The long-abandoned Castle of the Two Sisters did not see much use despite the efforts of the recently crowned Princess of Friendship and company to revitalize its interior. The myriad tapestries had only seen a cursory mending, and many a stone still lay haphazardly atop its fellows. Moonlight streamed in through the still ruined ceiling, casting the former royal hall in a eerie enough light to dissuade even the most daring of ponies from venturing within. It was an altogether horrible place in which to suddenly find oneself summoned...

...and perfect for the odd discreet midnight meeting.

“I suppose you four are wondering why I've assembled you before me on this, the eve of such an important day.”

All eyes instantly were drawn to the alicorn in the room.

Princess Luna strode into the irregular shaft of moonlight, resplendent in her obsidian royal regalia. She met the eyes of each of her summoned guests in turn before resuming her address.

“There is a task that must be accomplished, and the four of you have proven to be masters at your craft and most importantly...”

Luna turned to one side and paused to further emphasize her next words.

“...adept at working with one another under the most demanding of deadlines.”

Facing her conspirators once more, Luna laid her demands on the table.

“Before each of you is a folder containing the details outlining your part in this job. You will each be assigned an outfit of my Lunar Guardsponies, whom I've commanded to follow your orders. However, I will tolerate no wanton deviation from our goal. You will be expected to obey these instructions I've provided you to the letter and coordinate your efforts like the professionals you are. Am I understood?”

For a single, precious second it seemed as though there would be no dissension, but to her irritation a single hoof hung in the air. Luna, barely hiding her annoyance recognized the one among them brazen enough to question her.

“Speak your piece.”

A calm, almost lyrical voice cut through the tension of the night as the hoof's owner ambled toward Luna.

“Well, Princess, if you really wanted to discourage wanton deviation...”

As the mare speaking entered the moonlight, her fellows were suddenly beset by a disturbing amount of dread. They had all been summoned independent of each other, brought from their homes or workplaces to this dreary castle via the Princess's teleportation spell. They'd not seen hide nor hair of each other since they'd arrived, but this mare...she was in possession of an uncomfortable air of familiarity in each of their respective memories...

That...and a dangerous amount of pink.

“...Then why invite me to this party?”

Silence reigned in the ramshackle royal chamber.

Then, despite herself...

Luna smiled.

Princess Celestia stood on her balcony overlooking the city of Canterlot. Dawn was about to break, and Luna had yet to join her. While normally a cause for alarm, Celestia paid it no mind. She'd noticed Luna had been avoiding eye contact with her whenever they saw each other for the past few weeks, a sure sign that Luna didn't want Celestia to know something. Given that Hearth's Warming Day was about to start, Celestia hadn't a doubt in her mind that Luna had some kind of surprise in store for her.

It was with this thought firmly in mind that she didn't bat an eye when a familiar spell started to take shape around her.

Oh, this was new.

If she recognized the dimensions of the room beyond the cagel she'd been teleported into, this was one of the dungeon cells from their old castle! She could only imagine that the sound of the pipe organ was Luna's doing as well. Oh, she must've been taking lessons but was too embarrassed to tell Celestia or perhaps for fear that it would tip her off to this plan of Luna's.

Oh, and speak of the Nightmare!

She'd heard from Twilight's old reports that Luna pulled this sort of trick for the foals once or twice on Nightmare Night.

Of course Celestia made sure to show her “pleading terror” expression for Luna's sake. It certainly wouldn't do for her to think that all the effort she must've expended for this was wasted.

And bravado and bravado.

And monologue and monologue.

And posturing and posturing.

Really, after a millennium of repelling attempts at conquest and coup alike, the paperwork was scarier than this, but she made sure to tremble for her sister.

Luna had certainly gone all out for this prank. She even brought in the Elements to help with the whole charade. While Celestia was in no real danger, as with a touch of her horn, she could raise the temperature of any material to the point of either melting or combustion, she made a show of clinging onto the hope of her rescue.

Oh, Pinkie, you'll hit your head on the ceiling if you keep bouncing so h-

What?!

A floorless cage, that had been suspended above a hatch in the ceiling, just fell from Pinkie's tug on the hatch's tassel.

This is very new.

And gloating and gloating.

And...hmm. For putting on an act the other Elements are...quite convincing. If Celestia didn't know better, she probably would've believed those looks of hurt and betrayal on their faces.

Of course she knew well the kinds of masks a pony can don when the need arises.

So when their new cage was lifted back up through the hole it dropped through, along with the section of the floor it had embedded itself into thereby trapping the other Elements and carrying them away, Celestia tried her best to look sufficiently mortified.

Then “Nightmare Moon” left Celestia “to her misery”, and Pinkie Pie followed behind her, spewing all sorts of nonsensical ideas for running the country under an eternal night. When the two were about to leave her field of vision...

...Pinkie winked at her...

...and then blew a raspberry.

What was that supposed to mean?!

Is it a signal that Pinkie has a plan of some sort?

Is it a playful jab at the perceived predicament that Celestia is in?

Neither? Both?

What?!

Celestia could usually read most ponies' moods and intentions with practiced ease, but Pinkie Pie continuously evaded all explanation, even by her best psychological experts.

Wait...what was she thinking about before?

Oh. Right. “Captured”.

Celestia touched her horn to the door of her cell.

