Twilight lifted her hoof, and held it, mesmerized by the rich red doors, large enough to fit an Ursa. Or at least a minor one. Everything in this palace wing was oversized, meant to receive guests larger than a pony, or even an alicorn. I wonder what stories those halls could tell...

“Earth to princess, we have an appointment to keep.”

Looking back Twilight saw Rainbow Dash’s wide, mischievous smile, and the other four ponies nodding. Her cheeks borrowing some of the door’s color Twilight knocked on the doors, filing her questions about which guests Celestia entertained here for later.

“Do come in,” came the answer from inside as a midnight blue aura took hold of the doors and opened them.

The inside was as Twilight remembered from the few times she came here as a filly; a mishmash of normal sized and giant sized furniture. The huge table and tall chairs, each taller than Twilight, had been put aside, leaving the middle open for a pony-sized, though large, table. A twinge of regret came to Twilight at her single-minded pursuit of magic when she was younger, thinking about how much more knowledge she eschewed in that pursuit, but now wasn’t the time to delve in the past. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut short by another voice.

“Anything else I can help with, your highness? Perhaps some extra refreshment for your guests?”

Luna shook her head at the green-maned maid. “I fear we already have enough tea and sweets here to feed the whole guard, thank you. We shall call if we require anything, but for the time being you are dismissed.” With a wink, Luna added, “Take a few hours for yourself, you earned it.”

“As you wish,” said the maid, bowing and turning towards the six friends. “With your excuse, your highnesses.” The maid bowed again, passing the six perplexed ponies before closing the door after herself.

“Huh, did she just call us ‘your highnesses’?” asked Fluttershy.

“It’s complicated,” started Luna. “Celestia wanted to grant all of you the title of honorary princesses for your services to the kingdom and for being chosen by the Tree of Harmony. The Cabinet Secretary threatened to, and I quote him, ‘respectfully forward all the resulting paperwork to the Most August Princess Celestia if Her Highness proceeds without the consent of the thus honored ponies’, and I do happen to agree with him. In the meantime the servants have no idea how to treat you.”

“Me, a p-princess…” stammered Rarity, a sofa rising from the furniture pile at the corner to break her fall.

“I urge you to think long and hard about it. Being a princess, even an honorary one, is not all fun and games.” Luna sighed. “But there is no hurry. With the speed our bureaucracy moves we should have months, perhaps years, before the final decision is due.”

Twilight, taking her place at the table, smiled at Luna and lifted a letter with her magic; Luna’s flowery signature stood out, reflecting unseen moonlight. “But that isn’t the reason you called us today, is it? Why the mystery, telling us to not talk about it with Celestia and sending Spike with Philomena to check on Peewee?”

“Wait, I know! She wants to throw a surprise party for Celestia!” said Pinkie Pie amidst a confetti and balloons explosion.

“That can’t be it, Pinkie. We don’t need to be sneaky like a timberwolf just to throw a get-together,” said Applejack.

“Actually, Pinkie Pie is right. And we do need to be quite sneaky indeed to fool my sister.”

Five pairs of eyes blinked in surprise, a sixth pair doing an unmistakable “I told you so” stare at Applejack.

Twilight recovered first. “Wait, why now? Celestia’s birthday isn’t for a few months yet.”

“No, but she could use some light distraction. The parties she is called to attend make the Grand Galloping Gala seem exciting in comparison, and with all her duties…”

“Ugh, I hope this isn’t like Twilight’s ‘Heavy is the crown’ speeches. They always put me to sleep,” Rainbow Dash whispered.

“Rainbow!” said Twilight, alarm in her eyes.

“‘Tis all right, Twilight.” Luna turned to Rainbow Dash. “The crown is always heavy for those who deserve it, and nopony deserve it more than my sister. But I will bore you no more with this talk of crowns and responsibilities; let us get instead to the party, and the perfect excuse I was given by a friend...”

---

“Okay, I get it. We can’t draw attention. But I still don’t see why we need disguises,” grumbled Rainbow Dash.

Rarity, sporting her designer glasses and an elegant indigo dress that covered her tail and made her mane seem a few shades lighter, turned her head fast enough to send her braided and tied mane whipping. “Because, if anypony asks about us, we are supposed to be with Princess Luna discussing how the princesses of the Moon and of Friendship can cooperate. Didn’t you pay attention? And what in the name of all things fashion are you wearing?”

“I... kinda dozed after Twilight and Luna started discussing history. But relax, nopony will recognize me like this.”

Rarity sighed and took a step back, pointing at a nearby bookstore’s front window and the book on the central stand. On its cover was a pegasus wearing the same pith helmet and shirt Rainbow Dash was using as disguise, and at the pegasus’s side Rainbow Dash herself.

