Season: Z
Episode: O
Luna’s Vacation
(By: Flame Runner)
It was afternoon in Ponyville, but the birds weren’t singing, the streets weren’t busy, and young fillies and colts weren’t outside playing, all because it was raining…a lot. A group of pegasus were flying high above the dark storm clouds and moving the rain where it needed to be.
“Come on Derpy! We need to get these clouds over to Sweet Apple Acres pronto!” called a pegasus mare with a rainbow mane and tail.
“Right!” called back a grey pegasus mare with strange eyes.
Derpy gave a storm cloud a powerful kick and sent it flying at the rainbow one. The mare, known as Rainbow Dash, ducked just in time as the cloud flew across the sky toward Sweet Apple Acres.
“Not that fast Derpy!” cautioned Rainbow, but it was too late.
Another cloud came soaring toward Rainbow Dash and this time the cloud managed to hit the cyan colored mare with rainbow hair. The force propelled Rainbow Dash, along with the cloud, toward the farm.
“Derpy!” called the rainbow maned pegasus as she flailed her hooves around wildly.
“Rainbow Dash, wait up!” called Derpy as she kicked another cloud and then flew off to catch her pegasus friend.
In the town below, a new arrival strode into Ponyville. It was another pegasus mare with a beautiful dark red coat. She wore a grey cloak with the hood pulled up. She was also quite tall. Her mane and tail were colored light blue and twirled down in strands of swirled hair. All in all, she looked very nice, even in the rain.
“Psst!” called out a voice teeming with high energy from a sweet shop.
The new pegasus looked up at the shop and read the words “Sugar Cube Corner”.
“Hey! Psst! Princess Luna! Over here!” called out the voice again.
(Insert Theme Music Here)
* * * * * * * * *
The pegasus looked all around, baffled. She looked herself over. Red coat, grey cloak, swirly-twirly blue hair, a pegasus and most definitely NOT an alicorn.
“Princess Luna!” called the high-pitched voice again.
The pegasus raised her head back toward the bakery with a quizzical expression before slowly moving into the shop. A pink mare with an outrageously poofy mane and tail was eager to greet the guest.
“Hi Princess Luna!” shouted the pink equine as she hopped up happily.
“Pinkie Pie, I look nothing like Princess Luna,” stated the pegasus.
“Yep!” agreed Pinkie.
The pegasus began to shimmer and change as she spoke once again.
“So how did you know it was me?” asked the now revealed alicorn.
“Just a lucky guess, I guess!” responded Pinkie. “Cupcake?” Pinkie grabbed a tray of cupcakes with the reach of seemingly impossibly long and flexible hooves. She held them out for Princess Luna.
Princess Luna was an alicorn, a pony with both pegasus wings and a unicorn horn. She, along with her sister Princess Celestia, helped to raise and lower the sun and moon for all of Equestria. Luna was tall, although not the height of her sister, and graceful. Her coat was a dark blue with a splotch of black on her hindquarters. Her mane and tail flowed and shimmered around in an ethereal manner. It sparkled with what seemed like star light and was a deep blue, similar to her eyes. She wore a small black tiara and a small chest piece which bore an emblem of her cutie mark, a crescent moon. The Princess held out a hoof and wavered it above a cupcake before swooping down and grabbing it from the pan.
“Thank you Pinkie,” stated Luna before taking a bite.
Pinkie smiled and then asked, “So what are you doing here in Ponyville? Are you here to see Twilight?”
Luna gulped down her cupcake before responding.
“Um…no actually. I have come for…Oh! What’s the word?…a…day off, I suppose.”
“A day off? You mean like a vacation!” stated Pinkie happily.
“Tis the word I was looking for!” responded Luna gleefully.
“Terrific!” Pinkie ran off with super speeds. She soon returned, however, with a map of Ponyville that had plenty of red markings all over it and she was wearing a funny little green hat with the words “Tour Guide” stitched in white.
“I’ve mapped out the greatest vacation you could ever have here in Ponyville!” declared the pink mare. “First you start off at Sugar Cube Corner!” Pinkie looked around and then gasped. “Look! We’re already here! That was fast!” she giggled. “Ooo! Ooo! And next we go over here!” she pointed out a spot on the map. “And then to the Salon! And then to-!”
“Pinkie,” interrupted Luna.
“Yes?” Pinkie’s head shot up and her eyes showed nothing but mirth.
“I’ve been…away for quite a while and…”
Pinkie nodded with a big grin.
“I had planned to visit my old castle in the Forest.”
