I awoke the next morning feeling rather odd because of the strange dream I had and try to shake it off. “Now why would I dream of Discord and Pinkie Pie having a fight using custard pies a strawberry licorice whips?” As I prepare for the day while trying to erase those images I get a hunch that Pinkie Pie may actually have something that could help out with my plans. Knowing her she’d probably use what happened yesterday as an excuse to throw a party for Selene which could actually help the town get used to her faster.
I decide to make talking to her one of the things at the top of my list today, after visiting the diamond dogs for help fixing my lab and talking with Cheerilee. I come up with an idea to at least stall the Crusaders and Selene from finding out about it as well as getting them there at the same time. Heading to my walk-in closet I open it and search through the various bags of bits until I find one of about the right size. Looking at the piles of bags in my closet I only now notice how many are in there and make yet another note to bring them to the bank sometime since I actually have an account there.
Heading downstairs I prepare breakfast for the house after setting the bag on the table and placing a timed barrier over it. I finish as the three other occupants of the place make their way downstairs towards the smells from my cooking. I cock an eye at Umbra when I see that she is in her full Lunar Guard outfit and realize that the Princess must have agreed with my idea. Soon enough breakfast is served and devoured and I stop the two fillies before they can head anywhere just yet.
“Selene, Scootaloo, can you two wait a moment. I may need a bit of a head start to try and talk with a few ponies in town so I’d like you two to wait a bit before heading off anywhere.” Scootaloo groans a bit at this while Selene looks at me in confusion. “It’s not that bad Scootaloo, and it will give you a chance to finish your homework that you are probably waiting until the last minute to do.” I can tell I hit the nail on the head with that remark as she turns away and blushes a bit. “Why don’t you go get your other two friends to come over and all do it together, once you finish it should be around lunchtime so the barrier on this will be gone then.”
I gesture to the bit bag which I estimated to contain about a hundred bits. “You can take it and use it for whatever you need after having lunch at Sugarcube Corner.” Scootaloo’s jaw drops at that considering the size of the pouch. “Are you sure? There has to be like a hundred bits in there.” I chuckle at her reaction knowing that her attention would be grabbed by the idea. “Yes, I’m sure. I have a few too many bags sitting around so someone might as well make use of them. Just be sure to not go too overboard with what you spend it all on.” Scootaloo enthusiastically nods her head at me as she rushes off to gather the other two. Selene looks a bit unsure about all this as she goes and gets things ready for their arrival.
Umbra approaches me after they are both out of sight. “Well that was rather generous of you, though I’m guessing you know something considering what you suggested.” I just shake my head before I reply. “Not really, but knowing Pinkie Pie there’s a good chance of something happening anyways. I’m also guessing that the Princess thought my idea was a good one since you are in armor.” She nods at me while brushing off a bit of dust. “Yes, and it took a while to talk her down to just this. She wanted to drag Selene to Canterlot or send a whole squad of guards when she heard about what happened. Luckily asking her about how Princess Celestia would react to her reminded her that she hasn’t said anything to her sister yet.”
I nod as I finish grabbing the last few things I need before I head out. Doing a last few checks with her I make my way towards the gem fields and the diamond dog caves. That part of the day would probably be the easiest as they still practically worshipped my which I found a bit unnerving. Once I arranged for a team of them to fix up the damage I caused I made my way back into town and tried to find Cheerilee.
My first stop was the schoolhouse, but considering school was out today it was of course empty. After a bit of searching and asking a few ponies I soon found myself in front of her home. Grabbing a convenient hard object I use it to knock on the door while lamenting the lack of door knockers outside of high-class places. Soon enough the door opened revealing the magenta teacher who looked a bit surprised to see me.
“Oh Flarenza, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit to? There isn’t something wrong with Selene is there?” I kind of feel sorry for the poor mare if problems with students are the only reason ponies came to talk to her. “Well there is and there isn’t. It’s more of a complicated issue that you should know about than an actual problem.”
I take a quick look around and am glad to see that there is no one else around. Turning back to Cheerilee I can see that she is a bit confused about what I just said. “And what issue would that be? I haven’t heard of anything happening with her unless it had something to do with that big explosion yesterday.” I wince as that really was the start of all this. “Well in a way yes. You see Selene isn’t really a thestral, we were using an enchanted collar to hide her real form and something with that explosion overloaded it so she can’t hide what she is now.”
