//------------------------------// // On with the show. // Story: Dames of the Tea Table: Silver Sabbatical // by Kipakuta //------------------------------// Even before setting hoof inside the Casino room, Cynthia, Lemon and Bouton could tell that there had been a change. All of the game tables had been stored away in one of the corners, and several rows of benches took up most of the floor space. As the trio entered, a pegasus at the chip counter motioned for them to come over. "I'll take your tickets over here." He stated. Lemon came over with the tickets. The pegasus took then, tore off a portion from each one, then returned the tickets. "Looks like you're in the box." He pointed to an elevated platform section to one side of the stage. "Thank you, good sir." Lemon replied. As they headed for their seats, they noticed a few vested staff-ponies walking the rows, offering snacks and drinks for sale. In the elevated box, a few rowdy ponies-including the Patron-were tossing small food items and heckling the performers, getting witty comebacks in response. "Oh dear, we'll be in the peanut gallery." Lemon commented as they walked up the ramp. "Certainly looks lively tonight." "Hey, glad you three could make it." A caramel colored stallion greeted them. "Hope you brought your sense of humor." Cynthia looked around and smiled. "Aye, better to be 'mongst nuts, than have ponies show me their oranges." Udan and Lemon snickered, but Bouton gave Cynthia a puzzled look. "Hunh, I don't get it." "Before your time." Lemon stated, patting the white unicorn's shoulder. One of the vendor ponies came over to the trio, and indicated the trays strapped to her sides. "You want some snacks?" "Oh, let me get this." Bouton offered. After reading the prices, she opened her bitbag, and purchased snacks for herself, her friends, and Udan. The ponies onstage mimed most of their props, occasionally supplementing them with real objects. Despite the frequent interruptions from the other ponies in the box, the trio was able to figure out what the scene was: One of the ponies was hosting a party, and the other three were guests, who each had a distinctive personality quirk that they were acting out. One by one, the host guessed the quirks and called them out. As each one was named, the pony representing that quirk headed offstage. Once the skit was finished, the host departed between the curtains, then Toola entered the stage from the right. "Now that our warm-ups are finished, I have a few announcements to make." She began. "Gentlemares and Stallions. Please note the exits located to the rear of the room, and use 'em." She motioned towards the aforementioned areas. Several ponies chuckled. "Tonight's performance contains: mischief, madcaps, malcontents, mastication-" Several of the ponies in the peanut gallery erupted with laughter; the rest of the audience following shortly thereafter. The unicorn stifled a grin, looking towards the elevated box. "No, I said mastiCATion, which is the act of chewing your food, as opposed to letting fall out of your slacked jaws." The audience snickered. Toola continued. "The Donostia Delinquents issue no apologies for tonight's performance, if you are easily offended-" A peanut flew past her nose, and bounced along the stage. Toola looked to the box. "Yes, I'm offended." one pony piped up. "No, you're offenSIVE." She replied. "There's a difference. Nothing a little soap and water won't fix, monsieur." More chuckling from the audience. "Show us thy delinquency!" Cynthia called out. There was a chorus of 'oohs' from the rest of the box. Toola bowed. "I have a library book that was due ten years ago. The complete autobiography of Princess Celestia, Volume 1, which I'm halfway finished with." More laughter from the audience. "C'mon, start the show already!" Gilbert called. "I would love to, Father." Toola replied. "But we have a few problems backstage." She slowly paced the stage. "One of our actors is having a cupcake withdrawal, the backdrop is just a crude sketch and a clever pun, and somepony