“Er, okay, perhaps some fan could recognize me. We just need to do this before anypony gets the chance, and I can do fast.”

Rarity started walking again, slowly shaking her head. She nodded at a patrolling guard, waiting until her green mane was out of view before darting left through a backstreet. “Anything else you didn’t get?”

“I get it we are throwing a costume party, but who are those ponies we are supposed to dress as? And why aren’t we getting a costume for Celestia?”

“That is what that ‘story discussion’ was about.” Rarity inhaled. “To not make a history lesson of this, we are dressing as the bad guys Celestia defeated exactly five hundred years ago. Celestia doesn’t need a costume because she is going as herself.”

“Cool. Luna should have told this straight away instead of talking about that something revolution.”

“Here we are,” said Rarity after inhaling sharply, fixing her gaze at a rustic, but sturdy-looking and evidently well cared for, door as if her friendship depended on it. She knocked gently, waiting still while Rainbow Dash shifted her weight ceaselessly.

Moments later a sliding peephole opened. “Yes?”

Rarity smiled, though it didn’t have any effect on the eyes behind the peephole. “We are here on behalf of Fancy Pants and Fleur Dis Lee. Are the costumes for their surprise party next week ready?”

“Just a moment.” The peephole closed, the sharp sound of locks being unlatched coming from the door before it opened. “Fifteen suits of various sizes with matching capes and masks, all in red and black, is that correct? My assistant is bringing them. Are you sure you don’t want them delivered at the mansion?”

“So everypony knows he’s throwing a surprise party a week before?” Rainbow Dash waved her hoof. “No offense, but you guys aren’t made for discretion. We’ll take it from here.”

“If you say so,” said the salespony, eyeing Rainbow Dash from pith helmet to hoof. “Ah, here is the box with Fancy Pants’ commissioned costumes. You are free to take them as discreetly as you desire.”

“Everything seems fine,” said Rarity, taking a look inside the box. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, they look fabulous,” said Rainbow Dash, letting a warm smile color her eyes. “Now let me show you how to do a discreet delivery.”



“What in equestria was that?” asked Rarity as soon as they left the store and the back door was closed.

“I was just imitating you,” said Rainbow Dash with a sheepish grin.

“Wait?... No, I’m not talking about the ‘fabulous’ part. Why did you tell them they can’t be discreet?”

“I was just riling them about the secrecy bit. Now that pony wants to see me blunder, so he’ll make sure to not spill out before I’m caught.”

“Oh…” Rarity took a hoof to her chin. “It could work. Where did you learn that?”

Rainbow Dash stuck her chest, flaring her wings to keep the oversized box balanced on her back. “I’m the weather team leader, remember? That is —”

Rainbow Dash’t eyes darted up, her pupils dilating. In a single move she pushed Rarity into a shadow, shushing her.

“What is…” Rarity started to whisper.

Rainbow Dash pointed up at a trio of guard pegasi. “Standard search formation. They are looking for something.”

“Do you think they are searching for us?” Rarity craned her neck, trying to keep the pegasi in her field of view.

“No,” said Rainbow Dash, shaking her head. “But the guard answers to Celestia. If those guards report us, Luna’s surprise party will be busted.”

“But how will we get back to the castle’s secret entrance without being seen?” asked Rarity.

“Follow me; I know a thing or two about hiding from pegasi.” Rainbow Dash winked and smiled at Rarity. “But keep your eyes open for guards on the ground; you seem better at spotting them than I.”

---

A large basket balanced on her back, Applejack was smiling at Fluttershy. “Color me impressed, I never figured you a cook.”

Her own basket balanced on her back, Fluttershy cored. “Uh, I’m just good at following instructions.”

“Land sakes, that ain’t just followin’ no instructions. Your sweets look like they jumped outta that book Luna gave us!” Applejack lifted the cloth from her basket, showing its contents. “My baked goods look good, but not that good.”

“You are being too kind. I could never bake a pie like you, I’m not…” Fluttershy stopped, perking her ears. “Do you hear something?”

Applejack stopped, her ears scanning around. “Eeyup. Somepony coming this way. Sounds like…”

“Sweet Celestia!” whispered Fluttershy.

“Not funny,” said Applejack, darting into the first open door she saw, a massive green one.

“Sorry.”

The two ponies looked around, trying to decide where to hide. The room looked like a double of the one where they met Luna and where their party would be held, but this time it was the normal sized furniture that was pushed to the side.

