"I don't think they're ready for this, sister."
"Oh Luna, must you be so pessimistic?"
As the Royal Sisters walked side by side down one of the many halls of Canterlot's Castle, Luna sighed at Celestia's comment. She didn't know how much of a challenge her elder sister had been facing, but could hardly believe it was any easier than what she was dealing with.
"I prefer you not consider my opinion as 'pessimistic,' dear sister," she replied. "I certainly don't share your confidence in this idea, true - but I don't feel as if I'm out of line."
"No, I didn't mean it like that. Cheer up," Celestia answered, feeling a pang of regret with her candid choice of words. Using a wingtip under the chin to coax Luna back into a straight posture, she added, "But try to relax and just... have fun."
"Interesting choice of words," Luna mused, though complementing the thought with a wry grin.
As the dining room came into view, both Luna and Celestia charged up the required spells, and as the doors closed behind them, their magic was cast across the room. Gold and blue energy weaved an intricate pattern across each wall, over the doors on either end and even upon the ceiling and floor.
A strikingly beautiful glowing mosaic, but looks were hardly the reason for this.
Luna walked along the wall on the south side of the room, while Celestia inspected the northern end.
"All sealed?"
"Looks like it," Luna answered back, turning back to meet her sister at the entrance they has just walked through. Both of them scanned the dining table as their hooves cracked upon the marble floors.
Trays and dishes with reasonably sensible portions of food of many varieties had already been placed before the sisters had entered. Various platters containing combinations of fruits, veggies, greens, and a few select other items, such as grains and cheeses.
Several other more unique dishes were available as well, but those were... less appetizing. But those food items were solely for their 'esteemed' guests.
Secretly, Luna planned to at least snag one pork chop on her plate when Celestia wasn't looking. With how she felt the night would unfold, Luna felt confident there would be time.
"Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
Upon relative agreement, both solar and lunar princesses tapped into their magic, the familiar colors of their auras began to shift - with Luna's darkening, while Celestia's took on a decidedly orange hue. As their magic began to coalesce into separate, distinct areas, two familiar forms manifested in front of the diarchs.
The one before Princess Luna, an alicorn taller than her and matching Celestia in height, mirrored the image of the darkest of nights. The pitch black fur and plumage combined with the roiling deep blue of her mane led to quite the contrast to the marble floors underhoof and generally well-lit dining area.
Across from Celestia, another alicorn- though this one at least shared some commonality with her whitish fur coat and wings. However, the mane deviated significantly - appearing as brilliant and fiery as the surface of the sun itself.
Both alicorns shared some commonality with each other, such as the predatory eyes and the sharp teeth tucked away behind their lips - aside from a pair of protruding fangs just discernible, particularly on the darker one.
Several arduous and trying months had passed since the Royal Sisters had accidentally split off their alter egos via a botched spell. What had been hoped to be a duplication spell that could give them some time away from the castle and their duties instead lead to more work. Both sisters had contained the two devious alicorns before trouble could transpire or word could get out But discussion had followed, and like many other nefarious foes they had faced more recently, the decision was made to work with their darker halves on the path to reformation.
Considering how drastically they had to travel on this path from nasty to nice, Celestia and Luna felt the two had made significant progress - enough to warrant a 'trial run' of a nice dinner together for the first time with all four of them present.
Despite this, neither one looked particularly excited to be here this evening.
In reality, Celestia was about the only one glowing with positivity.
"Nightmare Moon, Daybreaker, welcome," Celestia greeted them with heartfelt warmth in her voice.
"Yes, such a pleasure to be here, thank you," Nightmare was the first to answer, with more than a hint of sarcasm.
Luna shot her alter ego a disapproving leer almost immediately. While hardly surprised, sarcasm was not going to be the way this night started out.
Nightmare Moon caught the look right away, the meaning behind that stern expression clear to her.
"Sorry. Thank you for the invitation, Celestia," she added, though not without a slight roll of her eyes.
Luna let that go - otherwise, they were never going to get past the greetings.
"Ah, Black 'n Mopey - seems we've still not gotten over that goth phase, have we?" Daybreaker commented in an excessively saccharine-toned jab toward Nightmare.
