At the same time? D, that’s suicide!”

Rainbow smiled. “I know, right?”

Spitfire shook her head. “You’re totally insane.”

Rainbow chuckled. “A lot of ponies have said that before, yeah.”

The two pegasi flew faster, ever faster, egging each other on and drawing on the last tiny specks of energy remaining in their bodies. It was Rainbow’s forehooves, cutting the air before her, that first began to give off flecks of multi-coloured light, but not long after, glowing sparks appeared around Spitfire’s forehooves, as their friction approached ignition point and the air around her crackled and sizzled.

Spitfire couldn’t help but laugh. “Hey D,” she shouted over the sizzling and sparking. “If this works, I promise I’ll never doubt anything ever again!”

“Aw, what’s the worst that could happen?” laughed Rainbow.

“We blow ourselves to smithereens?” replied Spitfire with a grin.

“’Smithereens’?” Rainbow shrugged. “You know, I have no idea what a ‘smithereen’ even is.”

“What in Equestria are you talking about?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Sorry - I must have been channelling Pinkie Pie for a second there.”

Spitfire’s face suddenly went serious. “Look, D, whatever happens...”

Rainbow slipped a forehoof into Spitfire’s and gripped it tight.

“I know,” she said.

Spitfire, her eyes brimming, lifted her other hoof, now crackling with little tongues of flame, in front of them - and then, as the air about them simultaneously exploded into a brilliant, scintillating rainbow and into a violent, shrieking tornado of fire, she reached back and lit the fuses on both their backs.

************

It was Pinkie who saw them first. On the horizon, flying even faster than the moon, came two points of light - one orange, the other blue.

“Look, look!” she cried, pointing wildly.

“Wha’ in tarnation?” muttered Applejack.

Fluttershy clapped her hooves together in delight. “Oh, the show just keeps getting better and better!”

“Is that...?” muttered Rarity, squinting into the distance.

The two shooting stars came closer, and behind them trailed two different wakes - one a fiery path of orange flame, the other the glittering multi-coloured beam of a rainbow. And as they streaked overhead, fireworks burst about them, splashing sparkling embers of every colour across the night sky and tinting the streets and squares of Canterlot.

“It’s Spitfire and Rainbow Dash!” gasped Fluttershy.

“Well, o’ course it is,” chuckled Applejack. “D’you really think either o’ those two show-offs could resist stealin’ the lime-light?”

*************

The air sparked and fizzled around Twilight as she forced her way through Celestia’s magical barrier. She drove herself forward, step by step, ignoring the pain as the unadulterated rainbow magic flowed into her as it strove to push her back.

No pony other than Celestia herself should have been able to pierce through that scintillating barrier - but deep inside Twilight, the connection with the living Light of Creation had been rekindled, fuelled by her desperation and despair. The hostile energy flowing into her from the barrier vanished into the maelstrom already pumping throughout her body, like water poured into a raging river, and Twilight’s mane sparked blue and pink and green around her with living light.

And then the final layers of the barrier peeled away and she stumbled through to the other side. Celestia was there, her eyes closed, her horn still deep in the mirror which was bubbling like molten metal. Twilight panicked, and not knowing what else to do, she plunged her own horn into the mirror next to the Princess’ own.

As the liquid silver of the mirror flowed over Twilight, a great mass of images came with it, flickered past her mind’s eye in rapid succession, and for a long while she could make no sense of them. She was falling through a place where time was scattered backwards and forwards, a series of reflected reflections, image piled upon splintered image, the raw material from which memory is fashioned.

And then suddenly Twilight was in the Testing Centre, the Princess beside her, and she was dancing around in a circle, tossing her mane with joy.

And at the same time she was kneeling on the cobblestones in the great square, shyly looking up at Celestia as the Princess stepped out to greet her and her mother and father.

And she was staring, her face hot with embarrassment, at the Princess leaned down to pick up Smartypants from the flagged floor of the castle corridor.

.... and she there, again, at every lesson the Princess had ever given her, from the simplest telekinetic spells to the most sophisticated and subtle manipulation of rainbow magic, at every little evening stroll they had taken in the castle gardens, every cheerful tea-time chat, every quiet moment, lying beside each other and reading in the Princess’ study on those long winter nights that lasted forever those balmy summer nights when the air was thick like mist the day she left for Ponyville the aftermath of the battle with Nightmare Moon the devastation of Ponyville by the parasprites...

...and everywhere and everywhen Twilight reached out to Celestia and, touching her coat with a forehoof, she asked, “Tia?”

...and everywhere and everywhen, the Princess’s face took on a look of bewilderment that quickly turned to fright.

“Twilight?” whispered Celestia, and the same whisper echoed across every memory they had ever shared. “How did you...?”

Suddenly the Testing Centre shuddered, the walls buckled inwards, wobbling as if it were being viewed through choppy water... and then all colour drained from the stone and it turned a hideous silver, reflecting Twilight and Celestia and everything else in the hall on its molten surface.

At the same time, In the Great Square, the spring sunshine faded away and the sky took on an ominous, silvery cast. Twilight looked up, and saw herself and Celestia and her parents and all the great open square reflected in it.

The entire sky had become a mirror.

And so had the walls of the castle corridor, and the walls of her tower, and the ceiling of the dining room, where she and the Princess had eaten breakfast for the first time together, and the walls of the Princess’ study where they had drunk tea and chatted about history, and everywhere and everywhen, in every memory that the two shared, the hideous mirror began to appear...

... and Twilight and Celestia watched in horror as it spilled over them like a wave, turning everything the same horrible silver and taking with it all time, space and memory.

*******************

The air around Spitfire and Rainbow crackled and sparked, a brilliant confusion of flame and rainbow and the constant explosion of the fireworks on their backs. They were going so fast now that the air before them felt like a wall of solid ice, and their faces ached, chilled to the bone. The rest of their bodies, however, felt like they were on fire, which in actual fact they were.

With every explosion, the fireworks added to their forward momentum, but the heat of them was close to unbearable, and both Rainbow and Spitfire were singed and covered in soot that smelled of brimstone.

But their gamble had paid off. The mighty blue-white orb was right beside them now, gargantuan in close range, blocking out the sight of everything else. The two pegasi banked closer little by little, careful not to crash into its glowing surface.

Even though Rainbow and Spitfire were now flying literally cheek to cheek, they still had to shout to be heard over the scream of the wind, the roar of the moon, and the crack of the detonating fireworks.

“We’ve got one chance,” shouted Rainbow. “If we screw this up, we’re going to end up as moon-pancakes.”

“I really don’t want that written on my tombstone,” Spitfire shouted back.

They were flying so close now that they could feel the moon’s great bulk pulling them closer.

“We’re listing too far to the right,” shouted Spitfire. “Bank left, D, bank LEFT!”

Rainbow nodded, and the two pegasi, acting as one with the precision timing that only came through years of training, banked left, slipping alarmingly closer to the great orb as they did so.

The blue-silver surface flew up at them, and for a heart-beat Rainbow hesitated.

“D!!” shouted Spitfire. “You’re gonna have to bank sharper, or else...!”

“But we’ll go straight into the moon!” Rainbow shouted back.

Spitfire smiled. “D, trust me. I’d never let anything happen to you. Bank NOW!”

Rainbow’s heart was in her throat as she did as Spitfire said. The surface of the moon flew up at her, and for a second she imagined she could already feel the impact as she crashed into it. Then it miraculously pulled away again, and she was flying parallel with the surface as it curved beneath her with Spitfire at her side.

Great gusts of glowing moondust flew up around them as they streaked across the surface of the moon, and Rainbow and Spitfire had to squint to see where they were going.

“Are you sure the Princess is this way?” shouted Rainbow. It was hard to make out anything in the moondust, and if they overshot...

“Our angle of approach was perfect,” Spitfire shouted back. “She should be just ahead of-”

“There’s she is!” cried Rainbow.

“Where?” shouted Spitfire back. She could only see the great silver-blue curve of the moon’s surface and the great clouds of dust that spilled across it.

“There!” cried Rainbow. “To the left!”

Rainbow was right. It was Luna!

With all four legs splayed out against the surface of the moon, the alicorn had almost given up hope. But then she heard shouting, barely audible over the roar of the moon, and with a colossal effort she turned her head to see two pegasus ponies streaking towards her.

Luna had no chance to cry out, but there was just enough time for her pupils to go wide in astonishment....

...and then Spitfire was grabbing her left foreleg, and Rainbow her right, and she felt a huge lurch as she was dragged from the moon’s surface and pulled up into the air.

“Now, D!” screamed Spitfire. “Bank RIGHT!”

With the last of her energy and a huge shout of effort, Rainbow pulled up, and the two pegasi, with Luna hanging between them, broke free of the moon and streaked away, leaving it quickly behind.

It felt like mere moments later that the lights of Canterlot appeared beneath them.

“We’re sorry Your Highness!” Rainbow cried down to the still dazed Luna. “But we can’t stop to give you a more dignified entrance.”

“We’ll leave the moon up to you,” shouted Spitfire. “After all, you are the expert.”

Luna shouted back her gratitude, but “Tha-” was all she managed to say before Spitfire and Rainbow let go of her and she found herself plummeting down through the chill night air. She shook herself, cracking her mighty limbs that were still aching from having been glued to the moon’s surface for so long, and sweeping out her wings and delighting in the freedom that had been restored to her, she dived down and cut through the air towards Canterlot Castle, now aglow with the baleful light of the approaching moon.

*************

Twilight blinked. The gleaming molten tidal-wave had suddenly vanished, and she was standing in the little sheltered courtyard with its old blossom-spotted tree. Celestia was standing beside her.

The feeling of having returned almost to the present was jarring, like a déjà vu that refused to fade away, but Twilight quickly pushed it from her mind.

She looked up at Tia, who was staring at her with tears in her eyes.

“This... this is the only place we have left,” whispered Celestia. “My most precious memory. It must have been here that I finally realised that I loved you, Twilight Sparkle.”

“And... and your other memories?” Twilight knew the answer even as she asked.

“I can feel them fading away.” Celestia looked at Twilight, her eyes pleading. “Twilight. Forgive me. I... just wanted to remove those thoughts of love from my heart, so that I wouldn’t feel them anymore. But the mirror’s spell - the spell has worked all the way back to when we first met. It... it wants to remove every memory of you from me.” She closed her eyes. “It must be that I’ve always loved you, ever since the first time we met.”

There was a rumbling, and the floor of the little courtyard began to shudder. Near them, the tree shivered and the blossoms along its boughs were shaken off. A veil of tiny petals began to fall around them like snow.

“It’s coming now... the spell,” said Celestia, opening her eyes again. “Once the quicksilver has spread over us this last time, I’ll forget everything about you. I’m... I’m sorry, Twilight.”

Twilight stared at her dumbly. “Can’t... can’t we do anything?”

Celestia shook her head. “You... you must forget me too, Twilight. Promise me that you will.” She dropped her eyes to the floor. “I... I never deserved the happiness that you brought me, Twilight. I always wanted to keep it all for myself, keep you locked away in this castle forever. Go back to Ponyville. It’s why I sent you there in the first place. To get you away from me. I was always too selfish. Too weak.”

“It’s not your memories that make you weak, Tia,” said Twilight, speaking at last. “It’s running away from them that does.” She locked her eyes with Celestia’s, and the Princess found that as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t turn away. Tears began to fall from Twilight’s eyes, and she let them flow down her cheeks as she continued to speak. “I... I want to remember us... and even though the memories will bring me pain, I still want them. I will live with the sorrow. Goodbye.”

Celestia tried to speak, but words would not come. And then Twilight turned away, and as she walked through the archway that led out from the little courtyard, she was already fading away, like morning mist melting under the sunlight.

Then the great wave of molten silver was upon Celestia, spilling from the mortar of the walls and welling up from between the paving stones beneath her hooves. It flowed out from every surface, covering the archway, the tree, the walls - until only Celestia herself remained.

And no matter which way she looked, uncountable reflections of her own tear-stained face stared back at her from every corner of the tiny mirror-universe cast in her own, immaculate image.

****************

Luna’s flight ended, a little unsteadily, on the highest tower of Canterlot Castle, where she landed and took a few moments to catch her breath. She was bruised and beaten and aching and covered from ear to tail in glittering moondust, but she pushed it all from her mind as she turned to face the moon’s rapid approach.

Drawing on every remaining reserve of magic within her, Luna concentrated them together in a last, desperate spell. She pushed all four hooves against the tiles of the tower and braced herself as she brought her horn to bear and channelled the last of her magic towards the great looming disc.

Her coat tingled, her eyes glowed, and-

-there was a popping sound, and a handful of sparks fizzled at the end of her horn.

“Oh zoot,” she swore.

*************

At the Royal Canterlot Hospital, everypony had rushed to the other side of the roof to watch the twin stars of Rainbow and Spitfire rapidly receding into the distance.

“Now where the hay d’they think they’re goin’?” muttered Applejack. “They’ve totally overshot. They’ll end up half way to the Land of the Griffons at this rate!”

Rarity shook her head and tutted. “Once again, Applejack, I fear our darling Rainbow has again taken things a little too far.”

Ditzy rallied her exhausted team. Feathers were frayed, coats were covered in sweat, but everypony’s heart was soaring with the cheers and whoops of their audience far below them in the streets and squares of Canterlot.

But behind them the moon loomed even huger than before. And there was still no sign of the Princesses.

Even Ditzy herself began to lose hope. She felt a tornado of butterflies whizzing around in her stomach and trying to fly up her throat and escape, but she swallowed them back down. She had to be strong. Her team needed her.

Canterlot needed her.

She flew straight out in front of her team. “Okay everypony!” she cried. “Just one final effort! We’ve got to send our special Spring Moon Festival message to the heart of Canterlot!”

She flicked a switch, and the letter M on her front of her harness burst into glowing life.

Then she looked down, and, blushing, she hastily adjusted the harness so that it was the letter E once more.

Two dozen glowing letters suddenly sprung into existence in the skies over Canterlot. In one place an E and a P and a Q were all grouped together, while elsewhere a jumble of all different letters hung bobbing in the sky.

“Oh, how gorgeous!” sighed Rarity. “This must be the finale.”

“Ah ain’t never seen anythin’ like this before,” said Applejack.