replaced our script with a peppercheese love story between The Mayor of Ponyville and Prince Blueblood." Another round of laughter, with Cynthia laughing the loudest. Toola held up a hoof for silence. "Because of this, we are accepting suggestions from the box. Who should we call in to fix this?" "Leaneighdas!" A pony behind Cynthia called out. "We're not bucking a pony offstage." Toola retorted. "Arlene Ermane!" Gilbert shouted. "That's Gunnery Seargent Arlene of the Equestrian Marines to you, you snail-slimed fruit-rind!" A voice shouted from behind the curtain. The box erupted with more boisterous laughter, followed by the rest of the audience. Cynthia looked to Lime. "I've personally met the mare, and she be only that caustic when training the Scutaria." She whispered "My lady." Lime whispered back. "Part of the humor is taking certain character traits, and exaggerating them." "How about Rakemoineru?" Bouton called out. Gilbert called a huddle with some of the other ponies in the box. After a few moments of whispering, he turned to Toola. "Do any of the Delinquents have the skills to catch him?" Gilbert asked. "Rakkimanehoiru? I think we can put something together." Toola replied, cantering across the stage. "But where shall we look for him?" "Neigh Joisey!" "Damarescus!" "Havaneigh!" Lemon stood up. "Medina Al Nuhas!" "The City of Brass?" Cynthia blinked. "Thou art still obsessing over his stature as a genie?" "No no, it's veritable." Toola stated happily. "We'll bring sunscreen and plenty of water, but we'll need to bring a gift for the Sultanas. What will we offer her?" "A fruitcake!" "A squeezebox!" "An aubergine!" Cynthia called out. "A Wonderbolts poster!" "The Eyes of Fortuna!" Gilbert offered. "A set of socks!" "Give her the gift of Rock and Roll!" Starsong yelled. Several ponies laughed at this. Toola held up a hoof for silence, as an orange pony pushed a wheeled cart onstage from the left wing. He set it in place, then began his sales pitching. "Step right up folks, to Mad Marten's mini mall, where I got stuff you don't need, but can't live without." Toola took this opportunity to slip behind the curtain, while a couple of other ponies walked out from the right wing. "I got fruit plants, plaid pants, rats in hats and fat bats, tea cakes, wee rakes, and deeds to houses on the shores of beautiful potato lake." The other two ponies finally arrived at the makeshift stand. "Howdy folks, what can I do you for today." "Yes, we're looking for a gift for my daughter's cutecineara?" One of the ponies stated. "Just got her cutie mark? That's great, what's it look like?" Mad Marten replied. "It's an aubergine." The pony replied. Mad Marten doodled something on a piece of paper. "You have some lovely soap." The other customer picked up something from the stand. "And look, it's carved and colored to look like a little cottage." "Lemme tell you about that." The vendor began. "That'll get you super clean and smelling nice. You get home after a hard day of working in the fields, and after you wash with that soap, it'll be like you had the full spa treatment." "Wow, it's that good?" The vendor pony leaned over the crate. "I'll tell you what, you buy a basket of soap and I'll throw in a towel set at half price: face cloth, hoof towel, and body towel. That way, you can get dry after your bath. Unless you like being sun-dried. Speaking of sun-dried, I got some sun-dried tomato chips. Very tasty." "Well I do like a good snack." The first customer stated. "Maybe some punch to go with the chips." Mad Marten pasted a label with a crudely drawn aubergine onto a glass bottle, then poured it into a pair of cups. "There you go. You can have some of my fine Aubergine wine, that'll be two bits each." They payed then took their drinks. A fourth pony walked onstage from the left wing, then strode over to the crate while the vendor was doing a transaction with the customers. "Mr Mad Marten. I'm from the City council, and I don't recall seeing your application for a business permit." The vendor pony quickly patted