Forged Anew

by Friend_Computer

Chapter 08: A Day at the Fair (Part 1)

The little dragon made another desperate lunge for the hovering camera, but it was well outside his reach. "Give me that camera Twilight!"

"Not going to happen, Spike."

"This is a violation of my personal rights!" He pointed at the cream colored pegasus, who had left the train car a few moments after him and the princess. "Our personal rights. Fluttershy, say something!"

"Hmm?" The yellow pegasus mare blinked and hid a quiet yawn behind a raised hoof. "Oh. Actually, I don't really mind. Ehm, you won't show it around too much, will you Twilight?"

The princess furrowed her brow thoughtfully. "I don't know. I feel like I'm doing ponykind a grave disservice by keeping this to myself. But if you insist..."

"We insist!" Spike shouted. "I want that picture locked inside a box, and the box locked inside a safe, and the safe locked inside a cellar!"

The princess sighed. "All right Spike, no need to be so melodramatic about it." Then she smiled and nuzzled the dragon's cheek. "Now, please don't be mad at me. I just wanted a cute picture with my favorite dragon."

The flattery seemed to placate said dragon somewhat. "Yeah, I guess that's only understandable."

"I'm glad you agree," said the Twilight. "Now, we should really finish up the introductions. Girls, Spike, these are Sir Malachite the Trollslayer, Dame Ruby Chip the Mighty, and Dame Emerald Breeze the Green Lightning."

Spike let out a chuckle. "The Green Lightning, eh? You know..."

The princess glared at him. "Not you too. Let it go Spike."

"Why? I think it's awesome," Spike said.

"I know, right?" Rainbow Dash cut in.

"Hush up, both of you!" the princess hissed, before turning to Emerald and saying, "I am really sorry Dame Emerald Breeze, they don't mean any offense."

Ruby didn't even have to look at Emerald to know that she was grinning like a madmare. "None taken, your Highness. Really, it's quite all right."

She almost slipped into a fit of giggles at the end, and for a moment, the princess had the confused look of a pony who wasn't sure if maybe she was the one not in on the joke. "Eh... good? So... moving on, this here is my dear friend Fluttershy."

The pegasus gifted the knights with a timid, but genuine smile, "It's nice to meet you."

Pointing at the unicorn, who had somehow managed to get her ruffled mane back into perfect shape while Ruby wasn't looking, the princess said, "This is Rarity."

"Charmed, I'm certain," Rarity said.

"This here is Applejack," Twilight continued with a gesture towards the orange earth mare.

Applejack tipped the brim of her head in greeting. "Howdy there. Nice to meet y'all,"

"And of course" – the princess gently patted the head of the small dragon standing in front of her – "my friend, number one assistant, and favorite dragon Spike."

The dragon smiled and raised a claw. "Hi there. How do you..." He suddenly fell silent when the three knights stepped up and bowed their heads to him.

"Welcome, Spike the Brave and Glorious. It is our pleasure to welcome you as an honored guest of the Empire," said Malachite.

Spike just stared blankly at him, "Spike the who and welcome me as what now?"

"Hey, no reason to be all modest about it, little one," Emerald said with a wink. "If you hadn't brought the Crystal Heart to Princess Cadance just in time, we could be living in a very different version of the Empire right now. It's good to be finally able to say thank you."

"Heh. Listen to that. You're a celebrity Spike. Way to go," Rainbow Dash said cheerfully, and gave the dragon a good-natured slap on the shoulder.

Spike's confusion slowly gave way to a proud grin, "I guess I am. Feels pretty nice, to be honest." Ruby had to be careful not to chuckle when she saw how he actually stuck his chest out a little. Relations between dragons and crystal ponies were usually rather strained, mostly because some dragons thought crystal ponies tasted like particularly juicy gems, while crystal ponies didn't appreciate being seen as walking snacks. But even without considering what he had done for the Empire, Spike was non-threatening enough to make any notion of him being a danger to anypony seem absurd.

"Enjoy it Spike. You've earned it. What you did back then was very brave," Twilight said. Then she grabbed the dragon with her magic, gently put him on her back, and turned her head around to give him another quick nuzzle. "Just don't let it go to your head. You know how that might turn out."

Spike looked a little embarrassed after the princess said that and let out an awkward laugh. "Yeah... I'll be careful Twilight. Don't worry."

"All right then," Twilight said and turned back to Malachite. "I'm guessing my brother has something planned for us. Should we head to the palace right away?"