"Daybreaker, let's use real names, shall we?" Celestia suggested, remaining pleasant and courteous.
"Of course - my apologies," she replied, not letting up on that sweet facade while Nightmare cast her own look of disdain at the fire-maned alicorn beside her. "Good to see you again, Nightmare Moon."
"Likewise," Nightmare responded, though the lackluster tone did little to convince anyone that was the truth.
"Oh, and of course, Luna," Daybreaker gushed, turning to focus on the lunar princess. "How are you, my dear? Seems that growth spurt hasn't kicked in yet, hm?"
"Hilarious," Luna lamented. It irked her, but she remained relatively composed.
Celestia's friendly visage faltered simultaneously as Luna reacted, letting Daybreaker know by her frown that was unacceptable - though Daybreaker seemed to hardly notice or care.
"I've not been paying attention to the news lately - any interesting suspicious fires as of late, Daybreaker?" Nightmare proposed.
"I don't know what you mean by that, Darkie my dear," Daybreaker answered, ending with a rather unsettlingly toothy smile.
"Anyone else hungry? I'm positively famished following this afternoon," Luna interrupted, hoping to steer the conversation away from offhanded comments.
"Of course - it's why we're here, isn't it?" Nightmare responded, taking Luna's question as literal.
With 'pleasantries' out of the way, all four alicorns shifted their focus to dinner, picking out seats at the table. Celestia sat across from her younger sister, while their respective alter egos...
"I think it would be best if we all sat at this end of the table," Celestia called out as Nightmare and Daybreaker wandered further and further toward the opposite end on opposing sides.
"Yeesh, tight leash," Nightmare quipped.
"Well, we are here for a nice dinner *party*, Nightmare," Luna reminded her other half.
"This is also a showcase of how well you two are listening to us while we put forth an effort to teach you how to be more civilized and... not so devious." Celestia grimaced as those final words were the best she could come up with on short notice.
"Bravo. Very reassuring there, Celestia," Nightmare sassed as she took a seat beside Luna.
"Darkie, have you ever considered not looking at everything so negatively? Or does that 'festering pit of darkness that consumes my soul' leave you hopelessly broody?" Daybreaker taunted, emphasizing her point with a gloomy, sullen expression
"Daybreaker, that's not nice," Celestia chastised her. "And may I remind you again, Nightmare Moon has a name."
"What the hay are you talking about anyway? 'Festering pit of darkness?'" Nightmare asked, mirroring the exaggerated image Daybreaker had portrayed.
"I don't know - it sounds like something the emo crowd would say."
"Got a goth mare fetish you wanna talk about there?" Nightmare teased. "You sure seem fixated on that tonight."
"Absolutely not - no way!" Daybreaker gagged.
"Methinks thou dost protest too much," Nightmare teased, letting a smarmy grin slip onto her muzzle.
"Okay, no one here wants to hear your ancient moonspeak."
"On the contrary, the older languages have a certain romantic charm to them," Luna interrupted. "It's refreshing to hear, even if it is merely a widely-used quote."
During this moment, Celestia gave her other half yet another stern glare. To emphasize her disapproval further, she pointed a levitated fork at her.
"Okay, it was seriously just meant to make fun of her, and now you're just making it lame and uninspired," Nightmare muttered to Luna.
"And here I was trying to give you something resembling a compliment," Luna grumbled through gritted teeth, her patience already beginning to wear a bit thin.
"It wasn't very flattering - you made me feel weird," Nightmare replied, sticking her nose up in defiance.
"My sincerest apologies for that. I forget how sensitive you are," Luna seethed.
"Aw, you two are so cute together."
"Daybreaker, remember what we talked about in regard to unneeded comments," Celestia cautioned, herself starting to grow weary of tonight's antics.
"What? It's sweet in a self-loving sort of way," Daybreaker replied, trying to seem innocent before honing in on her own comment. "You know what, that's actually a little weird. Would that be considered mastur-"
"*DAYBREAKER*!"
Celestia shamefully clamped a hoof over her mouth after momentarily slipping into the Royal Canterlot Voice from sheer frustration.