“It kinda reminds me of alphabet soup!” said Pinkie. “Ooh, ooh! And alphabet custard!”

“Look!” cried Spike. “They’re starting to make words!”

As Ditzy pointed this way and that in a frenzy, the Amateur Aerial Performance Team split into smaller groups and scattered in different directions. Ditzy herself rocketed up high into the air, and the black-maned Q flew behind her with seven more pegasi trailing after him.

Down on the roof of the hospital, the ponies all gazed up in wonder as words began to form in the sky above them.

“Eques lo sun?” recited Pinkie, reading the letters. “Wait wait wait, that’s griffonese, isn’t it?”

“They haven’t finished yet, darling,” said Rarity, drawing the little pink pony’s gaze back up as the swirling letters continued to find their places.

“Equestria... loves...” read Fluttershy. “Oh, how lovely! It’s some sort of message.”

“Equestria loves sun...?” read Spike. “Huh?”

“Equestria loves sunnier scalp?” finished Rarity, furrowing her beautiful forehead in bafflement.

She had read it correctly. Over Canterlot, the words EQUESTRIA LOVES SUNNIER SCALP hung serenely against the night sky.

A murmur of confusion rustled through the crowd of ponies.

“What in the hay?” said Applejack.

“Perhaps it’s some kind of... shampoo commercial?” suggested Rarity, unconvinced.

“It can’t be,” protested Applejack. “They ain’t sold ‘Sunnier Scalp’ shampoo since I was a lil ‘un! Cryin’ shame, too,” she added, running a forehoof through her mane. “It used to do wonders for the ol’ hay-bale!”

Ditzy looked down at the other two rows below her own and slapped a forehoof to her forehead.

“Oh, this is all wrong!” she cried. “Quick, everypony! Let’s regroup and try again.”

The words broke up and gathered in a circle around Ditzy, who zipped about, giving each pegasus new instructions.

“This time, I want you to go in this direction, and you to go...”

Far beneath Canterlot mount, the residents of Ponyville were crowding the town square and the streets and the hillsides all around, eagerly watching the show. Among them were the foals of Springfield Elementary, gazing up at the sky from the gorgeous gardens of Diamond Tiara’s palatial mansion. Her father Filthy Rich had forced her to invite all the little ponies in her class to a Spring Moon Festival Party - even the Cutie Mark Crusaders, much to her chagrin - and all the little fillies and colts were jostling and pushing each other, trying to find the best vantage point to watch the amazing things that were happening overhead.

“Look!” cried Scootaloo, who had stopped pushing and was pointing up into the sky. “They’re making words again!”

“It ain’t another shampoo commercial, is it?” asked Applebloom next to her.

“I don’t think so,” said Sweetie Belle. “Look, there’s a word starting with a U and and an S this time.” She hopped up and down, pointing at the various letters as they flew into place. “And there’s and N and a... ooh! Ooh! There’s a C now!”

Silver Spoon looked at the little unicorn with disgust. “We can all read, Sweetie Belle.”

“If yer so smart,” said Applebloom, coming to her friend’s defence. “What does it say then?”

“It’s obvious,” said Silver Spoon, squinting into the sky. “’Equestria loves...’” Her eyes boggled. “Unclear Snips!?

The little colt of the same name, standing nearby with his friends Snails and Featherweight, gaped in surprise at his name appearing in the heavens. He scratched his head with a forehoof. “What does it mean, ‘unclear’?”

“I would have thought the meaning was obvious,” said Featherweight, stifling a laugh.

“And what does that mean?” demanded Snips.

Featherweight grinned. “I rest my case!”

Diamond Tiara was put out and stamped a dainty hoof in anger. “Why did he get a mention, when I didn’t? I’m far cuter, and far more important!”

“I didn’t get a mention, either” said Snails.
“Well,” sniffed Snips, lifting his snout into the air. “I am only the Spring Moon Festival Amateur Aerial Performance Team’s greatest fan!”

“Since when?” demanded Snails.

“Since forever!” snapped Snips.

“Oh, be quiet, both o’ yer!” muttered Applebloom. “Them letters have started movin’ again!”

Ditzy looked down at the words bobbing below her in horror. Oh, she’d messed it all up again! As she madly signalled for her team to return to her again, a bead of sweat appeared on her forehead and her eyes began to go straight. Oh, the stress was starting to give her an awful headache! But they had to do it right, this time! If she messed things up again, she could just imagine what Rainbow Dash would have to say...

The fierce blue face of the pegasus appeared in the air before her, shaking its head in dismay.

“Ditzy,” said the apparition. “That was by far the awfulest display I have ever seen!”

Then it vanished, and the face of Princess Celestia appeared in its place, staring down at Ditzy imperiously.

“Ditzy Doo,” it intoned. “It is my decree that from this day forth you will be known by the name Derpy Hooves!”

“Oh no! Not Derpy Hooves” squealed the pegasus, shaking her head until the face of Celestia, too, disappeared.

This is my last chance, thought Ditzy. If I screw this up, I’ll be Derpy Hooves forever!

She gritted her teeth in determination. “This time for sure!”

The fliers zigzagged this way and that, and Ditzy flew about like an energetic firefly, making sure that everypony was in the right place. And then at last she flew up to become the ‘E’ of ‘Equestria’ again, and the fliers flew out in formation one last time.

*********************

Luna bit her lip. She stamped her hooves into the tiles of the tower, unfurled her wings full length, put back her ears, stuck out her head, furrowed her brows and concentrated until every feather and hair on her body was standing on end and sweat was beading on her forehead and running down her neck.

But try as she might, the magic still wouldn’t come. Only the tiniest of sparks travelled along her hackles and the faintest of glimmers appeared at the end of her horn, to fizzle out ineffectually.

Luna lifted her face to the oncoming moon. It dominated the sky now, and there was surely only minutes left for them all. Even if she had wanted to fly away herself right now, she wouldn’t be able to escape.

Despair gripped her heart, and she felt the final ounces of energy slip away from her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at the gleaming disk now swallowing up the sky.

“I... I can’t do this,” she whispered. “Oh, Tia - where are you? I... I’ve failed you. I’ve failed everypony.”

She started to close her eyes... but then, out of the corner of one of them she glimpsed a light. It wasn’t the white of the approaching moon, but the colour blue - and then red, and orange, and all the colours of the rainbow soon followed.

And as she lifted her head, she saw the Amateur Aerial Performance Team soaring overhead, each of the pegasi wearing a letter of the alphabet in every colour of the rainbow. And she read the message that was written there.

It wasn’t a shampoo commercial.

It wasn’t a shout-out to a foal in Ponyville.

The message was...

“Equestria...” read Rarity, staring into the sky.

“Loves...” read Applejack next, slipping her forelegs around Rarity absent-mindedly.

“Princess...” read Fluttershy, her huge eyes opening wider in delight.

“Equestria Loves Princess Luna!” cried Spike, leaping up and pumping a little clawed fist into the air.

On the hospital rooftop, the crowd erupted into cheers and yells and whoops, while below them in the city, the voices of all the ponies there rose up to join them, until it was a single, huge roar. Like the crash of a great wave striking a shore, it echoed from the great white-washed walls of the castle and reverberated out through the night.

And Luna heard it, and read the words that were emblazoned across the skies of Canterlot with glistening eyes.

“All... all of Equestria loves me?” she whispered.

Below her, the roaring voices had begun a chant, and it grew louder with every voice that joined it.

“Lu-NA! Lu-NA! Lu-NA! Lu-NA! Lu-NA!”

As the chant echoed in her ears, all despair and doubt melted away. She turned, determination bursting anew within her heart, like flames exploding forth from a smouldering ember. Closing her eyes, she dove down deep, deeper, ever deeper into the wellspring of her magical energy, the wellspring that connected her to the great, white, living force known as the Light of Creation. It was the magic which lit both the Moon and the Sun, which divided itself in the endless beauty of the rainbow, and from which all things had sprung, and now it filled her to overflowing.

Luna’s eyes flew open, blindingly white, her whole body crackling with energy. The purest of all magic was now coursing through her, travelling from every cell of her body up along her spine to pool in the point of her horn. And then it burst out of her, a great column of incandescence that pierced the night. Rising up through the dark night air, it struck the moon full-force, causing the plummeting orb to tremble and lurch.

The pillar of light soon arrested the moon’s headlong descent, and it slowed rapidly, no longer able to fight its way through the great stream of white light pouring out from Luna’s horn.

Finally it came to a shuddering halt. The great pillar of light faded away to nothing, and the moon was left hanging in space above the castle, a gigantic orb so close that it felt as though you might just reach up and touch it, sprinkling its warm yellow across every space of the city.

**********************

Celestia gazed at the uncountable reflections of her face staring back at her. Every face was worn, and drawn tight, the cheeks moist with tears, the eyes red and unblinking - and in their mauve depths she suddenly caught sight of the hideous loneliness that had long lived there, like a shadow draped across her heart.

And then she saw the faces contort, as if in pain, and the mouths opened, as if crying out, and then she heard their cry, and it was her own as she screamed out a “NO!” which echoed across all of time and space.

She threw herself at the great silver wall that surrounded her, her horn glowing white hot with despair and regret and love, a great bottomless well of love that flowed up inside her, filled her to overflowing and then spilled out from her.

She plunged her horn into the wall, and the silver shied back, like a living thing that feared the light...

...and then the mirror shattered, and Celestia was blown backwards, shielding her eyes with a forehoof as shards of silver swirl around her like a tornado of snowflakes.

She felt the impact of her body against the cold stone of a floor and her eyes flashed open. She found herself back in the Hall of Memory, lying next to Twilight, who had also been blown backwards, while all about them glittering fragments of the mirror fell like snow.

Moments later, Twilight opened her own eyes and looked up at her, and Celestia threw her forelegs around the little unicorn and swept her, weeping, into her embrace.

But then they heard a humming sound, and they turned as one to see the face of the next mirror nearest to them glowing white hot.

And a heartbeat later, it exploded as well, the disintegrating metal spraying out and filling the stone corridor with tiny scintillating flakes of silver.

Celestia shielded Twilight with her great wings, and turned her face away as mirror after mirror glowed white and disintegrated, until all that could be heard throughout the great hall was the cracking and shattering of glass.

And with each shattering mirror, a new memory sprang into being in Celestia’s mind, and the pain and joy that spilled into her in waves drove her back onto the ground, tears flowing from her eyes as if they would never stop flowing.

Twilight, half-blinded by her own tears, threw her forelegs around Celestia’s great arch of a neck as the alicorn wept, her body shuddering in despair.

“Oh, Twilight, I remember! I remember them all,” she sobbed. “Verity, Aurora, Aurelia... I lost them! I lost them all and they left me here alone. And one day I’ll lose you, just as I’ve lost them.”

“Yes, Tia,” said Twilight softly, stroking Celestia’s mane with a forehoof as the sobs continued to wrack her body. “Someday you’ll lose me. But today is not that day.” And leaning forward, she lifted Celestia’s face up and quickly kissed her on the lips - Celestia, Tia, the Princess, her Princess - her teacher, her mentor, her friend...

Her love.

And when she felt the softness of Celestia’s lips against her own, Twilight’s breathing stopped. Her heart stopped. And finally, time itself stopped.

And Twilight and Celestia felt the memory of their first kiss extend beyond the limits of time, and through all of space. An eternal moment forever trapped, as if in a mirror.

****************

On a secluded beach in the Eastern Ocean, not so terribly far from Baltimare, Spitfire and Rainbow Dash sat on the sand, utter exhaustion pervading every atom of their bodies. They were soaking wet, and singed, and the pungent smell of brimstone from the fireworks still hung around them. But they were alive.

Together, they looked out across the black ocean at the moon, hanging in the sky far in the distance. It was now motionless, and from it an aisle of pure light poured across the black waters of the ocean to set their faces and bodies aglow.

Spitfire turned to Rainbow, her expression under the light of the moon a mixture of triumph and disbelief.

“Rainbow, I can’t believe we really-“

But she never finished her sentence, for Rainbow was already kissing her.

*******************

The great warm glow of the moon beamed down across the crowds that filled the streets and squares of Canterlot. Everypony had fallen utterly silent at the appearance of the great beam of energy, but now they were roaring even louder, squealing and laughing and whooping joyously. And everywhere the moon soaked with its glorious, glistening light, pony was hugging pony, and pony kissing pony.

Like many of the couples in the crowd on the hospital roof, Applejack and Rarity were hugging each other, oblivious to everypony else around them as they gazed up at the moon, their upturned faces shining in its light. Fluttershy stood near them, staring off into the distance in wrapt attention.

Spike and Pinkie, meanwhile, were both leaning against the balustrade and looking out across the moonlit streets.

The little dragon sighed suddenly and turned to Pinkie Pie.

“Hey Pinkie,” he said. “You know what I could really go for right now?”

“What’s that, Spikey?” she asked.

“Some pie!” he said, his eyes sparkling.

Pinkie blushed, but then her eyes went wide. “Oh, you mean apple pie, righ-“ But her words were cut off by the little dragon kissing her.

After a while, Spike pulled away, his little purple face turning bright red. “Aw, geeze. I’m sorry, Pinkie - I dunno what came over me!”

“Oh, I know what did. I can feel it too!” Pinkie said, her grin growing even wider under the glow of the moon. “It’s like I just drank a gallon of sarsaparilla, and all the sugar and bubbles are going right to my head!” And with that, she threw her forelegs around the bewildered little dragon and kissed him over and over again until his head spun.

The shouts of the crowd were echoing in Luna’s ears as the final ounce of her magical energy fled her exhausted body. As if in a dream, she looked up at the now tame yellow light of the motionless moon and whispered a tired but heartfelt “Huzzah.”

Then darkness slipped across her eyes and her legs fell out from under her. She skidded down the tiled roof of the tower and fell head-first over the edge.

Nopony saw her fall. Nopony, that was, except for Fluttershy. The pegasus had been staring up at the moon the whole time, like the others, but her eyes had been fixed on the black silhouette of the Princess, perched on the top of the highest tower in Canterlot. And now it was falling, slipping down across the great white disc of the moon, and she was the only one who had noticed.

In a panic she pulled herself away from the group of hugging and kissing ponies on the hospital roof.

“Oh, somepony has to do something!” she cried. “Where’s Rainbow Dash?!”

But shout as she might, her gentle voice couldn’t be heard over the happy cries and applause of the crowd.