"That is entirely up to you," Malachite said. "The prince has indeed planned a welcome ceremony for you and your friends this evening, and I believe Princess Cadance prepared something for Spike in particular. But I am afraid they are extremely busy at the moment, and most likely won't find the time to welcome you more privately before then. The Games, you see. They are a blessing for us, of course, but they barely leave the royal couple time for anything else at the moment."

Twilight seemed a little disappointed, but she nodded. "Of course. Nothing to be done about that."

"I'm afraid so," Malachite said. "Still, you may go to the palace and have some rest. Or we could have your luggage taken there, and you could stroll around the Crystal Fair for a while."

"What do you think girls?" the princess asked. "I'm not all that tired, and I would love to see the Fair."

"I've been cooped up in that train far too long. Anything that lets me stretch my wings is fine with me," Rainbow Dash said.

"I'd be mighty glad to get some exercise as well," Applejack agreed.

"The fair sounds absolutely lovely," said Rarity. "Since I don't have to run a crafts booth this time, I would very much like to see the tourney."

Applejack raised an eyebrow and gave her friend a questioning look. "You do know what a tourney is, right? It's a lot like a rodeo, only everypony is wearing metal breeches."

Ruby had the distinct feeling that she would probably be offended by that comparison, if she could remember what a rodeo was supposed to be, but Rarity didn't seem very happy with it either. "Absolutely not, Applejack. A tourney is something sophisticated and cultured." Rarity put a hoof around her friend's shoulder, and waved the other hoof around as if she was trying to paint a picture with it, while she continued with increasing enthusiasm in her voice, "Gallant and dashing knights trying to test their mettle, the silvery sound of trumpets, flags and banners of the finest silk gently waving in the breeze, and the air is thick with romance and excitement!" She sighed wistfully, and her saddlebags were surrounded by a magic aura as she pulled something out of them. "My, it's going to be like a fairytale come to life."

Applejack looked at the book Rarity was now levitating in front of her eyes, and her quizzical expression was quickly replaced by a broad grin. "'Ivanhorse: A Romance, by Sir Walter Trot'? Wow Rarity, I never figured you'd be one for fantasy novels."

Rarity's joyous expression immediately disappeared, and she yanked the book away from Applejack's face. "It isn't fantasy my dear Applejack. It is classical literature. That is an important distinction, which, I'm not surprised, you don't seem to be able to appreciate."

Applejack shrugged, still wearing the same grin. "Whatever. Watching ponies knock each other over with sticks sounds like fu..."

"Why are we still talking about this?!" Pinkie Pie's cheerful, but unexpected outburst made everyone around her jump. "There is a Crystal Fair with music and balloons and dancing and sweet and sticky sugar stuff and letsgoletsgoletsgo!"

The princess looked at the yellow pegasus, who had remained quiet so far. "Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy smiled and nodded.

"Then I hope you will enjoy the Fair," Malachite said. "If you should choose to visit the tourney later, I expect that we will see each other there. Speaking of which, I am afraid I have to take my leave of you now. I will be taking part in the joust today, and I still have some things to take care of until then." He quickly bowed his head to every one of their guests. "It was an honor and a pleasure to welcome you all to the Empire again. I leave you in the capable hooves of my sisters in arms now. They will serve and assist you in any way they can." He smiled at the princess and added in a mock whisper, "Don't worry, Twilight. They grow on you."

"Thank you ever so much Malachite. I think you were about to leave," Ruby said flatly.

"I suppose that is my cue," Malachite said with a chuckle. "I hope to see you soon my ladies, Spike." Having spoken his farewells, he turned around and soon disappeared between the thinning crowd on the platform.

By now, Ruby was eager to leave the train station as well, but she had to be patient for a few more minutes while their guests picked a couple of things they wanted to take with them from their luggage. She wasn't quite sure if she should try to strike up a conversation or just remain at a respectful distance with Emerald, but the princess relieved her of that decision by walking up to them while her friends where still busy filling their saddle bags.

"So, Dame Ruby Chip, Dame Emerald Breeze. Thank you so much for accompanying us, it really is a pleasure to have you here. What should we do first? I am incredibly curious to see an authentic Crystal Fair that is entirely run and organized by crystal ponies." She pulled a stack of papers from her saddlebags, every single one seemingly filled from top to bottom with writing and sketches. "I still have my notes from the time me and my friends organized it. I would really like to see the differences."