"I guess it's good you two didn't trust us and sealed this room off from the rest of the world," Nightmare Moon spoke up, scanning the walls where the glow of the sisters' magic was still visible. "I think the outskirts of Ponyville would have heard that."
"I don't think that topic is worthy of discussion," Luna interjected in a reserved tone. The emphasis Nightmare Moon decided to place on 'trust' made her wary.
"What? Ponyville?" Nightmare asked - though the smirk she could not fully conceal told Luna this was indeed a game.
"No, and I'll not elaborate. You know what I mean."
"No, I think this is something we should discuss," Daybreaker chimed in. "I for one am hurt you two don't trust me once again. Darkie I understand, but me?"
"Nightmare Moon has a name," Luna commented, echoing her sister's prior complaints.
"It's fine, I really don't care," Nightmare idly dismissed Luna. "But I'll add that I'm not the one that decided to keep nudging the sun back to high noon for an hour and a half, thinking no one would notice."
"And? I was merely trying to help - that day was just a bit chilly," Daybreaker sang with innocence.
"Seventeen different weather stations in Equestria recorded record-high temperatures that day, including 145 degrees in Appaloosa," Luna spouted with remarkable speed and precision.
"Well, I can't help they picked *that* exact location for a town where the sun is directly overhead," Daybreaker huffed, taken aback by Luna's sharp response and even sharper memory.
"Thanks for that by the way. I got my privileges to tinker with the night sky taken away because of your stunt," Nightmare muttered unhappily at Daybreaker.
"No, *your* privileges were revoked when you started arranging constellations in a way that made a few appear to be copulating," Luna stepped in, not allowing her alter ego to escape blame.
"Starswirl looked a little lonely up there. And Taurus was nearby, I thought maybe they could keep each other... company."
"What a wonderful moment to hear about this for the first time," Celestia murmured as she began to float her plate around the table, filling it up with food. She met Nightmare's cheeky grin with mild disgust when she glanced at her.
Everyone soon followed Celestia's lead, with various plates and utensils gliding around the table and picking out foodstuffs in a display of glowing auras. Conversation lulled at this time, though the divide in tastes was quite obvious, with very little overlap between fresh veggies, fruits, and greens - and more savory, meat-based dishes.
As all four alicorns settled in, one sharp pair of eyes darted away from their own dish.
"Oh, that's quite bold of you. I didn't know you had told Celestia about your cravings," Nightmare mused, turning her attention to Luna.
"What?"
Luna's blood ran cold as Celestia voiced her confusion, while beside her, Nightmare Moon flashed a devious grin.
"It's nothing sister. Nightmare Moon is just trying to-"
A small rack of ribs that had been tucked away under some spinach leaves emerged into the open air, held aloft by a deep blue magical glow.
"That's not 'nothing,'" Nightmare crowed.
Daybreaker sat at attention, amused and intrigued by this development.
Celestia just stared in a mixture of shock and confusion.
"Well..." Luna started, feeling all the eyes in the room honed in on her. "I may have - after I unleashed Nightmare Moon, became her - I sometimes don't mind a bit of meat from time to time."
"Oh, is that why you keep a stash of jerky hidden behind your books on the top shelf of the north wall?"
"Will you shut up?" Luna growled quietly.
"That's not nice," Nightmare tsked, reveling in this jab at her 'nicer' self. "I guess you probably didn't inform big sis about that 'extra' you got from me as well."
All faces in the room shifted, painting a portrait of horror and disgust. Nightmare took notice, glancing around the room in visible disapproval.
"I don't know what you perverts think I'm talking about - Luna, show off those pearly whites."
With almost palpable disdain directed toward her alter ego, Luna reluctantly used her magic to hook the corner of her mouth on one side and reveal her surprisingly pointed teeth toward the back of her mouth.
"Oh come on, drop the glamour spell, too."
Luna's horn glowed for a brief moment before a pair of small fangs appeared on both her upper and lower rows of teeth in the front.
"I... guess that explains why you have an aversion to the dentist now," Celestia commented, wide-eyed with shock.
"That and I don't believe in his quackery - my teeth are fine," Luna huffed.
