Twilight was waiting outside the library, staring up expectantly at the sky. The alicorn gently landed behind her, not making a single sound. Luna hesitated before gently nudging the unicorn, causing her to jump. "Oh! Luna, ah, you don't have to sneak up on me like that!" The princess frowned, bowing her head awkwardly.
"Sorry, Twilight Sparkle. It was tradition to be quiet if you were not escorted. It is a habit I have not yet given up. I apologize again."
The unicorn laughed, waving it off. "It's not that big of a deal, Luna, really! You really shouldn't take things so seriously! Lighten up a bit... In fact, I have a great idea! Tonight we'll go to the Sugarcube Corner, and you'll have to taste one of Mr. Cake's cupcakes, they're simply amazing! Oh, and maybe Pinkie will be there, and you can meet her on better terms this time around."
"She was the one dressed as the chicken, was she not?" Her face must have revealed her emotions, as Twilight was quick to try and make amends.
"Oh, she's not usually like that. Eccentric, yes, mean-spirited, no. She was just teasing you, remember? Not that she should have done that without telling you, but... Pinkie's not usually like that, I promise. You're going to have to trust me on this one, Luna."
Trust. The princess hated the sound of the word, hated everything to do with it. She had broken her trust with Celestia, she had trusted Discord with her secrets... Everything had just blown up in her face in the end, though. But Twilight Sparkle looked so hopeful, so innocent... how could she refuse? Even if her single experience with the pink pony had gone poorly, that didn't mean that she shouldn't give her another chance. After all, if Twilight Sparkle, her sister's prized student, was friends with her, surely she couldn't be that bad!
"Alright. I shall go with you. Lead on."
The words seemed to just brighten to unicorn, as she almost literally bounced back into the library and returned with a sleepy looking Spike on her back. He grumbled, curling up best as he could without falling off of his guardian. "Sorry about having to drag Spike along with us. Pinkie apparently wrote a letter for Celestia, so I figured we might as well make things efficient and send it while we're there." With another apologetic look, she nodded and began to trot towards the center of Ponyville.
After a few moments Luna followed after her, awkwardly trying to keep up while still trying to blend in with the night. Despite her loud and ham-filled entrance during Nightmare Night, she was usually shy and just awkward. She had never been one for public appearances; even the few that they had attended before her imprisonment she had stood in the shadows, allowing her sister to take center stage. She preferred it that way, it was so much simpler.
He appearance quickly gained the attention of a few wandering ponies, however. While most smiled and bowed, a few stared suspiciously at her, covering their goods with wings or their bodies. At them she cast her gaze downward, submissively folding her wings and avoiding eye contact. They snorted with approval, then resumed packing up their stalls and their product. Twilight didn't seem to notice her discomfort, only babbling about her latest magical discoveries or berating Spike for nearly rolling off of her back.
"Luna?"
The alicorn's head snapped up, suddenly at attention. Twilight was frowning at her, eyes wide. "Are you okay? I mean, there were a few rude ponies back there, and I was hoping you'd just be able to ignore them, but it doesn't seem like it."
Oh, so she had noticed. A touch of warmth buzzed through Luna, and she actually felt a genuine smile bubble up on her face. "I am fine, Twilight Sparkle. Thank you very much for worrying. How much farther is this place that we are visiting?"
The unicorn grinned. "Well, Luna, we're here!" The princess frowned, following Twilight's gaze to a small building nearby.
"And this is where the 'best cakes in Equestria' are made?"
It was Twilight's turn to frown. "Yeah, what's wrong with it?"
"Nothing at all. I was just expecting something more... extravagant." The unicorn laughed.
"Well, Luna, we're in Ponyville, not Canterlot. But I promise you, these cakes are simply incredible. Don't you- Oh no."
"SURPRISE!"