"Well, its a lot bigger this time around,” said Emerald. “You and your friends did a fine job, your Highness, but there is a limit to what six ponies and a baby dragon can put together in such a short amount of time. I don't think we will be able to see everything in just a couple of hours. There are food stands, music, bards, jesters, all kinds of market stands if you want to do some shopping, and of course the tourney, but that won't start until later.” She shrugged. “Personally, I like to just stroll around and see where my hooves will take me, but if you want to see anything in particular, we'll be happy to take you there. Oh, and the whole title and name is quite a mouthful, don't you think?" Emerald pointed at herself and then at Ruby. "My friends call me Emerald. Ponies who manage to tolerate her presence for more than a few minutes usually start calling her Ruby."

Ruby jabbed her in the side with an armored elbow. "Sweet Harmony Emerald, we're here on official business. Be a bit more courteous." Then she looked at the princess said, "Of course, the offer stands, your Highness. I just would have phrased it differently."

The princess shook her head and giggled. "It's quite all right Ruby. How about I take you up on your offer, and in turn you take me up on mine from before? Just Twilight is perfectly fine with me."

"Of course. Anything to make our guest of honor more comfortable," Emerald said cheerfully. She fluttered her eyelashes at Ruby and added, "That's just being courteous."

Ruby just rolled her eyes, while Twilight tried, rather unsuccessfully, to stifle a small fit of laughter behind a raised hoof.

* * *

It didn't take Twilight's friends very long to gather the things they wanted to take with them, and while a couple of palace workers took care of their remaining luggage, the Equestrian guests of state and the two Knights of the Lance departed the train station and made their way towards the Crystal Fair. The streets were filled with ponies, tourists and Imperial citizens alike, but Ruby and her companions had no trouble navigating through the crowd, as most ponies quickly made room for them. Understandably, a well-known alicorn princess plus an entourage that included two Knights of the Lance drew quite a bit of attention wherever they went, but nopony was bold enough to actually approach them.

While they were walking through the streets, their guests happily chatting away amongst themselves, Ruby was still trying to decide how exactly she should behave. She had expected the tone to be a lot more formal, but instead, their guests had turned out to be rather sociable, and not standing much on ceremony. Still, she thought that it would be best to at least try and keep proper etiquette, without coming across as standoffish or rude, of course. This was still an official state visit, and Ruby was part of a royal entourage. As such, a certain degree of professional detachment was called for.

"I must say, I absolutely adore your attire."

Her musings interrupted, Ruby looked with slight confusion at Rarity, who had walked up next to her. "My lady?"

The other mare laughed and tossed her mane back in an impressive and eye-catching motion that seemed almost rehearsed. "Oh please, Rarity will do just fine, I assure you. Well, perhaps 'my lady Rarity,' if you absolutely insist..."

"Please don't. Else she'll get used to it," Applejack cut in.

Rarity simply continued, as if her refusal of recognition could make the other mare fade from existence. "As I was saying, I love your armor. Why, I never even imagined you could do something like this with metal. A little bulky perhaps, but the patterns on the inlays really draw the eye, and the fire opals complement your coat exquisitely."

Ruby didn't know how she should respond to that. Were they really discussing the fashion merits of her armor? "Thank you?" she tried a little uncertain.

"Oh, you're quite welcome. Say, would you be willing to tell me who designed this piece?" Rarity asked.

Ruby was still unsure where this was going, but she saw no reason not to answer that. "All of our arms and armor are made by master Singing Steel. He is probably the best smith currently alive within the Empire."

Rarity smiled and waved her hoof. "Yes, yes, yes, I'm sure he is. But the pattern on this, the way the gold catches the light just the right way, and then there is the cut of the gems, the settings... my it's absolutely flawless! Surely, somepony else did the finer details once he was finished with the... eh, more crude parts?"

A loud, barking laugh erupted from Ruby's throat, and she actually had to stop walking for a couple of seconds. "Please forgive me my... Rarity," she finally managed to say a little embarrassed. "But the thought of master Singing Steel letting somepony else work on one of his armors is just... if you knew him, you would find it amusing as well. He has two assistants and one apprentice, all of them master smiths in their own right, and he barely has the patience to tolerate even their presence within his smithy. Believe me, every bit of this armor is his work, down to the last detail."

Rarity seemed equally surprised and impressed by this. "Really? That is remarkable. I never imagined..." She took turns staring thoughtfully at Ruby's and Emerald's armor, following the gold and silver inlays with her eyes, occasionally lingering on a jewel or a particularly impressive embellishment. "Do you think it might be possible for me to meet with him? I must say, I'm very curious to see what kind of pony could combine beauty and functionality as flawlessly as this."