“Ohhhh!” Pinkie said. “Well the Everfree Forest isn’t until halfway through the tour, but I think I can make an exception.”
“Excellent,” remarked Luna. The alicorn’s horn glowed a light blue and a dark blue, star-like mist enveloped her. When the mist had vanished, the Princess now looked like the deep red pegasus once more.
“Shall we be off then?” queried the disguised Luna.
“Off we go!” replied Pinkie happily.
* * * * * * * * *
Standing at the edge of the Everfree Forest in the rain was enough to send most ponies home shivering in fear, but not Luna and not Pinkie Pie. Pinkie had once braved the dark forest with her friends to find the fabled Elements of Harmony in the very castle they were now headed toward. The Forest was a place of unknown and powerful magic, the very clouds moved themselves, the plants grew themselves, and the animals even took care of themselves. All in all, it was a bizarre place that most ponies dared not enter. But here was Luna and Pinkie, standing in the rain at the Forest’s edge and preparing to enter beneath its dark branches. Luna had her hood pulled back over her head so as to keep the rain off but Pinkie didn’t seem to even notice the little droplets that bounced off her mane.
“Ready to go?” Pinkie asked.
“Yes,” responded Luna with a slight nod.
The two trotted slowly and calmly into the woods. The rain seemed to stop as soon as they entered the Forest. Above them was a tangle of strange branches and leaves which kept the rain from entering, either that or the weather in the Everfree was currently different than that of Ponyville. The two had not taken more than a few steps into the woods than Pinkie asked Luna a question.
“So why did you disguise yourself as a pegasus?”
“Well, tis quite difficult to enjoy one’s…vacation as a Princess. I must hide my identity or else be flocked by peasant-…um, ponies.”
“Okie dokie!” Pinkie giggled happily as they walked ever further into the heart of the Everfree.
“So, from what my sister tells me,” began the disguised Luna as they walked along an underused path, “Ponyville was built because of this Forest.”
“You must mean the zap apples!” squealed Pinkie. “Yeah, they only grow by the Everfree Forest. Applejack and her family harvest them down on their farm. They make some of the best jam, pies, and all sorts of other goodies. Ponies come here from all over Equestria just for a taste! In fact, Sweet Apple Acres is the next stop on our tour!”
“Zap apples?” Luna stated to herself. “I do remember a strange rainbow fruit growing for only a few days on some of the trees. Is that what you call a ‘zap apple’?”
“Yeah! That’s them.”
“Hmm…how odd. I could never seem to pick any from the trees, but I suppose that much has changed after one thousand years.”
The two continued on their trek along the “path” they were on. Suddenly Pinkie gasped and shot a hoof in front of Princess Luna.
“Stop!” commanded the pink equine.
Luna held her ground as the pink pony pointed to some blue flowers along the ground.
“Poison joke,” informed Pinkie. “It plays a trick on anypony who touches it.”
“Is that what it’s called now?” asked Luna. “We always called it Trick Leaf. Oh, I remember the fun times me and Celestia had with these little plants.”
Luna stretched out a hoof and plucked a flower from the ground. She held it up to her nose and took a big sniff.
“Wait! Don’t!” warned Pinkie, but it was too late.
Luna threw the flower off to the side and turned around to face Pinkie. Luna’s face began to shrink and shift. Soon, it was fuzzy and fluffy, like that of a cat. The rest of Luna’s tall body began to transform in the same way. Tufts of blue hair sprouted from her body as she became smaller and smaller. Before long, there was nothing left of Luna but a small, fluffy fuzzball with a cute face. Luna was now a kitty cat.
“Wait right here! I’ll go get Zecora. She can help,” replied Pinkie to the kitty, Luna.
Pinkie began to sprint off when Luna stopped her mid stride.
“Wait! Tis not necessary!” she called in a small, cute voice.
Pinkie turned around to face Princess Luna. The Princess stood her ground and shook herself. Splotches of what looked like blue paint flew off the alicorn and splattered the ground, painting it funny shades of polka dot colors. Luna was no longer disguised, but looked like her regal self again.
“When one lives in the Forest, one learns how to deal with its many tricks,” explained Luna. “But, pray, tell me, who is this Zecora?”
Pinkie looked around at the polka dotted woodland and held in a small giggle with her front hooves.
“Zecora is only the nicest zebra you’ll ever meet!” Pinkie managed to say. “Come on! Her place is on the way to the castle.”
“Somepony else lives here now? Huzzah! A resident with regal tastes!” claimed Luna.
