"Finally!" Twilight slammed open the door to the library, looking more frazzled then usual. "At last!" She laughed with the wild abandon of a scientist finding their target. "Oh, Luna. You're still here, excellent."

Luna perked at the bang, turning towards Twilight as she spoke. "I had little else to do... They left me behind."

Spike shook his head with a sympathetic look. "Rough."

Twilight rushed on Luna, putting some small glittering object onto one of Luna's ears with her magic. "And... there!" She put another on her own ear, even if it twitched at the strange new thing. "Shall we try it out?"

Luna reached up to hoof at her ear and the new adornment. "This looks like a very ornate earring."

"Good! Good. That means ponies won't think it's out of place." She bounced, eager for her new experiment. "Now let's try it." She vanished into the library, her magic slamming the book shut behind her.

Spike hiked at where Twilight had vanished. "She's been working hard on this. When she calls you, it'll ring. You just gotta press that." He pointed at a small gem on the earring, far above him. Luna was tall. "And you can talk to her, if it works."

"Marvelous." Luna swished her tail. "If it works. I do hope it does."

The ring game, but only Luna could hear it, like a chiming in her mind. "That is... very curious." She used her magic to press the gem. "Is this working?"

"Yes!" came Twilight's voice excitedly. "Can you hear me?"

"I can." Luna inclined her head. "How do I use this? I understand how to accept your call. How do I make one?"

Luna's brow furrowed pensively hearing Twilight's slightly tinny voice resound solely within her psychic environment, the quiet Ponyville road undisturbed by the revolutionary magical marvel transmitting from its studious proprietor's lab.

She inclined an ear experimentally as Twilight eagerly elaborated nuances of the prototypal power-infused accessories ingeniously empowering instantaneous cross-Equestria communication unbeholden by wires or anachronistic relay stations.

"So I simply trace this rune to channel my personal imprint energy rather than passive reception?" Luna focused anew on the elegant jewelry interfacing ancient arts with cutting-edge artifice as directed.

Her dark sapphire aura manifested sensing arcane circuits woven aglow with nascent networks. Questing delicately as one might handle a baby bird, Luna aligned inner harmonics seeking to mimic Twilight's prior crystalline chime announcing her successful signal sync.

Through trial and incremental error Luna steadily tuned finer faculty balancing and modulating mystical inputs until finally-- "Twilight? Have I aligned the working as thou described?" Pride and wonder alike suffused Luna's starry timbre marveling their joined voices bridging subjective isolation into intimate proximity though physically separated by stone walls and more...

Spike's small cheer further confirmed proof positive of his tireless partner's breakthrough birthing wonders rivaling lost high magicks of golden eras when immortal alicorns alone commanded cosmic forces ponies now manipulated like mundane levers.

"With practice this tool promises potent means maintaining our motley alliance's coordination confronting sinister shadows assigned..." Luna murmured low for now lest praise unsettle serious research. "Might we surprise dear Rarity next demonstrating thy diligent devotion bears such timely fruit?"

"Certainly." Twilight tapped at her chin. "Oh! I forgot. Just touch that gem again to end the--"

Luna hung up on her. She pressed it again and focused on the feeling of Rarity. Rarity had a loud personality, that was a boon. It was so very easy to focus on the fashionista.

"You call cannot be completed." spoke some artificial device. "The pony you are calling does not have one of my devices."

Luna blinked. "Right." She turned in place before coming right back on the library. "I need more of them..." She headed inside. "Twilight?" She stepped over a few books that had ended up on the floor. "I require more of them, to pass out to the others. Your invention is quite marvelous, but will do nothing if only we two have one."

A frazzled lavender head poked up from behind a teetering tower of tomes and humming thaumic instruments. "Princess! Back already?"

Twilight grinned sheepishly. "Sorry for the messy clutter..." She hastily tidied away the hazardous piles submerging her lab. "I got carried away designing the emergency network and forgot boring stuff like cleaning!"

She displayed a box of ornate earrings akin to Luna's transmitter. "But you're right - a network needs ponies to connect with!"

She extended the generalized earring sets, nearly bouncing with enthusiasm. "Will these suffice spreading connectivity, Highness?"

Luna popped open the box to see half a dozen other ear adornments, each one of a different design. "Hm! How thoughtful of you."

"It... was?" Twilight brushed back her mane as if to tame the mess. "What did I... do?"

Luna waved over the box. "You've given them a choice. Me as well. We get to select from a few styles. Very good." She tucked the box away. "I will show it to them and let them take their selection. We will be quite a bit more effective with communication lines thrown open."

"Y-yes..."

Spike shook his head. "She had no idea which you wanted, and a lot of those used to have the dud versions in them. It was a coincedence."

"Spike." Twilight colored, called out like that. "I hope you enjoy, Princess."

Luna's horn glowed as she gently set Twilight's mane at least closer to reasonable. "You've done hard work this day. Get some rest." She turned to Spike. "See to it she actually does that."

Spike laughed at that, a short noise. "I'm on the case. She'd probably get back to work if I didn't stop her."

"But..."

"See?" Spike began nudging Twilight towards the stairs leading upwards. "See you later, Luna."

Luna smiled as young Spike playfully pressed protesting protege upstairs for some long overdue rest. She knew that restless manic light in researchers all too well. How readily intellectual curiosity careened into chaos once locked onto the next alluring avenue.

Her own mentors oft chastised such single-minded pursuit absent concrete costs. But revelation's siren song forever flirted just beyond the next equation. Isolation's temptations turned creativity to cinders without a counterbalance.