"Well, I'm sure that can be arranged," Ruby said. "However, I think you should know that Singing Steel is not what you would call... sociable. I guess 'rough around the edges' would be pretty fitting. He doesn't try to be rude, but I'd still hate for you to get offended."

Rarity brushed that off with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "Don't worry. I know that great artists tend to have their little moods and eccentricities."

Rainbow Dash, who was flying only slightly above them, snorted. "He. Yeah, I guess you would know all about that."

Rarity just smiled and raised her head to look at the pegasus. "I choose to take that as a compliment dear."

"OHMYGOSH!"

The loud yell put an abrupt stop to their conversation. Pinkie Pie, who, up until now, had spent most of her time zipping back and forth between various food stands like a pink hummingbird on a sugar high, had surprisingly stopped in front of a stand that didn't sell anything meant for consumption, and now stared mesmerized at the selection of crystal flugelhorns that was offered there.

"Eh... greetings milady," the stall vendor said, quickly recovering from his initial shock. "Would you like a flugelhorn?"

Pinkie Pie gave him a wide-eyed stare, as if he had just offered her sovereignty over the sun, moon and stars. "I would very much like to have a flugelhorn," she said in a reverent whisper.

"NOOOOOO!"

There was a blur of bright colors, and suddenly Rainbow Dash hovered in the air right before the vendor, who was startled into a near heart attack for the second time within the span of a few seconds.

Rainbow squeezed the stallion’s cheeks between her hooves and fixed him with a pleading look. "Listen buddy, I know you are trying to be nice, but you have no idea what you are about to unleash on these, poor innocent ponies. Especially me! Don't give her a flugelhorn! You know what? I'll just buy them all. Can you tell me where I can find a stall that sells hammers, or maybe very large rocks?"

By now, Emerald Breezed had walked up to the stall as well. "Oh boy, you're a real killer Rainbow Dash," she barely managed to say through a fit of laughter. Then she put a couple of coins on the stall's counter, picked up a very elaborately carved instrument, and gave it to the brightly beaming Pinkie Pie. "Here you go. Have fun."

Pinkie snatched up the horn and hugged it to her chest like a beloved, long lost sibling. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

Rainbow Dash's face betrayed a feeling of utter despair. "You —" she pointed at Emerald, then at Pinkie Pie, "— she..." Shaking her head, Rainbow Dash stared at Emerald with something almost like pity in her eyes. "You know, you are going to regret doing that. Very. Soon."

Emerald just smiled at her. "Ha. You never heard how my former knight commander played these things. Can't be any worse than that."

* * *

Only a couple of minutes later, Emerald's smile could not have looked less genuine and joyful if it had been carved into her face with a razor blade. "Wow she... she sure likes that flugelhorn."

Ruby's left eyelid and right ear had begun to twitch uncontrollably about a minute ago. "Don't... don't even talk to me right now." She cringed as another shrill wail tore into her eardrums like a rusty nail. "Sweet Harmony, this is how I'll die. Not peacefully in my sleep, or fighting valiantly on the battlefield. I am going to bleed to death through my ears, and all because of you. I'm just glad I left instructions that my tombstone should read 'It was probably Emerald's fault.' Is... is she just shouting 'flugelhorn' into the mouthpiece?" Ruby looked around in desperation, and for an instance, she let her eyes linger on a fairly distant stall selling cotton candy, pondering whether she should attempt to stuff her ears with it.

The shrill cacophony of warped and tortured notes suddenly stopped, and when Ruby turned around, she saw that Pinkie Pie had fixated her with a scrutinizing gaze.

Were we too loud?

Ruby tried, and failed, to put on a cheerful grin. "Something the matter, Pinkie?"

The other mare didn't answer. Instead, she just passed her flugelhorn over to Emerald, without ever taking her eyes off Ruby. "Hold this, please." Then she zipped off so quickly that she left a blur of pink behind.

Emerald stared at the instrument she was now holding, and then started to look around frantically. The stall right next to her sold chocolate coated fruit sticks, and when Emerald saw the giant pot of molten chocolate, she simply dipped the flugelhorn into it.

"E... excuse me?" the mare behind the counter said hesitantly. "A thousand pardons, milady Emerald Breeze, but..."

Emerald quickly cut her off, "Sorry, no time! This is a matter of life or death!" Then she shoved the dripping instrument at Spike. "Spike, I really need you to do some heroing again. Eat this!"

The little dragon looked at the chocolate covered crystal flugelhorn and licked his lips. "Well, that does look tasty, but I'm not sure if Pinkie..."

"Do it Spike!" Rainbow Dash interrupted him. "I can't stand it anymore."