She looks even more confused at this point. “Why would she need to hide what she looks like, especially as something that stands out like a thestral?” I think back to that day and remember how excited she seemed about being able to choose that form. “Well given how she looks it actually worked to draw attention away from the important thing. You see she happens to be a relative of Princess Luna and combined with her looks you can probably guess what problems would arise.”
The teacher looks confused for a second and is about to say something when her pupils shrink to pinpricks as she realizes something. “Th-that is… How did I not notice that before? Is she dangerous?” I just give her a look which she shrinks back a bit from. “I don’t know why don’t you tell me? She has been in your class for over a year now.” At least she has the courtesy to look ashamed of herself for her reaction at my word.
“Sorry, I just didn’t expect something like this to just come out of nowhere.” I sigh and hope that this kind of reaction isn’t one to be repeated. “Well that reaction really is part of why she had the disguise. If it makes you feel any better Princess Luna already knows that she is here and has a guard stationed here, Lieutenant Umbra Rose.” Cheerilee looks a bit relieved at this information though her eyebrow does rise. “Huh, I had wondered why she was always hanging around the school. It also explains why I never heard about her having any sort of job around town as well.”
I nod and am thankful that she is at least somewhat easy to get through to compared to a few others I can think of in town. “Well I have a few others I need to talk to about Selene before she leaves the manor and is seen. Just please try not to treat her any differently than before as it is only her looks that are like Nightmare Moon. You’d think you ponies would remember that Princess Luna was Nightmare Moon, not some young filly.” She winces a bit at that little jab but doesn’t speak against it as I depart with a wave.
As I walk away I try to decide where to stop next and decide on seeing Pinkie Pie before going to Mayor Mare. I might as well see if there really is a party being set up somewhere and try to veto anything that might be a bit overboard. It’ll be bad enough with what needs to be told without adding some of the other craziness.
Looking up at the sky I note that it looks to be a couple hours before lunch still so Sugarcube Corner should still be relatively empty. Making my way there I find that I am correct as the place looks to be rather empty right now. Making my way inside I see one of the Cakes at the register, and after asking, am pointed towards the kitchen where Pinkie Pie is. I nod in thanks and make my way back there carefully as things often end up flying when Pinkie cooks.
Luckily things seem to be pretty calm in there right now, calm for Pinkie at least, and nothing seems to be airborne. Looking at her I notice an ear twitch and she looks over her shoulder at me. “Oh hey Flarie, just give me a moment to get these cupcakes in the oven.” Well things weren’t airborne until now; I think as I watch a few cupcake trays fly across the room and land in the oven before it closes and turns on. “So what can I do for you today?”
I notice that something seems a bit off about her today so I decide to get right to the point. “Well I’m just checking with you to see when and where the party today is.” When I see sweat starting to form on her brow I know something is up. “Party? What Party? I don’t know anything about a party.” As she tries to subtly nudge her party cannon out of sight I knew something was up. I then remember what has happened every time she tried to throw a party around me and I let out a chuckle.
“Pinkie Pie you don’t have to worry about me preventing another party, I really don’t want to cause the mayor to make another law about that, I just want to make sure you don’t mention a couple things.” I can actually see her mane inflate a bit as I say this and a grin grows on her face.
“OhI’msohappyyousaidthatbecauseIwasworriedIwouldhavetohidethepartyfromyoubutthenIcouldn’tinviteyouwhichwouldmakeyousadbeingleftoutandIwouldn’twanttomakeyousadsoIwouldhavehadtoinviteyoubutthenyouwouldhaveknownaboutitandtriedtostopitan-“ I just plant a paw over her mouth at this point as my head spins trying to keep up with what she was saying. “Yes Pinkie, I know I’ve been a bit unreasonable before but things have changed since then. I really just wanted to make sure you avoided saying anything about how Selene was born or anything about who her mother or fathers could be. Anything else should be fine, such as her being related to the Princesses. Oh and she should be around here around lunch time with her friends.”
