A Royal Problem/Gallery

Main category: A Royal Problem images

Prologue: The Cutie Map calls Starlight[]

Everyone's reaction.

Twilight.exe has stopped working.

Thanks, Spike. (Close your mouth, please, Twilight, you are not a codfish.)

"I know! I can't believe it either!"

"The map has never called me before!"

Starlight's first ever squee.

"I'm sure that's not why she looks... like that."

Twilight.exe has rebooted.

"Actually, it is."

"Well, it's that and the fact that you're being called to the royal palace!"

"I mean, what in Equestria could be going on there?!"

"You want me to come with you?!"

"No. I shouldn't."

"The map just called you for a reason, right?"

"Heh. Though maybe it's a mistake."

"Not because of you!"

"Because it's never called just one of us before."

"I also wasn't nervous before, but now..."

"Don't worry."

"For all we know, it's something small."

"Like maybe the cooks are fighting over who has the best butternut squash soup."

"Or the royal hairdressers are fighting over a comb."

"Or, you know, maybe the royal sisters aren't seeing eye-to-eye on something."

Gasp!

"No! That's just crazy!"

"Luna and Celestia would never fight."

"Again."

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

A problem between royal sisters[]

"So the map sent you to solve a friendship problem?"

"Yes, princess."

"Well, there's nothing wrong here. Right, sister?"

Oh, goodness.

"No. Everything's perfect as usual, sister."

(Seven years I've been back from the moon, and STILL no throne of my own?)

Reaction from those who realized that we're getting a royal sisters episode.

I'm detecting some issues between the royal sisters.

Here's where you'll be staying, Starlight.

"Psst! Pssst!"

New from Hasbro! Only $4.99!

"Twilight?"

"Is that you?"

"How are you here?"

"I'm not. I'm still home."

"It's an easy spell. I'll show you later."

"Anyway, enough about me. I had to check on you."

"Not in a meddling kind of way!"

"In a friendly "how's it going?" kind of way. So, how's it going?"

"Not great."

"I think the problem might be between Celestia and Luna."

"Oh, no, that's terrible!"

"I mean, what makes you say that?"

"You know how some ponies say nothing's wrong..."

"...but you can tell something's definitely wrong?"

"Noooooo..."

Not very convincing, Twilight.

"That's basically what the princesses did when I said there was a friendship problem."

"Only they did it more, you know, regally."

"Oh, I wish I could help you, but I can't –"

"...both for map reasons and because I have no idea!"

"This is big! Like, really big!"

Not helping, Twilight!

"But I'm here if you ever need to talk. Or listen to music."

"Heh. Comforting, right?"

Not really.

Pancake breakfast / Consulting with Twilight, part 1[]

Cutest breakfast ever :)

"Thank you so much for breakfast, princess."

"I can't believe you cook it yourself."

"Of course, Starlight!"

"I really enjoy doing it."

"It's a small way to say I care."

"Good morning, sister!"

"Join us?"

"Too tired."

For a princess, you're not very ladylike. (But, then again, neither is your sister!)

"Please excuse me."

"Wow."

"Last night must've been really hard on her."

"Perhaps. But she is like this every morning."

Aw! The perfect breakfast going to waste!

"So I think Luna may be hurting her sister's feelings..."

"...without even realizing it."

"Poor Celestia."

"That's so sweet that she..."

"...makes her sister pancakes every morning."

"She's your mentor. I think you might be biased."

"Fair enough."

"So what are you gonna do?"

"Nothing, yet."

"I have to get all the facts."

"I asked Luna if I could spend some time with her this evening."

"Princess Luna's waiting for you, miss."

"Good luck, Starlight!"

Who said that?!

Lavender bouquets / Consulting with Twilight, part 2[]

"Wow, Princess Luna."

"You do this every night?"

"Lavender's calming scent is known to aid dreamers in achieving a restorative sleep."

"That's so thoughtful!"