Fluttershy knew she had no other choice. She swallowed nervously, and closing her eyes she leaped straight over the balustrade. With sharp sweeps of her wings, she flew out across the city, swifter than she’d ever flown in her entire life.

Luna was mere moments from hitting the flagstones of one of the many squares of Canterlot when Fluttershy reached her. The pegasus was barely able to keep her eyes open, so frightened was she of arriving too late, but with a last desperate burst of energy she swooped down and scooped the limp Luna out of the air. The alicorn was far too heavy for her to carry, however, and so the two careened, ear over tail, into the crowd that filled the square.

Ponies leaped left and right out of the way as Fluttershy and Luna smashed through them, rolling along the cobblestones until they finally ended up in a fountain with a colossal splash.

The impact and the cold water roused Luna from unconsciousness, and she found herself looking straight into Fluttershy’s wide cyan eyes.

“Oh, Fluttershy,” she whispered, barely able to find the energy to speak. “You... you saved my life!”

Fluttershy blushed red and turned away. “Oh, but Princess... you saved all of us!

Luna looked out across the crowd of ponies staring at them and then at the moon hanging above the castle, but she wasn’t able to feel any joy at her success. All she remembered was the terrible fear in those gorgeous cyan eyes, and with the memory came a terrible guilt.

She turned back and met Fluttershy’s innocent gaze with difficulty. “Oh, Fluttershy,” she began, hesitantly. “You saved me. And even after I played such a horrible trick on you earlier.”

Fluttershy’s eyes blinked innocently. “A trick?”

Luna couldn’t look her in the eye anymore and dropped her gaze. “It was I who took the form of Darkmane and chased you through the gardens earlier tonight. I... I merely intended it to be a game, but...”

Fluttershy’s eyes went wide. “Darkmane... Darkmane was really you?”

“You must hate me,” whispered Luna. “I... I’ll understand if you never, ever want to see me again...” She lifted her face, dreading the hatred and disgust she expected to see on the pegasus’ face.

But instead Fluttershy was just smiling at her shyly. “Oh, I forgive you, you big silly!”

And with that the pegasus booped her nose against Luna’s, and a rosy blush sprang up on the cheeks of the all-powerful Princess of the Moon as she gaped and stared, utterly at a loss for the first time in her aeons-long life.

************

Side by side, Twilight and Celestia walked back through the Hall of Memories.

The Princess hadn’t said anything for a long time, but Twilight knew that she was utterly exhausted. She let the Princess lean against her, supporting her weight as best she could, as they stepped gingerly over the shattered shards of mirror that now littered the floor like silver snow.

Now and then a larger fragment would pick up the image of the two lovers and reflect it back to them, and Twilight realised with half-hearted amusement that she looked every bit as careworn as Celestia did.

The Princess’s eyes were sunken and dark, her face pinched and drawn, and she walked as though in a daze - automatic and with little energy. Twilight felt sudden panic well up inside her as she began to wonder whether the Princess would ever fully recover from her ordeal in the mirror.

But then Celestia stopped and, looking down at the glittering silver dust on the floor, broke the silence with a deep sigh.

“What a mess,” she muttered. “It seems as if I have quite a bit of remembering to do, Twilight.”

Twilight made no reply, but merely nodded.

“How many years of bad luck do you get for breaking a mirror again?” asked Celestia.

“Well,” said Twilight, suddenly perking up at an opportunity to show off her knowledge. “The Equestrian Compendium of Curses says seven, and Tobin’s Spirit Guide mentions six, but I personally agree with Starswirl the Bearded, who states in his Greater Index of Magic that...” She stopped midsentence, suddenly embarrassed at the trivial nonsense she was spouting.

“So... around seven thousand years bad luck, you think?” said Celestia.

Twilight smiled. “That sounds about right.”

“Well, never mind,” said Celestia. “With you by my side, my darling Twilight, I don’t think I have much to fear from all that bad luck.”

And Twilight saw the tired smile that had appeared on Celestia’s face, breaking like the dawn over the ocean, and she knew that everything would be alright after all.

***************

It was a wet and bedraggled Fluttershy and Luna that Applejack and the others found being mobbed by ponies. The timid pegasus was squeaking in alarm at the crush of well-wishers, and Luna had swept a wing around her and was using the other to fend off the more overenthusiastic ponies.

But then the crowd pulled away, and a shout went up as Ditzy Doo and the Amateur Aerial Performance Team came flying in, tired and sweaty, but filled with joy. They, too, were quickly mobbed, and the purple-maned P and the black-maned Q, wide-eyed, kept looking at the crowd and then back at each other, trying to decide whether they had imagined the whole thing.

Ditzy’s face was one of confused happiness as well, but when she saw two figures swoop down from the sky and land nearby, her look straightaway changed to one of fearful anxiety. She turned and began to push her way through the crowd, hoping that the newcomers wouldn’t notice her.

But Spitfire and Rainbow were already pushing their way through the crowd towards Luna, Fluttershy and the others, and when Rainbow spotted Ditzy trying to slip away, she quickly elbowed and squirmed her way to intercept the blonde-maned pegasus.

“Ditzy!” she cried out.

Ditzy turned and her mouth dropped open.

“R- rainbow Dash?” she stuttered.

Rainbow grabbed her around the shoulders and stared into the blonde-maned pegasus’ eyes with alarming intensity. “Ditzy Doo, that was by far the awesomest display I have ever seen!”

Ditzy’s face immediately fell. “Oh, I’m soooooo sorry, Rainbow!” she whimpered. “I know it was the awfulest display ever, and even after you told me not to, I-“

“Hey, wait a jiffy!” said Rainbow quickly. “I didn’t say ‘awfulest’... I said ‘awesomest’!”

Ditzy, who had been on the verge of bursting into tears, stared at her. “Did you just say ‘awesomest’?”

Rainbow nodded, grinning. “I sure did.”

And then Ditzy really did burst into tears, and she continued to sob in happiness as Rainbow and Spitfire swept her up onto their shoulders and the entire Amateur Aerial Performance Team clustered around her, shouting and whooping.

“Three cheers for Ditzy!” cried Rainbow.

“Hip hip!”

“Hooray!”

“Hip hip!”

“Hooray!”

“Hip hip!”

And the final “Hooray!” was so loud that it reverberated off the whitewashed walls of the Castle and echoed across the heavens themselves.

************

A little while later, Rarity looked up into the sky pensively and sighed. “All this excitement, and Princess Celestia and Twilight missed it all!”

“Well, I guess they got too swept up in their date!” said Pinkie Pie, who was busy eating a chocolate éclair she had somehow got a hold of.

“Date?” said Rarity, furrowing her brow in confused annoyance. Then she gave an affected laugh. “Oh, I see - another of your little jokes, darling.”

Pinkie shook her head. “Oh, love is no joke!” she said, uncharacteristically serious even with a mouth half-full of chocolate and cream.

“Now wait a darn minute, Pinkie Pie,” said Applejack. “Are you sayin’ that Twilight and the Princess are... an item?”

“Oh, of course Twilight and Princess Celestia are in love,” said Pinkie Pie, matter-of-fact. “You’d have to be blind not to notice! I mean, they’re always looking at each other in exactly the same way that you and Rarity do!”

Applejack and Rarity looked at each other, then at their friends, and then back at each other, and a deep blush suddenly coloured Applejack’s face.

But Rarity merely sniffed in annoyance. “Oh, what utter poppycock!” she said. “There is absolutely no way that Twilight and the Princess...”

She was interrupted by a hush that fell over the entire crowd. Everypony turned to watch as the crowd who were standing around the archway nearest to them suddenly parted and Princess Celestia and Twilight appeared, walking side by side into the square.

Both were singed and bedraggled and covered in silver dust, and the Princess was walking with obvious difficulty. But when they stopped and Celestia looked out across her assembled subjects, her face was a shining beacon of happiness, far brighter than even the midday sun. And the crowd watched in silent astonishment as the Princess of Equestria leaned her face down towards the little lavender-coated unicorn at her side and kissed her on the lips. Twilight’s face flushed red-hot, but the embarrassment she felt couldn’t stop the huge grin that burst onto her face.

The two lovers turned and gazed upon the crowd, as if waiting to see everypony’s reaction - but there was none. Everywhere in the crowd there was utter silence.

A silence that was finally broken by a single cry of disbelief. “The Princess - and Twilight?”

Rarity brought a foreleg to her head and fell back in a swoon, and if Applejack hadn’t been there to catch her, she would have fallen straight down onto the cobblestones.

*************

Fluttershy was fanning her with her wings when Rarity returned to consciousness.

Rarity gazed up at her thankfully, but then she saw Celestia and Twilight with the others, looking down at her with concern, and everything came rushing back to her.

“Is... is it true?” she whispered.

Celestia and Twilight, who was blushing fiercely, nodded.

Rarity felt her stomach go ice-cold, while her entire coat began to burn and prickle her as if it was on fire. Finally, she took a deep, shuddering breath and composed herself.

“Princess Celestia, Twilight.,” she began, tears starting at the corners of her eyes. “I’m so terribly, terribly sorry. I... I almost caused such a terrible tragedy, and all because of my mule-headedness!” She turned her head to a mule standing nearby and added, apologetically, “No offence.”

“None taken,” said the mule good-naturedly.

“And ah didn’t stop you,” said Applejack, hanging her head. “So ah’m just as much to blame as you are.”

Celestia’s eyes flicked from Luna to Rarity to Applejack, then back again, and she said nothing for a long while.

“Well,” she said finally. “It’s clear now that everything was a huge misunderstanding - much ahoof about nothing, I suppose you could say. And due to the bravery of certain heroic individuals-“ She smiled at Ditzy, who was standing with Rainbow and Spitfire, and the blonde-maned pegasus blushed fiercely. “-no harm was done. But let’s speak of this tomorrow. For tonight is all about celebration!” She walked over and lay her neck on Luna’s in a warm pony-hug. “My dearest Lulu, I don’t think I have ever seen your moon quite so beautiful. It’s certainly the closest I’ve ever seen it to Canterlot.”

Luna shivered a little at her sister’s raised eyebrow, but then her face burst into a proud smile, little dimmer than the great shining orb hanging above their heads.

And throughout the whole of Canterlot, throughout the rest of the night and on til morning, there was laughter and dancing and singing and celebration and joy without limit, and by the end of it, everyone unanimously agreed that it had, indeed, been the best night ever.

Chapter 1

Much Ahoof About Nothing starring Princess Celestia and her faithful student Twilight Sparkle

by Butterscotch Sundae (buttersc0tchsundae.deviantart.com)

Chapter One

Twilight watched the little white starlike flowers swirl about in her cup of elderflower tea and sighed.

Rarity put down her own cup and looked at her in sudden concern from across the table. The two of them were sitting at their favourite table at the Dandelion Clock Café and enjoying a little afternoon tea together, but Rarity for some time now had noticed that Twilight, although moody at the best of times, was especially moody today for some reason.

"Darling!" she said. "That's the third time you've sighed in as many minutes! Now I know something is most definitely wrong."

Twilight lifted her face from observing the tea to look at her friend. The white-coated unicorn's eyes were regarding her with concern, but somehow Twilight didn't feel like talking to her.

"Oh Rarity. I'm fine, really," she said, and then straightaway her eyes dropped back down to the tea and its dancing flowers once more.

"Well, you most certainly do not seem fine to me!" Rarity leaned forward and slid a forehoof across the table to touch Twilight's. "Please, Twilight, I'm your friend. You can tell me anything!"

"Anything?" asked Twilight.

"Anything," replied Rarity.

"Augh!" groaned Twilight, slumping her head on the table. "That's just the problem! I have absolutely no idea what's wrong! I just have this overwhelming feeling of…. bluh." She levitated her cup up to her lips, but then thought better of it and let it float gently back down onto the table. "It's not even as if I feel sad or angry or…. Well, any emotion at all really. Just… bluh!"

"'Bluh'?" repeated Rarity, raising a forehoof to her chin. "That's most unlike you, Twilight. You're very seldom… 'bluh'"

"I know!" Twilight's voice was suddenly anxious. "Maybe I'm sick?"

"Perhaps you should make an appointment with Nurse Mercy for a check-up," said Rarity, but there was no conviction in her voice.

Twilight sighed again. "Oh, what's the use! I know I'm not sick. It's… it's just such a strange feeling! Like I've forgotten something, or lost something, or something's missing."

Rarity nodded and took another sip of tea, and together the two of them sat in silence for a few moments until Rarity's eyes suddenly flashed in inspiration "Oh, I have the perfect idea! A nice make-over will surely do you the world of good. Finish your tea and we'll go to Luxury Lotus's spa and have you pampered like a princess!"

At the word 'princess', Twilight felt an immediate and painful tightening in her chest. Wait, the Princess? Princess Celestia?

Oh, don't tell me! Had she forgotten to write a report to Princess Celestia again? Was that the thing that had been distracting her these past few days?

She feverishly reviewed her actions over the past few days and then breathed a sigh of relief. No, her report was sitting on her table in her study, next to the telescope, double-triple-quadruple checked and ready to send once Spike returned from his boys-only camping trip with Pipsqueak, Snips and Snails.

But if it wasn't her report, then what in Equestria was it?

Her mind slipped back to the last time she'd been in Canterlot, when she'd attended the Grand Galloping Gala with her friends. She smiled ruefully at the memory. The Gala had certainly not gone according to plan! Each of her friends had met with disappointment in one way or another that evening – and even Twilight herself had had her expectations dashed. She'd been looking forward to spending some private time with Princess Celestia, but the two of them had instead been stuck endlessly meeting and greeting noble ponies Twilight had never met before. It had been absolutely frustrating! It was true that after the Gala had imploded spectacularly thanks to the behaviour of her friends she'd been able to spend a precious hour talking with the Princess when they'd all gone out for donuts, but straight away after that it'd been back to good old Ponyville and dealing with the usual assortment of disasters and adventures that occurred in the crazy little berg like clockwork. Since then she'd only been able to see Celestia for a moment or two on the few occasions she'd visited the town – and they hadn't always been pleasant ones!