"I'm afraid I have to agree," said Twilight. "It's already giving me a headache."

"I don't know." Spike rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Doing something that might hurt a friend to do another friend a favor? This is a really complex issue, I might need some time to think on this."

Twilight sighed and rubbed her temple. "As a princess and Equestria's foremost expert on friendship related issues, I hereby decree that you should eat that confounded instrument, Spike."

Upon hearing that, Spike immediately grabbed the offered flugelhorn. "Well, if an authority figure tells you to do something, it's no longer morally questionable." It was impressive how fast the little guy made short work of the instrument. After only two bites, all that remained was the mouthpiece and about an inch of tubing. The sound of grinding and splintering crystal was very unpleasant, but Ruby still found it to be preferable to the infernal noise the instrument had produced before.

"Hey everypony! I brought cotton candy for everyone." There was just no way that anything short of teleportation was responsible for Pinkie Pie's sudden reappearance. From one instant to the next, she simply stood amidst the group, with a tray of fluffy pink confectionery balanced on her back. She looked around cheerfully, but her expression became puzzled when she saw Spike, who had frozen in place as soon as she showed up. "Spike, are you eating my flugelhorn?"

The dragon looked at the last piece of the crystal instrument he was holding in his right claw. Then his eyes shifted to Pinkie Pie. Then back to the horn. Very slowly, he shoved the piece into his already stuffed mouth, then chewed twice, very noisily. "No," he said after a few seconds of hesitation, spraying glittering spittle and shards of crystal as he did. There was a stretch of tense silence; Pinkie Pie stared at Spike, her expression unreadable, and after only a few moments, beads of sweat began to form on the dragon's forehead.

Then, Pinkie just beamed and nodded. "All right. Just checking." Ruby's mouth dropped open, while Spike sighed in relief and continued chewing, and Pinkie Pie went about distributing the cotton candy amongst them as if nothing had happened. "Here you go." the pink mare said with remarkable enthusiasm when she gave the fluff of candy to Ruby. "You know, I saw you looking at the stall, and you had this look like you really, REALLY wanted cotton candy, so I thought I should get you some, and while I was there, I thought that I should get some for everypony. And Spike of course. Don't worry Spike, I'll hold on to it until you're done with my flugelhorn."

Spike's stuffed cheeks still made him look like a scaly hamster. "Eh... thanks?"

Pinkie Pie patted his head. "Aww, you're welcome lil' guy."

Ruby looked at the candy she was now holding in the crook of her fetlock, and she had to chuckle. "It's true, I was thinking about getting some. That's very considerate of you Pinkie. Thank you." Pinkie answered with a smile so radiant and full of warmth that Ruby couldn't help but emulate it. Then the pink mare tilted her head slightly to the left, before slowly raising a hoof to poke Ruby on the nose. Ruby raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Emerald, but her friend simply shrugged in confusion and then launched a savage assault on her own candy fluff.

"Personal space Pinkie. We talked about this," Twilight said through a mouthfull of candy, her tone slightly weary, suggesting that they had talked about it more than once.

Pinkie giggled. "Sorry," she said, without her voice or demeanor actually betraying any hint of remorse. "It's just..." She poked Ruby again, and let out another burst of giggles. "You are super, super shiny right now."

Rarity stepped up and gave both Ruby and Emerald a quick, scrutinizing look. "Now that she mentions it, you two do have a certain radiance about you. It looks quite becoming, if you don't mind my saying so."

Looking at Emerald, Ruby could tell what they were talking about. Her friend's green coat glittered like a gem, and her curly mane seemed to shine and flicker like green flames when she moved. With her splendorous armor, she could have looked absolutely awe-inspiring, but the effect was somewhat ruined by her currently burying her face in a wad of cotton candy that was almost as big as her head. For a short while, Ruby was perfectly content just watching Emerald like that. There was a simple, but deep sense of comfort in seeing her friend enjoy something like an ordinary piece of candy with so much enthusiasm. When Ruby let her eyes wander around the streets, she saw dozens of other crystal ponies, all of them just as sparkling and radiant as Emerald.

With a happy sigh, Ruby took a few seconds to try and take in all the pleasant sounds, sights and smells around her. The music, the laughter, the bright and silvery sound of distant fanfares; the smell of sugar, cinnamon and roasted almonds; and all the happy, carefree faces. All of it added up to a deep feeling of joy that almost felt like the comfortable warmth of a lit fireplace. Ruby didn't even mind Pinkie Pie's strange behavior all that much, even though she would have considered it to be more than a little intrusive under different circumstances, and the warm feeling of happiness, as well as their mostly pleasant and friendly demeanor, had slowly melted away most of Ruby's initial intentions of keeping a certain distance to their guests. The Fair would do that to a pony.