himself down. "Application, application...where did I put that-Ah, here we go." He handed something to the newcomer. "Alright, let's look this over." The councilpony turned away. The vendor pony ran stage right, pushing the crate. "What the, HEY!" "Aww, and we were gonna tell our friends about this place." One of the customers lamented. The three ponies chased after the vendor as the curtain opened, revealing a recreation of Canterlot Castle's throne-room. Toola was seated upon one of the thrones wearing a replica of Luna's royal garb, and a pair of faux wings. Her mane, tail and coat had been dyed a dark blue. Another pony, wearing a maid outfit, entered from stage left. "The moon looks a little pale tonight. Are you feeling well, Your Majesty?" "FAITHFUL MAID. DOTH THOU KNOWETH WHERE WE MAY ACQUIRE A SCHOLAR VERSED IN HISTORICAL MATTERS?" The blue 'alicorn' shouted. "I do indeed." The maid replied with a bow. "They are neatly organized according to the regions and time periods that they specialize in." "WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE PRECISE MOMENT IN TIME THAT OUR SISTER, PRINCESS CELESTIA, THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A BRILLIANT PLAN TO HAVE ALL THE NOBLES BE GRADUATES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF BUFFOONERY!" "Another bad batch of suitors, My Princess?" The maid approached. "Could it be that they're undercooked? You should turn up the heat next time." 'Luna' hopped down from the throne. "EVERY STALLION AND MARE TODAY HATH DESIRED ME TO BE THEIR REFLECTION! DO WE RESEMBLE A LOOKING GLASS?" "If they see themselves as their own very special somepony, perhaps your Majesty could give them a blessing to procreate with the ones they love most." 'Luna' thought about that for a moment. "SUCH AN HONOR SHOULD BE RESERVED ONLY FOR THOSE WHO MOST INSPIRE LAUGHTER IN OTHERS!" "Indeed." The maid replied. "Quality over quantity, My Princess." "BAH! ZERO OVER INFINITY DOES NOTHING FOR MY MOOD!" 'Luna' turned to face the maid. "WE GROW TIRED OF THIS ROUTINE!" She trotted to the right side of the stage. "IF WE CANNOT FIND ENTERTAINMENT IN CANTERLOT, THEN WE SHALL SEARCH OUTSIDE OF THE CITY!" The maid pony brought over a globe. "Where should we start?" 'Luna' spun the globe, then closed her eyes and stopped it with a hoof. "HERE!" She opened her eyes and looked. "WE SHALL ACQUIRE TRANSPORT TO THIS CITY!!" The maid returned the globe to the table, then dusted it off. "At least eat something before you go. Transport food is bland and comes in such small portions." 'Luna' walked offstage, while the maid proceeded to dust off the thrones. A few seconds later, black smoke began billowing from the right side of the stage. 'Luna' ran back onstage. "WE NEED THE FLEXIBLE HYDRO-TRANSFERENCE TUBE TO QUELL AN INFERNO IN THE PYROELECTRIC CUBE! AGAIN!" "Another microwave fire? I'll get the hose." The maid exited to the left, grabbed a fire-hose, and ran back. She tossed the nozzle to the princess. "Here it is." 'Luna' grabbed the nozzle, and pointed it at the source of the smoke. "AQUATIO!" Nothing happened. She tapped the side of the nozzle. "HOW DO WE TURN THIS CONTRAPTION ON?" "Have you tried talking naughty to it?" 'Luna' gave the audience a deadpan look. The maid turned a wheel, causing water to rush though the hose. 'Luna' was unprepared for the force of the water, and went stumbling backwards, exiting stage right. there was the sound of shelves being knocked over, and a couple of cans rolled onstage. The maid turned the water off, then headed to help Luna back onstage. "Will we be eating-out again, your Majesty?" "YES! LET US GO DOWN TO YE OLDE HOUSE OF FRIED TORUSES!" 