Twilight rolled around in her bed her wing instinctivly covering her head as Celestia's sun began to shine through the window "Morning already?" She thought to herself as she finally relented to the sun's demands and opened up her eyes to greet the day around her. She looked around her room, everything seemed to be in place, books, more books, parchment, ink, saddlebags, Tempest's armor. "Wait what?" She asked herself. Then she remembered Tempest's behaviour from the day before as she heard the tiniest of whinny-snores to her left.

Twight looked down and saw Tempest sleeping soundly by her side, still tightly clutching the Songbird Serenade plush the princess had gifted her the day before. Twilight couldn't help but chuckle. "Sweet Celestia she's too cute when she's sleeping." The princess thought to herself with a blush. Though as Tempted as Twilight was to just sit there and watch the pony sleep she knew she had to get ready for the day. As Celestia had taught her "When the sun rises so must a princess." She recited as she hopped out of bed and began to head towards the master bathroom.

Suddenly though Twilight heard a small rustling from the bed and saw that Tempest was waking-up as well. The mare's eyes slowly opened up as she stretched and yawned, like Twilight before her taking in her surroundings, her eyes and ears becoming aleart when she realized she wasn't in her bedroom. Darting up Tempest looked around until her eyes met Twilight's. "Good morning little one." Twilight jokingly cooed, smiling at her friend. "P, princess, w,what am, why am I in your chambers, in your bed?" Tempest stuttered and blushed.

Twilight approached her friend levitating the nervous unicorn out of her bed. "Well you were quite insistant on an impromotu sleepover last night." The princess replied as she slowly put the paniced pony on the ground. "Oh, yes, well..." Tempest blushed. "I, i apologize for my unprofessional behavior then. I over stepped my bounds, It will not happen again." Tempest stated as she set the Songbird Serenade plush on a nearbye nightstand.

Twilight trotted-up and wrapped her wing around Tempest. "Don't be sorry. You're not just my guard Tempest, you're my friend. And sleepovers, no matter how last minute they are, well thats something friends do." Twilight responded with a smile.

Tempest just looked at her friend and sighed. "Still, I do know I have not been the easiest mare to deal with these past few days, and for that I am truly sorry princess." She responded.

"Well, maybe a nice warm bath will help you clear your head." Twilight chuckled. Tempest now noticing the princess had led them into the masterbath as they talked. Tempest froze as her face turned bright red. "Yay, bathtime with mama!" Filly Fizzle cheered inside Tempest's mind. "Huh, so the rumors are true, alicorn's are huge perverts." The commander's voice cackled in return.

Tempest looked at the master bath. The large square tub built into the floor could easily fit six or seven ponies inside it. "This is practically a small pool!" She thought to herself, watching the warm steamy water slowly swirl around. "You know, you're not going to get clean just by staring at it." Twilight chuckled as she playfully splashed some water in Tempest's direction. Tempest just looked at the princess whose wet mane glistened in the light. "I, I still do not think it would be appropriate for me to use what is your princess" Tempest nervously replied.

"Nonsense." Twilight interjected. "Spike uses this tub all the time for his seven hour bubblebaths and Rarity comes over and commenders it whenever the spa is closed for repairs. What kind of princess of friendship would I be if I didn't share such luxeries with the ponies I cared about." She exclaimed giving Tempest a playful wink.

"I suppose that makes sense." Tempest replied as she slowly but surely entered the tub with the princess. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it." Twilight chuckled, a sly look on her face. "I suppose not." Tempest chuckled in kind.

The bathwater was nice and warm, the bubbles tickeling Tempest's fur, the steam helping her relax. She set there for minutes just relaxing when she felt something bump up next to her. She opened her eyes and saw Twilight sitting right next to her. "Princess!" Tempest nervously exclaimed. Splashing water as she moved. Twilight just chuckled "At ease soldier." Tempest stopped and blushed. Twilight with a devious smile on her face levitated a bottle of shampoo and a scrubing brush above her. "Now, lets get you cleaned-up." Tempest just let out a small nervous whinny.

After Tempest's enjoyable if not somewhat akward bath with the princess she went to her bedroom to retrieve Grubber who was unsuprisingly still asleep. Meanwhile Twilight had managed to round-up Spike and Starlight and the group headed to Mayor Mare's office.

"I still don't see why we all had to come along just to go to the Mayor's office." Spike huffed. "That place is so boring!"

"Yea, totally boring." Grubber agreed in kind.

Twilight just rolled her eyes. "Well the zoning papers for the new hotel finally came in so i'll be filling those out while Starlight helps the Mayors secretary draw-up plans for this years Nightmare Night festivities. And besides, everything is always better with friends, right Tempest?" The unicorn said giving her friend a knowing smile.

