Creeping up upon her sleepy sibling, Princess Celestia placed her mouth near her sister’s ear, drew a deep breath, which tickled her sister’s ear, and then softly whispered, “Sister, it is that time again… time for us to have a little gentle fun with our subjects.”

“Hmmwha?”

Pulling away slightly, Princess Celestia considered her sister’s sleepy utterance. Feeling a slight sense of worry, Princess Celestia hoped that her sister had not forgotten their contest from the old days. Celestia looked into her sister’s blinking sleepy eyes and realised it would be time to raise the sun soon.

“Dearest sister, surely you remember our ancient contest, the Sisterhooves Anti-Social, please assure me that you do indeed recall our contest,” Celestia said as she gave her sister a nudge with her hoof.

“Oh that…” Luna’s words trailed off as a wry grin overtook her face. “The storied contest of seeing what we could get away with because of our princesshood. Will these modern times even allow for such activity?”

Nodding, Celestia’s eyes twinkled with merriment. “Now more so than ever. Such an act is seen as being beneath most ponies, it is ignored for the most part, and acknowledging it is a larger breach of etiquette than actually doing it.”

While sighing, Luna looked a little sad for a moment, Celestia could see it, but then it was gone just as quickly as the glimmer of a glance had appeared. Celestia became distracted, worried, fearful for her sister’s mercurial moods, afraid of Luna being sad, and she almost did not hear her sister say, “My goodness how the times have changed.”

Snapping to attention, Celestia stepped away as Luna rose from her seat at the table where she had been sitting, allowing her sister to have room to stand.

“So just like the old days… we sneak up, commit ourselves to the deed, and then wait to see if we are blamed or if somepony even acknowledges what we, our perfect blameless selves have done, we wonderful sisters who are without blemish,” Luna said.

Moving closer to Luna, Celestia brushed her neck up against Luna’s own, almost in a hug, and closed her eyes for a moment. “Sister, I have always envied you your colouration… it makes it so much easier to hide certain things. I always live in fear of soiling my white hide.”

Feeling her sister lean into her, Celestia felt Luna’s warmth, glad to have Luna close again, and more importantly, on her side. Playing pranks on other ponies was only fun if Celestia had an accomplice, and there was no better accomplice for what was about to take place than Luna, who had once ended a war in one fabled moment…

“Sister, you have gone quiet and still… are you reminiscing?”

Jolted back into reality, Celestia sniffed for a moment and then backed away from Luna, whose heavy half-closed eyes demanded sleep. Reaching out a wing, Celestia touched her sister, caressing her softly, allowing her long white primaries to to trail over Luna’s silken pelt, down her neck and over her withers. “It begins… same old rules. We’ll keep track of points but hope that somepony calls us out on our misdeeds to determine a winner. Best of luck.” What Celestia did not say was, Luna smelled truly awful. Caught off guard by Luna’s prank, Celestia remained stony-faced, refusing to give her sister the satisfaction of a look of disgust.

“Sister, you must raise the sun, greet the dawn, and then attend to the morning petitioners… do not be merciful with them,” Luna said in a voice that could barely contain her mirth, and her laughter threatened to destroy her demeanour.

The line of morning petitioners was long. Too long. Sitting on her throne, Celestia mentally prepared herself for a long morning of battling boredom. She prefered battling dragons, or even legions of monsters, but boredom was now her lot in life as the Princess of the Day.

Raven was on her right and Kibitz was on her left. In front of her were two unicorns; one named Fancy Pants, which was funny, because he didn’t wear pants, and another named Fleur Dis Lee.

“—Majesty, this is the reason why we need an extraordinary number of bits. How else will we bring art education to the poor and potentially improve their outlook on their dreary lives?” Fancy Pants asked.

How indeed, Celestia silently remarked. She looked down from her throne, pursed her lips, leaned forward, and studied Fancy Pants. The mustachioed unicorn was wealthy, one of the Canterlot elite, a noble, but he wasn’t really a bad sort, and Celestia wanted to encourage charitable attitudes among the wealthy.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, Celestia wondered how Fancy Pants might handle himself in a situation that destroyed all sense of decorum. How would he handle a more plebian attitude in one of his many exclusive art galleries?

There was only one way to find out.

There was no sound to announce the arrival of yon ill wind.

Celestia heard Kibitz clear his throat, the old stallion took a step away, and then cast a dirty look at Raven. This was amusing. Celestia noticed that not once did Kibitz think of blaming her, he immediately blamed Raven. Celestia reveled in her blamelessness.

Fancy Pants began coughing after nearly snorting his own mustache up his nose. Celestia sat on her throne, watching as mayhem spread around her throne room, traveling as fast as the speed of smell. Fleur Dis Lee took one sniff and fainted dead away, a guard came running up to assist her, paused, sniffed, made a face of disgust, and then moved to help the fallen mare.

“Egads!” a guard shouted from near the door. “Who dares to soil the air of her Royal Highness, the Princess of the Day? I want this throne room cleared! Get out of here you lot! Get out or face arrest!”

As Celestia watched with stunned dismay, a vase full of fresh cut flowers wilted.

The throne room was evacuated and Celestia proudly tallied up a point for herself as the survivors began to stagger out of her throne room. At least the boredom had ended. So had the morning petitions for that matter.

“Raven, please, make sure that Fancy Pants gets a little of the financial assistance he needs for his arts education program,” Celestia said.

“I can’t believe that Kibitz would do such a despicable act and then attempt to frame me for his foul misdeed… look how quickly he fled! That’s just proof that he’s guilty! Perhaps it is time for him to retire…”

Celestia smiled as she listened to Raven’s exclamation of accusation, but said nothing.