'Luna' commanded. "Donut Joe's? Good idea, I could used a good chocolate coated long-john." "WE ESPECIALLY LIKE EATING DONUTS OFF THE SKEWER!" "Is that what Donut Joe calls it?" The maid looked aside to the audience as the curtain closed and a refrain of 70s style pop music began playing. Two ponies walked onstage, one from each side. One pony wore a stock white pinstriped business suit and fedora. The other wore a gold satin leisure suit and trench-coat, with a broad brimmed gold velvet hat on his head, and a jewel encrusted bit symbol hanging from his neck. "Glad you could make it, Mr Rakkimanehoiru." The business-suited pony greeted. "And thank you again for your generous investment in our designs." The gold-suited pony reached into a pocket, and pulled out a piece of paper. "Marietta. In the letter you sent me, you said..." He read the paper. "...It's two in the morning, and the party's still jumping." He crumpled up the paper and tossed it aside. "I'm assuming the party is to celebrate the completion of the zeppelin fleet?" Marietta smirked. "Absolutely. We were able to complete it ahead of schedule and under cost. We used the remaining funds to buy pizza and beer." The stallion circled around the mare. "I'm sure it was a wonderful time. Were there any leftovers?" Marietta retrieved a box from the nearby table. Rakkimanehoiru took the offered box and looked inside. "Mushroom and olive, not bad." He took a bite. "Delicious. I think we should serve this on the maiden voyages." Marietta took a piece of paper from her pocket. "Good idea, we'll put a banner up too. It'll say..." She read the paper. "...living in a city the size of a box, and nopony knows your name." Rakkimanehoiru nearly chocked on the pizza. He swallowed then spoke. "Perhaps we could plan routes that includes some of the small towns, and sell five bit tickets to the local ponies. They could tell all their friends and family about their ride on one of Equestria's fastest zeppelins." "Great idea, we could even offer them souvenirs, like pencils, stationary, little models, and balloons." Marietta replied. The gold-suited pony draped a front leg around Marietta's neck. "I can do that all day every day, no problem. Or, for the same amount of money, I can get a little pin-button for every stallion, mare and foal in Equestria." He pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. "Now, the question you should ask yourself is..." He read the paper. "...Babylon back in business, can I get a witness, every filly, every colt?" Mariette blinked. "Umm, oh, you're right. We should make the little foals happy." She slipped out from under the other pony's leg. "So we'll order the balloons and models. The pencils and notepads would remind them too much of school." "That's a good decision." Rakkimanehoiru replied. "Make the foals happy, then the parents are happy. When the parents are happy, we're happy. Everypony's happy." Mariette turned and motioned across the stage. "I can just see the headlines now." She drew a piece of paper and read it. "To the light where my spirit was born, bring this wanderer home." She tossed the paper behind her. "We're gonna extend service to many cities and towns in remote locations. From Canterlot all the way to those little mountain shacks that hermits live in. Think of it, Rakki. It'll be a nationwide service. Oh! We're gonna need about a dozen more zeppelins." "I can do that all day every day, no problem." Rakkimanehoiru replied. "Or, for the same amount of money I can put another set of turbines on the six that we have now. That way, we cut travel time in half. Then you 'n me have like 30,000 bits left over. We can go all across Equestria, get cake and ice cream from every bakery there is. Get a twelve piece box of donuts, but don't eat all twelve. Only eat six, throw the other six overboard cause we don't give a buck cause we got money like that!" "Would that include Donut Joe's?" Marietta asked. Rakkimanehoiru grinned widely. "How about we franchise him. He can have exclusive rights to sell donuts on our zeppelins." He pulled a bundle of paper from one of his pockets. Marietta took the paper, then walked stage right. Rakkimanehoiru followed, as Mad Marten pushed his cart onstage from the opposite side. When he got to the center of the stage, another pony stepped out from between the curtains, and pointed a fencing foil at the merchant. "Stand and deliver!" The black-clad pony