"I try my best to make sure the ponies in this castle sleep peacefully."

"And so, then I said..."

"...'Touring? More like 'boring'!'"

"Oh, you really are a card!"

Salt levels are rising.

"But as always, my sister is too busy..."

"...having fun with dignitary ponies..."

"...to acknowledge anything I do."

"Hmph!"

"So, both princesses are..."

"...hurting each other without realizing it."

"And instead of talking about it, they're just getting colder and more distant."

"And they're Celestia and Luna."

"So it's not like you can just confront them."

"Actually, that's exactly what I was gonna do."

"What?! Are you crazy?!"

Yes, Twilight! She is crazy! She's always crazy!

"I mean, heh..."

"...you do whatever you think is best."

"This is your mission."

Twilight, this isn't "Lesson Zero".

"Gee, thanks for believing in me, Twilight."

"I do. But the last time the princesses fought..."

"...Luna turned into Nightmare Moon..."

"...and Princess Celestia had to banish her for a thousand years!"

"That can't happen again!"

"Well, I can't do nothing."

"The princesses aren't the best at communicating with each other." (Brutal honesty)

Oh! Blunt, Starlight!

"Sorry. It's just..."

"...you said 'princesses'..."

"...and 'aren't the best'..."

"...in the same sentence..."

"...and it's making me nervous!"

AnimatedJames would be so proud.

Twilight: "I'm not much help, am I?" Starlight: "No!"

Direct confrontation[]

"Wow."

"I almost feel bad eating this. It's adorable."

"Like I said, I enjoy this part."

Ew! You ate the banana peel?!?

"Hi."

"Uh, Princess Luna! Wait!"

Holy smokes!

It's okay, Starlight! It's okay! She's just tired!

"As you both know..."

"...the map sent me here for a reason, and I..."

"...think I found out what it is."

"Really? Oh, that is wonderful, Starlight!"

"What is it?"

"You two."

Celestia: "Excuse me?" Luna: "I beg your pardon?"

"I think you're accidentally hurting each other's feelings without realizing it."

"Princess Celestia, does it bother you that Luna never notices..."

"...the wonderful breakfasts that you prepare for her?"

"Uh... Y-Yes."

"It does."

"Princess Luna..."

"...tell Celestia how you feel about the fact that she never acknowledges the work you put into..."

"...lining the hallway with lavender every night."

"I... Well, I..."

"...I-It's not the best feeling."

"I'm sorry I never noticed that you make..."

"...fruit faces on pancakes."

"...but nights are long for me."

"You might be a morning pony, but I am half-asleep."

"You think I don't get tired?"

"I'm exhausted!"

"Oh, I apologize for not noticing flowers in a wall sconce."

"But by the time I get to retire for the night..."

"...I can barely see straight!"

"Even so, I still make an effort to smile!"

Oh! Sit your flank down, Luna!

"Like smiling is so hard."

"I-I-I'm sure that's not what Princess Luna meant to say."

"Is that what exhausts you?"

"Smiling and being adored by everypony?"

"And you have it so much worse, do you?!"

"You've spent your evenings..."

"...flitting around giving ponies lovely dreams!"

"Oh, it sounds just awful!"

"Okay!"

"I feel like we should step back, take a deep breath..."

Geez, Luna! You are just rude when you're sleepy!

"Don't presume to know what it is like to..."

"...govern the dream realm!"

"And yet you know exactly..."

"...what it's like to be me?!"

"Oh, please!"

The sun-and-moon switch / Consulting with Twilight, part 3[]

"Enough!"

Oh, no!

Freaky Friday! (in Equestria)

Oh great, not again!

"There!"

"Now you'll know exactly what it's like to..."

"...be each other."

Starlight, you are going to the moon.

*What My Cutie Mark Is Telling Me plays in the distance*

"What have you done?!"

"I... went with my gut?"

"Switch our cutie marks back this instant!"