Pinkie gets her familiar thinking look on her face as she rubs her chin with a hoof. “Okie dokie loki!” And with that she proceeds to bounce out of the kitchen with me shaking my head as she goes. I was glad that she really did have a party planned as that would probably do most of the work of getting the town used to how Selene really looked.
Leaving the bakery I decide that the mayor would probably be the best pony to see next since it isn’t often that she gets advanced warning of potential problems. I figure it would make up for the problems I’ve caused her in the past though she still probably wouldn’t be very happy with me anyways. Arriving at the town hall I am glad to find it mostly empty now and am quickly waved on through to the mayor’s office. I am surprised to see her actually looking happy as she always seems so stressed out. Of course when she spots me her happiness vanishes to be replaced with annoyance and something else I can’t identify.
She sighs before she speaks. “All right, now what problem are you bringing me this time?” Her reaction to seeing me here really isn’t surprising but I make a note to try and cause a few less problems for her in the future. “I guess I deserve that, but at least this time it shouldn’t be as bad as it usually is, I hope.” She doesn’t look reassured at my words and just continues to glare at me. “Well I’m taking care of the issues with that explosion yesterday, but something else came up you should know about before the town starts to panic.”
The mayor starts looking worried about what I am going to say as panic-causing issues have been hit the town a little too often lately. “Well you’ve probably seen that filly around town that looks like a thestral, but that isn’t what she really looks like. In fact she is a relative of Princess Luna and the item causing her disguise broke recently.” She just looks at me like I’m crazy now. “And just how is that a panic-causing issue? And why haven’t I heard about the Princesses having another relative before?”
I wonder how to explain this without making things worse but can’t think of anything. “Well the reason you haven’t heard is because it’s been a secret until now obviously.” She just rolls her eyes at me. “But the reason she may cause a panic is that she looks like a filly Nightmare Moon.” The mayor’s jaw drops open at this information and she buries her face in her hoof. “And assuming I believe you, what exactly do you think I am supposed to do about this?” I can tell she believes me but looks to be struggling at trying not to.
“Well I’m hoping you can at least keep ponies calm, especially that flower trio. I’m hoping Pinkie Pie’s party can resolve most of the problems and the presence of a Lieutenant of the Lunar Guard will at least reassure the town.” Her head jerks up at this news with her eyes wide. “Wait, you mean that the Princesses already know about her? And they have her out here with you instead of at Canterlot?”
Of course she would have to ask that question. I just hope she’ll accept a vague answer. “Well there was a bit of a family incident that they want to keep private. I’ve been taking care of her since I found her and have been working on getting them back together. In fact Princess Luna has been trading letters back and forth with each other lately.” Watching her I notice a look of relief start passing over her face. “So you are saying everything has pretty much been taken care of and I just have to keep the panic down? Well it should be much easier to deal with than what normally happens around you or a few other mares in town.”
She seems to remember something else and shakes her head with a sigh. “I thank you for the information; it’s nice to actually get some warning before something actually happens, especially a Pinkie Pie party. At least I can remind her to clean things up today instead of having to do so after the mess has been made. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go find out where this is happening so that I can plan for any potential damage in the area.” She shoos me out the door so I head off towards my next destination.
I stop quickly by Fluttershy’s to see if she could potentially help with something later as well as to check with Rainbow Dash about it as well. Once done there I made my way towards Sweet Apple Acres. While the six did seem fine with what I said yesterday I felt that it would be best to check on them now that they had a night’s sleep to think things over. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had known for a while and didn’t seem to have any major problems, but the others were a different story.
I soon found Applejack out in her orchard by following the sound of hooves meeting wood. She must have been thinking hard as she didn’t notice me approach until I cleared my throat. “Well you look like you are deep in thought about something.” Her head whips around in my direction in surprise before she calms down after seeing me. “Oh, it’s you. Well ah’ve just been thinking about yesterday. Ah’m not really sure what to think about what you’ve told us though ah don’t think I like how ya went about it all though.”
I should have guessed that it would be something related to honesty that would cause her to have issues. “Of course, I should have guessed it would be something like that. It needed to be done though, at least for a little while. You’ve seen what happens in this town when something different shows up, plus there was also her problems after she came to be because of the Elements.”
