The air was still fresh after the night’s rain, now with a tinge of boiled corn and apple fritters. The sun shone with all the force it could muster, promising another muggy day. A slightly out of tune country band tried its best on stage, occasionally luring a few passersby to sit and listen. Ponies gathered and chatted in small groups, their children shuffling around impatiently and doing anything to catch their parents' attention. A few colts started to inhale helium from the balloons they were given at the clown booth. Various stalls of filly scouts, local artists and farmers dotted the gentle hillsides. Checkered blankets waited for any picnic-hungry occupants.

Ribbons hanging down the branches of small grove swiveled as two mares passed between them.

"Too much ponies. ‘Too many’ would have been an understatement," Hedvika groaned, her eyes scanning the meadow littered with stalls and ponies.

Luna only murmured in response, not really thinking about what the mare said. Her eyes roved around after anything that seemed like armor.

"Thank Celestia! You are here just in time!" A mulberry mare galloped to them, a wreath of daisies nearly falling off her head.

"Good morning, Miss Cheerilee." Hedvika smiled, waiting for the mare to catch her breath. "This is my old friend and colleague, uh... Clam. She stopped by on her return from Baltimare and I thought it would be a good idea to bring her here too. I hope you don't mind..." She grinned nervously.

"Not in the slightest. Welcome!" Cheerilee shook Luna's hoof, placing a small cornflower into the lapel of her lab coat simultaneously.

The princess slightly winced as the stem pressed onto one of her scratches.

"So Clamie, anything new in the research of the dolphin's melon?" Hedvika nonchalantly turned to the disguised princess, bumping into her side.

The normally calm and melodic voice of the alicorn was now replaced with a more high pitched, raspy version. "No, thou knowest I am more into sea cucumbers..." 'Clamie' forced a smile across her lips.

Hedvika cocked an eyebrow at the sentence, moving a hoof to clear her ear.

"Ah, I'll leave you to your discussion then. The stall for wildlife is over there. If you need anything, just call.” Cheerilee motioned to a few bare desks waiting up the hill. Suddenly, her brows furrowed, eyes glaring at a group of foals in the distance. “Snips! Stop bowling with Lily's hedgehogs!" The mare rushed away, staring at the unicorn colt.

"Seriously?" Hedvika turned to Luna.

"I have told thee I am not a scientist," the princess retorted in the strange voice, pushing the sliding goggles back up on her forehead.

"I am not talking about sea cucumbers, I mean ‘the voice’." Hedvika ceased her trot, waiting for the princess to catch up.

"This? I thought it would be good to use this fillyhood one for ‘Clam’. Although tis... uh it is making my focus on new Equestrian even harder. I have been studying it a lot lately. Is it good?" Luna ended her monologue, expectant grin on her face.

"Yeah, sure it is. If I haven't heard you before, I wouldn't think you spoke differently. Though for what does a young princess need such a weird voice?"

"Believe it or not, but this one originally belonged to the cook's assistant in our old castle. When I came sneaking in for a midnight snack in the kitchen, I sometimes encountered the staff already preparing breakfast. Luckily, the chef himself spent most of his duty heavily pondering in the corner..." Luna lowered her voice, giving a nervous smile and wave to a mare passing by them.

"Inconspicuous as an apple on a pear tree." Hedvika rolled her eyes, starting forward again.

"Did you say something?" Luna inquired, ruffling her healthy wing under the coat.

"Nothing. Please, continue with the story of yours."

"Alright... so, heavily pondering in the corner. When some sound woke him up, he did not bother to open his eyes. He just called, waiting for the assistant to reply. I learned to imitate her voice perfectly not to raise any suspicion. Later I added a full body transformation to it. Albeit that spell took a darker twist when I got older..." the princess trailed off, her eyes roving around again. "What did you mean that you heard my voice before?" She gave Hedvika a wary look, eyes piercing her to the soul.

"Well, when a certain pony yells during Nightmare Night at the edge of the Forest so much that even unripe zap apples fall to the ground, it's likely I'll remember it." The mare chuckled, her serious gaze locked with Luna's.

"How long exactly have you been in the Forest? Also, where has our dragon friend gone?" Luna shook her head, turning around to spot him.

