Daybreak smiled at the handsome batpony, waving her hoof cheerfully.

"Enjoy!" she beamed as the lunar guard sipped his latte. The fanged stallion returned the grin.

"Always a pleasure, Daybreak. My shift sure is a hell of a lot more pleasant since Princess Luna hired you on."

Daybreak's creamy cheeks turned pink as she blushed, her horn shimmering with her white aura, keeping the espresso machines behind her humming and brewing. Night shift was coming on, and the guards would need her special brand of wake up magic.

"Remember that first night?" he asked, arching an eyebrow over the lid of his to-go cup. Daybreak watched him, her kohl-rimmed green eyes glittering, cheeks still warm. He was a gorgeous violet stallion, his wings large and full, lithely muscled and tipped in elegant claws. A mid-length black mane, rakishly cut, sat atop his head, hanging into his golden eyes. Those missed nothing, and he grinned a fanged grin at her assessment of his appearance. "Little city pony in the big capital... You were terrified."

"I was," she replied, lowering her lashes. Celestia, how she crushed on him! Strider was simply one of the most handsome ponies she had ever seen. Since her eventful meeting with Princess Luna, Strider had made it a point to be the first guard in her kitchen to order his coffee. Not too strong—his energy levels were naturally astoundingly perky—with just a hint of sweetness and a lot of foam.

"I knew you'd be fine," Strider winked. "Anypony I wish good luck upon is."

Daybreak blushed again.

"Say, what time are you off?" he continued. Daybreak blinked.

"I have to ensure Princess Celelestia receives her tea for sunrise, and then I usually have breakfast in the courtyard before bed."

"Care if I join you?" he asked.

"I'd love that!" Daybreak beamed, assuming he meant for breakfast. Strider winked.

"Who knows? Maybe you'll finally get to see if batponies actually sleep upside down."

"Gale Strider, you cad! Get out," she giggled, tossing a towel at him. "Princess Luna will be here soon and I can't have my kitchen dripping with innuendo."

Strider chuckled and bowed, swishing his neatly kept tail. "As you wish."

Daybreak wistfully watched his finely muscled flanks depart, his cutie mark forever burned into her mind's eyes—a gust of wind surrounded by dazzling sparkles. They even matched!

Her life really was perfect—a room in the top floor of the castle to call home, a job she adored, bosses she very nearly worshipped, and a batpony stallion guard she could stare at all night.

Gale Strider... Second Captain of the Royal Lunar Guard... and, whether he knew it or not, the jailor of her heart.

Daybreak sighed happily, allowing her mind to wander to other places as she thought on those gorgeous eyes. What would it be like to spend the night upside down? Would all the blood rush to her brain or—

"Oh Luna's feathers!" she hissed as the smell of burnt milk filled her nose. "It's what you get, silly mare," she scolded herself, sighing as she dumped the now useless latte froth into the sink. Now Luna's fall evening beverage was behind schedule thanks to Daybreaks preoccupation with her own loins.

Frowning, the dapple-muzzled unicorn shook out her curl-tipped mane and set her aura on high. The coffee bar came to life, the bean grinder whirring, espresso machine dripping, the milk steaming again at record speed. Daybreak's shimmery white magic enveloped every tiny implement involved, making the countertop a dazzling display of caffeine creation.

Soon the smell of a super-charged quad-shot pumpkin spice latte, complete with whipped cream, cinnamon stick and pie crust sprinkles, filled Canterlot Castle's kitchen.

"OooooooooOohhhhhhhhhhh!"

Daybreak froze at the new voice. Her horn tingled alarmingly. She'd never sensed an energy level this frenzied before.

It terrified her.

The mocha matron spun around to face a grinning pink mare with a wildly animated mane, her cutie mark a festive display of three cheerful balloons. Daybreak smiled. This was the source of the energy? She laughed at herself for being so disturbed.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Something smells yummy!" the mare announced, her muzzle twitching.

"Thank you!" Daybreak replied. The pink pony hopped a few steps forward. Daybreak observed her movements in awe—her motions were comical but purposeful. The unicorn took a liking to her immediately.

"I'm Pinkie Pie!"