Twilight grimaced as she remembered the last time Princess Celestia had come to Ponyville. Oh, it had been awful to hear her beloved teacher's voice so strict and disapproving after she'd dealt with the chaos that Twilight's Want-It Need-It spell had caused in her apple-headed attempt at creating a problem to solve through the magic of friendship in order to impress the Princess. Luckily, her friends had helped her avoid punishment – but the real punishment had been the thought that Celestia had been so disappointed and angry with her. It had felt like lump of ice congealing in the depths of her stomach, freezing her and weighing her down, and she cringed at the recollection.

Was that how it felt now? mused Twilight. No, this feeling was quite different. It felt like an itchiness or a dull ache, somewhere deep inside her –inside her bones, maybe – but If she tried to concentrate on it, her lip would start to tremble and her heart would start to beat fast like she was on the verge of panic. And then there was this strange desire – like somepony had cast a Want-It Need-It spell on her – the only problem was she had no idea what it was she wanted or needed!

Rarity had been watching Twilight's inner machinations closely and had started to hmmm to herself, resting her chin on her hoof in contemplation.

Twilight suddenly came out of her reverie and looked up at her friend. "Oh, I'm sorry Rarity. I… I guess I was just distracted for a second."

"For more than just a second I'm afraid, darling," replied Rarity kindly. "But I think I may have come up with the answer of what's bothering you. It just occurred to me that you seem to be pining for somepony."

"Pining?" repeated Twilight.

Rarity nodded. "It means that you wish a certain somepony was here with you right now."

Twilight frowned. "Oh, I know what the word means," she said. "But I don't think I'm pining. I mean, who could I possibly be pining for?"

A soft smile played across Rarity's face all of a sudden. "Well," she said. "Young Spike is away at the moment and they do say that absence makes the heart grow fond…" But she was interrupted by having to duck the sugar-cube that suddenly flew past her ear, aglow with telekinetic magic.

Twilight glared at the giggling unicorn through narrowed eyes, but then she started to giggle as well. "Oh, of course I miss Spike," she said. "We're right in the middle of sorting my entire collection of books on magical herbs and potions and there's a mountain of them waiting for him when he gets home, and the Library looks horribly cluttered. But I wouldn't call it 'pining' exactly. Besides, I was feeling this way even before he went off on his camping trip."

Rarity nodded in agreement, but then she suddenly put down her tea and looked at Twilight again. "Well, if it's not young Spike, then do you have any idea who it might be?"

Twilight shook her head. "I have absolutely no idea."

Rarity arched an eyebrow. "Well, I'm afraid that we have a mystery on our hands then." She finished her tea and looked at Twilight with sudden eagerness. "So shall we go have some makeovers anyway? I heard on the grapevine that Aloe just today had an entire barrel of the most exquisite seaweed fresh from the sapphire coast delivered to her. Oh, I simply cannot wait to feel how refreshing it will no doubt be against my coat!"

"I'm sorry Rarity," replied Twilight. "I need to go home and think about things for a little while."

Rarity was disappointed, but she nodded, her face soft with concern. "Of course, darling. You must do as you feel best. But if there's any way I can do to help you to feel better, please let me know straight away. I will be ready and waiting! Shall we get the bill?"

Soon after the two friends went their separate ways, Rarity disappearing down the street that led to the spa as Twilight made her way back to the Library. Overhead, the sky was the deep cerulean of a gorgeous clear spring afternoon, but Twilight didn't notice. Her shoulders were slumped and she stared at the ground, as she walked slowly along, totally oblivious to the other inhabitants of Ponyville going about their day. Over and over again she tried to catch hold of the thing that was making her feel this terrible 'bluh', but the harder she thought, the farther away the answer seemed to recede. It was infuriating!

She was still lost in thought when all of a sudden she felt a rock-hard something strike her head with such force that she fell back onto her rump.

"Ow!" she cried, rubbing her head and waiting for the stars that filled her vision to clear, and as soon as they did she saw that there was a little pink pony in front of her, also sitting on her rump and holding her head.

"Pinkie Pie!?" she cried.

Pinkie blinked at her. "Oh, hi there Twilight!" She went to move forward, but then she grimaced in pain and put a forehoof against her head, falling back onto her rump again. "Hey, did you see that train that just hit me?"

"It was me, Pinkie," Twilight replied, annoyed. She wasn't really in the mood for her friend's bubbly craziness today, but it was already too late. Pinkie was already hopping over to her.

"Oh! Were you chasing dandelion seeds as well?" asked Pinkie as she helped a still-unsteady Twilight back onto all four hooves "It's soooooo much fun, isn't it? Look, there goes one now! I called it!" And she was about to leap away after it when she suddenly noticed the deep frown on Twilight's face and stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh, is something wrong, Twilight?"

Twilight shook her head. "Nothing's wrong, Pinkie. It's just that…" She sighed.

"Uh oh, I know what that sigh means!" said Pinkie.

Twilight blinked at her. "Wait, Pinkie – what does it mean?"

"It means somepony needs a delicious vanilla-frosted cupcake!" Beaming, she grabbed the unicorn's foreleg and started her drag her off in the direction of Sugarcube Corner.

Twilight found she barely had the energy to struggle. Maybe a cupcake would cheer me up, she thought. Actually, now that she thought about it, it did feel like she had an empty spot inside her – maybe she was just hungry after all? But it wasn't cupcakes that she wanted, she realised, but donuts.

Wait, donuts? Why in Equestria did she want donuts?

Twilight slipped out of Pinkie's grasp. "Thanks for the offer, Pinkie Pie. But I think I'll have to give you a raincheck. I've got some…" thinking to do "….things to do back in the Library."

Pinkie smiled. "Okie dokie lowkie! Just don't brain so hard that you give yourself a brainache, OK?" And with that she bounced away down the path towards the bakery, looking about here and there in her usual state of cheerful Pinkie Pie distraction.

Twilight watched her go. At that moment she felt especially jealous of the little pink pony's carefree spirit. But the thought of her studies back home had put a little spring back in her step. Maybe if she threw herself whole-heartedly into her work, she'd be able to shake the bluhs! And best of all, tonight was Friday night…

...and that meant star-gazing!

***

What was left of the gorgeous spring sunshine was also being enjoyed by two others, far away from Ponyville. Just off one of the inner courtyards of Canterlot Castle was an exquisite little garden with a fastidiously tended little lawn in its centre where in ancient times the nobles of Canterlot had played the most elegant of all games: croquet. As it was, it had been barely been played in hundreds of years – but Canterlot had a special visitor whose love of games, recently kindled, had led her to bring it back from the history books.

Princess Luna, her croquet mallet floating beside her, was sizing up the next shot. "I told you, did I not, dear sister, that this game was fun? Now watch this drive!" And with that she swung the mallet with all her telekinetic might. The ball flew straight up into air, ricocheted of the south-western tower, flew over the south-eastern courtyard, rebounded off the helm of a Pegasus guard (whose name was Firewing), then went skittering along the eastern battlements until it finally bounced back into the garden and rolled right back to touch the tip of Luna's mallet.

Luna looked at the ball with undisguised irritation while Celestia, beside her, stifled a laugh.

"I meant to do that," sniffed Luna. "I'm merely giving you a fighting chance is all."

Her older sister smiled at her indulgently, but then she looked out across the western wall where the ball had gone flying. Far off in the distance she could see the sunshine sparkling off the Lake and the river as it meandered its way through little patchwork fields and there, nestled in the middle of them, the town of Ponyville with its criss-cross streets and tiny thatch-roofed houses. It was a beautiful spring day, just as she had intended when she'd raised the sun this morning.

If only it had done the job of gladdening her heart as she'd intended it to!

Come to think of it, she had been a little distracted recently. Just this morning she'd almost been late raising the sun – her, the Princess of the Sun! She'd been staring out the window of her room, just looking into the darkness, not even realising that time had gotten away on her, and Luna had had to come find her and remind her what time it was, and she'd made a joke about her getting old.

Perhaps I am getting old, she decided. But she was only two thousand years old – barely a moment in the lifetime of an alicorn. It was just Luna's characteristic cheekiness – she really shouldn't take it so seriously. Perhaps if she were to go to bed a little earlier rather than sitting up and reading over Twilight's friendship reports…

Celestia sighed. She looked at Luna standing beside her. She'd grown so much recently with the reassumption of her powers – her mane, even in the bright sunshine, was a dark rent in the air, and the tiny stars contained within it, the outward expression of the magic of the night that flowed through her, twinkled with new-found power – but she would always and forever be younger and more spirited than her, her eternally youthful little sister. Perhaps that was why she'd started to feel so old?

Luna had long since been examining her big sister's face, seeing if she could divine the reason for this current reverie. Luna had noticed how distracted she'd been recently and it was part of the reason why she had asked her to cancel her audiences this afternoon and come and play a nice sisterly game of croquet. Of course she knew that neither of them would be good at it, but it was a nice way for her and sister to reconnect after their millennium of estrangement. Besides, after Twilight Sparkle had introduced her to that wonderful thing called 'fun', Luna was keen to make up for lost time by trying to indulge in every kind of 'fun' she could find. This croquet was excellent 'fun', although she was still not very good at it.

"It is your shot, sister," Luna said at last.

"So it is!" Celestia smiled apologetically and, sizing up her own shot, sent the ball flying almost as hard as Luna had. It streaked through the air, rebounded off the north eastern tower, flew through the eastern window of the Royal Kitchens where a chorus of angry shouts and breaking crockery could be heard, rocketed out of the western window across the courtyard and into the lawn maze, where it bounced off the statue of Discord and then spiralled straight back onto the lawn, rolling the final few feet to coming to a stop at last at the tip of her mallet.

Luna began to giggle, but at the look of uncharacteristic annoyance on her sister's face she quickly went quiet.

"I must be distracted," said Celestia, lifting her gaze from the offending ball at last.

"That is not like you," said Luna. "Is everything alright?"

Celestia sighed. "I wish I could give you an answer to that question, Luna."

"I do not enjoy seeing you like this," said Luna. "Perhaps we should finish our game another day?"

Celestia nodded. "I'm sorry. I really was enjoying myself – this was a wonderful idea."

"You should take tomorrow morning off from your duties," said Luna. "All of those petty problems of the Canterlot aristocracy will have to sort themselves out." She clucked her tongue in annoyance. "Sometimes I wonder why you don't just send every single horn of them to the moon!"

"Oh, I may just have to follow that advice one day!" Celestia said, laughing.

Luna was smiling. "Your laughter pleases me, sister."

Celestia looked at her little sister as if seeing her anew. She was so different from the Luna of millennia past! She had never been one for smiling back then, but now, here, in a Canterlot Castle garden surrounded by the sunshine she had once hated, she was smiling. Truly Twilight Sparkle and her friends had done an amazing thing by freeing her from the shackles of her guilt and resentment, something that Celestia had never been able to do herself.

At the thought of Twilight, Celestia was suddenly drawn back from these happy thoughts and the smile slipped from her face. She wondered what Twilight was doing right now in this gorgeous spring sunshine she'd chosen for her. Ever since the incident with the Need-It Want-It spell, Celestia had been worried that she'd been too harsh in the way she'd dealt with the situation and she'd wanted to make it up to her. Of course, she hadn't had the heart to punish her – the silly dear had thought she was going to send her back to Magic Kindergarten! – and everything had come right in the end, but the more she'd thought about it, the more Celestia had come to the conclusion that the whole situation had been her own fault. She'd been pushing Twilight too hard – of course she'd gotten stressed and acted out!

So for that reason Celestia had decided to send her fewer messages than usual recently – to give Twilight some space. She had her new friends now, ponies her own age, and the last thing she needed or wanted was to have to deal with a constant barrage of messages from her teacher! Besides, if Celestia hovered around her too much she might scare off all of her potential dates – what stallion would dare to try and date her if he was worried that he had to pass the muster of the Princess of Equestria herself?

But why did the thought of Twilight dating fill her with such terrible, creeping dread?

Celestia laughed. It was the fretting of a would-be mother, that was all.

The fact that Celestia's gaze had once again been drawn to that sleepy little village called Ponyville was not lost on Luna. She was catching her doing it more and more often these days. She would find her sister looking out the window of her bedroom, from the battlements – late at night, even, when she should be asleep! – just like she was right now, her eyes straying to that funny little town with its silly little ponies.

Oh but of course! Her favourite student Twilight Sparkle was there. She was probably thinking about her.

And at the thought of Twilight Sparkle, something clicked over deep in Luna's head, and her eyes went impossibly wide. She grinned to herself, delighting in the having solved the puzzle that had been so irking her, and then turned the smile on Celestia herself.

"Perhaps next time we could invite your favourite student to play?" suggested Luna, cocking her head mischievously.

Celestia was taken aback. "Who? Twilight?"

Luna nodded. "I'm sure she knows all about the game – after all, she was most correct regarding the costume of Starswirl the Bearded. She had it correct right down to the bells, you know."

Celestia laughed. "Oh, the last thing Twilight Sparkle would want to do is be called away from her friends to play some ancient game with her ancient teacher!"

"Oh, you may be surprised." Luna flew up onto a statue of the Lady Aurora, the hero of the Second Great War against the Griffins, and smiled down at her sister, a coquettish and teasing smile. "Perhaps next time I'm in Ponyville I shall pay her a visit and invite her myself." She looked out across the landscape towards the little town which was already starting to light up as the sky started to darken towards nightfall. Soon she would have to go and awaken the moon and raise it into the sky to bring light to the ponies of Equestria…

Suddenly Luna's eyes went wide. Oh but of course! Why had she not thought of this earlier? It was just too perfect!

She flew down off the statue and cantered up to her big sister, her eyes alight. "I have just arrived at a much better idea, big sister. Would you like to hear it?"

Celestia looked at the cheeky smile on the blue-coated alicorn's face and she frowned. "Are you planning some kind of prank, Luna? Because if you are…"

"Oh, no pranks," she said, the smile refusing to be dislodged from her face even despite the stern look on her big sister's face. "I just remembered that the Spring Moon Festival is almost upon us. As you know, it's the festival in honour of my most beautiful moon. We were planning to have a little soiree, were we not?"

Celestia nodded. "But just a small thing. After all the excitement at the Grand Galloping Gala, I'm afraid that the nobles might be a little nervous about coming to another gala with the memories of that excitement so fresh in their minds."

Luna sighed. "I'm sorry to have missed the Gala – it sounded as though it was a most delightful spectacle!"