Luna sighed softly considering Twilight's glittering key to connection. She envied the studious mare still such sheltered innocence exploring progress purely for magic’s own sake.

No, not envy - duty. One ruled justly when supporting subjects surpassing thrones through unfettered exploration. What glories already from this wonderfully weird work in progress!

"Sleep well bright minds..." Luna whispered careful cantrips bolstering bedtime's spell as sunset spires silhouetted the window. "Dream deeply while still only beauty awaits you both..."

Satisfied, she trotted out onto the roads of Ponyville. "Now where..." If she hadn't been looking for her specifically, she would have missed her. There was Sweetie Drops, on a bench, faded into the background.

She had company, a green pony that had joined her in pony watching. The green one was seated oddly, a far more bipedal stance instead of on her belly. She swung her legs idly beneath her.

Luna approached the two. "There you are."

Sweetie sqeaked, sitting up quickly. "Luna, hello... You are very perceptive. Many ponies just pass me by when I'm in background mode."

"But not Lulu," sang out the other one. "Hey, Luna. Remember me? I was there when you recruited Rarity."

Sweetie buried her face in both hooves. "She was not. I and Bright was, and he had a lot less fur. To be clear, I am Bon Bon right now. Ponies may be listening."

Luna glanced between the two. "You have me at a disadvantage. I am Princess Luna. You are?"

"Lyra! Lyra Heartstrings." With a twinkle of her horn, she conjured her lyre, plucking at it. "Besides being an awesome musician, I also work with Bonnie here."

Bon Bon winced as Lyra openly named them both as covert operatives. So much for discreet covers with bonds overriding filters! She sighed softly. "She isn't lying, but we aren't working together right now, as I'm assigned to you, ma'am."

She hastily redirected from classified matters. "I run a candy shop in town. Lyra, as she mentioned, is a talented musician."

Bon Bon saluted sharply, hoping the haughty habit signaled closing off personal history discussions, however harmless. Operational security protocols limited follow-up. She smiled at Luna anxiously. "Apologies if we delayed important quests, Highness...?"

She turned hopeful eyes between Luna and Lyra, praying her cues communicated avoiding classified topics that could endanger critical operations... Speaking to friends was always such a chancy thing, at best.

"No." Luna inclined her head, just to hesitate. "Ah, yes." She pulled out the box she had gained a moment. "Select the one you prefer and put it on your ear. This is how we'll stay in contact."

"Oooo." Pinkie bounced in from nowhere. "Those look fancy! I bet Rarity would love one."

Luna smiled easily at the party pony. "How prescient of you. I plan to deliver one to her. Do you know where she is, by chance?"

Pinkie stroked her chin. "She's been out of town a lot, but I have a feeling she's back in her shop, which is good! I need a new party outfit."

Lyra burst into snickers. "Pinkie, you're already wearing your party suit, and your birthday suit, and..."

Pinkie blinked, lost a moment. "Oh yeah. Good point." Just like that, she tossed out the need for a fancy dress. "Can I have one?" She reached for the earrings.

Luna hovered the box away from that grasping hoof. "I'm afraid not. You do not work for me, Pinkie."

"No fair!" Pinkie harrumphed dramatically before bouncing back with a sunshine smile. "Ah well, I'll just have to frequent the secret agent hot spots so I can celebrate successful missions!"

All three stared blankly as Pinkie somehow manifested then dismissed party favors faster than eyes could track. "Or yeah I can just wear a silly hat and crash the after-parties instead! Ooo, can I try one real quick for funsies?"

Without waiting for permission she managed to clip an earring on briefly before Luna's magic swiftly retrieved the delicate device.

Faster still came Applejack's rope, snaring wandering Pinkie back from pestering further. "Whoa now! Mebbe let the Princess' business stay her own without further shenanigans eh?"

She touched her hat brim respectfully to startled Luna. "Apologies for the interruption, Highness! Reckon I best occupy this eager pony before further antics pop up!"

Luna nodded, uncertain. "I appreciate it, Lady Applejack."

"Lady?!" Applejack laughed with colored cheeks. "Ah rather like the sounda that, but ah ain't nothin' special. Just a farmer keepin' her friend from causin' trouble." She tugged the pouting Pinkie back a few paces. "Come on! Ah'm sure the princess' got important things to take care of."

Luna lifted one of the rings and floated it quickly into Pinkie's grasp. "For later."

Pinkie's pout vanished, bouncing instead with Applejack.

Bon Bon shook her head. "Was that wise?" She picked a ring for herself and slipped it onto her ear, a no-nonsense band that faded against her fur. "You may regret that later. Also... How does this function? You never told me, or her. Will she even know how to use it?"

"Perhaps not." Luna smirked at the thought. "That will be her first test, when I attempt to call her. Bon Bon, let's move. I'll tell you how to work the earring on the way."

"Ma'am." Bon Bon hopped to the ground. "See you later, Lyra. Be good."

"Absolutely no promises." Lyra giggled, though she seemed to radiate no actual troublemaking. "Good look, Bonnie!" She leaned in and smooched Bon Bon's cheek. "Miss ya."

With brightened cheeks, Bon Bon strode away with Luna. "So..."

"So, to use these." Luna gave the run down on how to make and receive calls with the device Twilight had gifted them with.

Bon Bon shook herself out, her gait changing subtly as she ceased being Bonnie, and resumed being Secret Agent Sweetie Drops. "There's the target."

They approached Rarity's boutique.

Author's Note

Phone get, with so many sweet looks. Which will Rarity and Bright select? And is this gonna loop around, giving Pinkie one? 21/29

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