"My apologies, your majesties!"

"But I can't, even if I wanted to."

Are you serious?!

"The spell lasts twenty-four hours."

"I-It may have been extreme, but, uh..."

"...I think it's still a good idea?"

"What?" I'm sweating all of a sudden for some "unknown" reason...

"Y-You said it yourselves!"

"Neither of you believes your sister knows..."

"...how hard it is to be you."

"So this is your chance to prove it."

The royal Death Glare.

"Well, I could use an easy day..."

"...followed by a good night's sleep."

"You can try."

"I haven't had an easy day in, well, ever!"

"But now, I get to sleep, and tonight will be a breeze."

Oh...SURE it will.

"All right, Starlight Glimmer. We will do this."

"Good choice! Not that you had one."

This is your last warning, Starlight.

"I'm gonna stop talking now." (That's a good idea, Starlight)

And this is why the map didn't send Twilight.

"You switched their cutie marks?! The actual princesses' cutie marks?!"

I am so done with this.

"I thought we moved past this."

"It was the right call!"

"I hope."

Oh no....busted!

"Are you okay in there?"

"I-I'm good! Just, uh..."

"...reading an exciting book!" (You liar!)

"He's gonna think I'm nuts!"

"He's not the only one." Does the phrase "Not helping" mean anything to you, Ms. Worrywart??

No more freak-outs for the rest of this episode, Twilight.

Princess Luna and the day shift[]

"As you can see, Celestia and I are switching places today."

Well, this is certainly new...

"I assure you, I am more than capable of handling all of Celestia's..."

"...heh, duties."

"Dismissed."

We know how they feel. Luna is as unpredictable as nighttime itself!

"So, what is first on my dear sister's to-do list?"

"It says you have a few public appearances."

"Store openings, judging the royal rose contest... You know, that sort of thing."

"Oh, I knew today would be easy..."

"...but I didn't think it would be that easy."

Just smile and wave, Luna.

It's Fancypants and Fleur!

Those have to be the weakest scissors ever.

That works, too!

You're not done yet, Luna.

That's a strange smile, Luna.

Oh, you had to ruin the moment, didn't ya, Luna?!

But, smiling all day can take its toll...

"'Princess Luna Unhappy with Student Fundraiser'?"

"But I wasn't unhappy!"

"Um..."

"...you are scowling."

"Well, I-I didn't mean to!"

"I've been smiling all day!"

"My cheeks hurt!"

"I stopped for one second!"

"And that's when he took the picture!"

"Guess smiling all day isn't..."

"...as easy as you thought?"

"It says here that, because of me..."

"...the school didn't raise enough funds to go on their field trip!"

"I-I didn't mean for that to happen!"

Hey, Luna. How'd you get your hair to do that?

"I know. But you can't dwell on that now. According to the list, some delegates are about to arrive for a luncheon."

"You need to dispel rumors of timberwolves in the White Tail Woods."

"The nearby towns have been in a state of panic for weeks."

"B-B-But I have to fix this!"

"You can't."

"You need to put on a brave face and help these ponies."

"It's what Celestia would do."

"Hello! Great news! There are no timberwolves!"

*Slowly claps.*

"No, there are definitely timberwolves!"

"I'm sorry. But I couldn't stop thinking about those poor students."

"Normally, I have all the time in solitude I need to work through my problems at my own pace."

"Well, your sister doesn't get that luxury."

"The princess will definitely side with me!"

"I'm telling you, Baltimare..."

"Ready for the town hall?"

Ugh. Fine.

"Glad that's settled."

Mayor of Fillydelphia: "Still on for golf?"
Mayor of Baltimare: "Oh, absolutely."

"You made it to the end of the day. Yay?"

"Hmm? Oh. Yes, uh..."

"I'm just going to turn in, then."

"Good light, Starnight."

Being up for 24 hours really took its toll on her.