Ruby nodded slowly. "It's all right. I am actually feeling pretty radiant right now. How about you Emerald?"

Emerald didn't even look up. "Can't talk. Eating."

Ruby grinned and took a sizable bite out of her own candy wad, before she went on to explain, "It's the Fair. It affects us in a lot of ways, some are just more noticeable than others."

Twilight's ears perked up at that. "Oh? That's quite interesting actually. I never really had the chance to get a first-hoof account of the effects the Crystal Fair has on crystal ponies." She quickly produced a pen and a small notebook from her saddlebags. "Would you describe it as a feeling of euphoria? Is it similar to the sensation of intoxication? No, wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let’s start with something simple. If you had to describe the most important part about the Crystal Fair in one short sentence, how would you do it?"

That was a simple enough request, but to her own surprise, Ruby wasn't quite sure how to answer. She tipped a hoof against her chin as she pondered how she could put the things she felt into words. The warmth and joy she experienced were definitely a part of it, but on a deeper level, Ruby knew that there was something else about the Fair; something fundamentally important that allowed her to feel this way in the first place. But as much as she tried to narrow it down to something specific, she just could not put her hoof on it. "It feels... nice?" she finally said tentatively.

The pencil Twilight was holding in her magic grasp scratched over the paper for less than a full second. Her eyes never left Ruby, and her eager smile, as well as the still raised writing implement, made it clear she expected that Ruby would provide more elaboration.

"Really nice," Ruby added, after the silence had lasted just long enough to grow awkward.

Twilight's smile never faded. "Okay then," she said, drawing the first word out a touch longer than necessary.

"I'm really sorry," Ruby said. "I just don't know how to put it. I guess I never really thought about it."

Twilight quickly shook her head. "No, nonononono, don't be sorry. Honestly, I think I can work with this. It is..." There was only the briefest moment of hesitation before she continued, "A very solid foundation that will surely be very helpful to draw further conclusions once I have gathered some additional data."

"It's not being afraid."

Ruby's ears twitched when they picked up those words, as if confused by them. Because while the voice was as familiar to her as her own, the somber, quiet tone it had to it right now was something Ruby wasn't used to hearing very often. When she turned her head, Emerald was looking at Spike, who, despite being the last one to start eating, had already finished his own sugar treat. Emerald was currently offering him the rest of her own, and gently patted him on the head after he had accepted it with a few quick, but enthusiastically spoken words of thanks. The bright, fierce grin Ruby was so accustomed to seeing on her had changed into a more restraint smile that barely pulled the corners of her mouth apart, and yet touched every part of her face.

"That's what's at the heart of it, I think," Emerald continued. "Of course the Fair is all about having fun and being happy. But happiness, real happiness I mean, the kind that fills you with dizzying warmth from the tip of your nose right down to the end of your tail, until you just want to share that feeling with the whole world, that isn't something you can feel when you are afraid.” She paused, and it was as if a shadow had suddenly fallen on her face. “Fear is like a poison, Twilight. It gets under your skin, mixes with your blood, and every heartbeat spreads it through your body, until you are so sick and miserable that you cant feel anything else anymore." While she spoke, a frown had begun to form; first on her forehead, and by now, it had swallowed up the warm little smile she had displayed just moments earlier. Without really thinking about it, Ruby took a few steps to stand at Emerald's side, just close enough that her friend could be certain of her presence. Emerald seemed to grow a bit less tense, and leaned into the comforting closeness Ruby offered her. The other members of their group had fallen completely silent. Even Pinkie Pie didn't say anything.

"Emerald." Twilight's voice was full of sympathy, and she carelessly dropped both pen and paper to the ground while she walked up to place a hoof on Emerald's shoulder. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to bring back painful memories. You really don't have to talk about it."

But Emerald shook her head, and Ruby saw how the beginning of a smile managed to fight its way back to her face. "It's all right Twilight. I want to talk about it. Because to me, that's what the Crystal Fair is all about. It's proof that we have won. Look around you, all those ponies enjoying themselves, having fun, not a care in the world. They can take comfort in all the wonderful, silly little things here, because they and their loved ones are free and protected, and they don't have to be frightened of anything. That's the most important thing. Knowing that you are safe, and there is nothing to be scared of."