"He's probably hiding somewhere..." Hedvika smirked and twitched slightly, swiftly heaving up her saddlebags. Luna would swear one of the previously empty pockets was now straining with its contents. Hedvika's voice drew back her attention "How long? Long enough to see Nightmare Moon's actions and your return, if you are asking that. To be honest, lots of ponies started wandering into the Forest after that." Hedvika unhooked her saddlebags, setting them near the assigned desk with a sigh.

"Oh…” Luna cocked her head, a curious spark in her eyes. “You know what happened that night?"

"If we can notice one princess falling into the Everfree, how are the odds that we won't take note of six mares shouting and singing around? There was just no reason for me or Sev to interfere... though watching them was quite a show." Hedvika pulled the jars and plants on the desk, placing a quill and some cards next to them.

"A show you say?" The princess smirked, eyeing the jars and their inhabitants warily.

"Guys, guys she is here!" a voice rang across the meadow.

Luna's ears perked up. "I know that voice—"

Three small colorful blurs rushed to Hedvika.

"Hey, you have a new scarf! Cool!" One of the blurs, which now slowed down considerably to be recognized as a filly, jumped around the two mares.

"Oh, oh is that the water stinger bug?" The unicorn with a swirly mane poked one of the jars.

"Eh, almost, Sweetie." Hedvika gently pushed the filly away. "Shoo girls, give me some space to breathe! Actually Apple Bloom, it's not new—"

"Yay, you brought a friend with you?" The pegasus filly jumped in the air, wings buzzing. Her eyes were wide with anticipation. The remaining two turned to Luna.

"Yes, Scootaloo... that's Clam. She's a marine biologist," Hedvika said, pawing at the ground ever so slightly.

"That's awesome! Nice to meet you!" Scootaloo stated, her eyes scanning intently every hair on ‘Clam’s’ body.

Luna felt droplets of sweat form on her forehead. How long was it since she talked to that foal in a dream? A week? Two weeks? Would the filly recognize her?

"So... You like marinate something in a lab?" The small pegasus cocked her head.

"No Sc—little one, it is more about sea—" Luna started, only to be cut off immediately.

"Wow, I really like your mane! I bet that if you didn’t tie it up, it'd be looonger than that of Princess Celestia! And if it was windy, it'd be moving gently just as hers!" Sweetie Belle let out a squee, tugging on her braid.

"Well, I doubt that." Luna had to chuckle. "But it is still pretty nice and wavy when I swim underwater."

"My sister says that simple braids are only for earth ponies, something about protecting mane from sweat, but yours is extraordinarily nice! Can you teach me how to do it? Pwetty please?" Sweetie Belle's face almost disappeared under the sheer size of her eyes, hooves clinging to the braid.

"Actually, you will have to ask Sev, he created this masterpiece." Luna swung her head, the massive braid flying behind her in the style of a fashion model. The filly only giggled from the unexpected mane ride she was given.

Luna winced as the weight of the filly tugged on her mane, her lab coat shifting along with her. The bandages crossing her chest in order to stabilize her wing came to view in the neckline’s new position.

"Aww, where is he! Can—" Sweetie Belle squealed merrily in Luna's ear, still hanging onto the braid.

Apple Bloom, stepping forward, sternly pulled down the excited unicorn. The filly gazed at Luna's chest. "What happened to y'all?"

"Oh, that? That was just—" ‘Clam’ waved her hoof dismissively through the air.

"She came here through the Everfree! I bet she got a little hurt doing something AWESOME! Like... like exploring a Diamond Dog's den or removing ticks from a Hydra or—or maybe she was herding Timberwolves, but something went wrong and they hunted her to the edge of a cliff and all she could do was jump down and swing on a vine, but it snapped in half and she fell into a bog with Cragadiles, but luckily a swarm of Parasprites saved her!" Scootaloo panted heavily, grinning from ear to ear.

"Something like that?" Luna shot Hedvika a pleading look.

"Yeah, just like that, Scootaloo. She really had endured a lot, so give her some time to rest." Hedvika patted the orange filly, maneuvering all of them from the princess. "You can help me label the creatures." She withheld the cards and the quill between her lips, pointing her head to the jars.