challenged. Mad Marten stopped the cart. "I stand for mass produced consumer goods, and I deliver at superlow prices!" He began pitching. "For example, you look like you could use a new set of clothes. I'm sure you go though them rather quickly while performing your banditry." "Life's hard when you don't know when the next rich fop is coming down the road." The bandit replied. "I've had these rags for about ten years. Used to be a really nice tuxedo. Can you believe that?" Mad Marten reached into his cart and pulled out a purple sequined suit jacket. "Now this little number here is gonna work for you. Your victims take one look at this, and they'll know that they're being robbed by a real dandy highway-pony." He tossed the suit jacket to the bandit. "But wait, I got more. You act now, and I'll add in this surplus Equestrian Soldier sword for only ten bits more." He held out the sword. "What do you say, friend?" "A new sword would be nice. All I have is this." He held up the fencing foil and pointed at the bent tip. "Nopony takes you seriously when you've got a limp sword." Marten grinned, reaching into the cart again. "You do need style and skill to be the best highway robber there is, and brother, you're committing highway robbery with me. For only ten bits more I'll give you..." He pulled out a yellow book. "A copy of The Unicorn's Guide to Style. Authographed by Fancypants himself." The bandit set his bitpouch on the cart. "I'll take it all!" Mad Marten counted the bits, then passed over the sword, and book. "Been a pleasure doing business to you." He said, wheeling his cart away. As soon as Mad Marten left the stage, the Bandit looked at the sword. "Property of Shining Armor? Oh well, mine now." He cackled, ducking back behind the curtains as a backdrop canvas lowered from the ceiling. The canvas depicted an amalgamation of the various tiers of Canterlot. Luna and her maid entered from the left wings, each carrying a wooden skewer loaded with a partially eaten donut. "FORTUNE DOTH INDEED SMILE UPON US!" Luna said to her maid. "THAT WE SHOULD BE IN THE PROPER PLACEMENT TO ACQUIRE A PRIZE TICKET!" "Perhaps her majesty would like to press her luck at the gambling parlour?" The maid offered. "NAY! WE SHOULD NOT ENTICE FORTUNA TO CRUSH US MERCILESSLY BENEATH HER IRON HOOF! WE HAVE KNOWN OF TOO MANY THAT HAVE RECEIVED SUCH A FATE!" "Right, so we'll stick with our ticket." The maid produced a piece of gold-colored paper. "A free ride on a turbo zeppelin, to Saffronsiscolt." "AND OUR DESTINATION PROMISES BE ENTERTAINING FOR BOTH OURSELVES AND OUR FELLOW PASSENGERS!" Luna skipped over to center stage. "SAFFRONSISCOLT! IT'S LIKE IF VIENNEIGH, PARIS, AND NEIGH ORLEANS HAD A DRUNKEN ORGY, THEN WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING TO FIND THAT MEDINA AL NUHAS AND LAS PEGASUS SOMEHOW SNUCK IN!" "Your Majesty, please do not speak of that city and orgies together. It has a certain reputation for such." The maid said with a wince. "BAH! THERE BE NOTHING WRONG WITH LOVE BETWEEN TWO STALLIONS!" Luna waved off her maid's concerns. "WE SHOULD ENDEAVOR TO BE ACCEPTING!" "I have no problem with two stallions sharing their love in private. But two dozen sharing it in the street?" "THEY ARE SO FULL OF LOVE THEY CAN"T HELP SPREADING IT TO OTHERS!" Luna replied. "IF THOU ART WORRIED ABOUT GETTING SOME ON THEE, BRING CLOTHES THAT ARE EASILY CLEANED OF SUCH ISSUES!" The maid backed up a few steps. "I only balk because I worry for my Princesses' reputation." "WE WOULD RATHER BE KNOW FOR OUR EMBRACE OF EVEN THE MOST DOWNTRODDEN THAN TO BE REMEMBERED FOR OUR TANTRUM!" "The residents might be more open to your embrace if you were a Prince." The maid retorted. Luna rolled her eyes. "WE DO NOT NEED A STAFF TO CUDDLE, OUR HEART WILL SUFFICE!" Luna took a fierce bite from a donut, chewed and swallowed. "Your Highness, I just don't know if you've thought this through." The maid approached Luna. "I respect your impulsiveness, but you have made some poor choices before." "WE SEIZE LIFE BY THE HORNS AND HOLD