The two took off through the forest with plenty of laughter at the now candy colored, polka dot trees.
* * * * * * * * *
“Here we are!” declared Pinkie with a wave of her hoof.
Standing before the two was a small tribal looking hut. It had a hoof crafted straw roof and wooden door. Pinkie pounded on the door.
“Zecora! Hello! It’s me Pinkie Pie! Anypony home?”
The two mares waited, but no response.
“Twould appear that she is not home,” stated Luna.
“Oh that’s alright!” Pinkie nudged the door open anyway. “This place is on the tour, so I’m sure that Zecora wouldn’t mind if we take a quick look.”
The two entered the small house cautiously. Upon its walls were many wooden masks of different faces and expressions. They looked strange and exotic compared to what one would normally find in the quiet town of Ponyville. There were also a good deal of shelves and tables. Each one held many different herbs, plants, vials, and liquids. In the center of the room stood a large iron cauldron, with plenty of dry sticks underneath. The cauldron was filled with still, cool water and the sticks were left unlit.
“You’re friend…Zecora was it? She is a potion maker?” asked Luna.
“Yeah, I guess so. She knows all sorts of fun, random stuff. In fact, if I was going to be on a game show where I answered lots of random trivia, I’d want her to be my partner. Well, Zecora or Twilight. You know, why not have them both? If I was to go on a game show, I’d choose both Twilight AND Zecora to be on my team.”
Luna was busy looking into the cauldron as she paced slowly around it.
“I see,” she mumbled without looking up.
The Princess seemed absolutely in awe of the strange potions and plants lying around the zebra’s house. Then, the door creaked open and a fierce looking pony, wearing many gold rings on her legs and a brown cloak with a hood which covered her face, strode into the room. She had many fresh plants poking out of a bag which she wore around her waist.
“Pinkie Pie, why are you here?
Don’t you know it gave me some fear?” asked Zecora in shock.
“Hi Zecora!” Pinkie waved to the hooded figure. “I was giving a tour and you weren’t here and the door was open, so we came in to take a look. I knew you wouldn’t mind.”
“Entering without permission is rude,
But do not worry; I’m in a good mood.
Let me ask you now, who is your friend?
She looks familiar, have I seen her in this bend?” Zecora spoke in her usual rhymes.
Pinkie giggled as she replied, “This is Princess Luna. You may have seen her during Nightmare Night.”
Zecora’s eyes became wide with respect. She lowered her hood and bowed low to the ground.
“Rise,” commanded Luna. “I am only here on a vacation.”
Zecora rose and then proceeded to lay her various herbs and plants carefully onto a table near her.
“It is an honor to have you in my humble home.
To have guests in my place, I do not seem prone.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” responded Luna. The alicorn shuffled her hooves around nervously for a few moments as her eyes wandered over the myriad of strange concoctions and brews neatly organized about the room.
“You seem to have quite a good collection of potions. It is nice,” Luna finally stated.
Zecora smiled.
“Oh! We need to get going if we’re going to make the castle before it gets too dark,” Pinkie jumped into the silence.
“Yes. Of course,” Luna stated. “Thank you most kindly for allowing me a look around. Perhaps I shall meet you again one day,” the Princess added kindly as she took once final look toward Zecora.
“The pleasure was truly all mine,
have safety on your travels, and stop by again some time!” Zecora gave a warm goodbye and then soon turned back to her fresh plants.
The door closed behind Pinkie and Luna. Smoke soon began to pour from the top of Zecora’s house and they could smell the fragrant smells of plants in the air.
“Next stop, the old castle!” cried Pinkie.
The pink mare tipped her “guide” hat down snuggly over her head and bounded off into the foreboding Everfree Forest.
* * * * * * * * *
The sun began to set in the sky and the Forest grew ever darker as the two made their way closer to the ruins of what used to be a grand castle. Luna looked up happily as the moon began to rise.
“My sister is doing a wonderful job. It is nice to have a break; perhaps I shall try my hoof at raising the sun one day. Then Celestia can have a break as well,” commented Luna.
“Ooo. What’s it like? Raising the moon?” asked Pinkie.
“Well, it’s kind of like-”
A sharp howl split the skies and stopped Luna from speaking.
“Timberwolves,” stated Pinkie. She snatched up her marked map from nowhere in particular. “Hmm…they aren’t on the tour until after the castle.”
