---- The Royal Sisters go Ice Skating ----

Whenever you think consciously about a task, it becomes impossible

Deep inside the bowels of Canterlot Castle, where cobwebs crossed between the walls in complete blackness where the sun did not touch, stood two ponies, side by side, looking into a bowl.  One of them, clad in golden armor that stood out from her alabaster coat, ignited her horn and touched it to the silver liquid that moved without any force.  Turning slightly to the darker pony, the white one spoke with a hushed voice.  “Look now, Luna.”

The midnight-blue mare, for it was quite obvious that both of them were female, shifted slightly closer to the ancient catalyst of magic.  “Tia, we are unsure as to what you are wanting us to observe.”

“Simply watch, dear sister, and you will see.”  The older of the two, for she was slightly taller than the other, prodded the glowing bowl with her horn again.  “Show us, oh god of the water, what we wish to see.”

The one called Luna rolled her eyes and nudged her hoof into her sister’s white side.  “Tia, stop in your being so dramatic.  We know you simply jest.”  The elder sister looked over and made a shushing gesture before turning back to look into the bowl’s depths.  Without warning, the color shimmered for a moment, fluctuating between thousands of hues both known and unknown before coalescing into the image of a light-pink pony with a mane that was similar to cotton candy in shape.  The blue pony raised her eyebrows skeptically at her older sister.  “You wish for us to observe the one known as Pinkie Pie?  Celestia, what are you planning?”

Celestia merely shook her head and pointed at the pony who was dancing gracefully on a frozen lake of ice, the strange devices on her hooves that looked like knives were cutting small grooves into its surface.  The pony, giggling madly, spun repeatedly in the same spot before leaping into the air in a complex move that was nearly impossible for even the Canterlot dance teams to perform on the simple ground.  “Did you see that, Luna?  She does it so effortlessly.  It’s amazing to watch.”  Her sister’s voice was breathy with exhilaration as she watched the Element of Laughter do another seemingly impossible maneuver like it was as simple as walking.

“Hush, Tia, we are watching.”

“Hmp, a minute ago you were the one talking—“

“Shhh!”

“Oh fine.”  Celestia assumed a pouting face and looked sullenly at the party pony that suddenly launched herself into a series of tricks and turns that would have broken the bones of any other who had even tried to attempt them.  The royal sisters, for that is what their polished regalia and shoes indicated that they were, oohed and aahed appreciatively as they observed the dancer of the ice.  They both felt strangely empty as their entertainment leapt from the ice and removed the blades from her hooves.  For a few moments, they watched further as the pony began walking back into Ponyville until the liquid shimmered back into its original state, the bright glow fading and leaving the two sisters in darkness.

“Tia?”  Luna’s small voice seemed to be eaten by the darkness that surrounded them.

“Yes, Luna?”

“We wish to partake in that activity that we watched.”  Luna’s tone held a hint of eagerness that was barely concealed by her futile attempts to remain regal, as they had finally returned to the light-soaked halls above the basement where they had been stowed away for at least an hour.  They were unsurprised to find a pair of solar guards standing tall in their golden armor on either side of the door.

“Princess Celestia.”  The stated in unison, bowing to them both.  “Princess Luna.  Regents of the land and caretakers of our lives.”

Celestia waved a hoof playfully at them.  “Oh, Stalwart Spear and Burnished Armor, please cease with that old saying.  Just ‘Princess’ is enough.”  She sighed as they looked to each other uncertainly and then back to her, their eyes stating that they couldn't just stop their tradition on a word.  “Never mind.  Come, Luna, let us walk.”

“Hm?  Oh!  Yes, sister, we shall follow.”  With Celestia leading, the two sisters left the pair of bewildered guards standing alone in the hallway.  A few minutes of fast-paced walking later, they were in the middle of the grass field where the carriages that flew them to other parts of the land were stored.  “Um, why are you taking us out here, Tia?”  Turning around, the older sister saw the younger standing a small distance away and looking back at her with a confused expression.

Celestia simply raised an eyebrow at her sister’s hesitance.  “Why, Luna, didn’t you just say that you wanted to go do what Pinkie Pie was doing?”

With her blue ears laid back, Luna kicked at the tufts of grass and looked reproachfully at her sister.  “Well, we did say such… but we did not think that you had meant now, Tia.  Besides, it is too late for us to venture out to Ponyville today, just look at how close it is to my night.”  Looking to the sky, Luna felt a swift blow effectively shatter her argument.  She lowered her gaze to her sister who, upon being found out, simply smiled innocently.  “Tia, may we ask the reason as to why you decided to raise the sun to noon again?  Without asking us first?

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Luna.  I did nothing of the sort.  Come along, Luna, we are wasting daylight.”  Celestia turned away and began trotting towards one of the carriages.  The blue alicorn simply followed and stewed in her anger.