She just shakes her head as she takes a buck at the next tree. “Ah know that, but it still doesn’t sit well with me. It just feels too much like we’ve been lied to all this time.” There isn’t much I can say to that as she is correct in a way. “You’re right, in a way you were being lied to, yet the only thing was her appearance. It’s no different than when I showed up in town myself really. The only thing hidden was what we truly looked like; the important parts, what is inside, were all true though. In fact she would never have left my home if she didn’t have that disguise to protect her.”
She looks thoughtful for a moment before continuing her work once more. “Ah never thought about it like that before. So it’s more like a big secret than anything, really.” I think about that for a second and realize that it is a pretty good comparison. “You’re right about that, though I can guess part of why you dislike disguises though considering what happened at the wedding.” She shudders as I bring that day up though I did actually enjoy that day a bit.
“I’m just glad that you aren’t completely against the thought of what she is at least. I guessed that a few of you would be having doubts but I’m glad that you only cared about an issue outside of her. If any of you saw her before I brought her from the castle you’d probably be trying to protect her in my place, at least if you could look past her appearance.” She raises an eyebrow at this, seeming impressed by something. “Well that there is something ah can respect; not many would protect a filly that wasn’t of their own kind. Ah’ve come to follow mah sister’s judgment a bit more when it comes to things that are different. After the embarrassment of her showing me up with Zecora and that thestral ah’ve started to listen to her more often.”
I nod, a bit impressed that she is doing that more often as she always had a habit of ignoring her opinion due to her age. “Well I have to go if I want to get through talking with everyone I had planned before the Pinkie party.” AJ looks at me oddly for a second. “Pinkie party? What one is that?” I wonder if she is joking or not. “A big event happened last night with Selene and you don’t stop to think that Pinkie would throw a party over it? I asked that she try and not mention a couple things but I think it’ll be a good thing for her to be seen by the town with those the town trusts.”
AJ looks a bit worried and excuses herself to go and find Pinkie. I wonder about what she knew that I didn’t though things seemed to be working out well. I decide to find out later at the party and decide to make my way to my next stop. Rainbow Dash probably would come around later as she is affected more by actions than words so I decide to see Rarity next. I arrive at her boutique to find her pacing back and forth while deep in thought.
“Well I didn’t expect to find you in the same state that AJ was in, but I guess it’s better than the panicking that seems to be the usual way of this town.” I find myself two for two in sneaking up on thinking ponies as Rarity lets out a little yelp of surprise. “Flarenza?! When did you get here?” I shake my head and dread what it is going to be like at my last stop. “Just now. I’ve been checking in everyone that knows about Selene as well as letting a few others know. I’m hoping that with enough effort today stays a normal day that doesn’t involve pulling panicked ponies out of plants.”
She looks at me oddly for a moment before rolling her eyes at me. “Well this is a lot to take in, dear. I mean to think that all this time we had two princesses appearing that night but one of them was practically thrown away without anypony knowing. Sure she may look like that horrid Nightmare Moon, yet whenever she was here with Sweetie Belle she was as sweet as Fluttershy and just about as shy.” I really feel like I may have underestimated these ponies as I was expecting more panic than understanding.
“Well you’ve got the shy part right. You should have seen them both when I first brought her over to meet Fluttershy. They were both hiding in opposite corners of the room from each other for a long time.” Rarity’s eyes go a bit glassy at this and she lets out a laugh at the mental image she must have had. “Yes I can just picture that happening. I mean Selene always looked like she was about to take off running whenever she was here, the poor dear. Just remembering how she acted and then trying to picture her as Nightmare Moon; I just can’t picture the two being the same.”
I didn’t think that letting them get to know her while in disguise would help so much. “I’m actually surprised that you all have been taking all this so well especially considering what usually happens when a being that looks different shows up.” She looks a bit embarrassed when I point that out. “You do have a point there, but with Selene it is a bit different since we had time to get to know her before this all happened. Of course being able to design something for another member of royalty doesn’t hurt either.” She mutters that last bit almost too quiet for me to hear and I just roll my eyes. I was wondering when a typical Rarity response would come up.
