Dreaming of gentle lavender fragrances

"Good luck at the presentation, Artcraft." Silverblood laughed heartily as he left Artcraft's guest room and went to attend the festival.

"I can't believe that guy. I have no choice but to enter. And I have nothing to provide them. I'm so screwed." Artcraft then resigned in defeat, knowing he'd have to go in regardless. "If he tries to use it, he has no idea how it even works. Does Silverblood have any idea what he just did? Using it wrong can be dangerous."

Artcraft gulped at the possibility of a disaster that could potentially hurt many ponies. "My machine wasn't designed to hurt anybody. It was meant to wow them. This is the very opposite of what it was intended to do. Three years of hard work stolen from me." He braced himself and went on to the stage. Inevitable dread welled up in him, knowing that he had reached the point of no return.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts, from all reaches of Equestria. Thank you for attending this festival in honor of my dearest sister, Luna." Celestia greeted the audience as they all cheered for Luna, thus making her blush as she wasn't used to such adoration. But she was thankful for it, regardless. "For our first contestant, Silverblood, and his presentation on... The Crescent Cannon? Hmm... I've never seen Silverblood dabble into engineering before. That's strange. Well, let's see what he's got then, everypony."

Silverblood wheeled in the cannon as he waved to the crowd. "Thank you, everypony. Thank you for having me here tonight. And thank you, princess."

"Oh, brother. Give me a break." Luna looked disgusted as she saw the white-chromed machine, which made her think about that machine Artcraft said he would make. "Tia. Do you recall our meeting with Artcaft earlier today?"

"I do indeed; why?"

"Didn't he say that he would make an invention that would only work at nighttime? Correct me if I'm wrong." Celestia gasped in shock

"He did not?!" Surprised at Silverblood's sheer audacity.

"I do believe that he did, Tia."

"That slimy cheat. That was the invention that Artcraft designed. I specifically warned him never to bring any harm in any capacity to anypony. And what did he do? I must put a stop to this."

"Sister. Wait a minute. Neither he nor we know how that machine operates. But Artcraft does."

"You're right, Luna. One bad move and anything could happen." Celestia now looked a bit scared. Not for herself, but for the safety of her subjects, "How could he allow his pride to cloud him like this? He could not leave well enough alone when he still had the chance."

"I, Duke Silverblood of Trottingham, have spent three years laboring away on this magnificent engineering marvel. I call it The Crescent Cannon. How does it work? You start by pushing this button right here."

"Wait! Stop! Do not push that button! You don't want to do that." Artcraft shouted at the top of his lungs as everyone gasped in surprise.

"Like he knows how this machine operates, am I right, everyone?"

"If you're the owner, then operating that machine should be no problem for you, right? So that you know, that button will begin the magic collecting process. It's designed to collect magic and natural light particles to release beautiful colors on the night sky." He then pointed toward the vents on the side. "Those vents at the bottom were meant to keep the machine cool, but too much magic will cause it to overheat."

"Okay, mister know-it-all, maybe I will push this button. To prove to you guys that he's wrong and I'm right." As Silverblood pushed the charge button, the machine whirred to life like a mini turbine engine. As it spun, it began to collect magic. "As you can see, guys. Nothing bad is happening. The magic gathers here. And then it'll create fireworks. Unlike what he said, it is not light particles."

The machine began to lock up as the vents closed because he didn't press the vent button after pressing the charge button. "No! That's too much magic all at once. Quick! Press that button with the vent symbol to open the vents up."

"Quiet, you. Don't mind him; he's jealous that he didn't create anything this good."

"Silverblood! I rarely ever resort to name-calling. But you're an absolute imbecile. Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"Oh? What did I do then? Tell us. Enlighten the crowd for me."

"That much magic will cause it to overheat and be unable to release the magic trapped inside it. You created a negatively-charged magical nuke that'll blow all Canterlot here to Kingdom Come."

"W-What?!"

"Yes. He patented my designs everypony. Of course, I would know how it works; I created it. I would also know what would happen if it got out of hand, and it clearly did." Everyone began to panic as Artcraft jumped out towards the stage and up to the machine and used his magic signature to try to lift the lock on it. "Damn. No dice. I'll have to run the emergency shutdown protocol. Celestia! Get everyone out as fast as possible if this doesn't work out. If this thing goes off, at least it won't get anybody else vaporized."

"But Artcraft! What about you?" Celestia shouted back to him.

"Don't worry about me. If I go, at least I had the opportunity to meet you and your sister. I'm content with that, if nothing else. Thank you for that opportunity, Princesses. Silverblood. Get out of here, now!"

"Y-You don't have to tell me twice. E-Euuaughhh!" To everyone else's disgust, he ran away as fast as possible, knocking away anypony that got in his way.