"Right... well, I guess if that's what you like, I don't see why you can't, er, expand your palate," Celestia stumbled out an answer. "As long as it isn't... you know. Ponies."
"Certainly not!" Luna gasped in horror. "Never in my life would I consider such a thing."
"Then - well, don't be ashamed. I'm quite fine, sister." Celestia replied with a warm, accepting smile.
"That was anticlimactic," Daybreaker muttered quietly under her breath in disappointment.
Invigorated by the outcome, Luna bounced in her seat, the plate in front of her gliding over to gather two pork chops and a helping of pot roast to add to her plate.
Celestia, caught off-guard by her sister's full indulgence, remained mum as she stared.
"Alright, this isn't going at all how I planned," she mumbled.
While Celestia mulled the events just witnessed, everyone else was content with digging into the meal. Luna was the only one to swap between greens and meat, as the two alter egos of the sisters possessed nothing other than pure protein.
As Daybreaker cut into a sirloin steak on her dish, her expression soured.
"Seriously? These aren't even done," she whined.
"Tastes fine to me. Maybe you should consider actually trying it before complaining," Nightmare spoke up, chomping away at her own hunk of steak.
"It's pink in the middle."
"Uh-huh. Probably medium rare, DB."
"I have a name," Daybreaker hissed.
"You gave me a name, so I'm returning the favor," Nightmare answered back in a calm manner. "I would eat em raw if they were served that way - but then again, I guess I'm not a fussy little filly."
"That's quite enough, Nightmare," Luna warned the darker mare.
"Well some of us aren't complete savages," Daybreaker replied, heaping on a snobbish tone. "I would rather my food be done."
"Right. I'm sure it's totally not because anything you try to cook would be charcoal in a matter of seconds, so that's what you're used to. Perhaps saddle leather would be more to your tastes?"
"While I *disapprove* of the way in which Nightmare decided to respond to you, I must take her side on this debate," Luna chimed in. "Well done is less than ideal when it comes to cooking meat - I'd say even I would prefer raw over well-done."
"And you are speaking from experience in this...?"
Luna recoiled, slipping down in her seat just a bit upon hearing Celestia's weighted inquiry and the look of skepticism that accompanied it.
"I have... read articles on the topic. I guess," she mumbled, averting her eyes.
"Imagine that. Gloom and Doom share the same atrocious taste," Daybreaker groveled.
"Yet here you are, in the minority, Nightmare Moon reminded her.
"No, at worse I'm-" Daybreaker frantically looked for an out, but didn't have to do much searching.
"Celestia, you agree with me, surely," Daybreaker announced, using a wing to pat her nicer half on the back. "After all, I'm the better version of you."
"Excuse me?" Celestia challenged, taken aback by that exclamation.
Daybreaker shrugged in response.
"The inferior version of me doesn't sound very uplifting, does it? But well done is what these should be cooked at, don't you agree?"
"I don't know! Apparently, I'm the only one here that doesn't make a meal of other animals!" Celestia shouted in exasperation.
"Fine then, we can solve this easily enough," Daybreaker muttered in disappointment. She quickly split up the steak on her plate into a few pieces, grabbing a few extra plates to handle two particular portions separately.
"So this will be the medium-rare *those two* think is better, and this one will be how I like it..."
Daybreaker inhaled, before expelling a short jet of flame from between her lips upon release, focused on the plate in question.
"What is wrong with you, are you nuts?!"
"Really, this is perfectly fine etiquette?
"Daybreaker, that's enough!"
All three other guests voiced their displeasure in unison, while Daybreaker rolled her eyes as she cut off the flame.
"Oh my word, you all act like I'm setting the castle on fire," she groaned.
"Considering there's smoke wafting out underneath the ceramic dish you unleashed hellfire on - that happens to be sitting on a polished mahogany table, it isn't out of the realm of possibility," Nightmare droned, pointing a hoof at the flambe'd dish.
Daybreaker levitated the plate off the table, revealing a black circular scorch mark. A few wisps of greyish-white smoke wafted into the air from a few warmer spots that possessed the faintest hint of orange embers.
