Friendship Is Mind Control

Focusing Celestia

"Awaken. Awaken! AWAKEN!" Twilight yelled, rapidly escalating to a deafening shout.

Her closest friends blinked at her.

"Awaken?" she tried again. Nothing happened.

Twilight took a deep breath, and let it go. "It really isn't doing anything. Thank goodness." Tapping her ear, she gestured at the other ponies. One by one, they took off their colourful earmuffs. Naturally, even with little time to work with, Rarity had individualised all six sets to each pony's coat and mane colour.

"Whew. Couldn't hear a darn thing. Not anything. Never heard so much nothing in all my life. You going to try peeling them off our heads with magic now?" Applejack asked.

"I already did. They didn't seem to want to budge."

Rarity smiled with satisfaction. "Splendid. These really will provide a decisive advantage for you, Twilight."

"I'm really grateful you could put them together so quickly!" Twilight replied.

"Oh, piff paff, my Lady. Ear muffs? These are hardly a strain for my talents."

Twilight's living room was crowded with ponies and their travelling things, packing away their freshly enchanted earmuffs for the trip to Canterlot. Fluttershy coughed, delicately.

"Um. Shouldn't we be heading to the train station? I know the train won't be there just yet, but if it leaves early, and we miss it, then everything will be ruined..."

"You're right, Fluttershy. Come on, everypony. Get your things, and let's go."

"I've got the picnic!" Pinkie sang out, heaving a huge bag onto her shoulders.

"For who, the whole castle?" Rainbow teased.

Twilight shepherded the five out of her home, and locked the door behind her. Chatting amiably, as if they weren't off to overthrow the rightful Princess of Equestria, they set off for the station. Twilight trailed a few steps behind them, letting the others talk, and they seemed to understand her need to think quietly.

She checked her satchel once again. Train tickets, map of the castle, timetable of the plan - in code, in case anyone looked into her bag - and earmuffs. She'd reconsidered carrying the Element of Magic with her, once they retrieved them from the vault, but decided against it again. She didn't want Celestia to sense its power on her, and be made wary.

In vindication of Fluttershy's worries, the train was indeed sitting steaming at the station. They piled onboard, occupying a compartment with a sliding door that cut them off from the bustle of the rest of the train. It had been more expensive, but saving bits was the last thing on Twilight's mind right then.

In a few hours, she'd face Celestia, and try to take over her mind. Now that she was setting off to do it - or, if she was more honest with herself, now that she wasn't so horny - the idea had begun to colour itself in shades of guilt again. She looked out of the window as the train began to move, glancing up at the sun for an instant before lowering her gaze.

This was going to be really hard.

"Hey, Ma'am. Ma'am? Twilight?"

Twilight shook herself and gave Applejack a wan smile, before quickly shoring up her expression into something more believable. "Yes?"

"Come'n play a game of cards with us, why don't you?" Applejack said fondly.

"Oh, Applejack. It's a nice idea, but I have to think about the plan."

"You've been working on that plan for days. No point worrying about it anymore, we'll go up there and we'll do what we need to. Besides, we're on the train now. Won't do you a bit of good fretting yourself into a big bag of nerves. Come take your mind off it."