Princess Celestia and the night shift[]

"Oh, hello, Starlight."

"I don't know about you..."

"...but I feel very well-rested."

"Where's Luna?"

"Um, uh, she already turned in for the night."

"Did she now?"

"It seems my duties were harder..."

"...than my sister expected." (Well what makes you think yours will be any better?!)

"Moon raised!"

"It's even easier than raising the sun."

"What's next?"

I think your moon raising must have bored Starlight, Celestia.

"Of course."

"Everypony's asleep at night. Heh."

"Luna works alone..."

"Oh, but it's nothing I can't handle."

"All I have to do is watch over Equestria, visit the dream realm, and protect ponies in their nightmares."

"My list was three times as long!"

"All right. Everypony's asleep."

"You're talking to yourself, Celestia. Heh."

"But there's nopony else to talk to!"

"Yet."

"I can talk to ponies in their dreams!"

And here we go...

Flurry Heart a DJ?! What will ponies dream of next????

Smooze and Discord are best pillow fighters.

"Now, to save some ponies from their nightmares."

Gasp! Is that Applejack's parents?!

"Which aren't real, so it shouldn't be too hard, right? Right."

Looks like Flim and Flam found the perfect scam...hey! That rhymes!

"Good call, Celestia!"

"And I'm talking to myself again." (Is that Derpy as a princess?! Knowing her, she'd probably destroy all the buildings in Equestria without even meaning to do so if she's in that kind of position.)

And here comes the first nightmare you have to deal with.

Starlight's nightmare / Exit night, enter light[]

"Yaaaaaaa-hoo-hoo-hoo-hooey!"

"I care. I care." Come on Celestia, you're a pony not a bear

"I care. [distorted] I care."

No! I hate angry pancakes!

"We are such/Happy flowers..."

I think Hasbro has a new toy idea.

"This is big!"

"Like, really big!"

"Starlight!"

"I'm here now."

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Going with my gut was the wrong call!"

"I was supposed to bring you two closer together!"

"But I've only driven you apart!"

"If you two can't see why you need each other, then—!"

"Then I am back!"

Oh, hello, Nightmare Moon. Long time, no see.

"Don't worry, Starlight."

"I know how to handle Nightmare Moon."

"Yes!"

"But can you handle..."

"...me?!" (I don't believe it....)

It's the evil alter ego of Celestia....DAYBREAKER!! The fandom is going wild! (Not to mention tons of new fan-art and fanfiction ideas...)

"This can't be!" (Oh, yes, it can.)

"If Luna can turn into Nightmare Moon..."

"...you can absolutely turn into me —"

"Daybreaker!"

"The better, prettier..."

"and more powerful version..."

"...of you!"

"No! I'll never turn into you!"

"Deep inside, you know how powerful you are."

"You don't need Luna."

"That's not true!"

"Even when we were apart..."

"...I knew I needed her!"

"Oh, please!"

"You don't need anypony!"

"You can do whatever you want."

"And all you have to do is get rid of anypony who stands in your way!"

Starlight now has a guess about who's responsible for the ashy wasteland Twilight showed her.

Nightmare Moon vs. Daybreaker[]

INCOMING!

"I never should've banished you to the moon!"

"I should've destroyed you!"

Oh, snap! This is turning into a death battle!

"No, you can't do that!"

"Day, night, sun, moon — Equestria needs both of you!"

"Without balance, there's no harmony!"

Daybreaker uses flame charge!

"Who needs balance when..."

"...you can have it all?!"

Oh! Right in the kisser!

"You can't get rid of me so easily, sister!"

"Unless you plan on smiling me to smithereens!"

"Enough!"

"I told you I was more powerful than you!"

"Ugh. So much black."

"We get it. You're sad."

"You could really use some... sun!"

Daybreaker used Flamethrower!

The Ring of Fire!

Every single fan's reaction.

Celestia and Starlight could really use some sunglasses right about now.

