After dinner ended, Luna and Celestia began packing a saddlebag for each of them. They agreed on going out for the night since they spent the day inside, but even at night, there was the chance of some ponies still out and about (much to Luna's secret delight). They refused to hurt their subjects by rejecting them, but they also wouldn't get a moment's peace if they risked being noticed. To avoid such, they had to disguise themselves.

Celestia went first. With a spell and flare of her horn, she sank to average height, becoming shorter than Luna, much to the latter's amusement. She colored her coat to a duller shade of white and her luxuriant, colorful mane stilled as she blended its colors to become pink with a light blue streak. With one final flare, she faded her horn into invisibility and for an extra touch, she wore a plain pink dress to cover her cutie mark, one Luna had sewn some time ago as a nostalgic gift.

"You look perfect, Sister!" Luna told her. "Nopony will know you are Celestia. Forgive me. Celie."

"Celie is still close enough," Celestia laughed. "But I can't imagine it would give anypony a hint. Except perhaps Twilight."

"Speaking of Twilight, have you checked in with her?" Luna asked as she prepared to disguise her own self.

"She sent me a letter during our montage of lessons to let me know how she was faring," Celestia explained. "All seemed to be going well. I imagine she has turned in for the night, as I usually would by now."

Flaring her horn, Luna also lowered her height. She halted her starry mane's flow, brightened it to an opaque shade of light blue, and magically trimmed it until its growth reached only the base of her neck. She lightened her coat to a light purple shade, but faded her wings instead of her horn. She matched her sister in height, but resembled an ordinary unicorn instead of a pegasus as her sister had chosen.

When she saw Celestia appeared skeptical, she questioned it. "Do I not look convincing?"

"You do," Celestia replied. "But are you certain you won't be recognized? It doesn't seem like a dramatic change."

"I was only seen this way on the day of my return from the moon," Luna said. "By the time I recovered enough to look after myself and travel safely, my growth caught up from being in a stasis for a thousand years. Only Twilight Sparkle remembered me when I came to Ponyville on Nightmare Night, but she has always been perceptive, has she not?"

"Indeed she has," Celestia agreed. "However, the doctor who evaluated you stated your appearance at that time was the result of severe magical exhaustion. How could your growth have fallen into a stasis?"

Luna was uncertain she wanted to answer that question. Unfortunately, she made her discomfort visible, which only prompted Celestia to urge her further.

"Tell me, Sister," Celestia insisted. "Why did that happen?"

"If I tell you, I fear how you will take it," Luna answered.

"How I will handle it is not important," Celestia stated, reverting back to her true form. "I will not go out until you answer me."

"Why do you talk to me like that?" Luna asked, a hint of anger in her tone. "Why do you forget being your younger sister does not make me a child?"

For a moment, Celestia was stunned at the accusation. She, of course, hadn't meant her words in that way, but at the same time, she could hardly deny she had her moments of being more mother-like than sister-like toward Luna. However, as far as she could remember, it'd never been without Luna giving her some reason for concern, such as now.

"You know I don't intend to treat you childishly," Celestia argued calmly. "However, I do wish you'd stop concealing things from me. I want to help you, Luna. I will not give up on you." Her voice softened. "Not again."

That was enough to make Luna pause. Thinking about it, even she didn't know why she argued. She had certainly gotten used to bottling up her feelings prior to her banishment since during that time, Celestia was nowhere near as approachable as she was now. Perhaps old habits truly died hard.

Luna sighed, but gave in. "Nightmare Moon was a part of me, but she held my body and mind captive for all that time. I had no control over even my own thoughts. I was conscious, but I had no autonomy of my own will."

"You were a puppet," Celestia realized, her eyes showing heartbreak. "Your feelings... that I ignored all that time... they consumed you when they festered to their worst point and you became a puppet. I already know that, Luna, and during your absence, no day went by I didn't chastise myself for it when I understood."

"Then, why did you-?"

"You made it sound as if your growth being halted was a different matter," Celestia answered. "Your whole being was in stasis while Nightmare Moon controlled you. Yes, I know."

Some moments of awkward silence passed before either sister spoke again. Celestia smiled warmly and re-disguised herself. "Are we going out?" she asked. "Doth Princess Luna wantest to enjoyest her night?"

Luna chuckled at Celestia's attempt to speak in what'd been their traditional usage, and nodded. "We," she said, pointing to herself, "are ready."

"As Luna?"