The two of them were greeted with a face full of confetti and a crowd of ponies. At the forefront was a familiar pink pony, though it took Luna a second to recognize her without the beak or feathers. Her blue eyes were wide as plates, and her grin was so large it was almost scary. She leaned over to an equally bewildered Twilight. "I was not expecting this."
"Neither was I, honestly. I had no idea that Pinkie knew that you were coming."
"Well, DUH, I knew she was coming!" They both jumped as the pink pony appeared behind them, shoving them both through the door. "What, you thought you could keep a secret from me? I mean, TWILIGHT! If Cherilee hadn't found out, Princess Luna would be in Ponyville without a taste of my super-duper fun parties! And we couldn't have that!"
Twilight scowled. "Pinkie! You could have scared her! You know that the princess isn't good with big crowds! Luna, are you okay?"
"I... I am fine, Twilight Sparkle. Just give me a minute." It seemed that a moment of solitude wasn't on Pinkie's activity list, as the party pony tied a blindfold around her around her eyes and shoved her forward.
"Time for pin-the-tail on the pony! Princess Luna gets to go first!" The alicorn shook her head, trying to clear it. The room was filled with noise, her own thoughts could not be heard over the chattering of nearby ponies. She couldn't see what was going on, and she felt a pang of fear. Like the moon. No, no! She was not going to be blind to the world again!
As they tried to stick the tail into her mouth, her bucked, trying to knock the blindfold off, in her panic forgetting her magic. "Please, no, not again! Not again! Get it off me, please! I wish to see the light of the Moon again!"
"Pinkie! You're overwhelming her! She wasn't ready for this..." She felt a familiar tingle of magic surround the blindfold, and as it was tugged off she noticed Twilight's horn glowing. Right. Magic. Escape. Luna's own horn flashed with dark light, momentarily blinding the room as she bolted.
"Luna, wait!"
This was why she couldn't trust anyone. They tried to assault her! They tried to blind her again!
"Um, Princess Luna?"
The alicorn jumped. Pinkie Pie was suddenly standing beside her, eyes seeming to well with tears. "I didn't mean to scare you, really! I guess I should have asked first, but usually everypony is so happy when I throw a party, I thought you'd be the same! And I felt bad for what I did to you on Nightmare Night so I wanted to make it up to you... I'm very very VERY sorry!"
"It is quite alright, I-"
"OH! I brought you the cupcake I made super special just for you! I even hand decorated it and everything, even though Mrs. Cake helped a little bit." She nudged the small cake from behind her leg, smiling hopefully up at the princess. "I really, really hope you like it!"
The cupcake was coated in midnight icing, little candy stars surrounding a chocolate Moon. "Why, thank you Pinkie Pie. It is... It is beautiful. I am touched."
Pinkie beamed at her, tears seemingly forgotten. "I'm so glad! Next time you come by we'll have lots like that just for you! You'll stop by again, won't you? I promise, no more parties without permission! Even if it spoils the whole surprise thing."
M Y L I T T L E P O N Y
"Celestia, it is nearly time for sunrise. Celestia?" The alicorn peered around the pastel room, her sister nowhere in sight.
"Ah, Luna! How was your night?"
She jumped, nearly dropping the cupcake before hastily catching it with her magic. The white alicorn looked curiously at it, a small smile forming. "A gift from one of Twilight Sparkle's friends, I'm sure?"
"Y-yes. Pinkie Pie."
"Ah. I thought so. She's rather odd, isn't she?"
Luna considered it. "Yes, but it is not a bad type of odd. She seems friendly enough, anyway."
Celestia chuckled. "Wasn't she the one who was mean to you on Nightmare Night?"
"Well, sister, we can all make mistakes on character. We just all have to learn to forgive and forget. Now, isn't it time for you to go raise the Sun?"
A/N: Pinkie is harder to write than I thought she would be _; I really don't feel like I got her right, but I'll try harder later. It's just awkward cause I'm still used to the really shy Pinkie from G3 xD;
Anyway, again, not much to say about this chapter. Reviews are again, great. :3