Then Applejack saw a cupboard, large enough to hide every Apple from Ponyville at the same time. Nodding to Fluttershy she raced towards it, the carefully stacked china atop the cupboard barely drawing a cursory glance. Opening the door for Fluttershy, Applejack followed her into the dark interior with a sigh of relief.

“Hey, watch out!”

“Rainbow Dash?”

“Can you, please, take your hoof off my horn?”

“Uh, why are you all here?”

A pale blue light washed the interior of the cupboard, revealing a tangle of four ponies against the inside the cupboard, bereft even of shelves and empty except for a large box and the two baskets.

“I think we are all here for the same reason, dear,” said Rarity, carefully removing Fluttershy’s wing from her face. “While we were bringing the costumes we noticed Celestia coming this way and hid inside this room. Thank goodness I emptied the cupboard before you showed up.”

“Yeah, but Celestia is taking her sweet time,” said Rainbow Dash, preening her feathers back into position.

“Whoa nelly, how can you tell if you’re stuck here?”

“I can,” said Rarity, pointing at her horn. “Gem-finding spell. I can sense Celestia’s regalia. Though there is a curious gem arrangement above her, almost at the ceiling.”

“And why is she even here?” grumbled Rainbow Dash. “Isn’t this wing of the castle always empty? Didn’t that pocketwatch guy guarantee Luna that Celestia’s schedule was full?”

The doors of the cupboard burst open, drawing from the ladies assorted gasps and stifled screams. “Ahem. If Princess Luna spent less time talking about the perfect present to her sister and more listening to ‘Pocketwatch guy’ I could have told her that the whole of Celestia’s afternoon schedule was in this wing. In this room, to be more precise, meeting the envoy of the Giraffe nation, whose tiara might be what Lady Rarity is detecting. Now, if you can leave the way you came before Celestia loses her patience with me…”

“I don’t think we can anymore,” said Rarity, pointing at something moving behind the wall. “Celestia is almost at the door.”

“Drat. I will try to delay her. You find another way out this room.” The mustached and bespectacled unicorn paused momentarily at the door, checked his red tailcoat and pocketwatch, and was out.

“How in tarnation are we supposed to leave? Those windows ain’t the kind that opens,” said Applejack, as she raced across the room’s outer wall.

“Perhaps we could take apart one?” asked Fluttershy, pointing to one of the windows.

“May I suggest that one?” said Rarity, pointing to the one window without a drawing. “Large panes. We could remove them in a minute.”

“Good thinking, you all.” Applejack pointed at each other pony in turn. “Fluttershy, help me with the window. Rarity, keep an eye, or a horn, on Celestia. Rainbow Dash, watch for guards outside; we ain’t getting through all this trouble just to be dragged back here.”

“Aye aye, cap,” said Rainbow Dash, while the other two ponies just nodded. “No pegasi guards in the sky, and the green tail of the last earthbound guard is just vanishing behind the corner.”

“Celestia is standing still. Wait… She is moving!”

“Dagnabbit. Rainbow Dash, help me take this pane, fast. Rarity, grab your costumes. Don’t worry about our food, we can always make more.

---

“Wow, Twilight, that cake is, like, the fourth largest one I’ve ever seen! And it looks delicious! Are you sure I can’t take even one teeny tiny bite?”

“Pinkie, I’ve already said that you can take as many bites as you want after the party starts, and not one second before. Now stop drooling and come help me with the decorations.”

“Okie Dokie Loki. But I don’t see anyplace left to decorate.”

Twilight looked around; it was true. They had already decorated every corner of the room, and then went over it all again. But where were the girls with the costumes and the food? Perhaps they also had a close encounter with Celestia, and without Pinkie’s twitchy tail to warn them… No, if Celestia had caught them I’m sure Luna would have already told us.

“Twilight!” Came the voice from an expanding midnight blue glow, revealing the shape of Princess Luna. “You have to empty this room. Now! And don’t go through the door, Celestia can see it.”

“Wait, what?” Twilight looked around, stunned, as Luna started to drag furniture across the room and Pinkie Pie started to shove all the decorations inside her party cannon.

“Your friends… broke the window… of the room… where the Giraffe envoy… would be welcomed,” said Luna, huffing with the effort of hauling the oversized furniture to the middle of the room.

“Isn’t there any other room? Every wing has dozens of them… Wait,” said Twilight, her hoof striking her forehead, “oversized rooms. Only two in the castle.”

“Exactly,” said Luna, as Twilight started helping shove the decoration inside the seemingly bottomless cannon. She took a few breaths before speaking again. “Celestia is already suspicious, we can’t deny her this room. But if she sees, or hears about, the cake or the decoration…”

“Which is why you are rearranging the furniture yourself. To buy us time,” said Twilight; Luna silently nodded as she started hauling furniture again. “Pinkie, can your cannon take the cake?”