“Well since things are fine here I should head towards the library now. While most of you did have time to get to know her, that isn’t as true with Twilight. I’m not even sure how much time they’ve spent around each other since they met.” She nods in understanding as she escorts me to the door. “Yes, well if you need any help with her in any way, be sure to let me know.” I give her a parting nod to her offer and make my way to the library hoping things are in as good of a condition as the rest of my stop.
Unfortunately things had been going too well and the sound of things crashing into walls and books flying by the windows shows that things will probably be difficult here. As I approach I see Spike storm out of the place with a very disheveled Twilight yelling after him from the door. “But what if I really do need you to send a letter?!” Spike doesn’t even look back as he responds. “Well if you do you can come and find me instead of calling me every five minutes just to decide not to send it.”
I realize that things may have been worse here than I thought if Twilight had a letter ready to send. Luckily there was something holding her back still but not by much it seems. I nod to Spike as we pass each other though he doesn’t seem to notice me. I notice that Twilight had gone back inside so I follow through the still open door.
Inside I find the place to be a complete mess with what looks like at least half the books just scattered all over the place. I find Twilight racing back and forth going from one book to another as she frantically looks for something. I sigh and close the door before I clear off a space on the couch before flopping down on it to watch the show. She is so focused on what she is doing that she doesn’t even register that I am there.
I notice a card on the table, and upon reading it, find that the party is around the time that Selene and the Crusaders should be reaching Sugarcube Corner. I can’t believe I forgot to ask for when it was going to be. She’s really good at distracting others. Of course what really catches my attention is it mentions a possible Princess attending which tells me part of why Twilight is in a panic.
I can probably guess which one it will be if she doesn’t mean Selene, but I doubt Twilight is thinking that. Soon enough, exactly five minutes after Spike left, Twilight’s head jerked towards the door and she started rushing towards it. Seeing this I just sigh and throw up a barrier outside of the door. As I predicted Twilight didn’t sense the energy as she threw open the door and tried to bolt out in search of Spike. It was almost comical the way her form flattened against the barrier as she ran full speed into it, and luckily I made it softer than normal or else she could have been hurt.
The impact seems to have shaken her out of her panic though as she rises and shakes her head. “Wh-What just happened?” Seeing as she actually seems to be somewhat lucid now I decide to make my presence known. “Well at least now you seem to be able to register things outside of whatever little world you were in.”
I laugh as Twilight is startled bad enough that she jumps and clings to the top of the open door. “Flarenza?! When did you-? How did-? Were you the one that put a barrier in front of me? I could have gotten hurt you know.” I manage to calm my laughter enough to reply as she climbs down from the door. “Well the fact that you were so far out of it that you didn’t notice it made it a good idea, and it was set to reduce impacts so you wouldn’t have gotten hurt. If anything you would have probably hurt others as you run right through them in your search for Spike considering how out of it you were.”
She looks a bit embarrassed about how out of it she was. “Well excuse me for worrying about what was going to happen. It’s not every day that the Princess is coming to town where she will find out that you’ve been hiding a pony that looks like another that was a threat to the kingdom!” I sigh as I guessed that it would be about something like this. “And how do you know that Princess Celestia is going to be coming?”
She just gives me a look as if I was crazy. “Well who else would it be? It’s not like she’s, I don’t know, the Princess?!” I can see that she’s starting to get worked up into her crazy mode again. “How about the fact that there are two other Princesses that are just as important as her? With Selene being a potential third depending on how the issues with her get sorted out?” She opens her mouth to reply but freezes when she realizes she kind of slighted both Luna and Cadence with her words. Unfortunately this realization just puts her into more of a panic.
“No! Nononono I didn’t mean it like that! Please don’t tell them I said that, they’d hate me forever an-“ From there Twilight’s rant starts to enter Pinkie Pie levels of nonsense so I do the only thing that comes to mind. Forming another barrier into a small rectangular shape I use it and firmly slap Twilight once on each side of her muzzle. This ends her little rant and she just stares at me wide-eyed; not believing that I actually did that. “Well it’s good to know that that one book was right about physical stimuli breaking being out of a panic. We really need to get you a book that has the words ‘Don’t Panic’ in big bold letters on the cover.”