“Tia?”

“Yes, sister dearest?”  Celestia’s mocking tone made her all the more angry, driving the Luna princess to speed up and trot beside her sister so that she could glare out of the corner of her eye and be sure that Celestia saw it.

“You are a terrible liar.”  Luna bit her lip as her sister simply replied with a giggle, trying to suppress the shout of anger that threatened to escape and contenting herself to a dejected sigh.  “It appears we will be forced into this whether we like it or not.”  Another giggle came from beside her, prompting Luna to turn angrily and kick a broken carriage with a hoof.  Of course, such an idea was foolish as a panel iron-reinforced wood is quite hard; much harder than a pony’s hoof, even with a diamond shoe encasing it.  

“Come, dear sister, let us venture to Ponyville!”  Celestia's shout held an oozing of enthusiasm as she looked down at the younger of the two, who glared up defiantly in return.  “We can’t leave those kind ponies waiting can we?”  The alabaster princess put on a sad, tragic expression.  “And I fear that if the sun stays up much longer the ice will melt.”

In one last act of defiance, the Princess of the Night sat down and smirked.  “What if we do not wish to go?”  Of course, being the younger sibling does come with certain disadvantages, like being unable to overpower the elder if they wanted you to do something.  “Tia, put us down!”  Luna felt heat rush into her face as the blurred shapes of the servants looking up at her flashed through her vision.  “Stop moving us in this manner!”  Without warning, the world stopped spinning as she dropped onto something hard.

“All right, ready to go?”  Luna felt a hoof pat her mane condescendingly.  “Stalwart Spear!  Burnished Armor!  Let us depart!”  The guards, which had somehow followed them through the corridors without their notice, flapped their wings and, with effort, pulled them into the sky.  Luna looked up into her sister’s eyes, which were filled with a childish excitement that much mirrored her own that lay under the sting of defeat.  “I must say, this seems as if it will be very… cool, Luna, don’t you think so to?”

Groaning at her sister’s terrible sense of humor, the midnight blue princess simply turned and looked out over the lands that the ruled together.

After what seemed like ages, the two were jolted back into alertness as the carriage came into contact with the hard-packed ground of one of the many streets that extended outward from Ponyville.  As they eventually came to a complete stop, Celestia removed the harnesses from the pegasi who were struggling with them.  “Sirs, I require of you a thing of the utmost importance.”  She urgently gestured for them to come closer.  “Find the one known as Pinkie Pie and bring her to us.  We require knowledge of something only she can do.  Go.”  She finished her request by pointed towards the small town and sending the guards on their way.

“Sister, what is it that you are planning to do with Pinkie Pie?”  Luna couldn’t keep the excited tone out of her voice as she watched the guards trot swiftly around a corner and out of sight.  “And what are we going to do?”

“Why, we will have her tea—“  Celestia cut off as she watched a bright pink pony bounce down the road that her guards had just disappeared behind.

“Hiya Princess and Princess!”  Giggling madly, Pinkie Pie circled their carriage a few times before coming to a stop, or as close to stopping as Pinkie gets, in front of them.  “What are we going to do together?  Is it going to be fun?  I love fun things, like petting animals or pranking ponies or baking treats!  Oooh, do you like to bake tre—“  The high-pitched voice stopped suddenly as a stallion’s hoof was pushed against the mouth that moved around it.

“Apologies… princesses… but—“

“Stalwart Spear?  Burnished Armor?  What in Equestria happened to you?”  The normally very neat stallions were completely covered in some kind of batter that had small bits of brightly colored foil sticking up in odd places.  “Is that… cake batter?”  She reached over and took a small amount of the liquid off of one of their bodies and licked it delicately.  “Oh, it is cake batter.”

“Yes, princess, it is.”  Stalwart Spear muttered something that could only barely be made out.  “Put the cake batter in the confetti cannon.  That mare isn’t right.”

“Well, whatever it is go wash yourselves in the river.  Guards such as yourselves shouldn’t be seen covered in filth like that.”  Luna waved a hoof at them angrily, glancing at her sister who had the most curious expression upon her face.  “Tia, we know what you are thinking.”

The alabaster pony shook her head and assumed a pouting expression that seemed to be one of her favorites of late, muttering softly about how “she won’t let me have my fun.  It was good cake batter too.”  Smiling to herself, Luna looked to Pinkie Pie and back to her sister before coughing loudly enough to pull Celestia from her brooding.  “Hm?  Oh, yes, Pinkie.”  Jumping out of the carriage with Luna close behind, Celestia drew herself up and prepared to speak.  “Yes, Pinkie Pie, we have summoned you here for a—“

“Um, Tia, she isn’t here.”

Her eyes snapped open, the golden irises looking around at the ponyless landscape with confusion before looking back to her sister.  “Well, where did she go?”