“Nope. For that I need my welcome wagon back in Ponyville.”

“I’m done. I will delay my sister as long as I can, but expect her to go through this door at any second,” said Luna, already vanishing in a midnight blue starburst.

Twilight stopped trying to help the pink blur that was Pinkie to concentrate on the problematic cake. Pastry was particularly difficult to magick away; Spike had complained for a week after her previous attempt at teleporting a cake left the kitchen splattered with frosting and strawberries. She could move the cake through the window using an intangibility spell, but without somepony waiting outside to catch it the result would be a giant splatter just outside the window, which was still not good. What else could she do?

Her musings were interrupted by a knock on the door and the voice of Celestia’s scheduling advisor. As Twilight’s mind went blank, her only thought about making time, her horn flared and sparkled, sending a ball of lightning around the cake. Opening her eyes, and with her last effort, Twilight threw the cake up, preventing the spell from destroying the table.



“... your eyes, Twilight. Can you hear me?”

“Where…” Twilight’s vision cleared, showing five frowning faces around her. “Where am I?”

“The infirmary, darling. You passed out,” said Rarity.

“Using too much magic at once when you were in an excitable state,” said a green maned nurse at the side of the bed, her face an emotionless mask. “You just need a bit of rest, Princess. Now, I have other patients to attend to, but if you need anything don’t hesitate to call.”

As soon as the nurse was out of earshot Pinkie Pie started bouncing. “You missed all the fun with Gigi. Did you know a giraffe can topple a tree with a kick? Oh, and she loved firing my party cannon.”

“Wait,” said Twilight, wide eyed, “you let her fire your cannon? Was Celestia there?”

“Yup.”

“And what came out of the cannon?” asked Twilight, dread in her voice.

“Just confetti and streamers, silly. What did you expect, a whole party’s decorations?”

“I kinda expected that, yes,” said Twilight, her relief clear on her face and her voice.

“That is not how my cannon works. There are rules, you know. By the way, what did you do with the cake?”

“I... think I might have sent it through time,” said Twilight with a cringe.

“Uh, won’t it be back soon then?” asked Fluttershy.

“No. Yes. Maybe.” Twilight took a breath. “I didn’t send it to the past, I sent it to the future, and that is an one way trip. It will be technically back when we reach the moment I sent it to, but I’m not sure when I sent it to. I didn’t have time to calculate the tachyon flow or compensate for Canterlot’s theurgical eigen field…”

“Can you repeat this in our own language, please,” asked Rainbow Dash.

“The cake can reappear any time from an hour into the future to next week. Most likely just after moonrise, but I can’t be sure,” said Twilight, crestfallen.

“Then we can only have faith, sugarcube. Even if there ain’t any cake we can still do Luna’s get-together. We just have to hope it doesn’t appear before the party starts,” said Applejack, one hoof over Twilight’s withers.

“Celestia never found the food, we got it all back. Well, except for the cake,” added Fluttershy.

“The costumes are here too, and I’ve already made any needed adjustments. With Applejack’s help I’m sure I can fix the window of the green room; Celestia isn’t using it anymore,” continued Rarity.

“It’s a pity the cake is gone. I really, really wanted to taste it,” finished Pinkie Pie.

“I can’t fix the cake, but I think I have a plan B.” Twilight turned to the other five ponies. “Can you finish the preparations without me, and get enough sweets to make up for the missing cake? Cupcakes, pies, ice cream, anything?”

“Sure as sugar.” Applejack hugged Fluttershy. “You won’t believe what Fluttershy here can do, I’ll be happy to help her.”

“Good. Is the green room the other oversized one? I’ll meet you there after I get a spell ready.”

---

Twilight paced down the palace history museum, or the hall of memories as Celestia called it. Celestia’s own story was, after all, entwined with that of Equestria in such a way that it was impossible to separate the two.

Just a few paces into the long corridor made her eyes cloud. Here, she felt once again as the small filly looking up to her mentor, her idol. She could still feel Celestia’s wing over her back, could see in her mind’s eye Celestia’s loving gaze. She could spend the whole day here, opening each door, drinking from the overflowing cup of feelings each story, each memory, would bring her now that she knew how to appreciate it…

No. Not now. Blinking away the tears Twilight went to a specific door, the one that told the story of the failed Alicorn Revolution. One of the myriad hidden triumphs Celestia had during her monarchic reign, the one Fleur Dis Lee suggested as the theme of a small private celebration to Luna.