The fillies watched for a while, various degrees of annoyance about the work written clearly on their faces. Then Sweetie Belle shot forward, the other two following suit. “Cutie Mark Crusaders labelers, yay!”

They started milling around the desk, grabbing hooffuls of the labels and storming around, scribbling the names Hedvika was telling them with haste. Luna watched their improvised dance with a motherly smile, happy sparks shimmering in her eyes.

Reaching out to put a label to one of the jars, Apple Bloom stumbled. She fell backwards, landing on the saddlebag lying on the ground with a slight ‘poof’.

The bag moved, emitting quiet shuffling sounds. Apple Bloom dashed off immediately.

"I—uh—can't take it anymore!" The dead rooster poked his head out of the saddlebag.

The fillies fearfully squeezed between Hedvika's legs, each hugging one of them.

Sev rolled out the saddlebag, coughing up feathers. "You have no idea how hard it is to lay curled with nostrils pressed up to that bird. And as if that wasn’t enough, now somepony is stomping me!" His eyes narrowed at the sight of the Crusaders. “Windigoes damn me!”

"Sev!" the three little ones called in unison, swarming around the dragon.

"Please, style my mane!" Sweetie Belle tugged his tail, holding it like a prized toy.

"No! First show me that trick with your wings!" Scootaloo joined in, pulling at his leg.

They dragged him away, the dragon silently pleading with his eyes. Grooves after his talons marked the ground.

"These were the fillies with the Poison Joke?" Luna turned to Hedvika, rubbing her sore neck and mane. A few locks of mane glided to the ground, pulled out by Sweetie's weight earlier.

"Yep."

"I should have thought so." The princess gingerly sat down in the grass, staring after the fillies downhill.

Hedvika pulled out a small device in the form of a magnifying glass, attaching it to her horn. She began inspecting the plants closely, writing down the rest of the names on the labels and leaving Luna to her own thoughts.

The princess wriggled and circled in the grass, slowly lying down. She rolled around cozily, caressing the tall straws with her hoof. She turned her face to the bright shining orb, her mind wandering to the beach in Fillydelphia she visited a few weeks ago. Oh, how she would have liked to spread her wings and sunbathe again! Did Tia really have to tempt her like that with such a beautiful day?

The confines of the lab coat brought her back to reality. Stirring again in the grass, she drew her hoof across the dirt, mindlessly charting lines between the pebbles lying on the ground.

"Mommy, daddy!" A pegasus filly zigzagged to the stall. "Daddy! They have animals here!"

"Zippy, wait!" a heavily pregnant mare called, leaning on the broad shoulder of a large bearded stallion. Both slowly approached the stall.

Luna raised her head from her pebble-constellations, ears pricking at the squeaky voice. Her eyes shrunk to pinpricks in the next moment. She clutched the coat tighter to her sides, watching the large stallion. His shining white coat, shortly cut mane, well-kept wings and toned musculature were characteristics of properly trained royal guard. He was wearing glasses, but just like any insufficient coat or tail color that would violate the uniformity of the most representative soldiers, any eye defects could have been easily fixed by the spell cast on the guard's armor.

However... he had facial hair, which was clearly prohibited among the guards. But perhaps he was on vacation, not caring about his look until he had to return? If such was the case, that would mean he was most probably uninformed about current affairs, posing a lesser threat. And also, they were not seeking her that actively if a guard was allowed to stay on family vacation. And even if he knew, he surely wouldn't want to spoil their vacation, right? Or what if he was there undercover, using an artificial beard, ha! Or maybe not all the guards turned against her... or he wasn't a guard at all...

Luna rubbed her temples, trying to tie down the swirling vortex of thoughts in her head. She was never good at this. During all the political lessons they received as fillies, Celestia was able to weave her way through every argument, while Luna got tangled in every statement. She sighed, turning her gaze back to the ecstatic squeaky filly.

"Water wildlife?" The filly exclaimed, buzzing around the jars. "Do you have the water vole? Muskrat? Or a cuddly otter? I've read about them all in my encyclopedia! Do you have any?"