She continues to just glare at me, not appreciating the humor. “Anyways you really should try to worry less about this as you can’t plan for everything. If Princess Celestia really does show up then we’ll just explain everything to her. It’s not like she needs to know about every little thing going on in the kingdom and I’m pretty sure she trusts her sister enough to handle any trouble she finds out about without needing her. Now would you like to calmly talk about this without going into ‘Crazy Twilight Mode’?”
Twilight looks like she is going to try to just keep glaring at me in silence so I just calmly return her gaze. I am impressed by how well she can pull of a glare similar to the Princesses but it still lacks the force of presence they have. Eventually she just lets out a large sigh before beginning to speak.
“Fine, I wrote a letter to the Princess listing all the good and bad things that have been going on surrounding Selene and your involvement in all of it. I also put down the theories you had as well as what I could find myself as well as any counter-measures I could think of in case she decides to do anything from take over Equestria to take over the school. Then I realized that there was more information I could add every time I called for Spike so I had to send him away and start again.”
I must have really annoyed her if she is keeping her explanation so brief and lacking in details. Still it gives me an idea of what she was doing, which was going overboard in researching things, and it also gives me an idea. “And what about the things that you can’t put down in a letter accurately? The things that someone has to personally see or feel to know what is going on? I don’t think a letter is really going to work when letting the Princess know about Selene, it has to be done directly or not at all otherwise she may come charging in with the wrong idea. Kind of like what happened when she came for me don’t you think?”
She doesn’t look any happier yet but she does get a thoughtful look on her face. As the seconds pass I can see the tension slowly drain from it until she eventually sighs. “I guess you’re right about that. But you know that she is probably isn’t going to be happy with you when she does find out about Selene.” Not like she is all that happy about me whenever she sees me anyways. “Well it’s better me than her since she hasn’t done anything wrong.”
I look over at the clock and see that it is almost time for the party, and glancing out the window I can see Selene and the Crusaders heading that way now. “Even if you sent the letter now it wouldn’t matter as it is almost time for the party anyways. If you want we can talk more about this afterwards and you can even check with whichever Princess it is that’s there for advice.” She sullenly nods in agreement and we are about to leave before I remember the other thing I needed to ask her about.
“Before we go though, do you happen to have any books on wing care buried in this mess of a library?” She looks around at the place, only now seeming to see the mess she had caused. “Um, I think so but I have no idea where it would be right now. Why do you need a book like that anyways?” I start casting my book searching spell while I explain. “Well I’ve noticed that Scootaloo’s wings have been getting bigger lately which I think were kept unnaturally small due to malnutrition. The thing is though is that they look to be rather messy when compared to Fluttershy’s or Rainbow Dash’s wings and Selene’s aren’t much better. I’ve already requested some help from Fluttershy about it and whoever sees Rainbow Dash first will ask her as well.”
She starts to nod but pauses when she realizes something. “What do you mean by malnutrition? Have Scootaloo’s parents been having trouble keeping her fed right?” I realize that I haven’t told any of the others about Scootaloo’s situation even though there were plenty of clues hinting at it. “Well she has been living with me since I saved her, and as far as I can tell she doesn’t have any parents as she hasn’t said anything about them and nobody has come in search of her.”
Twilight’s eye is has a little tick going before she throws her hooves up in frustration. “Ugh, and you’ve kept that a secret for this long as well? I’m starting to see why the Princess would get annoyed with you. Makes me wonder what else you haven’t told us.” I find the book I am looking for and decide to treat that as an actual request for information. “Oh, not much else really, other than the supply of fireworks I have in my basement. Or the fact that I am helping Trixie get her show up and going again. Or the time I set Discord on fire. Oh and there’s also the fact that the diamond dogs seem to worship me, which I find a tad creepy, and will do just about anything I say. Oh and let’s not forget about the time I helped Princess Luna destroy what remained of Sunny Town.”
Twilight’s eye tick keeps getting faster at every point I name off until I finally finish. She just gives me the same type of annoyed look I’ve gotten from the Princess before she finally responds. “It was supposed to be a rhetorical statement, and what do you mean by you set Discord on fire?” I just let out a laugh as I explain while heading out the door towards the party. By the time I finish she looks like she has a headache and probably wishes she didn’t ask.