"Um, yes, that is correct." Tempest responded trying her best to sound serious and proffessional.

"Fine" spike huffed. "But I get to pick where we eat lunch today, if we even get to eat lunch." He pouted. Twilight just rolled her eyes and gave the little dragon a soft smile.

At the Mayor's office things ran rather smoothly as Mayor Mare had all the paperwork organized properly much to Twilight's surprise. Starlight and the mayor's secretary swapped stories about their marefriends over coffee as they planned the coming Nightmare Nights celebration and Spike and Grubber spent most of the time annoying the janitor asking him questions like what the grossest thing he had ever cleaned up or if it was true that the Mayor only dyed her hair grey and so on.

After the groups had finished their tasks they were preparing to leave when the mayor spoke up. "Before you go princess Twilight, I had a favor I would like to ask of you."

"Of course, anything Mayor, what is it?" Twilight asked.

"Well, you see..." The mayor chuckled, a bit nervously. "I had planned to have a small get together for the fillies & colts of Ponyville in the park tomorrow. Nothing too big, just a little fall fun, a bounce house, some ballons and snacks from sugarcube corner, stuff like that." The mayor replied.

"I'm sure they'll love it." Twilight replied. "But ah, what does that have to do with me?" She asked.

"Well, the thing is...." The mayor gulped. "I had also booked for Countess Coloratura to come and sign autographs, but her new agent called me this morning and said she was sick with hoofing cough. So I was hoping maybe, you could come and spend time with the children in her place?" The mayor smiled sheepishly.

Twilight smiled at the mayor. "Of course, we'd be honored. Right guys?" Twilight said staring back at her crew.

"Sounds fun to me." Spike chimed in.

"Totally!" Grubber agreed.

"Sure, why not." Starlight replied.

"As you wish Princess " Tempest nodded in compliance. "Oh, yay playtime with Mama!" Filly Fizzlepop cheered. "Not for you little one, tommorow is my turn." The commander sneered. "B, but playtime!?" The filly cried. "Hush you two!" Tempest whispered. "We'll work something out, just be quite."

The next day Twilight and the others arrived at the park bright & early to help the mayor get things set up.

"OK Everypony. Are you ready to brighten some colts & fillys day!?" She asked her friends.

"Yea!" They shouted in unison.

"Yes Princ..." Tempest began to respond stopped as a sever pain stampeded through her skull as she put her hoof up to her head & whinced.

"Are you ok Tempest?" Twilight asked, a concerned look on her face .

"Oh, yes, I will be fine princess, its just a headache, nothing I can't handle." She huffed with a forced smile.

"Ok then." She replied, her look still one of concern. "Well I better go find Mayor Mare and see what she needs us to do." Twilight stated as she slowly trotted off. Tempest just nodded as she watched Twilight walk off.

"Let me out. Its my turn and you know it!" The commander hissed. "No, I wanna play with mama!" Filly Fizzlepop whinned. "Both of you just stop!" Tempest shouted internally. "We, we'll just take turns today? Ok?" She begged the voices. Their was a short pause, but eventually she heard the two begrudgingly say "OK"

Twilight was concerned about Tempest, despite the guardspony telling her it was only a headache she had a feeling in her gut that something else was up. She watched Tempest out of the corner of her eye. Seeing the subtle changes as she walked through the park. Noticing that she stayed calm and reserved around Starlight as they organized the displays & decorations, but quickly got angered with Grubber and Pinkie Pie as they tried to get her to sample some cupcakes, yet she smiled with an innocent filly like glee as she helped Spike and the Crusaders inflate the bounce house. "Hmm?" Twilight exclaimed under her breath. Something was going on with that pony, and it was more then just a headache.

"Rainbow Dash. Get your lazy flank out of that tree right now!" The commander hissed looking up at the pegasus.

"Jeez, Chill out Tempest. I was just taking a short break." The perky pegasus replied.

"Perhaps, but the children will be here any minute and I am sure they wouldn't be to impressed by a Wonderbolt lazily napping in a tree. Now would they?" She calmly replied.

"Hehe, guess not." Dash grinned sheepishly before jumping out of the tree to resume her assigned set-up duties.

"Good, the sooner this gets started the sooner we can leave." The commander hissed. "No, the sooner we can play with mama!" Filly Fizzlepop cheered.

Twilight looked on at her friend, now noticing that she seemed to be talking to herself. She just sighed anxiously "I really hope nothing bad happens today."

Author's Notes:

Next time: Something bad happens.

After That: Enter Princess Luna