Opening the door as if it was a priceless tome, Twilight looked inside. Sniffling a bit due to all the dust she entered, going past the paintings and the texts, past the masks and other knickknacks, to stand in front of the only part of the room she remembered from her filly days: the commemorative pendant Celestia received from the archmage.

Or, rather, the description of the spell that it held, the one that would call forth a stunning display of Celestia’s cutie mark and that was used to celebrate Celestia’s victory. Though Twilight hated to admit it, in the memory of her days as a curious filly the pendant was just a blur of gold and blue, whereas the scroll with the too complex words of power for a filly to understand stood in sharp relief.

The spell already committed to memory, Twilight was turning to leave when a particular picture of a pony caught her attention. The pony itself wasn’t remarkable in any way, and his garb merely repeated the red and black theme mirrored everywhere across the room, but closing his cape was a familiar amulet, one she first saw on the neck of a self proclaimed great and powerful magician.

Her curiosity piqued, Twilight started looking at the story of the doomed conspiracy that used masked balls to meet and plan their attacks. It was almost an hour before she remembered why she was here; berating herself for her lack of focus, she wondered if the other guests had arrived — Spike, returned from his little trip; Fleur Dis Lee and Fancy Pants, who idealized and financed this little party; Spitfire and Soarin, who would make sure the guests arrived on time, despite having no forewarning; and a few others Twilight had never met before. Making a mental note to come back later, Twilight set off to the green room, already planning how to best use the spell to surprise Celestia.

---

Luna, her red and black cape and the fake Alicorn amulet lending her an aura of mystery and danger, opened the large red door just in time to hear the green maned mare finish, “and then Princess Luna approached to invite you to the party. Your Highness know the rest.”

Glaring at the green maned mare, and then at Celestia, Luna said, “Sister! I thought we had agreed not to involve any secret agents in our game!”

“Calm down, Luna. I gave her express orders to not hinder your efforts and only contact me after the game was ended. I call it a draw; I figured that you were throwing a party, but could figure neither where nor the theme.”

“If I may,” asked the green maned pony. As soon as both princesses assented she continued, “After Princess Celestia found that Princess Twilight would be involved Her Highness wanted a more complete recount of this last game.” She turned to Luna, bowing her head. “I hope you can forgive me for not following your earlier order.”

“You have nothing to beg forgiveness for,” said Luna with a smile. “Now, if you excuse us, I want to talk to my sister.”

As soon as the door closed behind the retreating spy, Celestia allowed her smile to turn into a smirk. “Though you did stretch our understanding thin, Luna. Using Spike to deprive me of the help of my pet, and getting assistance from my scheduling advisor, was fine; but getting help from Twilight and her friends to this extent, while not against the letter of our little rules, is dangerously close to breaking their intent.”

“Close, but no further. In any case, what do you think of their performance?” asked Luna.

“Clumsy, but that is expected from anypony without the training. With the proper coaching…” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Luna, did you arrange this game to test those girls?”

“Maybe,” said Luna, her smile mysterious as the new moon. “Don’t you think you have been sheltering them excessively? I recall you did the same to me after my return. And even without your crazy idea of making all of them honorary princesses they will still need to learn how to deal with deception; everypony in a position of power does, even those that earned it. Mayhaps specially those that earned it.”

“The power of the Tree of Harmony. Now that the whole of Equestria has seen them wielding it, perhaps you are right. But just throwing a party doesn’t make them ready…” Celestia frowned hearing Luna’s crystalline laughter. “Am I missing something?”

“The choice might not be on your hooves anymore, Sister. I left Twilight most of the clues needed to pierce our little games, and your overzealous use of the guard and your spy to tail them shall supply the rest; all she needs is a moment of clarity to fit all pieces together.”

“I… see. Very well, if Twilight and her friends come to me, I will start training them in statecraft. And I concede defeat on your second surprise. But before you leave one last question: how did you miss that my schedule would keep me in the same wing as your party the whole day?”

“I didn’t,” said Luna, beaming. “What kind of challenge would it be if the girls were secreted in a different wing of the castle? Though I trusted them, this test was for their sake as much as it was for your own. Now, don’t dally, though your scheduling advisor made sure to clear your schedule, the party —”

Luna glanced up, her horn flaring before the sparks could end. Out of the ball of lightning, a cake — or, rather, the cake, with all its three-levels glory, and the radiance of Celestia’s Sun displayed on all of them — appeared out of thin air, narrowly missing the disappearing Princess of the Night but hitting Celestia squarely in the head.

“I know you wanted to taste the cake,” started Luna, with a giggle, from just beyond the door. “But that is —”

“Not. One. More. Word.”

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I will even send some wet towels and tell everypony at the part that you have been momentarily detained,” said the still giggling Luna as she closed the large red doors.