Luna didn't think her name could give her away, but interestingly, she hadn't ever known another pony to possess it. After giving it some thought, she settled on calling herself Violet, the color of her nights. As an extra precaution, she also wore a dress to cover her cutie mark and styled her mane into a braided plait. Unlike the plain dress Celestia had chosen, the dress Luna wore was adorned with a large bat on its torso and its hem was sewn roughly to resemble a pattern of bat wings.

Finally ready, "Celie" and "Violet" grabbed their saddlebags and headed out, informing the guards to expect them to be absent for most of the night. They felt excitement they hadn't felt since they were teenage ponies, not yet crowned as the rulers of Equestria. This night would be fun, though hopefully, less disastrous.


"You did a lovely job with this night," Celestia praised her sister. "The stars look like they're twinkling more brightly than usual and the air feels very fresh. Did you do this just for us?"

Luna nodded. "If you'd given me earlier notice, I could've asked the weather pegasi to ensure this particular night was a clear one. We're only fortunate it is."

The sisters still yet had to think of any specific thing to do for the night, but the leisurely stroll itself was enjoyable. It really hammered in how much they needed the downtime they had today. They trotted down the road for some time before Celestia spotted somepony out of the corner of her eye. She immediately became irritated, something Luna caught on to just as quickly.

"What is wrong, sister?" Luna whispered. "Who is that pony?"

Celestia relaxed herself. "His name is Tin Heart, which is fitting if I'm honest."

"I assume he is one of the many nobles who tend to make a spectacle of themselves in your courtroom?" Luna guessed.

"Indeed," Celestia replied with a nod. "Were I to tell you of his most recent request, I'd risk you dying of laughter."

"I need not imagine," Luna reminded her. "I began holding my own nightly court some months ago. I truly believe fillies who attend daycare would behave more maturely. But do not allow it to bother you tonight, sister. This is our night to not worry about such."

"You are right," Celestia agreed. However, that's when an idea popped into her head. A mischievous idea a regal pony such as herself should've been ashamed of, but wasn't. Luna took note of her sudden sly smirk and urged her to say what she was thinking. Rather than explain, Celestia opted to show Luna. They walked a little faster until Tin Heart passed them and, predictably, turned up his nose at the sight of "peasant ponies" in Canterlot. Before he got too far behind them, Celestia hastily moved the moon to shine its light directly into his face. It was for no more than a second, but he yelled in shock at being "blinded", despite he clearly recovered quickly since the moon's light was not enough to blind anypony. Not unless Luna made it so anyway.

For a moment, Luna stared in surprise at what she watched her sister do. But she soon joined Celestia in quiet laughter as they watched Tin Heart's dramatics. It took so much restraint to prevent their laughter from becoming loud as Tin Heart swore at the moon and declared he would demand Princess Luna obscure it for the next night. In fact, he turned back around to head in the same direction he'd come from, passing by the sisters again. They couldn't hide their laughter in time for their smiles to avoid his sight.

"I'm not surprised such unrefined ponies are so uncouth!" he exclaimed bitterly. "To laugh at my expense. Do you foals know who I am?"

"Somepony who needs night shades?" Celestia retorted sarcastically, forcing Luna to stifle another laugh. Tin Heart stomped away as Luna and Celestia finally let their snickers out. Their playfulness was usually something they kept private between the two of them in their castle, but being in disguise, it hardly mattered. Tin Heart clearly hadn't recognized either of them or he wouldn't have spoken to them in the manner he did.

When they could finally stop laughing, Luna spoke. "That was truly unexpected of you, Sister. A little revenge for his usual behavior in your courtroom?"

"I suppose you could say so," Celestia said. "Though I do apologize you'll now have to deal with him."

"Do not worry. He would have a complaint one way or another. Some of the nobility are the type who'd ask us to alter how the grass grows if we could."

"I have a real story about a request like that."

"I'm certain you do," Luna remarked. "So, Sister... are you keen on a night of pranking?"

"It was only an impulsive idea for Tin Heart, but if you are willing..."

"Only if we don't hurt anypony," Luna insisted. "Let's not become what we despise."

"Of course! Harmless pranks only," Celestia agreed. "Let's go to into the most upper-class area of Canterlot, where most of the nobility resides."

"We shall receive their complaints the next day and night," Luna said with a laugh, "but it shall be worth it." She got an agreeing smile from Celestia in response and off they went.


Author's note: For those who may be curious about why I went with "Violet" instead of "Lulu" for Luna, it's because I personally don't like that (nick)name. I find "Celie" (which is also canon from "The Journal of the Two Sisters") to be cute, however, and like it more than "Tia".