When we arrive at Sugarcube Corner I can see that things seem to be in full swing. On entering the place though, we find that things are not going as well as expected. I can see Rainbow Dash huddled up in one corner of the place, with Selene over near the drinks looking rather sad. Near her is Pinkie Pie whose mane looks a bit too straight for my liking as she glares at the assembled ponies, who are all glancing fearfully at Selene. I can see the Crusaders trying to reassure the young alicorn, and I’m about to head over myself when I see Derpy and the brown stallion I’ve seen with her approach them.
Curious about what they are saying I make my way over to them and catch Derpy introducing the stallion. “And this is The Doctor.” Selene just tilts her head in confusion at her. “The Doctor? Doctor who?” The stallion just gives her a grin before replying. “Exactly!” Everyone that heard this exchange just looks at him oddly but all turn to Pinkie Pie who has burst out laughing as if she just heard some sort of great joke. Thankfully her mane has gone back to its usual curly state yet when everyone turns back the Doctor and Derpy had vanished.
Wherever they went I was thankful for what they did as it seems to have broken the fear holding down the party as a few other ponies started approaching Selene to talk with her. Seeing that she is going to be fine, even if she does look slightly uncomfortable at being the center of attention, I decide to go check on the shivering cyan pegasus.
“So, I’m guessing you were being mean to her and she took my advice.” This seems to snap her out of her daze and she looks up at me angrily. “You! I just knew you had something to do with that! Do you know how embarrassing that was to have her say that with that face?!” I just chuckle a bit as I knew exactly how it would affect her. “Well if she had to use my advice then it means you were looking like the bad filly bullying a little foal.” She just turns away and mutters something I don’t catch, but knowing her she is agreeing but not wanting to openly admit it.
“Anyways I was wondering if Fluttershy talked to you about what I requested of you two.” She seems appreciative of the topic change before things got worse for her. “Oh yeah, she did. I’m fine with the idea but why would you be asking for help for Scootaloo?” I start to wonder how oblivious they can get with what is in front of their faces. “Well I’ve been helping her out a lot and I saw how bad her wings have been looking. I picked up a book to help but there are things you can’t learn well from one that is better shown by others.”
Rainbow Dash looks over at the filly and her eyes widen at the sight that meets her. “Whoa, they really do look pretty bad. I can see why you wanted me to help, only the best for my little sister.” I just roll my eyes as her boastful attitude is returning again. “Well that and I’m obviously the worst choice for helping out. For one I don’t have wings, and secondly these would cause more problems than they’d help.” At this I give her a big grin revealing the rows of sharp teeth in my mouth which she looks at warily. “Uh yeah, those would be bad for her wings. Now can you stop that, it’s getting kinda creepy.”
I oblige and am about to say something else when I hear a gasp from the door. Turning that way I see that my earlier hunch was right as Princess Luna enters the building. Most of those in the building bow to her, the exception mostly being the foals that swarm up to her. I notice that Selene hasn’t spotted her yet, though the opposite isn’t true as she slowly approaches her. I keep a close eye on this as I’m not sure what will happen but trust that Pinkie Pie knew what she was doing.
Soon enough Luna is right next to Selene and she takes some time to examine her. When she says something I can see Selene freeze up and slowly turn her head towards her. I can’t hear what is being said from where I am, but I notice a look of fear on the filly’s face, but also a look of something like hope. Princess Luna continues to speak to her as she lowers herself down to the ground to seem less imposing, and from where I am it looks like it’s helping some.
I can see that those nearby have backed away a good distance from the two as this all happens, though the Crusaders look ready to jump in if needed. I notice Selene is starting to loosen up enough to actual reply to the Princess and the fear is slowly fading as well. Looking around I notice that everyone in the place has gone silent and is watching to see what is going to happen between the two. I don’t think any of them expected what did happen though as Selene rushed up to Luna who brought her wings and a foreleg around her in a hug.
This seems to have completely broken any bad feeling around the party as some cheering erupts from the watchers and those closest to the two advance. I notice that Twilight is hanging around the area hoping to talk with Luna, but for myself I decide to just enjoy the party and let things happen on their own now.