Celestia smiled despite herself. "Spectacle? Oh yes it was." She looked at her little sister's eager face. No doubt she'd enjoy having Twilight with her during the party – her faithful student had proven herself to have been a wonderful aid in helping Luna acclimatise herself to modern Equestria. She sighed. And Luna had missed out on the Gala.

"Oh, why not!" she said at last.

Luna began to skip around the lawn happily, kicking her knees up and flapping short little distances in the air in delight. "Huzzah!" she cried, clopping her forehooves together." It is decided then! I shall go to Ponyville at once."

Celestia looked at the prancing alicorn severely. "Luna, I don't want you alarming Twilight. I'll invite her myself."

"It's not your place to invite ponies to my celebration," sniffed Luna. "I shall extend my invitation to Twilight Sparkle in person." And then she unfurled her wings and leaped into the air.

"Luna, please! No pranking!"

Oh Sister, Luna giggled as she flew away in graceful pirouettes across the darkening blue sky. In a thousand years you haven't changed one little bit! But I hope this is one prank that you will forgive me for. I only want you to be as happy as you have made me.

Celestia mouth hung open, ready to shout again, but by now her little sister was a tiny dot receding towards the eastern horizon where the moon waited to be raised into the night sky. She looked across at her own orb of the sun and sighed. She couldn't go after her now – the sun needed to be brought to a rest safely behind the mountains of the West.

"Oh Luna," she whispered. But for some reason her heart felt a little lighter than it had before their game of croquet, and she stood there until the lengthening shadows of the statues in the garden told that it was time to go.

It would be nice to have Twilight home again, she thought, even if it's just for a little while.

*****

"Applejack, may I speak with you for a moment?"

The sun was low in the sky over Sweet Apple Acres and Applejack, along with Big Mac and Caramel and the other pony-hands, were in the process of finishing up the yearly planting of the apple tree seedlings. Applejack quickly finished digging the hole she'd been in the middle of, then set the shovel aside and turned to her waiting friend, wiping the sweat from her eyes.

"Why sure, Rarity," said the earth pony, looking at her friend with sudden concern. 'Is everything alright? Nothin' untoward's happened, has it?"

Rarity shook her head. "Oh no, nothing of the sort!" She came closer and whispered in her ear. "It has to do with dear Twilight. I've been thinking things over all afternoon and I do believe I understand what's troubling the poor dear."

Applejack's ears pricked up. "So yer finally worked out what's been on Twi's mind? She's been awful distracted lately."

"Oh yes, yes," said Rarity. "That's exactly what I've been talking about. I think I know who, or what, has been on that mind, so to speak." She came up closer to Applejack, but then she suddenly sniffed the air and turned up her nose with a frown. "Oh darling, is that… perspiration I can smell?"

Applejack snorted. "If by perspiration yer mean good old fashioned 'sweat', then yes." She glared at the unicorn. "Ya got a problem with that?"

"Oh no, no," said Rarity. "But perhaps we can discuss things a little later once you've had a chance to shower?" She raised a delicate eyebrow.

Applejack stamped her foot. "Nah if that ain't just the rudest…" But Rarity was already trotting away to talk with Caramel, who as usual had spent most of the day making sure his mane was kept absolutely perfect and barely dug a single hole.

Let the two o' them stand about discussin' the latest Canterlot fashion then! Applejack snorted in annoyance and stormed into the homestead muttering to herself. That arrogant unicorn pony! How would she feel like it if she went and pulled her out of her precious boutique while she was in the middle of designin' or cuttin' fabric or who knows what else! But then she remembered that Rarity had said she'd worked out what was troubling Twi and Applejack sighed in defeat. Might as well do as she says to avoid the fuss an' finally get to the root o' the problem!

Applejack slipped her hat onto the back of the old beaten-up armchair that Granny Smith liked to sleep in then opened the door to the homestead's bathroom. It was an especially spartan room, the one part of the house that had seen no renovation at all, but it suited Applejack just fine. 'No need to add no sugar when the apples are sweet enough as is,' as her pappy used to say!

Applejack slipped into the shower and turned on the tap. The rapid flow of piping hot water from the shower head soon filled the little room with clouds of steam which felt refreshing against her tired neck and back. Well, maybe it'd be nice to get clean after all – it sure was hard work diggin' holes, even under the gentle spring sun!

She slid her head under the water with a gasp and kept it there until her mane was sopping, and then she stepped forward into the stream, letting the water fall over her entire body.

"Now where in tarnation did Ah leave that washcloth?" With her sodden mane drooping over her eyes and the steam obscuring even the walls of the shower recess, she felt around with her mouth for it – but it was somepony's soft lips that she touched instead of the rough material, and she yelped and skittered away in surprise, madly pushing her mane out of her eyes.

Rarity stepped out of the billowing steam, her usually curly mane hanging straight down over her glistening neck and back, giggling at Applejack's surprise.

"Rarity!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry darling," said the unicorn, doing a very poor job of stifling her laughter. "I simply couldn't resist! When I came into the house and saw your hat on the armchair and imagined you looking so…." Her eyes ran over the earth pony's glistening body. "…so naked, I suddenly felt the urge to join you."

Applejack looked at Rarity, anger flashing in her eyes. But when the unicorn sidled up to her and rubbed her moist cheek against hers, her huge blue eyes glistening doe-like as she muttered "Oh pleasepleaseplease don't be mad!" Applejack's face softened into an indulgent smile.

She sighed as she slipped her forelegs over Rarity's neck and ran her lips across her moist white coat. "Ah thought we agreed to stop this kinda messin' around in case we get caught," she said. "Sooner or later somepony's gonna walk in on us."

"Oh let them," muttered Rarity as she arched her neck and felt her hindlegs start to wobble as Applejack changed from soft kissing to sharp nibbles. "I'm so sick of keeping secrets from everypony!"

"You know there'd be hell ta pay if anypony found out," said Applejack seriously.

"Oh darling, you worry far too much," Rarity replied. "Besides, don't you think the clandestine nature of our relationship adds a certain piquancy to our encounters?"

Applejack pulled away. "Clandestine? Piquan-what?" She shook her head. "Yer always like this after havin' lunch with Twi – full o' those big words she loves to use! What's wrong with jus' saying 'sneaky'?"

"'Clandestine' is a far more appropriate word to use when speaking of dalliances of this nature," sniffed Rarity. She threw her forelegs around Applejack and drew her back under the still-flowing water. "Oh, I do so love you, rough edges and all, dear Apple-jack, but sometimes you have such a limited understanding of romance!"

"Hey now," said Applejack, her blood catching fire under the touch of the unicorn's wet coat. "Ah'll let you know that ah can be as romantic as the next pony! Now shut up and kiss me, lil' miss perfect!"

And with that she brought her lips against Rarity's and drew her down onto the slick floor of the shower, the water flowing over the two lovers for whom washing themselves clean was the last thing on their minds.

*****

"Hey Rarity," said Applejack as the two ponies dried themselves with the big fluffy towels that were one of the few luxuries that graced the Apple family homestead. "Yer were saying somethin' earlier about working out what's been botherin' poor Twi?"

Rarity blinked, and then she said "Oh my yes! How forgetful of me. I'm afraid those lips of yours are far too distracting, my dear." She nuzzled Applejack's side and the earth pony skittered away from her, but she soon came back, her face serious.

"So what's the story?" she asked.
Rarity sighed. Applejack never seemed to want to play after making love – it was always straight back to business for her! But the matter could wait no longer, after all.

"Well," she said. "As you know Applejack, Twilight has been most out of sorts lately. I thought she was just missing somepony, but when I started to think about it, I came to the conclusion that she's... well, in love!"

"In love?" Applejack's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Twi? Our Twi? In love with books Twi?"

Rarity nodded. "Now, as you know I understand better than most the torment of an unrequited love…"

Applejack face softened as the memory of Rarity's own tear-felt confession all those months ago in the Swayback Mountains came flooding back to her. "Ain't that the truth," she said simply, her green eyes growing moist, but she quickly wiped the towel across her face so that Rarity wouldn't notice.

But then the earth pony's face turned suddenly eager. "So who is it? Now don' tell me! Is it-?"

Rarity pouted. "Oh, Applejack! Let's not turn this into one of Pinkie Pie's ridiculous guessing ga-"

"It's Fluttershy, right?"

Rarity stared at her as if apple trees had started sprouting out of her ears. "Fluttershy? What in Equestria makes you think it's Fluttershy, darling?"

"Well, it's jus' that…" Applejack was about to say that it was because Fluttershy was so attractive, but the look of annoyed confusion on Rarity's face, like gathering storm clouds, made her change the subject. "Nah, never mind. So who do you think it is, then?"

Rarity laughed. "Why it's elementary, darling! Who's the only one of our number that's missing at the moment?"

Applejack's eyes went wide. "Ya can't mean-!"

Chapter 6

"Where are we going, Princess?" asked Twilight. They were trotting along a narrow alleyway in a part of Canterlot she'd never been before, and she had no idea what Celestia had planned.

"Just a little out-of-the-way place I like to visit now and then, when the responsibilities of being Princess of Equestria get a bit too much," explained Celestia. "I think it should be especially quiet tonight with everypony out in the streets enjoying the festival. Oh, and here we are!"

The alley opened out into a tiny square with a number of little shops opening off of it. There was a tack-repair shop, with newly-worked bridles hanging near the door to dry; an apothecary, with its tell-tale sign of a winged-staff and the thick scent of medicines and ointments which Twilight could smell from where they were standing; and a charming little...

"Oh, a bookshop!" cried Twilight in delight. Towers of leather-bound books were piled up next to the door, and a ziggurat of yellowed vellum-scrolls as well. Oh, who knew what kind of rare books and documents they might have! "Is that where we're going, Princess?"

Celestia's mouth curved in bemused surprise, and then she laughed. It was the sort of laugh that Twilight had only ever heard her make when they were alone together in her study or walking the corridors of the castle when there were no guards around. In public, Celestia would produce a gentle laugh, like the tinkling of a bell - but this laugh was a boisterous one, a welling up of genuine amusement from deep within the alicorn's body. There were tears in her mauve eyes when it was finished.

"Oh, my darling Twilight," said Celestia, finally getting control of herself. "Although that bookshop is indeed a wonderful one, I was rather thinking of the little bar over there." She nodded with her horn in the direction of a run-down little place which Twilight hadn't even registered as being a shop when they'd first walked into the square. It had looked abandoned. But now, looking more closely, she saw that there was a board hanging on the outside with the name The Sage and Saddle written on it.

"A... bar?" Twilight looked back at Celestia, checking for any further sign that the Princess was joking with her. But Celestia merely cocked her head.

"We've never had a drink before?" asked Celestia. "Why is that, I wonder?"

"I've never even been to a bar before," protested Twilight. "Are you sure it's legal?"

Laughter threatened to burst out of her again, but somehow Celestia maintained her composure. "Oh, you haven't been a filly for years, Twilight Sparkle," she said, her eyes sparkling. "Besides, it's high time you started learning a thing or two about court etiquette. On certain occasions it's dreadfully impolite not to drink."

Twilight nodded. "Oh, of course! At the Cutting of the Vines for example..." Twilight started to recite from memory as often she did, and Celestia was struck by how adorable the little unicorn looked, her snout lifted in the air slightly, her eyes closed as she brought the information welling up from deep within her.

"...and then the Princess must drink three cups, one after the other, in honour of the Vine and the many uses it has in Equestrian society," finished Twilight at last.

"You have an impressive memory, Twilight," remarked Celestia with a smile. "Luckily, the ritual doesn't stipulate how big the cups have to be - I usually drink some tiny ones, or else I slur my words a little when making the Blessing afterwards."

Twilight blinked, but then she realised the Princess was joking, and she giggled.

"I think I would like to try a drink," said Twilight suddenly. "But maybe just something not too alcoholic."

"Oh, of course," said Celestia "I don't want to have to carry you home to the castle. I think you're too big to carry on my back anymore."

Celestia pushed the old wooden door open with a creak and they stepped inside.

The inside of the bar was exactly what the outside advertised: it was dim, and cramped, and smelled as if a hundred years of alcohol had seeped into the very wood of the building. The bar was edged with green felt that was fraying at its edges, and behind it was a series of bronze taps, clearly ancient but brightly gleaming as if they'd been painstakingly polished every day of their long existence. The walls on the other side of the bar were filled with a thousand bottles of different colours and shapes and ages, but all of them covered with a deep patina of dust.

And standing in front of them was the bartender of the little bar, a rather stout red-coated unicorn stallion with a shaggy brown mane. He appeared middle-aged, but it may have just been the rude health of his ruddy complexion that made him look younger. He was busy rubbing the top of the bar with a filthy rag when they entered, watching it slip back and forth much like a spectator at a tennis match, but as soon as he lifted his gaze to them, he broke into a huge, toothy grin, and his impressive eyebrows arched in surprise and delight.

"Upon my dishrag, if it isn't Tia! In my seedy little establishment on tonight o' all nights!" He leaned over the bar, shoving his face at them, and Twilight felt a sudden desire to shy away from the exuberant bartender. But Celestia was smiling in delight, so she stood her ground.

The stallion leaned back and looked them up and down. "And I was about to ask you why you didn't 'ave a date for the Spring Moon Festival, but I can see that you've brought her with you! Pleased ta meet you, miss..."

"S-Sparkle," replied Twilight, still taken aback. "But please, call me Twilight."

The stallion's eyes went wide. "So this is Twilight Sparkle? The Twilight Sparkle? Mighty pleased to meet you at last. The name's Suds." He returned to wiping the top of the bar with the dirty rag as he continued to look the little unicorn over. Twilight blushed under his gaze, and he laughed. "I can see now why you're always talking about her, Tia. She's absolutely adorable. Excuse me - you're adorable, miss."

Twilight glanced across at Celestia. "You're always talking about me?"

Celestia smiled, a little nervously. She had forgotten just how much she'd said to Suds about Twilight, and she was suddenly worried that some of it might have been indiscreet.

Suds chuckled. "Well, it's not just because of your good looks, of course, Miss Sparkle. You and your friends 'ave only saved Equestria, what... three times now?" He put his rag to one side and counted on his hoof. "First it was Nightmare Moon, then it was that crazy-looking feller, what's-'is-name, Disco- somethin'-"

"Discord," said Celestia.