"It gives it a little more character, I suppose," Daybreaker offered, giving a sheepish grin to Celestia as she met her glare. "But seriously, try this."
A fork with what appeared to be little more than a hunk of charred meat dropped in an open flame floated toward Celestia's snout.
"I am absolutely not eating that," Celestia seethed.
"Lo and behold, Daybreaker serves up charcoal," Nightmare taunted.
"It's a little overdone but hardly ruined!" Daybreaker cried out in disdain.
"You gonna put ketchup on it too, you heathen?"
"That's something I would expect from you, you... horse!"
"Whoa, *that* is uncalled for!" Luna shouted, pointing her hoof at Daybreaker.
"She started it!" Daybreaker exclaimed, pointing her own hoof at Nightmare, who had risen from her seat and bared her teeth in anger.
"Should I end it?" she proposed in a menacing voice.
The challenge brought Daybreaker from her seat as well, her face hardened with determination.
*"ENOUGH!"* Both Celestia and Luna unleashed their Royal Canterlot Voices in a chorus.
Both alter egos quickly sat back down in their seats - more out of shock than fear.
"You'll both apologize," Luna demanded, her eyes darting between the mares.
"With Daybreaker taking the lead, since apparently, she thinks her abhorrent insult is perfectly reasonable to use."
"Oh for Equestria's sake, it's a word," Daybreaker moaned as she rolled her eyes.
But the visible ire from both Royal Sisters quickly brought her to acquiesce.
"Sorry," she mumbled.
"Nightmare Moon?"
"Sorry."
With a possible skirmish averted, Celestia leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath, closing her eyes.
"This has been a nice little experiment but why don't we finish up our plates and call it a night, yes? That sounds like a fine idea," she announced, opening her eyes again.
"Wasn't that the plan all along?"
Nightmare drew Celstia's ire this time, though she didn't seem particularly bothered by the scowl that greeted her comment.
"I didn't anticipate all of the... eye-opening discussions we've had tonight," Celestia tacitly responded.
A lull settled over the room while everyone focused on the food, with only the occasional comment from someone. Only after plates were emptied and pushed aside did discussion begin to recommence.
"So, is this going to be a normal thing from now on?" Nightmare asked.
"That will be for my sister and I to discuss at a later time," Luna answered, eyeing Celestia.
Celestia, awestruck by the notion that this went well enough for an encore, just stared blankly.
"I think this was nice, apart from Darkie being a bit thorny as usual," Daybreaker shot forth.
"Oh, of course. Your smarmy comments and inflated ego have been a pleasure to tolerate this evening," Nightmare sassed back, remaining calm and rather nonchalant with the answer.
"There's... room for improvement. For both of you," Luna interjected, eyeing the opposing mares.
"Yes. Lots of improvement," Celestia added. "We will be in touch."
"I assume report cards go out in the mail, don't hide em from your parents, yadda yadda?"
"Goodnight, Daybreaker," was Celestia's terse response.
"Fine. Tough crowd." With that comment, Daybreaker disappeared in a flash, returning to her realm.
"At least I wasn't that obnoxious."
Disapproving scowls fell upon the black alicorn with that comment.
"Right, g'night then." Nightmare Moon followed Daybreaker's lead and also disappeared.
Both sisters sat back in their chairs and sighed heavily.
"Please do not tell me 'I told you so,'" Celestia said.
"I had no intentions of doing so," Luna assured her. "It went without saying."
Celestia cast a frustrated leer at her sister, but let it pass almost as quickly as it appeared as she took note of Luna's appearance.
"Your... ah - your 'teeth' are still showing," Celestia commented, feeling a bit of guilt at mentioning it so bluntly.
"Oh, right. Apologies." Luna cast a minor spell, and all visages of her fangs disappeared.
"It really doesn't bother me, but you know the media would have a field day if they were to spot that," Celestia added.
"I understand," Luna said, offering a small smile with the low-key but genuine acceptance of her sister. "There is one thing I must mention about tonight."
"While I'd rather put this behind us, what is it?"
"Still think leaving out the wine tonight was a mistake?"
Both sisters shared in a relieved, almost therapeutic burst of hearty laughter.