Twilight was quiet for a few more seconds. Then she nodded. "That tells me a great deal Emerald. Thank you."

"Don't mention it," said Emerald. Then she glanced up at the sun and exclaimed cheerfully, "Now, look at the time. If we want to watch the tourney, we have to get moving pretty soon."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "The tourney ground doesn't even open until more than an hour from now, Emerald."

"I know," Emerald said with a sigh. "I just want to get moving. Everypony is all serious now because of me, and I'm sure we'll find something fun to do on the way there."

"Sounds like a plan," Rainbow Dash agreed.

They got moving again, and for a little while, nopony spoke. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but Ruby still felt the need to say something, "You know, it's really weird when you're being serious like that."

Emerald chuckled quietly. "Yeah, well, I guess it's a good thing it doesn't happen too often."

* * *

Spike was absolutely beside himself with excitement. "Come on Twilight! One more picture!"

"I took seven pictures already Spike. I don't want to use up all of my photos."

Spike raised his little arms a bit higher in an attempt to emulate the pose of the massive crystal statue he was standing in front of as closely as possible. "I didn't get it right! Just one more, please?"

Twilight rolled her eyes, but the gesture was offset by the indulgent smirk on her face. "Oh, fine. One more."

Spike beamed and glanced over his shoulder to make a few final adjustments to his pose. At this point, the rest of the group had to have already spent several minutes waiting around for the little dragon to finish his photo shoot, but Ruby didn't really mind, and none of the others seemed to either. Watching the little guy get so ecstatic about the statue the Empire had erected in his honor was actually rather endearing. Besides, before they had shown the statue to him, they had already spent the better part of an hour browsing the Fair on their way to the great plaza where the tourney ground was located, so it seemed only fair to give the little guy a few minutes to enjoy this.

While Twilight's camera clicked and flashed, Rainbow Dash chuckled and poked Ruby in the side with her elbow. "You should really watch him once it's time for us to leave. He might try to take that thing with him."

"Hey, if he manages to smuggle it on the train without anypony noticing, I say he deserves to have it," Emerald said.

"Really?" Spike asked musingly as he walked up to them. He was already chewing on the gingerbread heart he had been using as a replacement for the giant Crystal Heart replica the statue held in its claws. "I guess it would look nice next to the library."

Ruby was just about to give a joking reply, when she heard a familiar voice behind her, “Ruby? Ruby, honey, so nice to meet you here.”

The sudden calling of her name gave Ruby pause. The voice sounded very familiar, but it was far too loud and enthusiastic to belong to the pony she was thinking of. Or so she thought. But, to her surprise and shock, when Ruby turned around, she saw Snowdrift walking towards her through the bustling throng of ponies on the plaza.

“Mother!” Ruby called out and quickly hurried towards the elderly mare, her duties as an official guide and escort momentarily forgotten. When she reached her, she put a reassuring hoof on her mother's shoulder and gave her a worried look. ”What are you doing here? Is everything all right? Did something happen?”

But to Ruby's surprise, her mother simply smiled and stroked her cheek, and when she answered, she sounded a little nervous, but also excited and, as Ruby noticed, actually quite happy, “No, I'm fine. I was just sitting at home, listening to all the wonderful sounds and noises of the fair” — as she talked, Snowdrift watched the joyful commotion that was going on all around her, and Ruby thought she saw a nostalgic glimmer in her eyes — “and then it came to me that it has been quite some time since I went out and just enjoyed the company of my fellow ponies. So I decided to go and do that.”

Ruby looked at the crowd that flowed around them like an ocean, and unwittingly pulled Snowdrift a little closer. “Are you sure that's a good idea? What if you get scared? You should have said something mother, I would have come with you.”

“I know that, sweetie,” Snowdrift said. “But this is something I wanted to do by myself. And I'm feeling fine. Better than fine, actually. I'm feeling wonderful.”

“And you look wonderful Snow.” Emerald approached them and gave Ruby's mother a tender smile. “It's so good to see you here.”

“Thank you Emerald. Good to see you too,” Snowdrift said. Then she hesitated and stretched her neck a little to get a better look at the small group waiting behind her daughter and her daughter's friend. Absentmindedly, Snowdrift snatched up the glasses she wore on a string around her neck, put them on her nose and squinted her eyes sharply in a effort to identify the ponies. After a few moments of intent staring, Snowdrifts eyes suddenly changed from tiny slits to wide orbs, and she raised a hoof to cover her mouth that had dropped open with the shock of sudden realization. “Oh no, I didn't... Ruby, I'm so sorry. And after you told me you were doing something important today. I just saw you standing here, and it completely slipped my mind.” She quickly bowed and tried to walk away, but was prevented from doing so by the hoof Ruby had still placed on her shoulder. “Please, pardon my intrusion miladies, I'll just take my leave.”