"No, I'm afraid... I have only invertebrates, water bugs mostly..." Hedvika beamed at the filly.

"You mean those with nippers and the breathing tube on its abdomen!" The filly adjusted her glasses, nearly dropping them into the jar.

The mare gave her an eager nod.

"Now Zippy, where are your manners?" Her mother panted, still trying to catch her breath.

"Oh, right..." The filly blushed, rubbing the back of her head. "Hello miss, I'm Zipporwhill!" She extended a hoof.

"Hedvika. Nice to meet you." The unicorn returned the gesture.

"Can I take one of them out?" The filly cocked her head to the side, eyes pleading.

"Sure, just be careful. Those round ones bite." Hedvika pushed the jar towards the filly.

The filly giggled as a familiar needle-shaped insect marched on her hoof. "This is just like the one time Fluttershy let me cuddle the butterflies!" She squealed happily.

"Oh, it must have been nice..." Hedvika massaged her temples, eyes tightly shut.

The princess watched the conversation for a while, then pulled back into the wall of grass, mentally scolding herself for being scared by the possibility of a might-be-guard standing near, just because she had been injured by one. It was such an act of a cowardice, sitting there and waiting till something happened. She had to get her powers back! She turned around, halting her gaze at a bush of yellow flowering buds.

She tried to call on her magic, hoping to at least pull the flower off the ground. A sharp spike of pain rushed through her forehead and a few sparks escaped her horn. She muffled a cry as a burning sensation ran through her spine. A few picked-out petals fluttered through the air.

But still... the self-control over her magic was returning! Luna focused her magic despite the throbbing pain, happy to see the leaves of the plant shaking in her—if faint—blue aura.

She turned around to see if anypony could see her or her magic. Spotting nopony around and the hypothetical guard with his wife paying full attention to their daughter, she focused more, tugging on the plant. It swayed slightly. She channelled more magic into her horn, pain pumping in her temples.

Another irritating sound from the filly broke her concentration. Luna huffed, glaring at the foal. Seriously, if that little squealing siren enjoyed sticking her head in the jar, let her be. But did she really have to produce all those bubbling and sloshing sounds!

The princess sighed again, flexing her shoulders and positioning herself against the defiant plant. She squinted her eyes, focusing on all the magic channels inside her body. She cracked one eye open. The stem swayed slightly in her magic. More magic. Maybe she could tear the plant to make it easier. No! Her magic was capable of such an easy task as picking up a whole plant, no need to cheat.

"Fluttershy..." Hedvika growled, plopping down next to the concealed alicorn. She watched after the leaving pair and their wet beige blur, with algae in her mane, zipping around them.

Luna curiously raised her eyes, horn still lit. "What? She is a kind and well-behaved mare."

"To ponies maybe... haven't really met her in person. But letting somepony cuddle butterflies is akin to their murder. Just like feeding ferrets vegetables. Or relocating a huge populace of frogs and nearly destroying the bog ecosystem..." Hedvika sighed. "That filly seemed like she had potential... at first. Though maybe—"

In a flash of light, the plant in Luna's magic broke into chunks, splatting orange liquid all around.

"Good job, ‘Clam’. I'm glad your magic concussion is ceasing... mostly." Hedvika rolled her eyes. "Can you please perform such spells somewhere else than in the middle of an overcrowded meadow? Just in case you'd manage to fry some foal. I don't want the parents to sue me or some non-existent unicorn. By the way, that's the juice of the Greatest Celandine. If I were you, I'd get rid of it before it peels away your fur..."

Wiping the orange mucus from her magnifying glass, Hedvika chuckled at the sight of Luna rolling around in the grass frantically.

"And there goes any inconspicuousness whatsoever…” Hedvika rubbed her temple, giving Luna an apologetic smile. “That was a little exaggerated, the spots will be a little itchy though. Also, aren't you hungry? I'm not sure if Jester was generous enough not to eat your breakfast..." She pulled out a zap apple from her bag.

Luna gave her a nod, her expression a mix of annoyance and eagerness.

Hedvika drew her dagger from its scabbard at the side of her bag and let it sink in the apple, slicing it unceremoniously. Rubbing the blade clean of the rainbow liquid on her coat, she thrust it back into the scabbard with haste.