Then a creature leaped from the dark cover of the Forest trees. It looked like a wolf, but it had no fur. Instead, its body was made entirely of branches and twigs. The wood was twisted together in such a way as to make the shape of a ferocious wolf. It had vicious glowing eyes and sharp teeth. The creature made of living wood slowly began to circle the duo. Suddenly, three more timberwolves leaped from the woods. The two ponies were surrounded by snarling beasts.
“RUN!” screamed Pinkie.
The twosome blasted past the wolves and down the path which led closer to the ancient castle. The timberwolves were in hot pursuit. They snarled and howled as they snapped their jaws open and shut, right behind the ponies’ hooves.
“Huzzah!” joyfully shouted Princess Luna. “Tis most exhilarating!”
“Whee!” Pinkie agreed heartily.
The two began to laugh as they ran from the danger behind them. On and on the pair ran through the thick Forest with the timberwolves right at their heels. The wood creatures snapped and barked wildly as they chased the two invaders through their woods. The chase eventually led to a small and flimsy looking bridge which stretched across an almost endless looking gorge. Mist filled the bottom of the gully and made it impossible to see any further down. But the two ponies did not much care about seeing the bottom, only about crossing the small bridge. The bridge itself was made of wooden planks, held together by sturdy rope and tied to thick wooden posts at either end of the ravine.
Luna and Pinkie hopped onto the bridge at full speed and made their way across. The wolves slid to a stop and refused to climb onto the bridge. Still, the wooden creatures stayed and howled and barked threats at the two trespassers. The Princess and Pinkie slowed their pace down about halfway across the bridge and caught their breaths between short bursts of laughter.
“I haven’t had so much fun since Celestia and I were but children!” Luna stated through fits of laughter.
“I haven’t had this much fun since this morning!” replied Pinkie between giggles.
The duo continued their trek until they finally came to the far edge of the bridge. They jumped off lightly and landed on solid rock. Not a creature was to be seen at this end. Tall grass blew quietly in a gentle wind and vines climbed up the sides of massive, fallen rocks. Giant stone slabs lay strewn across the ground. These stones were ancient. They were cracked and a myriad of green plants climbed up their grey exterior. Not all of the stones were lying in shambles upon the earth, however, some of the ancient castle’s architecture still stood proud and strong. Massive walls of grey craved rock jutted from the ground and cast shadows upon the ground, illuminated by the silvery moon. Some of these walls once held beautiful windows and large decorations, now lost to the cruel grip of time.
It was into this old and crumbling castle that Princess Luna and Pinkie Pie stepped. Carefully, they treaded into what remained of the ancient stronghold. Luna ran up to a pedestal which stood in the middle of what was once a grand room. The pedestal had five other, smaller pedestals jutting from its sides with one giant round stone ball in the center. Five of the Elements of Harmony had once stayed on the five platforms. Luna recognized the place well. She began to shed a single tear as the recent memory of her redemption flooded into her mind.
“Princess Luna? Are you ok?” asked Pinkie compassionately.
Luna did not respond, but instead trotted off, deeper into the ruins. She rounded a corner and found herself in another large and grand room. She went to the far end of this room and stood facing the way she had entered. Pinkie came to the entrance and looked at Luna. The Princess lifted her head and her horn began to glow a bright blue. Her light blue magic seeped into the walls and surrounded the flooring. Pinkie was now looking at the old throne room in all its glory.
Two magnificent thrones stood, one on each side of the alicorn Princess. One throne bore the mark of the sun and the other the emblem of a crescent moon. Both were made from precious metals, the sun one of gold and the moon one of silver, and had many ornate gemstones placed in them. They were well cushioned and suitable for one knowing that they would spend countless hours sitting in them.
The grey walls had also been reassembled. Now, wondrous tapestries filled its empty spaces and elegant stained glass windows shone the pale moonlight in beautiful shades of color. The floor was now shiny and smooth. It was laid out in a checkerboard pattern. Statues also lined the floor, close to the walls and between the many windows. They were statues of many brave and wise ponies from before Pinkie’s time. A pegasus warrior, a unicorn scholar, an earth pony architect and artist, and even an adventurous donkey were just some of the magnificent sculptures. Pinkie touched one of the statues, but her hoof went straight through it.
“Tis not real,” said Luna quietly. “Tis but a memory. I wanted to show you what this place looked like many years ago. Come. I wish to see what has become of the gardens.”