ON TIGHT! DOST THOU NOT DESIRE MORE THAN TO BE MY NANNY?" The maid tossed her skewer aside. "I have a mug. It's silver plated. It's got words engraved on it. The words read 'World's Best Maid.' And every morning, when I have my coffee, I read those words, and I smile. I smile because I work for the Moon Princess. I serve her food, I clean her clothes, I make her bed. I guard her while she sleeps." The maid got nose to nose with Luna. "This is what I have to remind myself of when you're going from restaurant to arcade to tavern, then to the porcelain altar." Luna turned away. "IF THOU CANST HANDLE THE COMBUSTION, BEST TO REMOVE THYSELF FROM THE SCULLERY!" "And leave you to get burned? You may be aggravating, but I still have my dignity." The maid stepped over to Luna's side. "You're not getting rid of me that easily." "THOU ART LIKE AN ITCH IN AN INCONVENIENT PLACE!" "Like a pebble that gets caught behind the hoof?" "LIKE A WART!" The maid rolled her eyes. "And which wart would I be, my Princess?" Luna thought for a moment. "WE HAVE NAMED SO MANY OF THEM AFTER PETTY ANNOYANCES, THAT WE LOST TRACK OF WHICH ONE REPRESENTS THEE!" "I think mine was next to the one named after your sister." "AND THAT NARROWS IT DOWN TO HALF A DOZEN POSSIBLE CANDIDATES!" "Only six? I must be losing my touch." The maid strutted stage right. "Maybe I should step up my game." "THOU CANST STEP UP THY GAME ONCE WE ARRIVE AT SAFFRONSISCOLT!" Luna trotted past the maid, and headed offstage. "WE SHALL NOT BE ABANDONED HERE ONCE THE ZEPPELIN TAKES FLIGHT!" "But My Princess, the zeppelin won't be leaving for another three hours." Luna didn't reply as she exited the stage. "Princess? Luna!" The maid shrugged and sighed. "It's ok, just think of the lucky mug." She said to herself as she walked offstage. The curtains opened again, revealing a zeppelin at a docking bay. There was a line of ponies in front of a gate, conversing with each other, under a banner. Rakkimanehoiru strode onstage from the wings. "Ponies, ponies, settle down and chill out." The group quieted down. "Thank you. Now. We gots six, count 'em, six. zeppelins. Each of them's going in a different di-rection. So, to make sure y'alls at the right station, I'm gonna ask ya some questions." "Excuse me, Sir." one of the ponies in line piped up. "Wouldn't it be easier to just check our tickets?" "I could do that all day every day, no problem." Rakkimanehoiru replied. "Or, in the same amount of time, I could put a smile on your face. Well not yours, Joe." He said to another pony in line. "I don't swing like that." "S'alright." 'Joe' replied. "I'll just go home and play with my cock then." Rakkimanehoiru point in a direction. "I saw Gustave at docking bay three. At the zeppelin going to Medina Al Nuhas." "Thanks I'll go get him." 'Joe' trotted offstage. "Now then." Rakkimanehoiru reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. "The first thing I should tell you is..." He read the paper. "...The pilot is a menace to everything in the air." He tossed the paper aside. "So I expect there to be a lot of turbulence. Anypony who has motion sickness, I will gladly refund your tickets. The rest of you, Celestia-speed." "Have no fear, folks, I got just the thing." Mad Marten said as he pushed his cart onstage from the right. "It just so happens that a box of lunch sacks fell off of a carriage." He held up a small brown paper bag. "And I'm offering these airsickness bags at five for a bit." "That sounds like a good deal, I'll take ten." One pony tossed a couple of bits to Mad Marten. "I'll take some too." Another pony offered his money. A pony wearing a pilot's outfit, complete with flight goggles stumbled onstage. "Uh, my late?" She slurred, before taking a guzzle from a brown glass bottle. Every pony in line looked at her for a moment, then started buying multiple bundles from Mad Marten. "Now don't worry folks." Rakkimanehoiru sidled over to the line, as the pilot stumbled onto the zeppelin. "Even though she's had a full sixpack, the zeppelin itself is still sound. Celestia