With a careful eye, Celestia surveyed the table, looking at lunch. Leafy green salad… with red beans, dandelion greens, spinach, alfalfa sprouts, apples, and walnuts. Cream of potato and broccoli soup. Crêpes and fresh fruit.

With a careful well practiced ease, Celestia took another sip of coffee.

“You’ve been drinking coffee all morning,” Raven said as she helped herself to some salad. “Are you feeling okay? Usually you only have one or two cups at breakfast and then sip tea for the rest of the day when you get the chance.”

Celestia gave Raven a reassuring smile. “I woke up feeling a little under the weather I think. I suppose I am in need of a vacation.”

“That’s understandable,” Raven said.

Lifting the salad bowl in her telekinesis, Celestia carefully added some to her plate and then passed it along down the table for others. She glanced at Kibitz and saw that he was eyeing Raven with a suspicious expression. When Raven helpfully served the soup, Celestia said, “Thank you.”

Kibitz scowled but said nothing.

“Princess Luna will be inspecting the guard later this afternoon. Will you be attending Your Majesty?” Raven asked.

Serving herself a crêpe, Celestia piled in fruit and a bit of whipped cream. She folded it carefully, enjoying the ritual, and levitated her fork. Using her fork, she pulled away a dainty bite and ate it, carefully pulling her lips away so she would not make a mess. She chewed for a moment, enjoying a bit of strawberry and fresh melon. Afterwards, she swallowed and then looked at Raven. “Actually, clear my afternoon schedule. A bit of fresh air sounds good. It might be just what I need after the events of this morning. I shall watch my sister and her inspection of the guard.”

Raven nodded. “I will clear your schedule.”

Stabbing another bite with her fork while looking at the steam rising from her soup bowl, Celestia said, “Thank you.”

Kibitz, who was blowing on his soup, paused and looked at Celestia. “I think all of us could use some fresh air.”

It took all of Celestia’s willpower not to smile. She chewed her food, swallowed, and then wiped her muzzle with a napkin. Saying nothing, and offering no outward sign of her misdeed, Celestia gave her lunchtime companions a reason to seek fresh air.

There was a splash and a clunk as Kibitz’s spoon fell into his soup.

Celestia observed both Raven and Kibitz exchanging a both a furious and suspicious glare between them. As the silence intensified, the stench settled upon the ponies gathered at the table.

“Did someone request egg salad for lunch?” a pony asked in a hesitant voice.

Swallowing her sigh, Celestia felt the heavy feeling of disappointment. Not one smile. Not one laugh. Not one giggle. There was nothing at all. No mirth. Leaning forward in her chair, she relaxed herself enough to let rip once more, this time with the intention of releasing both sound and fury.

Just as Celestia’s backside began to emit a faint squeal, Raven began coughing, which completely muffled the sound. Everypony was looking at everypony else, eyebrows were raising, but Celestia realised that nopony was looking at her. It took a while, but it dawned upon Celestia that she was beyond reproach.

All around Celestia was the sounds of ponies chewing their food in utter silence.

“You know, there are times I envy my lighthearted sister and her ability to just let go. She was once the Element of Laughter you know,” Celestia said as she levitated her spoon and eyed her soup.

Raven, who was eating her salad, swallowed and looked at Kibitz. “Yes. Some ponies are much better at letting go than others.”

On the other side of the table, Kibitz snorted, which caused his mustache to twitch. “Speaking of letting go… how is your dear old uncle, Proconsul Windsmear? I understand that he was given the colony of Gallopogos Islands. The ponies in your family need that fresh air I suppose.”

Agast, Raven gasped and then with much anger, she retorted, “His name is Windshear! He cannot help his condition… just like another old stallion I know! At least he does not blame others!”

Sputtering, Kibitz banged his hoof upon the table. “Madam, I must demand that you end this slanderous libel at once!”

“I miss Windshear… he was a great diplomat. I used to send him to deal with creatures I did not much care for,” Celestia said as she stared off into the distance and began to reminisce. She absentmindedly began to eat her soup.

“You know Raven, I must ask you, would you please stop that,” Kibitz asked in a well cultured and polite voice.

Raven, now indignant, pointed her spoon at Kibitz. “I’ll be glad to stop it, just tell me which direction you made it go!”

Almost choking on her soup, Celestia lifted her napkin to her lips and tried to compose herself. Hiding herself behind her napkin, Celestia allowed herself a broad smile as she went through the effort of regaining her composure.

“Why I never!” Kibitz said and then he began to chew on his mustache in frustration.

Raven, never one to miss an opening, shook her spoon at Kibitz. “I do believe the evidence suggests that you did!”

Still hiding behind her napkin, Celestia realised that she was going to have to send fruit baskets to both Raven and Kibitz with a note of apology when this was over. And perhaps a nice scented candle.

“Madam, whomever deduced it produced it!” Kibitz said.

At long last, a mare at the end of the table began to giggle, which caused both Raven and Kibitz to turn and glare at her. The table once more fell into silence.

With a careful and well practiced motion, Celestia wiped her mouth, hid her smile, and resumed eating her soup as if nothing had happened. Carefully slurping her soup from her spoon, Celestia allowed herself another coffee fueled emission with the hopes that somepony would place the blame upon her.

Author's Notes:

Friendly feedback is welcomed. I apologise for any offense.

Thank you for reading, I do hope you had at least one good laugh.

Please, report any foul smelling typos. The sisters do so love their pranks.