“I believe this farce has gone on long enough.”

In seconds, the only obstacle to her escape had been reduced to a slightly sweet-smelling slag.

“Alright, let's not waste any time.”

Celestia reached out for the sun and moon with her magic, and she found them easily, but when she began to pull the moon down below the horizon, making way for her sun to start the day, it resisted her gentle tug.

“Oh, so that's how it's going to be.”

She concluded that, since “Nightmare Moon” hadn't gone to the trouble of actually banishing her, had removed the use of the Elements from play, and had only matched the effort Celestia used to usher in the day in her resistance; then it was expected of her to break out of this prison on her own, soar up into the sky, where her connection to the heavens would be naturally stronger, and force the coming of the day, “saving” her subjects from “Nightmare Moon” once again and starting the Hearth's Warming Day festivities.

Well, if there's one thing Celestia was, it would be that she was punctual.

Now, she knew within moments of opening her eyes that the darkened dimensions of her cell room matched with one of the few above-ground dungeon floors of their old castle.

She also knew that she'd be expected to teleport herself out into the open air above the castle, taking the fastest route that would ensure victory.

But where, pray tell, was the fun in that?!

With a -CRUNCH!- Celestia tore through a wall she knew led to open air, and as she expected, she was immediately set upon by Luna's guards. Ones Celestia herself had employed and trained in anticipation of her return. She knew exactly what they were each capable of and twice over how to outpace them.

While she was flying about, Celestia happened to notice that certain shapes in the darkness did not match up to her memories of the environment outside the old castle. There was no chasm, no bridge, and the forest looked less...wild.

By the time she successfully lost her pursuers, Celestia decided that enough was enough. Too few things were adding up, and there was no reason to further delay her from returning the light of day.

Except for the “Nightmare” flying out to meet her.

And jeering and jeering.

And insults and insults.

And...oh sod this!

“You know, Luna, I think I've had just about enough of your little prank this year. It's become quite tiresome.”

“Tell me, Celestia, was it tiresome to rule Equestria for so long unopposed?”

Celestia was struck. She didn't know which had thrown her off more: the bolt of magic or the barbed comment.

“Your failure to best me when we fought; does it still burn you up inside?”

Two more shots from her blind spot hammered Celestia in her chest. While the singe mark wouldn't last forever, the jab had sent her reeling.

“I was always the better fighter between the two of us, sister, and the only reason I was not victorious in our last encounter no longer stands in my way!”

Celestia was floored. Was this truly happening? Was Luna...?

As she tried to pick herself up, she felt Nightmare Moon's magic yank her back into the air.

“Now, Celestia! Tell! Me! Of! Your! SUFFERING!”

Celestia could withstand the assault no longer. Her face fell.

“I...I don't...”

And then there was no stopping it.

“I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN!!”

The hold was broken, and Celestia unleashed everything she'd been holding back.

“You've only just come back to me! I tried to be there for you as often as I could, but I knew our old foes were so soon to return, and at the same time there was the nobles...and Twilight...and...no. There's no excuse for this! It's been over a thousand years, and I still made that same, stupid mistake! And it tears me up to think I could've avoided this if only I done more, delegated more.”

Celestia was lashing out blindly, and every strike missed its mark.

Nightmare Moon's next move, however, flew straight and true.

“Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?”

Celestia flinched, and the force of the blow sent her careening down into a collision with the castle's thick outer walls.

For a moment, she just laid there, emotionally spent, letting the right side of her body get acquainted with the floor. As she stared blankly out the hole she crashed through, she started to recognize the vague outlines of the landmarks in the surrounding forest through the darkness.

“Wait, that's not the Everfree Forest, that's Whitetail Woods.”

In light of this new revelation, a new puzzle emerged.

“But...this is the castle...our old castle! How?”

Celestia, on a whim, took a closer look at the wall she crashed through.

“What? Is this...really...?”

Then she took a closer smell.

“This. This is gingerbread!”

And all of the gears ground to a halt.

“If I'm not mistaken...”

Celestia looked up and back out of the hole to see Luna, the smile of the moon setting behind her.

“I believe the word you use is: Gotcha!”

Celestia balked.

What?

Her attention captured suddenly by the sound of hooves in the adjoining hallway, Celestia righted herself, somewhat mechanically, in anticipation of company.

What she did not anticipate, however, was the arrival of all of the Elements, plus a stallion, a griffon and a mule, the latter three of which she suddenly recognized from a baking competition she hosted recently.

Before anypony else could get in a word about the absurdity of the whole debacle Celestia had just experienced, Pinkie Pie let out an exuberant shout.

“Happy Hearth's Warming Day, Your Highness!”

Celestia paused. For the barest of moments, she was unsure.

Then she heard the gentle pattering of Luna alighting on the iced gingerbread floor beside her.

“I hope I didst not go too far, sister?”

Celestia regarded her sister once more.

As she reflected on the whole ordeal, she realized that she felt...perhaps a little bit lighter.

So it was that after a long moment...

Celestia smiled.

“It was perfect, Luna, you finally got me.”

Celestia wrapped a wing around her sister. Then the Elements, and even the bakers joined in the group hug.

“Happy Hearth's Warming.” Next Chapter: No Place Like Home For The Holidays (for TurnWrongTheStranger) Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 15 Minutes