"Daybreak Dazzler, at your service," Daybreak smiled, still trying to reconcile the scarily natural high with the pleasant, bubbly mare before her.

"What's this?" Pinkie asked, pointing a hoof at the wondrous beverage Daybreak had just completed.

"Oh, that's for Princess Luna. It's a special drink made specifically for her personal caffeine needs."

"It's a cinnamon stick!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I love cinnamon sticks! They remind me of Hearth's Warming! Hearth's Warming is my favorite holiday! And candy canes! And wreaths! And presents! And the carols and the cakes and the pies and the cookies—"

Daybreak felt her head swim at the deluge of cheerful information. She smiled agan, nodding.

"I'm here with Twilight. She's the Princess of Friendship now. Celestia's keeping her in the boring meeting and I smelled your wonderful treats so I just had to come see!" the mare finished. Daybreak realized she'd tuned out about halfway through Pinkie's monologue.

"Well you're welcome to stay with me as long as you can keep out of the way," she offered, turning back to her espresso machines. "I have a lot of drinks to get ready for the Lunar Guards."

"The batponies?!" Pinkie exclaimed, jumping up off of all fours as though she were fluttering wings. She made a fanged face and giggled. Daybreak laughed.

"Yes, the batponies." Daybreak blushed, thinking of Strider. One in particular...

"Can I try this?" Pinkie asked, sniffing Luna's drink. Daybreak shook her head, moving the drink slowly away from the inquisitive mare.

"No... That's for Princess Luna. I can make you something—"

"Ooooooh, what are these?!" Pinkie interrupted. Daybreak turned around to see Pinkie with her face pressed flat against the cold case. "They look amazing!" The party pony pulled the case open and retrieved a can that read Magenta Minotaur. "It says 'It Gives You Wings!' I want wings!" she giggled.

"No!" Daybreak said firmly, slamming the case door shut with her aura and yanking the can from Pinkie's hooves with her magic. "Those are for Midnight Blossom only. Everything in this kitchen is specifically tailored to each pony's caffeine needs."

"Caffeine... like... coffee?" Pinkie asked.

"Yes, like coffee," Daybreak replied, walking over to put the Magenta Minotaur back in its case. Pinkie made a sad sound.

"Twilight never lets me have coffee," the party pony pouted.

I'm starting to see why, the unicorn thought.

A sudden squeal from Pinkie made Daybreak spin around, her flank bumping painfully into the countertop.

"You have an entire fridge of whipped cream?!" Pinkie squealed.

Before Daybreak could utter a syllable, Pinkie began to pop the tops off the cans and shoot the sweet creamy goodness into her mouth at lighting speed.

"No, I need those for mochas—" Daybreak stared, horrified.

"Soooooooo good!" Pinkie managed to mumble through mouthful of cream. "This tastes imported!"

"It's from Seaddle..." Daybreak replied defeatedly. "Princess Celestia has it shipped in fresh every week for me."

"I thought I tasted authentic Starbits!" Pinkie tossed the last empty can on the floor, her face a mess of whipped cream and smiles.

"Why don't you sit down and I'll make you something—" Daybreak tried.

"Oh my gosh are those gallon tubs of sprinkles?!"

The unicorn threw her hooves in the air.

It was going to be a long night.

"And this chart here shows the increase in friendship over time since my ascension," Twilight said proudly, passing a scroll across the table to Celestia.

"You certainly have thoroughly documented the first year of your princesshood," Celestia smiled tiredly, unrolling the scroll and scanning it briefly before adding it to the pile at her side. Twilight beamed.

"Oh yes! In fact, Ponyville has become the hub of new friendships formed per capita in Equestria since I assumed the throne!"

"The evidence seems to back that claim," Celestia replied. Twilight completely missed the dry humor in the other alicorn's statement. Celestia politely muffled a yawn with her wing.

The moon was high in the midnight sky by now, and the candles had burned halfway through their wax. Luna had come and gone, having excused herself from the meeting in lieu of "nightly duties" of which Celestia was intensely jealous of by now.

Speaking of...

"Say, Twilight, would you mind if we took a break for a midnight repast?" Celestia interrupted.

Twilight blinked. "Repast?"

