After a long night, as usual, Luna entered the kitchen. Something was different this morning: Celestia was absent. Luna wondered if she'd come back earlier than usual, but the sun shining in through the window proved otherwise. If the sun was raised, Celestia had to be awake. She asked the pair of guards at the kitchen door if they'd seen Celestia, but both shook their heads.

"Perhaps her sleeping quarters?" Luna guessed as she headed there. But Celestia's bedroom was also empty, nor had the guards near there seen her since she woke up. Though she didn't like to fret, Luna worried a little. Both she and her sister had a mischievous streak, but since Luna's return, neither had ever left the castle without telling the other where she was going. At the very least, a note would be left somewhere the other sister was sure to find it.

Taking another guess, Luna headed up to the balcony where she and Celestia moved the sun and moon. While there was still no sight of Celestia, Luna found something else of interest. The list she and Celestia tried to make the night before was lying in the center. Luna read over it. Celestia had written a few more suggestions, but crossed them out. One in particular caught Luna's eye and made her scoff: Teach Luna to cook decent... anything.

"Really, Sister?" Luna mumbled sarcastically. "Perhaps I could teach you the difference between therapeutic flowers and itchy ones."

"Perhaps you could." The unexpected response startled Luna, and she turned to see her sister standing in the archway of the balcony, bright as always.

"I was beginning to think you settled on a game of hide-and-seek for our day together," Luna teased.

"Forgive me for worrying you," Celestia said, knowing better of her sister. "I wanted to check in with Twilight. It was hardly necessary. She was already up and on her way out."

"Twilight Sparkle was having a fairly interesting dream last night," Luna mentioned with a small chuckle. "Now, what's this of you teaching me to cook decent anything, as you wrote it?"

"Sister, with all due respect... you can't boil a pot of water."

"One time! I blew up the stove one time! I still got the cookies out of the oven."

"As I recall, they looked and felt like burnt rocks," Celestia laughed. "A pony could wage war with those."

"Hmm..." Luna mumbled, tapping her snout with her hoof. "I seem to recall a certain sun pony spending a morning in the bath because she mistook a poisonous vine for a berry one. And to say nothing of the time you thought it safe to shove your hoof into a bush of thorns. I must say you looked rather rashing with spots, Sister."

"Oh, no, Luna! I draw the line at a day of puns and bad jokes!" Celestia declared half-seriously. "I still don't know where you're getting them from." After sharing a laugh for a few seconds, something else came to Celestia's mind. "I suppose you'll have to sleep for a while before we can really let our day start."

"No worries. I have a spell that lets me hold some of the energy of the dream realm to keep me energized," Luna explained. "The downside is when I release it, I'll feel the weight of that tiredness twice as much."

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Celestia asked. "I'd rather you sleep."

"It's not harmful. Besides, I don't want to miss a minute. 24 hours isn't as a long time as it seems." Luna levitated the list over to the two of them. "However, we still haven't agreed on something."

"Well, jokes aside, I really would be happy to help you learn to cook," Celestia admitted. "I promise it really is more fun to do it yourself than have the servants do it. Besides, although I said a day and night out, I'd rather spend the day inside. Unless you want to go out."

"I'm fine with staying in, but why do you want to?" Luna asked.

"Remember what I said? Having to be perfect for the public?" Celestia reminded her. "We won't get a moment's peace if we go out during the day. That's not my idea of a day off, let alone a day with my sister."

It was true. Even with Twilight covering her duties, everypony who saw Celestia and Luna would be quick to make a huge deal of their appearance. They'd undoubtedly make their subjects feel ashamed by ignoring them. With that in mind, Luna agreed. They could spend the day inside and the night outside if they tired of being indoors.

"Fine. We can have your cooking lesson," Luna finally said with a heavy, dramatic sigh. The small smile that followed assured Celestia she was teasing, and they left the balcony to return to the kitchen.

"Luna, I said two minutes, not twenty!"

"Sister, does it really-"

BOOM!

"...oops."

The explosion had blown the microwave's door off its hinges, rendering it inoperable. The nauseous smell of burning smoke from the ruined food briefly made the sisters choke. Celestia cleared it away with her wings before declaring Luna was to never touch the microwave without her around. Whenever she could have it repaired, that is.

"Forgive me if I find your instant cooking contraption to be complicated," Luna teased sarcastically.

"You push buttons!"

"I did push the buttons, Sister!" Luna laughed. "You were right. This is more fun than letting the servants do it. What's next?"

"A prayer," Celestia mumbled beneath her breath. She went to the fridge and, with her horn's levitation, pulled out several fruits from the fridge. "Let's try something that doesn't require any cooking."

"Oh, Sister, can't I have one more try with the stove?" Luna jokingly pleaded. The glare Celestia gave in response made Luna burst out laughing again.

"I think five pancakes stuck to the ceiling are enough," Celestia replied in the most deadpan voice Luna had ever heard, only adding to her amusement. After they cleaned up the mess from the microwave disaster, Luna grabbed a large bowl and two spoons at Celestia's request, and joined Celestia at the counter where she had the various fruits.

"We are making...?"

"A fruit salad," Celestia answered. "And I will ban you from the kitchen forever if this explodes!" Celestia passed her a few apples. "Now, slice these open..."

Luna slammed her front hooves onto them, crushing them instantly.

"...with this." Celestia laid a knife near her, but quickly snatched it back. "On second thought, I don't trust you."

Luna took the knife in her own magic grasp. "I can use a knife just fine, Sister."

To Celestia's surprise, Luna proved her words. She sliced and diced the fruits Celestia passed just fine without so much as a small slip-up. When all the fruit was ready and in the bowl, Celestia began using one of the spoons to slowly mix it. After a few seconds, she let Luna have a turn.

"There's no need to be fast. Just enough to let the fruit mix together without being mashed," Celestia instructed.

"I can do it." Luna mimicked her sister's action, slowly mixing in the fruit with the other spoon. After a full minute, Celestia had her stop.

"And we're done."

"That's it? I had more fun with the microwave."

"I mentor, Sister, not perform miracles," Celestia said as she pried the awfully cooked pancakes from earlier off the ceiling to trash them.

"It's my turn to give you a lesson now!" Luna exclaimed. "I know exactly what."

"What is it?" Celestia asked, genuinely curious.