"I hate the silvery aftertaste," she muttered and tossed one half of the apple to Luna.

The princess was caught off guard, the apple splatting on her forehead. The impact sent the goggles tumbling down over her eyes, protecting them from the sweet rainbow-colored river.

Hedvika turned away, choking on her half.

The princess released an irritated huff, then extended her tongue. Somehow, she was able to reach the juice on her forehead, licking it clean. She shook the apple into her hooves, ready to take a bite.

"Hmm... I'm afraid this might not end well." Hedvika scanned the meadow below them, her eyes moving between a group of foals and a road winding down the hill.

"Whaf?" Luna mumbled, stuffing the apple in her mouth. No matter what happened, nopony was going to eat her brunch again.

Thousands of windows glittered in the midmorning sun, the light reflecting and dancing around the alleyways surrounding the Canterlot Castle.

If the passersby in the streets below looked up, and wouldn’t be blinded by the flashes of light, they’d witness a truly majestic sight; a good dozen window washers dangled from the roof and spires of the castle, mercilessly fighting off any filth that dared to stick to the glass.

Hayseed Turnip Truck was rubbing one such window feverishly with the cloth, attacking one extra-defiant smudge. When he took this job, he was determined to do it dutifully. His resolution stood unchanged to this point and no small spot on a window was going to alter it.

He wiped off the sweat beading on his forehead, readjusting his cap. While doing so, his bucket tipped over, plummeting to the ground. Without thinking, Hayseed dove after it.

A young mare walked down the castle hall, trying to read through a variety of documents at once.

She jumped at the sudden slam next to her right. Scrolls of economic diagrams and land deeds glided from her magic grasp.

She turned her head with a grunt, expecting to see another pigeon plastered to the window. She really had to urge Celestia to hire a new falconer, before the castle grounds below became a cemetery of dead birds.

But there was no pigeon. Instead, a dirty young stallion dangled upside-down just outside the window, an empty bucket in his grasp. Spotting her, he wiped off a lock of wet mane from his eyes and grinned from ear to ear, revealing his overgrown yellowish teeth.

The mare gave him an awkward smile and a wave of hoof, picked up the documents she dropped and rushed down the hall far faster than needed. Getting to a safe distance from the window, she readjusted her glasses and straightened her crimson tie and white collar.

"Miss Raven?"

"Yes?" She pricked her ears, turning to face Kibitz, the royal schedule advisor. The elderly stallion galloped towards her.

He skidded to a stop before her, panting heavily. The stack of papers he carried burst in all directions.

Raven jumped forward, catching them with her magic. A few drops of sweat appeared on her forehead as she tried to maintain the spell around a paper stack of her own.

Kibitz coughed and continued, "I am glad I finally found you! But it's no surprise with all the rescheduling and extra work I now have due to our dear Luna's urgent departure to Las Pegasus. Why couldn't they have told me sooner?"

The younger mare just opened her mouth, being cut off immediately

"But I sought to ask you," Kibitz lowered his voice, "as her personal assistant, do you know why Celestia is acting in such a strange manner? She has already cancelled half-a-dozen courts for this week! Instead of a dinner with the Manehattan upper class, she arranged a meeting with Captain Armor, which was formerly planned next month! And now she has locked herself in her private chambers! All this since the night Luna left." He motioned down the corridor to the golden door.

The mare before him blinked and adjusted the glasses slowly sliding down her muzzle.

"I haven't noticed any big change in her behavior. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Luna left just yesterday?" She raised an eyebrow and continued, "I'd say it's simply all the stress after the griffons' visit and now all the extra duties, preparations for the Equestria Games and such. Actually, I wouldn't mind to lock myself in to just relax with a cup of tea and some snacks, but not all of us are that lucky." She eyed the pillar of papers next to her with a sigh.

"I guess you are right and I am just being paranoid," Kibitz shrugged, took the bunch of his scattered papers from her magic and resumed walking down the hall.

"Probably." The secretary stared after him for a moment, then trotted in the opposite direction.

Author's Notes:

Questions or comments?
Please report typos in the form of PM.
My earnest thanks go to the mighty MV for proofreading and editing.