herself couldn't down this ship." "WE WOULD HOPE NOT!" A voice called from offstage. "WE WOULD HAVE TO SHARE WITH HER, THE MOST ANNOYING SOUND IN THE WORLD AGAIN, IF SHE DID THAT!" Princess Luna walked onstage, accompanied by her maid. "So glad you could join us, Princess." The gold-suited pony replied. "I was just going over the pre-boarding procedure." "THERE BE NO NEED FOR AN HOUR LONG LECTURE DETAILING EVERY REMOTE POSSIBILITY!" Luna stated, presenting her ticket. "STRAP ON A PARACHUTE, AND ENJOY THE FLIGHT! SHOULD MAREPHY'S LAW REAR ITS HIDEOUS COUNTENANCE, SIMPLY JUMP OVERBOARD, COUNT TO THREE, AND TUG THE RELEASE STRING!" Rakkimanehoiru nodded. "That's the short version, thank you Princess." He opened the gate, and took the tickets from the passengers. "Welcome aboard, this zeppelin is flying non-stop to Saffronsiscolt, and I mean non-stop." "You're going to Saffronsiscolt?" Mad Marten asked. "I just happen to have some all purpose stain remover." He held up a package of wet towels. "Fell off the back of the carriage. Two packs for a bit." A few passengers came over and bought the towels, then boarded again. "Thanks, pleasure doing business to you." "ARE WE DEPARTING OR ARE WE NOT?" Luna asked. Rakkimanehoiru boarded as Mad Marten exited the stage. "Engage, Stormcloud." "Right, Cap'n!" The drunk pony replied from the cockpit as the turbines whirred to life. "We brake for nopony!" She shouted as the zeppelin glided across the stage. "WE CANST SEE OUR ABODE FROM HERE!" Luna pointed at something offstage. "That's the castle, My Princess." The maid replied. "OH!" "I could just look at that all day, every day, no problem." Rakkimanehoiru added. The curtain closed. A roar of clapping hooves, whistles and cries of 'Encore!' reverberated through the room. The actors lined up in front of the curtain, with one pony announcing each of them and the role they played. - - - Toola had just finished cleaning the dye off, when she heard a knock on the dressing room door. "Enter!" She called out. In the mirror, she saw the door open, and a caramel colored earth pony entered. "Kako Udan." She turned and greeted the stallion. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your performance, Toola." He replied. "The audience loved it." The unicorn nodded. "You were right about having the maid, Kako. Luna works better when she has a straight-pony to play off of." She put on the belt that carried her casino staff. "How's your throat?" Udan asked, trotting over to the unicorn. "All that shouting can't be good." "It's a little sore. I should learn that voice amplification spell for future performances." Toola replied, rubbing her throat with a hoof. "Maybe Twilight can teach me." Udan placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Good idea. And maybe you can learn a chromatic change spell, so you don't need all this dye to play the part." After a moment of thought, Toola nodded. "Wise words, my uncle. I will learn these spells." Udan nickered, shaking his head. "Wise words. You've always told me that, even if I didn't always believe it. As long as we've known each-other, you looked up to me as a wise pony." Toola nuzzled the earth pony. "When I was a filly frightened of the dark, you showed me the beauty of the night sky. You shared with me stories about the life and times of The Moon Princess." "But you saw who she was, and you acted it out." Udan lowered his hoof. "The ponies liked your performance because you showed them that the Princess is a pony like them." Looking to the paintbrush mark on her flank, Toola smiled. "I showed them the beauty that I saw. Starsong and Cheerilee helped with the music and the story, but that one scene, that was all me." "All three of you earned your cutie marks that day. I remember the letter that your father sent me about it." He picked up the Roani scarf and tied it around her head. "I do have a favor to ask of you, though." "What is it, Kako?" "Let me know how her trip to Saffronsiscolt turns out." "I shall keep you informed of her escapades." Toola promised.