"-and lastly, old Queen Cheese-legs," he concluded. He quickly took up his rag and returned to his polishing. "Quite a gallery of rogues you've put away, Miss Sparkle."

Twilight nodded, then looked down at the rag as it passed back and forth over the top of the bar. She was worried either Suds of Celestia might see how red her face had become.

"I'm very lucky to have such a famous friend," said Celestia, simply.

"So what'll you be 'aving?" asked Suds.

"The usual," replied the Princess. She turned to Twilight, her eyebrows raised. "And what would you like, Twilight?"

"I'll just have some watermelon juice," said the little unicorn softly, still feeling shy from the praise she'd received.

Suds snorted, but it wasn't an unkindly sound. "We call that stuff a 'mixer' 'round these parts," he said. "Why not try something with a lil' more buck to it?"

Twilight looked at the different bottles behind Suds's head. There were so many of them! She had no idea what to choose, but she didn't want to seem ignorant in front of Celestia.

The Princess soon came to her rescue. "I think Twilight might like something with a bit of sweetness to it, Suds," she said. "How about a little honeysuckle liqueur?"

As Suds busied himself mixing the drinks, Twilight turned to Celestia and smiled apologetically. "Oh, I'm so sorry. It's just... I guess I'm just not used to this kind of thing."

Celestia chuckled. "Oh, there's a first time for everything. I think you'll enjoy the drink I ordered for you."

"What's your 'usual'?" asked Twilight.

Celestia pursed her lips. "I'm afraid I'm rather partial to pomegranate martinis," she said. "There's something about the mixture of tartness and sweetness I enjoy."

Twilight took her purse from her saddlebags, but Celestia shook her head and said, "Put them on my tab, Sudsy."

"No need," said Suds. "They're on the house." He winked at Twilight. "For your services to our country, Miss Sparkle, and for you, Tia," He grinned at the Princess. "For bein' my most faithful customer all these years an' keepin' me in dishrags!"

"Oh, you really needn't..." said Celestia, but the drinks were already floating across the bar.

Suds shook his head. "It's already a done deal," he said. Then he looked at Celestia, and the look became a stare, and he furrowed his brow. "You know, come to think of it - how long 'ave you been coming to my bar anyway, Tia? I can't seem to remember straight."

Celestia lifted her eyes to the ceiling, as if deep in thought, but she soon looked back at Suds and shook her head. "I'm afraid I have no idea. I haven't been keeping count."

"It's funny," said the bartender, the furrowing on his wide, red forehead deepening. "I'm sure you've been coming here since I opened it, but that was nigh-on twenty years ago." He examined the Princess' face intently. "And I'd swear before a court o' law that you 'aven't aged a single day in all that time!"

Celestia brought a hoof to her lips and giggled. "Oh, I don't think I look that young," she said. "But now I remember why I keep coming here. It's all the lovely compliments I get!"

Suds chuckled. "Jus' an old barkeep trick to keep you comin' back," he said. "Now drink up, both of you!"

Celestia turned to Twilight and lifted her drink in the air. "Shall we make a toast?"

Twilight nodded. "What should we toast to?" She thought for a little while, and then smiled shyly. Her drink floated up next to Celestia's and she said, "To us."

Celestia clinked her glass against Twilight's and then brought it to her lips. As she took a sip, she felt the sudden warmth of the alcohol spread through her. But warmer still were her cheeks, which were flushing red behind the glass.

************

Rainbow Dash trotted along the line of pegasi arranged on the summit of a ridge overlooking Canterlot Castle, and as she scrutinised each of the Spring Moon Festival Amateur Performance Flying Team in turn, her frown deepened.

Each of them was dressed in a blue flight-suit, complete with goggles, and had a letter of the alphabet in electric lights strapped to their torsos. There were three Es, two apiece of As and Is, and a single O and U, along with a host of other consonants in various configurations.

"When I first laid eyes on you guys," said Rainbow fiercely. "I thought I'd never seen a worse bunch of wanna-be fliers in my whole life. Disorganised!" She stared down a purple-maned pegasus mare wearing the letter P, who gulped nervously under her gaze. "Uncoordinated!" She turned to glare at a black-maned stallion wearing the only Q in the team, who averted his face. "Disorganised AND uncoordinated!" She pounced right at Ditzy Doo, who was one of the three Es. The blonde-maned pegasus didn't flinch, but just smiled sweetly at her and bobbed her head up and down in agreement.

"Yes sir, ma'am!" shouted Ditzy, making a sloppy salute. "Discoordinated AND unorganised, ma'am, sir - er, I mean, ma'am!"

"Augh!" Rainbow shook her head. She turned and walked back along the line, but this time she was wearing a wide grin on her face. "But that was a few days ago. Now all I see is awesomeness, from 'A' all the way to..." She peered along the line at the illuminated letter that the pony at the far end of the line was wearing "...'V'. I know we've been pushing you hard, but you guys have been giving back a hundred and fifty percent, and it shows."

"Woohoo!" cried Ditzy, leaping into the air. "We're totally awesome! Yaaaay!"

"Augh!" muttered Rainbow Dash, slapping a forehoof to her face. "Take thirty, team, then we'll run through the program one final time." She left the pegasi talking excitedly among themselves and walked over to where Spitfire had been watching the whole time.

"Great pep-talk, D," said the flame-maned pegasus, smiling at the sight of the various pegasi chatting and slapping each other on the back. "After all your hard work, they really are a team."

"Aw, they wouldn't know a thing if you weren't such an awesome trainer," said Rainbow with a grin. But then she suddenly frowned. "They've really pulled together, and the rehearsals have gone off without a hitch, but I'm still worried that something will happen during the real thing."

Spitfire hopped off the crag she'd been perching on and slipped a forehoof around Rainbow's shoulder. "Aw, that's just the pre-game jitters," she said. "Everypony gets them."

"I'm just worried about Ditzy," said Rainbow. The gentle touch of Spitfire's coat against hers went some way to calming her nerves. "She's the one weak point of the entire operation."

"Now, Rainbow," said Spitfire. "The kid's got heart. You know, she reminds me of another pegasus that was totally nervous before a show not so long ago, but who still managed to save the day." She grinned. "Give her a chance. I think Ditzy'll surprise us all."

Rainbow blushed at the gorgeous mare's compliment. "I guess you're right, Spitfire." But deep inside her, there was still a little niggling doubt; the show demanded some real precision flying, and just a single pegasus not pulling her weight could turn the whole thing into a disaster!

Spitfire punched her in the shoulder. "Course I'm right. I was right about getting you to replace old Soarin', wasn't I?" She trotted over to the two training harnesses lying on the ground nearby. They were equipped with weights of the same heaviness as the fireworks that she and Rainbow would be carrying into the sky for the real show. "We're going to be pulling some serious Gs wearing all this stuff, so we should run through things a few more times to make sure we're not the ones who screw everything up!"

With Spitfire's help Rainbow slipped into the harness. No matter how many times she'd worn it, she was always surprised by how heavy it was - it felt like she'd be carrying half the fireworks in Equestria on her back! But it was totally worth all the hard work. When those things went off, there wouldn't be a single corner of Equestria unable to see them.

As long as there were no screw-ups, everypony was in for the best show ever!

************

Rarity and Applejack sat on the battlements, the unicorn's head in the earth pony's lap as she furrowed her brow and muttered. She still hadn't worked out a suitable plan, and time was quickly running out!

"Oh, I can't come up with a single thing!" cried Rarity.

"Now ain't that a cryin' shame," said Applejack, smiling down at the unicorn indulgently as she stroked her gorgeous plum-coloured mane. When she raised her eyes again, Applejack saw that the scattered sparkling of starlight had suddenly started to appear in the sky. "Hey, look up there! The stars've started to come out. Y' kin even see the River of the Night."

"Oh, the stars! Of course," Rarity slapped her forehead with a hoof. "The story of the Weaver and the Princess. That's the answer!"

Applejack's ears went back. "You still goin' on about tha' story?"

"Of course," said Rarity, looking up at her with a fierce expression on her face. "And not only because it's such a beautiful one. It also holds the secret to our bringing dear Rainbow and Twilight together."

"Ah guess hearin' a yarn might be nice," said Applejack. "Jus' try 'n keep the romantical stuff to a minimum, okay? We don't have long til the Raising of the Moon, after all."

"Very well," said Rarity with a sniff.

In this story, the part of the Weaver is played by Rarity, while the Princess is played by Applejack. The Prince is played by Blueblood, and the part of the treacherous maid-servant by Gilda Griffon.

"Once upon a time, back long before Celestia was the Princess of Equestria, there lived an honest unicorn who worked as a weaver. Her home was on the banks of a wide river which led down from the mountains, straight across from the lands of the Prince of Trottingham. The Weaver would sometimes cross the river to deliver the beautiful clothes that she had made to the Prince, but she could only do this before the winter snows melted, as the river would become too rough and dangerous to cross. She would float the clothes above her head to keep them dry, and ford the river herself. And by doing this, she made enough money to live a simple life.

One day, the Weaver heard from a neighbour that the Prince had taken a wife. Like everypony else, she was eager to see what the new Princess was like. So she packed some of her newly-made clothes in the trunk and forded the river. Even though it was already late winter, the water was still low and she could ford it without difficulty.

She was led into the castle by the Prince's men, who knew her well, and there, in the audience chamber, she saw her. The new Princess!

Never before had the Weaver seen a pony as beautiful as she was. The earth pony's long, blonde mane flowed about her shoulders like a wave of sunlight, and her green eyes glittered with humour and intelligence.

When the glances of the two ponies met across the room, it was if a bolt of lightning sprang between them. Both straight away felt the keen stabs of love in their hearts, although the Princess, being young and sheltered, still had no idea what they were. But she found herself looking again and again in the Weaver's direction, for the unicorn pony, despite her unassuming attire, was also not without her charms. Her coat was a most gorgeous shade of white, and her plum-coloured mane, though cut short so that it didn't get in the way of her work, was beautiful in its own simple way.

The Prince was in no mood to look at clothes that day, and with bored arrogance suggested that the Princess choose for herself whatever she liked. He was going hunting, and soon he departed, leaving the Weaver and the Princess alone except for the Princess' maidservant.

The Weaver was suddenly overcome with shyness, but the kindness of the Princess soon put her at ease. The unicorn showed her all that she had woven, and the Princess gasped at the loveliness of the work.

But her delight was far more than that of a girl for beautiful fashion. She wanted to know everything about the Weaver's art, how she turned such basic materials as cotton and wool into such wonderful things. The Weaver was happy to oblige her interest, and told her everything she wanted to know.

Soon the two became close friends. The Princess always awaited the Weaver's visits with a heavy heart, and the Weaver herself, too, felt keen pangs of loneliness like she had never felt before. She outdid herself in her art, creating more and more gorgeous and extravagant clothes, all just for the chance to see a smile on the Princess' lovely face.

Day after day the Weaver's pain grew. She had so much that she wished to say to the Princess, but she feared the Prince's dangerous anger, and the Princess was so seldom alone, for her griffon maidservant was almost always at her side. And so she wrote a note on a scroll of parchment and sewed it into a beautiful gown of silk she had just made. The dress' colour was the blue of water under spring sunshine, and it was trimmed with delicate white lace resembling the foam of wind-whipped wave-tops. The Weaver had no doubt that the Princess would choose it of all the clothes she offered her.

As planned, the Princess chose the gown and, after the Weaver had left to return to her home across the river, she hurried to put it on. Wearing these beautiful clothes made the Princess feel as if the Weaver was still there with her, and it made her heart feel lighter.

She twirled in front of the mirror, and the skirts of the gown billowed like waves about her hooves. And then, to her surprise, a scroll fell out of where it had been sewn into the material.

She snatched it up and read it, and she almost fell into a swoon. For in it, the Weaver had written all the secrets of her heart, her hopes, her fears, her desires. And the Princess knew that she, too, shared the unicorn's feelings. For her marriage was not a happy one - the Prince was melancholy and quick to anger, and so obsessed with himself that often the Princess felt as though she were a stranger in her own castle.

She quickly wrote her own note, telling the Weaver that her hopes were not in vain, and that she, too, was feeling the hard pangs of love. And this she sewed into the dress and waited patiently for the next time the Weaver should visit.

The day came, and the Princess made a great show of being angry with the Weaver, accusing her of selling her a gown whose stitching had already began to fall apart. She demanded she take it back, and the Weaver did, realising full well that the Princess' anger was all a sham. For in the gown she felt the heaviness of a hidden note.

And so the two learned of each other's love. But the ruse of the hidden notes was also the means by which their secret was discovered. For one day the Princess' nosey griffon maidservant, using the chance afforded to her by the Princess' absence at a ball with the Prince, amused herself by trying on the many dresses that the Weaver had made for her love. And it was then that she discovered the final hidden note that the Weaver had written to the Princess, and which the Princess, in her naïve trust, had left hidden in the dress.

It read that the Princess should wait for her on the banks of the river at sunrise the next day, where she would be waiting to carry her over, and the two of them would run away to start a life together someplace far away.

The maidservant took the note and, when the Prince and Princess returned from the Ball, revealed the secret plan to the Prince, hoping to curry favour with him.

The Prince seethed with anger at the revelation, but did not say anything to the Princess right away. For he wished to ensnare the Weaver as well, and have his revenge on both.

The next morning, the Princess snuck out of the castle before sunrise - but the Prince was waiting for her. He stood there with a group of his guards, dressed in their full battle array, and a cruel smile was on his lips.

'So you are going to see your lover,' he said to her, his face grim. 'Well, we shall visit her together and I shall have my fill of vengeance for this insult!'

The sun had already risen by this time, and the Weaver had been waiting for a long while on the Prince's side of the river. She had nervously watched the river growing ever stronger and wilder with the waters of the freshly melted snows, but still the Princess still did not appear.

Then there was a rumbling of hooves, and the Prince and his men arrived, with the Princess at his side, and the Weaver's blood ran suddenly cold.

'Your nefarious scheme has been uncovered, Weaver,' said the Prince, with barely controlled rage. 'And now the two of you shall pay the ultimate price for your treachery.'

'The fault lays wholly with me, oh Prince,' said the Weaver. 'It is I who led your wife astray. Do as you wish to me. Just promise me that you will pardon her.'