Luna left her position and allowed her horn to lose its magical glow. Slowly, beginning with the thrones, the magic dispersed. The thrones disappeared and the ground became broken and uneven once more. The tapestries dissolved and the walls once again crumbled. Much of the beautiful stain glass vanished, leaving only a shadow of its former glory behind. Luna walked out of the old room and down a few crumbling corridors. She eventually stopped at the far end of the castle. There was a large gash in the wall and she stepped through it gingerly. Pinkie followed closely behind.
In front of the two lay the remains of a beautiful garden. It was now overgrown with tall grasses and some weeds. A few large trees remained to greet the two visitors. Vines clung to both tree and broken wall in the ancient garden.
“At least the fountain is still here,” commented Luna.
At the far end of the garden lay a stone fountain. It was in surprisingly good shape, although it was dry. No water had been poured on its rocky surface for a long while. Grasses and vines covered its underbelly. Luna walked into the center of the garden and set her horn ablaze once more. The soft blue magic spread into the garden and began to rewind time.
The weeds and vines disappeared and the trees shrunk. The walls sealed themselves up and the fountain gurgled with bubbling water once again. Flowers of the most brilliant shades and hues sprung up in flowerbeds and well kept bushes jumped from the ground. A metal statue of two alicorn sisters pushing the sun and moon in an endless circle appeared in the center of the garden. It was gorgeous in the silver moonlight.
Suddenly, two alicorns ran through the newly crafted door and into the garden. They were both mature, but their manes did not have an ethereal appearance. Without a doubt though, these were Princesses Celestia and Luna and they were both laughing as they closed the doors behind them quickly.
“Doest thou think we lost them Celestia?” asked the young Luna.
“I shouldest think so. One cannot seem to get a moments rest by oneself these days,” replied the young Celestia.
They both broke into laughter once more.
“Perhaps we shall find some solace among the trees and flowers at least,” giggled young Luna.
“Perhaps Luna, for five minutes at any rate!” chuckled young Celestia.
The two walked side by side into the garden. They only had time to sniff a few flowers and admire the gurgling fountain before two fully armed guards burst through the doors.
“Your Highnesses! Thank goodness. We hadst believed that we had lost you,” bellowed the guard.
The guard and his companion marched out to the Princesses’ sides. Soon more guards joined until the two alicorns were safely surrounded by Royal Guards. A shout came from inside the castle and the Princesses shared a knowing look between each other. They giggled to themselves and walked back into the palace with heads held high and with all the pomp they could muster. They both looked regal even without the ethereal appearance of their manes. Then, the lush garden vanished and was replaced with the decrepit, weed filled ground of the present.
“What was that?” asked Pinkie when the magic had subsided.
“Twas a good memory,” spoke Luna.
Another tear fell from the Princess’ eyes.
“Are you sad?” queried Pinkie. “Because I know how to make it feel better.”
The pink mare suddenly bounced over to Luna’s side and gave her a big hug. The Princess was taken aback for but a moment, and then returned the hug graciously.
“Thank you Pinkie. Twas a most magnificent tour.”
“Oh, but the tour is just beginning! There’s so much more to do back in Ponyville!” Pinkie declared with a bounce in her step and a smile across her face.
“I am sorry Pinkie, I do not have enough time for more of the tour. But, I do believe that I have learned something today. I came here to go back through the past. It was good, but I cannot live there any longer. I must live in the present if I am to perform my duties properly. And I am glad to have such good friends to help me every step of the way.” Luna nodded toward Pinkie. “D-Did I just sound like Twilight Sparkle?” asked the Princess.
“Nah!” Pinkie waved her hoof in front of her face. “But you sure sounded a lot like Princess Luna!”
The Princess laughed.
“Thank you Pinkie Pie. I had a wonderful vacation and you are a wonderful tour guide. Perhaps I shall come back and finish my tour…on my next vacation.”
“That sounds great! I’ve already got it all planned out!” stated Pinkie proudly.
“Now come on, it’s time to bring you home,” declared Luna.
Luna’s horn glowed once more and a strange dark blue mist surrounded the two ponies. When it faded, Pinkie was standing back at Sugar Cube Corner by a red colored pegasus. The pegasus flew into the air and away from Ponyville. Pinkie waved.
“Good bye!” shouted Pinkie.
At that moment, Twilight Sparkle walked up. The purple unicorn looked at the pegaus as she flew away and then turned her attention to Pinkie.
“Who was that?” asked the inquisitive unicorn.
“Oh, just some pegasus. Come on! I’ve got a new muffin receipt that I’m sure you’ll just love!” said Pinkie.
The two entered Sugar Cube Corner as the sun popped its head over the horizon.