"Artcraft... I hope I was right about you." Celestia then ushered everyone to safety as Artcraft worked desperately to turn it off safely.

"Come on... ugh. I don't have time for this. I'll have to pry open it's rear plating." Artcraft then pried open the plating with his magic to see a series of colored wires. "Holy... even the wires are beginning to melt. Not good." Artcraft then said a silent prayer as he severed the red and yellow colored wires as the machine sounded unstable. "C-Crap.. okay, wrong wires. Come on, baby. Hang in there. I'll get you to shut off."

Sweat was racing down his forehead, his palms were sweaty, and his heart beat faster, pounding as each second ticked. Everything was on the line now. He severed the blue and purple wires as the machine began to sound even worse. "O-Oh gees... I-I guess this is it. I-It's the end... This is my last gamble here. Green or black. If I ever make it out of this tonight. I want to ask Celestia if she can strangle Silverblood for me, assuming that I live and can even turn this off."

Green or black? The very question that everything hinged upon. Time was running out and fast. With a gulp, he then recalled that his favorite color was black. But that was a risky gambit; relying on a favorite color of all things?! "Note to self: Make sure to be more organized with your designs, assuming there will be the next time." Artcraft went for it, holding onto hope as much as he could. "I-I choose the black wire."

"Everypony! Single file line, please. Remain calm. All will be well, my little ponies. My sister and I shall protect you all." Celestia did her best to calm them as the crowd made it out to the exterior of the city limits. "Come on, Artcraft. Do not give up like this."

"Sister. You believe that he shall manage this?"

"Yes, Luna. I do. I know he's got this."

"I do hope so. I believe that the winner is obvious after this."

Suddenly... a bright and powerful beacon of magical energy shot out upwards. It showed like an aurora borealis light show that sparkled a beautiful cascade of brilliant colors that aligned with the night sky perfectly for everyone to see. Artcraft then took a huge breath of relief as he leaned against the machine. "Oh, my Faustia above... t-that was way too close for my comfort."

"Yes! I knew he could do it. Good on you, Artcraft. You did well." Celestia said in relief as Luna and the rest of the ponies were all cheering, all except for Silverblood, who chose to hide by himself into a concealed hay bail. Once the applause had settled down, the weasel then tried to escape.

"Just you wait, Smart Ass! And just where do you think you are heading off to?" Luna then used her magic to lift Silverblood towards her with a severe deathly glare adorning her face.

"So.. um... I'm guessing it would be too late to ask for that kiss from you, Luna?"

"Duke Silverblood of Trottingham! As Princess of the Night and as co-ruler of Equestria, it is well within my jurisdiction as a princess to place you under arrest for your crimes against Equestria. And by royal decree, so long as my sister hath no objections, you shall henceforth be stripped of thine title of nobility, effective Immediately." The last two words were spoken with the Canterlot Royal Voice.

Silverblood's life was falling apart; he looked towards Celestia for comfort or support as the night guards were apprehending him. "Please, Celestia. I'm sorry for doing this. I never meant to put all of Equestria in danger. All I thought I was doing was getting back at Artcraft. You have to believe me." But she just shook her head at him in disappointment.

"Silverblood. You disappoint me. Your sentence has been carried out. I've warned you of what would happen if you brought any harm at all to my ponies ever again. Goodbye, Silverblood. May we never have any contact with you ever again. After you have served your sentence and paid your debt to society, you shall be exiled from Canterlot, never to return here permanently. I, Princess Celestia of Equestria, have spoken!"

In silent horror, Silverblood's face had paled a ghostly sheet white as he was arrested and tossed into the back of their royal carriage, which was heavily guarded so he could not escape. "No, please. I swear that I'll turn things around. I swear it! By the honor of my family's bloodline. I will do better. Noooo!!!" He shouted as his panicked voice carried over the fields towards Canterlot itself.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say, Tia."

As everyone made their way back into Canterlot and towards the stage, Artcraft was sleeping beside a broken cannon after its light show was finished, completely exhausted. Celestia chuckled at the sight as she then called her guards to move him to a particular guest room for him to rest up in. "Once he wakes up, we'll celebrate his bravery." Everyone made their agreement. Even the other would-be contestants had accepted that Artcraft's selfless bravery was far more than anything they had planned to show and just let it be.

"I knew I had a good feeling about him, Luna. I can't quite explain it, but Artcraft truly has a heart of gold. I am most proud of him."

"Agreed, Tia. And he did all of this for Canterlot and me. Without even thinking twice. Sister." Luna looked at Celestia to speak.

"Yes, Luna?"

"That stallion is mine!"

"Well. You're welcome to have him then, Luna. So, you'll present his award to him and then grant him any one desire he wishes?"

"Yes, sister. Yes, I will. Artcraft truly is a one-of-a-kind pony."