"This is all my fault!"

"I never should've gone on this mission!"

"Now Equestria is doomed!"

Luna's nightmare / Celestia struggles[]

"That smile's too wide... It's obviously not real..." (That doesn't rhyme!)

Aw. Poor Luna.

"Why don't you want us to go on our field trip?"

"I don't!"

Now that is real nightmare fuel.

"I mean, I do!"

"That smile's too wide... It's obviously not real..."

"Celestia!"

"I'm so glad you're...!"

Watch out!

Grab some popcorn, Luna. You've been missing one heck of a battle.

"I've seen a lot, but I haven't seen this before."

"It's Starlight Glimmer's."

"She's afraid this is what will happen if we continue to fight!"

"What was I thinking?!"

"I'm never going with my gut again!"

"If you don't fix this soon..."

"...it could have a grave consequence on Starlight's psyche."

"But my magic isn't powerful enough!"

"I thought if we worked together...!"

"I have your magic, remember?"

"It doesn't work in the dream realm."

"It has to be you!"

"Oh, Luna, I can't do this!"

"I was wrong!"

"Your job is so incredibly hard!"

"You have to battle nightmares and work in the darkness and do it all alone!"

"It takes such a brave..."

"...strong pony to do what you do!"

"And that pony is you."

"I walked a day in your shoes."

"I thought all you had to do was smile and be adored all the time..."

"...but I was wrong. There is so much more to it than that."

Daybreaker's magical flames are over 9000!

Knockout!

Welcome to hell.

The nightmare comes to an end[]

"Don't do this to each other!"

"In order to defeat Daybreaker..."

"...you need only to trust in your strength..."

"...as I do."

Thank you, Luna.

Finish her!

Blocked!

"You can't destroy me! I'm everything you want to be!"

"No, you're not!"

"You are not real..."

"...and you will never exist..."

"...again!"

K.O.

NOOOOOOOO!!

Goodbye!

*Cue fandom eruption*

"You did it!"

"Only because you were here."

"I don't know how you do this alone."

"So, um, did you talk to yourself?"

"Um, a little."

"Is this really happening..."

"...or is this still a dream?"

Rise and shine, Celestia!

"Welcome back, sister!"

"I know you had a long night..."

"...so I made you some pancakes!"

A+ for effort, Luna.

"Oh! Heh. H-How... eh, nice. Ahem."

"They're... delicious. Heh. Thank you."

"I know that face!"

"They're not."

"I know you have to be perfect for everypony else, and you do an amazing job."

"But you don't have to do it for me."

"In that case..."

"...they are terrible!"

"I know!"

"But it means a lot that you tried."

"I love you, sister."

"I love you too."

Epilogue: Mission complete[]

"So... this was real."

"Or... was it not real, and this just happened now and-and not in my dream?"

"I'm so confused."

"It's all real."

"It was the right call going with your gut."

"The map was wise to send you, Starlight."

"Nopony else would have been so bold as to do what you did."

"That's a nice way of saying I came dangerously close to messing everything up."

"It was just what we needed."

"The experience has made us..."

"...closer than ever."

"Wait."

"I'm not doing this."

"I believe that one means your mission is complete."

"Wow! I can't wait to tell Twilight!"

"I already know!"

"I mean, I don't know everything."

"I just got here to bring you your toothbrush!"

Wait! Is that Spike's toothbrush?

"So this is just a friendly visit!"

"Not interfering because I was worried! I wasn't!"

"I knew you could do it..."

"...and I'm so, so, so, so, so proud of you!"

"Tell me everything!"

"Start from after I hyperventilated..."

"...and don't leave out any details!"

Help me.

"Oh, uh, by the way..."

"...there's a field trip you need to make happen and a – ahem –"

"...timberwolf issue you need to address."

"W-What?"

"Oh! Look! There's the sun!"

"Time for me to turn in!"

LUNA! Get your flank back here this instant!