"We have a fabulous barista working the night shift," she continued. "Perhaps it would benefit the both of us to indulge in her wondrous beverages."

"Baristas make coffee," Twilight said plainly, her face somewhat disturbed. Celestia laughed gently.

"Of course, my student. Why does that alarm you so?"

"Pinkie Pie."

Celestia blinked. "I do not follow."

"I told Pinkie to amuse herself and she mentioned smelling something—"

"Oh dear me," Celestia cut in. "The kitchens."

"Do we run?" Twilight asked, her wings twitching.

"No time," Celestia said, and with that, the two alicorns vanished in a *pop!* of light.

They reappeared in the middle of the kitchen.

"Daybreak!" Celestia called, folding her wings anxiously.

"Celestia!" Pinkie announced happily.

Celestia stared.

"Pinkie... what on Equuis...?" Twilight began.

The party pony was tied securely to a chair with a rope made of kitchen towels, her hooves bound in a series of complex knots. This did not seem to bother her, however, as she was pushed against the countertop, several empty mugs strewn about. The mare munched on a peppermint stick with a grin.

"Oh, hi Twilight!" Pinkie giggled. "Daybreak made me a drink 'specially tailored to my caffeine needs!'"

"Did she now," Twilight replied carefully, eyebrow arched. Celestia leaned over the empty mugs and sniffed.

"Cocoa," she smiled. "Peppermint cocoa."

"No whipped cream, though," Pinkie added sadly.

"Why are you tied to a chair?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, we're playing the Sit Still game!" the party pony beamed. "Only I needed a little help with the 'still' part," she giggled. "Also the 'sit' part." Pinkie shifted against her bonds. "She was able to play with me and make coffee for all the batponies. Daybreak's one amazing mare!"

"Where is Daybreak?" Celestia asked.

A soft, feminine snore sounded from beneath the espresso machines. Arching their eyebrows in unison, Celestia and Twilight poked their heads under the counter to find the cream colored unicorn planted face first, plot in the air, passed out on the ground.

"Looks like she could use a pick me up of her own," Twilight giggled. Celestia smiled.

"I think the situation dictates the rest of the night off. I will have one of the Lunar Guards escort her back to her room."

Daybreak made another soft snoring sound and wiped at her muzzle with her forehoof.

"Poor thing," Twilight sighed. "Pinkie, you really should come with a warning label."

"Me?" Pinkie blinked, having freed one of her hooves from the towel-rope.

"Don't let her out!" Daybreak shouted, suddenly awake. She jumped to her hooves, forgetting she was under the counter, and banged her head on the underside of the wood. "Ouch," she groaned, rubbing her horn as she backed out from beneath it. Noticing Celestia and Twilight, Daybreak dropped to a bow. "Princesses, I'm so sorry—"

"Daybreak, it's quite alright," Celestia smiled, waving her hoof.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep!" the unicorn stammered.

"Given the circumstances..." Celestia's violet eyes took in the empty whipped cream cans and the mess of sprinkles. "I think forgiveness is a viable option." Daybreak looked embarrassed. "Everypony is fine tonight, Daybreak. I want you to take the evening and rest."

"Princess?"

"Please. And tomorrow."

"But—"

"My sister tells me Gale Strider has his eye on you," Celestia winked. Daybreak turned red. "Consider this royal permission."

"OoooooooOooooooh, Strider and Daybreak, sitting in a tr—" Pinkie began. Twilight clamped a hoof over her mouth and smiled. Pinkie continued to make muffled sounds.

"You'll have to excuse her. Sugar is just as bad as caffeine," the purple alicorn explained. Daybreak nodded.

"I'm sorry for the, ah... tying up business."

Twilight laughed.

"Sometimes I wish I could do the same."

"I'm right here," Pinkie said, frowning. She then blinked. "Hey, you said this was a game!"

Daybreak smiled tiredly. "It was, Pinkie. It was. And you won."

"Oh goody!"

"Just out of curiosity, how did you get her to give up on demanding a coffee drink? She's awfully persistent when she wants something." Twilight asked quietly enough for just Daybreak to hear. The unicorn looked at Twilight seriously.

"Your friend has a deadly caffeine allergy."

Daybreak then winked, her emerald eyes twinkling.