The Prince nodded. 'So be it,' he said. He raised a hoof, and his guards took hold of the Weaver, who made no attempt to resist.

The Princess cried out, and struggled, but her captors held her fast. "Do not harm her! I beg you," she cried to the Prince.

He looked across at her, and a cruel smile cut his lips. 'You have my word,' he said. He turned to his men. 'Throw her into the river. Let its raging waters exact vengeance on my behalf.'

The guards did as they were ordered, and straight away hurled the Weaver into the angry waters of the river. The violent current took hold of her at once. At the sight of her lover's predicament, the Princess' struggles grew more violent, and at last she broke free. She galloped down to the bank and without delay she leaped into the river after her lover.

The swirling waters swept both away, and wave upon wave crashed over them, threatening to suck them down to their demise. But with the strength that only love and desperation can give, the Weaver and the Princess both battled through the violent waters to reach each other. They managed to touch hooves one final time before a great foaming wave of water overwhelmed them, and they disappeared together under the churning surface of the swollen river.

From that day forth, never again were the two lovers seen in Equestria. But that evening, when the stars appeared in the clear spring sky, ponies were amazed to see two new stars appear beside the River of Night, one yellow and one purple. And even today, if you look up at the heavens, you can see them there, the Princess and the Weaver, together forever at last, where in life fate had kept them so cruelly apart..."

Rarity drew Applejack closer to her, and with a forehoof she pointed out the two stars, one yellow and one purple, twinkling high in the sky over the towers of Canterlot castle.

Applejack sniffed and wiped away at a tear. "Now that's the saddest story Ah've ever heard, and no mistakin'."

"Sad and beautiful, is it not?" Rarity's eyes were still brimming from telling it. She hugged Applejack to her. "Oh darling, now do you understand what's at stake?"

Applejack nodded. "So we're going ta do the same thing with Rainbow and Twilight? Get them to write notes to each other?"

Rarity shook her head. "Oh, I'm afraid that neither of them would be willing to risk being rejected," she said. "So we shall have to take the bull by the horns, as it were, and send them letters on their behalf."

Applejack frowned. "Ah guess that could work. But ain't it jus' a bit under-hoofed?"

Rarity snorted. "Oh, the only reason we've been forced to do this is because of how blind the two of them are. When they're firmly ensconced in each other's forelegs, they'll be so happy they won't care one little bit how we got them together."

Applejack shrugged. Rarity was the expert when it came to all this romance stuff, and as her pappy used ta say, 'Ya shouldn't go lecturin' a steer on how to wear horns'. She sighed in defeat.

"So how're we goin' ta do this thing?" she asked.

Rarity's eyes glittered in delight. "Well, first we must requisition the help of a certain friend of ours..."

***********

"Oh, Spikey-wikey? Oh, Spiiiike!"

Rarity continued to call out for the little dragon as she and Applejack wandered throughout the Royal Kitchens, trotting here and there through the many tables of snacks. At last they came upon the gargantuan pile of desserts that Luna had prepared. Applejack's eyes followed the slope of the mountain up towards its peak, hidden somewhere far out of sight above them.

"Tha' mus' be the tallest pile o' treats ah've ever seen in all my years," she said, whistling.

Rarity would not be distracted from their goal. "I know they're around here somewhere," she said. "Oh, Spike? Oh, Spiiiiikey-wiiiiiikey?"

A sudden plaintive moan came from a nearby table, and Rarity drew the tablecloth aside to reveal the little purple dragon lying on his back underneath it. He was groaning and rubbing his belly, which was so full and round that it looked as though he'd swallowed a basketball.

Both Rarity and Applejack took a step back. "Spike?"

The little dragon propped himself up on an elbow and turned to look at the two ponies.

"Rarity? Applejack?" It was a struggle for him to talk, and he soon fell back, gasping.

"Wha' in Equestria have you done to yerself?" asked Applejack, eying his distended stomach.

"Well," said Spike. "First we ate some jello, then some danishes, oh, and after that some donuts, and then-"

Rarity shook her head. "Oh Spike, you know you'll stretch those darling scales of yours all out of shape if you eat too much," she tutted. "I'm sure it's all that Pinkie Pie's fault, leading you astray as usual."

"An jus' where is Pinkie?" Applejack's eyes darted back and forth, half-expecting the boisterous little pink pony to explode from behind one of the many piles of treats at any moment.

Spike leaned out from under the table with difficulty and pointed a claw into the air, drawing Rarity and Applejack's eyes up towards the top of the mountain of treats.

"Pinkie's making for the summit of Mount Snackmore," he explained.

"Mount Snackmore?" repeated Applejack, raising a single eyebrow.

Spike chuckled. "The name was Pinkie's idea."

"Ahoy there, climbers!" Pinkie's voice, floated down to them from somewhere on the mountain far above them. "Want me to throw you a rope? I've just discovered a whole rock-face made out of brownies up here!"

Rarity and Applejack looked at Spike, who shrugged.

"I don't know where she found it, but she's got climbing gear and everything," he said.

"No, thank you, darling," Rarity called back. "We're just going to borrow young Spike for a short while."

"Okay then, but it's your loss!" came the distant reply. "More fudge for me!" Soon the sound of thunderous munching travelled down to them, and the mountain began to shudder.

"Sometimes, dear Pinkie really does boggle the mind," said Rarity as she pulled Spike out from under the table.

"So what do you need, Rarity?" asked the little dragon, getting onto his feet with difficulty.

"We need to send some dragon-mail most urgently," said Rarity.

"Uh, I dunno," said Spike, suddenly cagey. "I'm really only supposed to use it for official Canterlot business..."

Rarity snorted in impatience. "One of the recipients is Twilight, so I suppose it is official Canterlot business... after a fashion."

"Twilight?" Spike scratched his head. "But she's just in the city with Princess Celestia. I can send the Princess a letter and..."

"That won't be necessary," said Rarity quickly. "Oh, Spikey-wikey, can't you be a dear and help me? I really am in a bind!" She rubbed her muzzle against the little purple dragon's cheek, putting the sweetest expression she could muster on her face.

Spike was almost toppled over by Rarity's vigorous nuzzling, and he began to blush fiercely. Overwhelmed, he pushed her away gently and said, "Oh, alright Rarity. Since it's urgent."

"Oh, Spike, you really are a most darling little dragon." The unicorn trotted over to a nearby counter, where she'd spotted a pile of parchment used for writing menus and borrowed two pieces. She grabbed a fresh quill and got to work, quickly scratching out two notes.

Applejack looked over her shoulder as she wrote. "Don't you reckon that hoof-writing's a bit too purty for our Rainbow?" she asked in a whisper. "An' as I recall, Twi's 'f's and 'g's've got big loops on 'em, an'..."

Rarity snorted in exasperation. "I don't think it really matters, darling. We're a little pressed for time as it is. Besides, I don't really want to misrepresent things too much. All we need to do is get the two girls to meet each other out in the open, away from all distractions. Once true love has taken hold, the letters will be totally forgotten. It's what we call a 'fait accompli' in the fashion business."

"Ah still say it sounds a might underhoofed," muttered Applejack. "Even in French."

Rarity ignored her, and finished the final note with a flourish. She rolled the two pieces of parchment up and flew them across to Spike. "Here you go, Spike. They're all properly addressed, so they should have no problem finding their proper recipients. Please send them off right away."

"Uh, sure thing, Rarity," replied the little dragon. He breathed green flames on first one and then the other, and they promptly dissolved away into nothing.

"And that is that," said Rarity, dusting off her hooves. "Now all that remains is to wait for love to take its course." She reached down and ruffled the little dragon's scales. "Thank you so much for your help, Spikey-wikey! But perhaps you should try and get Pinkie down from up there." She blinked up at the gleaming summit of Mount Snackmore. "If she eats too much, I fear she won't have any appetite left for the dinner tonight."

Applejack snorted. "Nah Rarity, this is Pinkie we're talkin' about, remember?"

"I'll try my best," said Spike, looking up at the top of the mountain and feeling suddenly dizzy.

"Well, ta-ta!" said Rarity. "We'll see you both at the festivities soon." She trotted away with Applejack at her side.

The earth pony frowned as they left the Royal Kitchens. Rarity seemed so sure of herself, but there was somethin' niggling Applejack at the back of her mind, like that final apple at the top of a tree that just refuses to fall down no matter how many times you buck it.

*********

Fluttershy backed up against the hedgerow, shivering. In her blind panic, she'd ended up galloping into a dead end, and there was no way through the solid barrier of the hedge itself. She tried to get her wings to flap, but they remained clamped to her sides. There was no way out!

And then she heard the sounds of hoof-falls from the junction where she'd taken the wrong turn, and she knew she was trapped.

The black stallion's muzzle appeared at the corner of the hedge in front of her, and Fluttershy squeaked in alarm. She scrambled backwards, but with the hedge in their way, she had nowhere to go.

"Ha ha, my pretty!" cried the stallion, as he walked towards her. "You are at my mercy!"

He was so close now that Fluttershy could feel the heat of his breath on her coat, and she quailed in fear, closing her eyes, waiting for something dreadful to happen.

But then she felt the sudden wetness of a kiss on her forehead, and her eyes flashed open in surprise and bewilderment.

The stallion was gone, and in his place was Princess Luna!

"Ha ha!" laughed the Princess of the Moon, as she moved her face away from the kiss. She grinned widely at the pegasus. "Oh, you were utterly convinced I was Darkmane, were you not, dear Fluttershy?" She took a step forward. "After you said that he was just the sort of stallion that-"

"Keep... keep away from me!" cried Fluttershy, scrambling backwards. In her panic, her hind-legs started to climb the hedge until gravity forced her to stop. "Keep away!" she cried a second time.

"But... but it is only me, Princess Luna," said Luna, frowning. Surely, this was the point where one was expected to fall over laughing at the cleverness of her prank! So why wasn't Fluttershy doing so? Unless she was making some kind of joke as well...

"Oh, you can't be Princess Luna, you just can't!" sobbed Fluttershy. "She would never do something so mean to me. You're still that awful stallion, trying to trick me by making yourself look like the Princess. Stay away!"

"But I..." Mean? Luna felt a sudden heaviness in her heart. She wasn't mean - was she? It was all a little joke, some 'fun', merely!

Luna looked deeply into the pegasus pony's eyes, with a horrible sinking feeling she realised that Fluttershy was not playing a prank. She was genuinely frightened. She sat there, shivering under Luna's gaze for a few heartbeats, and then, in a gargantuan effort, her wings began to move and with a panicked fluttering she flew up and out of the hedge-maze.

Luna watched her go, and made no attempt to follow her. That awful feeling inside her had become colder, heavier, feeling for all the world as though she had an iceberg trapped inside her chest.

Those beautiful eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes! The horrified way that they'd looked at her, as if she were a monster!

Luna slumped to the ground and lay there, horrified at what she'd done. Perhaps she was a monster. She'd forgotten all those lessons she'd learned in Ponyville on Nightmare Night, and was once again that living embodiment of ponies' fear - the Night Mare.

It was a long while later that she finally slunk away herself, in the same direction Fluttershy had gone. As she flew, she looked up at the sky, and saw that it was now full of stars, but the advent of her beautiful night did little to allay the sadness in her heart. Maybe, once she'd raised the moon, she would feel a little....

The Moon?

The Moon?!

"Oh, dear Celestia!" She was terribly, horribly late!

*********

The two pegasi spiralled through the evening air over the Canterlot Mountains, each trying to outdo the other in aerobatic prowess. Rainbow flew past Spitfire and did an Immelmann, barrelling over her to come streaking just above her head.

"Nice one, D!" shouted the flame-maned pegasus. "But try this on for size!" She flew straight up into the air and began to spiral, and with each swift turn, the friction against her wings and coat grew stronger and stronger, until the air around her caught fire and she blasted straight out the end of the funnel of flames like a glorious phoenix.

Rainbow's mouth fell open. "The Fire Tornado?" She stopped in amazement at the sight of the great column of fire, forgetting even to flap her wings, and if Spitfire hadn't swooped down to scoop her up in her forehooves she might well have fallen out of the sky.

"So. Totally. Awesome!" muttered Rainbow, still dazed, as Spitfire carried her away.

The flame-maned pegasus blushed. "Aw, D. I thought you'd seen it before!"

She let Rainbow slip out from her embrace and together the two of them flew at a leisurely pace back towards the mountains.

They soon spotted a little mountain meadow and swooped down in approach. Rainbow landed first, coming to a skidding halt on the grass and slipping off her heavy harness as she did so.

"No matter how many times we run through the program, I always end up covered in sweat by the end of it," she muttered to Spitfire as the Wonderbolt came in to land beside her a few seconds later.

"You're not kidding," said Spitfire, panting. "This gear seems to get heavier each time we do this."

Rainbow had already tossed her harness to one side, and was about to throw herself belly-first onto the cool grass when Spitfire turned to her.

"Hey D, I'm having a bit of trouble taking this darn thing off," she said, struggling to get one of the leather belts past her wings. "Little help?"

Rainbow hopped up and with a bit of pushing and pulling, she soon had it off and threw it on top of her own gear. Now free, Spitfire began to beat her wings to cool herself, and Rainbow laughed as she was splashed with droplets of perspiration.

"Hey, quit it! You're getting sweat on me," she complained, grinning as she wiped the sheen from her own coat.

"Quit complaining," laughed Spitfire. "You're already sweaty yourself. A little more isn't going to make any difference." She flicked a wing-tip at Rainbow's flank, and the pegasus jumped at the sting.

"Hey!" she yelped, clutching her butt with her forehooves.

"No whining in the Wonderbolts, remember?" laughed Spitfire. "Just be glad there are no towels around, or I'd give you a flick you'd remember for a long time."

Rainbow grinned. "You only got me 'cause my guard was down," she said. "You better watch your own flank, 'cause first chance I get, it's getting a real flick."

She threw herself on her back on the grass, and Spitfire joined her.

"I guess you can have a few moments break," she said. "You do look pretty worn out."

Rainbow hopped right back up onto her hooves. "You saying I don't have anything left, Spitfire?" She nodded towards a distant mountaintop, the snowy cap of which was glowing pink in the dying light of the sunset. "Wanna race me over there and find out?"

Spitfire stayed on her back and shook her head. "You don't have anything to prove to me, D. I'm just teasing you." She patted the grass next to her. "C'mon. I need to catch my breath and I'm sure you do, too."

Rainbow lay back down gladly. She was ready to race, but a rest was exactly what she needed now. Only a last burst of effort for the show itself, and-

Spitfire eased herself up on an elbow to look at her. "You still nervous about the show?"

Rainbow shook her head. "Nah. I've got you here for moral support." She whistled. "You know, I knew I'd be flying with the Wonderbolts one day, but I didn't think it would happen so soon."

Spitfire chuckled. "You're only flying with one Wonderbolt, D. If you join us for real, every day is going to be like today's been." Her eyes considered the rainbow-maned pegasus thoughtfully. "You think you're up to it?"

Rainbow sighed. "I don't know," she said. "I love flying, but the stress of rehearsals is getting to me. I mean, joining the 'Bolts is my dream and all, but can I really do it? I'm not so sure anymore."

Spitfire lay back down. "You could handle it no problem," she said. "You've got huge heart, Rainbow. I totally respect that."

Rainbow's rose-coloured eyes glistened at the flame-maned pegasus' praise. Then suddenly she grimaced.

"What's wrong?" said Spitfire, alarmed.

"Augh! It's just a muscle in my left wing," said Rainbow. "I think I've popped it out or something." She swept the pinion forward and moved to squeeze at the spot with her hooves, but Spitfire immediately knocked them away.

"Hey!" yelped the rainbow-maned pegasus.

"Are you a trained masseuse?" asked Spitfire, fiercely.

Rainbow shook her head.

"Then you're just going to make things worse. And if you get knocked out of action, the whole show will be, too." Spitfire started to rub her hooves together. "Leave it to me."

Rainbow watched her as she rubbed faster and faster. "What are you doing?"

"Just an old mare's trick for when there's no liniment handy," replied Spitfire.

"You're no old mare," said Rainbow.

Spitfire chuckled. "No, but I learned it from one." She stopped rubbing and advanced on the rainbow-maned pegasus.

Rainbow shied back. "Look, Spitfire. You don't have to worry. It's fine now!" She tried to sweep her wing out, but it twinged again and she had to bite her lip to stop herself from crying out.

"No more buts!" Spitfire leaped on top of her and swiftly began to massage her wing. Rainbow had been determined to flee, but as soon as those warm hooves touched her coat and begun to work at
the knotted muscles along her pinion, she had no choice but to let the flame-maned pegasus have her way.

"See? It's not so bad, is it?" said Spitfire, working the tightness to suppleness.

"Uhhhhh..." It more than didn't hurt, it felt awesome! The twinge was gone, to be replaced by pleasure. Rainbow was taken aback by the intensity of the tingling sensations coursing along her wing and down her spine, and she slumped onto her belly on the ground.

Spitfire grinned, and redoubled her efforts. "There! I knew you'd like it if you gave it a chance."

Rainbow could only nod her head and pant a little. The Wonderbolt quickly moved to the other wing, squeezing and manipulating it just as skilfully, and Rainbow soon felt her circulation grow stronger, making the whole of her body flush. Her back leg began to twitch, and then thump up and down on the cool grass as even greater pleasure wracked her body.

Spitfire stifled a laugh at the sight, and moved her hooves down along Rainbow's back. The knots of tension she found there rapidly smoothed under the pegasus's agile hooves.

"You know, Rainbow," started Spitifre, suddenly uncharacteristically hesitant. She stopped, coughed, then continued. "I haven't asked you what your plans for after the show are..."

"Hmmmph?" grunted Rainbow, still deeply focussed on how much she was enjoying the massage.

Spitfire slackened off. She was finding it hard to concentrate. Why in Equestria was it so hard to talk all of a sudden? "It's just that, well, I happen to know this really nice little club. They've got an awesome DJ there who puts on some pretty gnarly sets and-"

Rainbow lifted her head. "A club? That sounds awe- "

But her words were cut off by a sudden flash of brilliant green flame as a scroll appeared in the air in front of them.

Spitfire stepped back, her eyes widening in surprise. "Is that... d-mail?"

"I think it is," said Rainbow. She plucked the scroll from the air. "And it's addressed to.... me!"

Spitfire frowned. "I wonder if it's some last minute changes to the program."

"I'll check it out," said Rainbow, quickly opening the scroll and reading it out loud.

"'My Dearest Rainbow,
We have an important matter we must discuss at once. Please meet me at the eastern battlements right away! Come alone."

"Who's it from?" asked Spitfire. The words 'My Dearest Rainbow' had felt like three icicles piercing her heart, and she felt suddenly sick.

Rainbow turned the scroll around 360 degrees, but didn't find anything. "They didn't sign it," she said. "That's weird."

"They must have expected you to know who it was from," said Spitfire, sitting back on her haunches and staring off in the direction of the castle.

"Well," said Rainbow. "Twilight is the only one I know who uses d-mail, so I guess it must be from her."

"You should go to her," said Spitfire. "She said it was something important, after all."

Rainbow frowned. If it was from Twilight, something must be wrong. It was really weird of little-miss-attention-to-detail not to sign it. She must have been in a rush or something.

She turned to Spitfire. "Look, I'll be right back. I just need to see if something's wrong. It should only take a jiffy."

"Take as long as you need," said Spitfire, her eyes still locked on the castle.

Rainbow smiled at her, then leaped into the air and flew away.

Spitfire watched her dwindle away into a tiny speck. Then she looked down towards the Amateur Performance Flying Team, but she didn't really see them. All she could see was her Rainbow Dash with another filly. With that filly, the one with the rose-streak in her mane, the same colour as Rainbow's eyes.

Spitfire got up. Maybe she had it all wrong. It wasn't the first time she'd overreacted about something. She was always quick to expect the worst. But there was only one way to make sure... only one way to ease the rapid, panicked beating of her heart that was making her feel so sick.

She galloped across the meadow to the edge of the cliff and leaped straight off into the open air, and with great sweeps of her powerful wings she flew off towards Canterlot Castle.

************

The one little glass of honeysuckle liqueur had quickly turned into two, then three, and the pomegranate martinis had done the same, and so it was a tipsy couple of ponies that slipped out of The Sage and Saddle a while later, laughing and giggling as they waved goodbye to Suds the bartender.

Twilight stifled her giggling as she tried to finish the joke. "And then, and then, and then I said, 'Porridge? Are you crazy?' The giggle she'd tried to hold back escaped, but after a while she stopped and frowned. "Wait, wait, wait - did I say 'porridge'?" Twilight slapped a hoof to her forehead. "It was supposed to be 'oatmeal'! Oh, I totally ruined the joke!"

Celestia suddenly burst out laughing, and again it was that boisterous laugh that welled up from deep inside her. She put a foreleg around Twilight's shoulders and leaned against her. "Oh Twilight Sparkle. That's probably the worst joke I've ever heard."

"Well, it is one of Pinkie Pie's," explained the little unicorn. She giggled. "And I totally muffed it up!"

"Oh no, no, no," said Celestia. "Your delivery was the funniest thing about it."

Twilight smiled up at her teacher. Seeing her so happy made her own heart fill to overflowing.

But hadn't Celestia always been happy? Twilight suddenly realised that, although Celestia was almost always smiling, she'd never really been as unreservedly happy as she seemed now, doubled over with laughter, a foreleg thrown around Twilight's shoulders to help her keep balance.

The touch of the Princess' coat against hers made her feel so safe, so warm, so happy. And just as suddenly Twilight realised that she herself had never been as happy as was right at this very instant, either.

She leaned her neck against Celestia's and nuzzled her, and the Princess nuzzled her back. And even long after their giggling had come to an end, they stayed close to each other, coat against coat, as they walked along the quiet streets.

They were almost back at the castle when Twilight looked up into the sky and gasped. "Look, Princess! The stars have come out."

"So they have," said Celestia. "I had no idea it had gotten so late. It mustn't be very long until Luna raises the moon." Oh, I do hope things go according to plan. It's the first Spring Moon raising since her return, after all. Well, everything was in her hooves, now.

"Oh, I can't wait to see it," said Twilight with a happy sigh.

Celestia looked down at the little unicorn, and the sight of her huge violet eyes glittering with such delight set the Princess' heart racing.

"You know, Twilight," she said. "I think we might have just enough time to visit another special little place of mine," she said.

Twilight giggled. "Another bar?"

Celestia chuckled. "Oh, I think you've had quite enough for one evening, my little unicorn." She shook her head. "No, it's a place I showed you a long time ago, when you were a filly. It's back in the castle, and if we hurry, we can make it before we have to go to supper."

Twilight closed her eyes and nuzzled up against Celestia's neck, and the alicorn felt her heart flutter. "But won't everypony wonder where we are if we're late?" she asked.

"We won't be late," replied Celestia.

The streets of Canterlot were quieter now that everypony had found their own little spot, ready for the raising of the moon and the spectacular show that would accompany it. All eyes were on the skies, and so few saw the alicorn and the unicorn as they made their way back to the castle.

At the western gate, Celestia suddenly dipped her horn and the glamour that had rendered her invisible disappeared, and the guards posted there started in alarm. As soon as they realised it was the Princess, however, they dropped their guard and bowed as Celestia and Twilight passed under the great whitewashed arch.

"You gave them such a scare!" giggled Twilight.

Celestia smiled. "It was a bit cheeky, wasn't it?" sh e said with a wink.

Soon the Princess was leading Twilight through corridors and rooms which she had never seen before, some of them decorated with strange and mystical carvings, some with great murals of historical events painted on the walls that seemed to move in the flickering of the torchlight. Twilight recognised the series of great wars with the griffons, the struggle against Darkmane, the reign of terror of the Four Priestesses of Nightmare Moon, and other events she'd read about in her history books.

"They're so beautiful," whispered Twilight, trotting from mural to mural as she tried to identify each of the scenes painted there. "Is this what you wanted to show me, Princess?"

"Oh, we're not quite there yet," said Celestia.

At the end of the hall there was a little archway, and Celestia soon disappeared through it. Twilight hurried to follow her, having lingered behind to look at the mural which portrayed the great battle between the dark priestess Eclipse and Lady Aurora.

The archway lead into a tiny little garden, nestled between several of the mighty towers of Canterlot castle. There was barely enough room for the two ponies to move, for a great tree stood in one corner, its boughs, gnarled and twisted with great age, reaching out across the garden. A multitude of little branches, green with fresh growth, had sprung from the dark, knotted wood, and on them clusters of delicate pink flowers had blossomed, as innumerable as the stars in the sky far above them.

Twilight stopped in her tracks and her eyes went wide. The sight was so arrestingly beautiful that she fell back onto her haunches and stared in silence for a long while.

At last Celestia turned to her and asked, "Do you remember me showing you this tree, Twilight? It was long ago, when you first came to live with me in the castle."

Twilight didn't turn her head. "The time... that time I dropped Smarty Pants?"

Celestia smiled. "Bingo," she said.

"But I thought that tree didn't bloom anymore," said Twilight, at last breaking her gaze from the tree to look at the Princess.

"So did I," said Celestia. "But just a few days ago, I noticed a few buds had appeared, and then, earlier today, just before you arrived, I was passing by and saw that it was already close to full bloom."

"It's... it's gorgeous!" said Twilight.

Celestia nodded. She drew closer to Twilight, and the little unicorn straight away rested her head against Celestia's neck.

The Princess closed her eyes, and for a moment, there in the garden before the ancient tree, everything stopped. She felt suddenly as if she was a little filly again, a feeling she only dimly remembered, and her heart beat rapidly at the sensation of Twilight's coat against hers. She leaned down and kissed the top of Twilight's head, where that little streak of rose began in her bangs. The little unicorn smelled of books and soap and lavender, the way she had always smelled, and Celestia's heart broke at how that scent made her feel.

She slipped a wing over Twilight and drew her closer, and the little unicorn sighed and snuggled against her.

Twilight looked up at her. "Princess," she began. But then a look of confusion passed across her face, and she began again. "Tia, I..."

"Yes, my darling?" Celestia's heart skipped a beat.

Twilight blushed hot. She lowered her eyes, but soon raised them again, a look of determination on her face. "Tia, I-"

Suddenly, a flash of green flame burst in the air before the two of them, and Celestia and Twilight both turned to stare at the little scroll that was now bobbing there.

"d-mail?" said Twilight, frowning. "But... who in Equestria can it be from?"

"Maybe it was misaddressed," said Celestia. The sudden appearance of the scroll had unnerved her. "It does happen sometimes."

Twilight plucked the scroll from the air with her magic. "But... it's addressed to me," she said. "Oh, but I-"

"I think you should read it straight away," said Celestia. "It must be something important."

Twilight opened it and began to read it silently. "It's... it's so strange," she said.

"What does it say?"

"'Dearest Twilight,
We've got stuff we need to talk about. Meet me at the eastern battlements right away. Come alone.'"

That first word 'dearest' had tolled in Celestia's ears like a mighty bell, and her mind was still ringing with the sound as Twilight finished the letter. Somehow she managed to keep her composure, and asked, softly, "Who is it from?"

Twilight shook her head. "I... I've got no idea."

"It sounds serious," said Celestia. She closed her eyes. "You should probably go right away and see what it's all about. One of your friends might be in trouble."

"But-" Twilight protested.

Celestia managed a weak smile. "Oh, Twilight Sparkle. Your friends are far more important than your silly old teacher. I've shown you what I wanted to show you." She inclined her head in the direction of the archway that led out of the little garden. "Go. Find your friend and see what they want."

Twilight stared at the Princess. Something had changed in her face, and for a moment the little unicorn had the strangest feeling that the entire world had tilted on its axis somehow, and that everything had been altered in some imperceptible but gigantic way.

"Go to her," said Celestia. "She's waiting for you."

Twilight nodded. "I- I'll be as quick as I can. So I'll see you at the supper?"

Celestia smiled. "Of course," she said.

Twilight turned, and quickly galloped through the little archway that had brought them into the tiny garden.

Celestia watched her go. When the sound of her hooves clicking on the stone floor of the hall finally dwindled away to nothing, the alicorn fell back onto her haunches, feeling as if a great weight had come crashing down on her back. She stared at the archway for a long time, praying that Twilight would reappear in it, and hating herself for wanting such a thing to happen. And so she didn't notice when first one, and then another, and finally a little shower of petals began to fall from the ancient tree at her back.