“Please, ma'am, that's really not necessary,” Twilight quickly reassured the older mare. Then she walked a little closer, put a hoof to her chest and politely inclined her head towards Ruby's mother. “I'm Twilight Sparkle.” While gradually pointing at each of her companions, she continued, “These are my friends, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Spike.” After finishing the quick introduction, Twilight turned back to Snowdrift and gave her a cheerful smile. “It's very nice to meet you.”

Snowdrift nervously fidgeted around with her glasses for a while while silently opening and closing her mouth. “I'm Snowdrift, your Highness, Ruby's mother. The pleasure is all mine.”

A fanfare was sounded close by, and Ruby saw two soldiers remove the beams blocking the wooden archway that marked the entry to the tourney ground. "We were about to to take our guests to the tourney, mother. Will you be fine on your own?"

“Thank you dear, I'm sure I will be,” Snowdrift said. “I was actually planning to go see the tourney as well. It's been so long since I've been there in the crowd, and I want to experience that again. So I'll be sitting in the bleachers today.” Just when Ruby was about to object, Snowdrift raised a hoof to silence her with a gentle, but insistent gesture. “Please, honey. Let me have this.”

Ruby wasn't comfortable with that, but she could tell that it would be pointless to argue. “All right mother. But if you feel unwell, promise that you will tell a guard to fetch me so I can get you home.”

Snowdrift sighed, tousled Ruby's short mane affectionately and gave her a little peck on the cheek. “I promise, dear. Please, don't worry so much about me.”

“I'm not worrying,” Ruby lied. “I'm just trying to take care of you.”

Her mother nodded, and for an instant, there was a hint of sadness reflected on the old mare's features. “I know. You always have.” Then she turned towards Twilight and her friends and bowed respectfully. “Miladies, Sir Spike. It was... I am very...” Long seconds passed while she stood there, seemingly at a loss for words. Ultimately, she stepped forward and gently put her front legs around the princess to pull her into an embrace. “Thank you. All of you, for everything you did for us.”

Twilight seemed a little staggered at first, but she quickly relaxed and returned the hug. “It's all right ma'am. We're just glad that we could help.”

“You did,” Snowdrift said as she pulled away. “You helped us all so much.” She quickly wiped her eyes and looked at Ruby. “Now, I should probably go before I embarrass you any further.”

“Don't say...” Ruby began, but her mother quickly interrupted her.

“I jest dear. Now, you youngsters have a wonderful time.” And with that, she turned around and walked away.

Twilight watched her leave, and after Snowdrift was out of earshot, Ruby said, “I hope she didn't make you feel uncomfortable Twilight. But what she said, it really came from the bottom of her heart. Seeing you all here must have stirred her emotions up a little.”

“Oh, don't worry Ruby. She didn't,” Twilight said. “I was just a little overwhelmed, that is all.”

“Really?” Emerald asked. “You should be used to ponies expressing their gratitude to you by now.”

“You'd think that,” Twilight said, “But it's actually a surprisingly rare occurrence. It seems like most of the time, ponies don't even remember who we are.”

Emerald gave her an incredulous look. “Huh. That's weird.”

“Tell me about it,” Twilight agreed. “But anyway, I thought it was very sweet of her, Ruby. Your mother seems like a charming pony.”

“True. Your old lady's a real sweetheart,” Applejack said. “You seemed a bit surprised to see her here though.”

“A little,” Ruby said. “Or a lot, actually. She has problems with crowds and noise. It brings back a lot of bad memories for her. I haven't seen her this relaxed with so many ponies around since...” She spent several seconds sifting through her memories, but came up with nothing. “I don't even remember.”

“She's getting better Ruby,” Emerald said while they all started to walk towards the tourney grounds. “That's a good thing. Listen to her and stop worrying so much. Who knows, next time you visit, she might even work up the courage to introduce you to her new coltfriend. He's a nice guy, rocks some really wicked tattoos. I think you'll like him.”

Ruby stopped right in the middle of taking a step and almost toppled over. She was so shocked, she couldn't even begin to come up with a reply.

“Ha!” Emerald called through an impish grin. “Got you!” But then, Ruby's reaction caused her to raise an eyebrow. “Wow, you're really freaking out over this.”

Ruby was wheezing as if she had just finished crossing the Frozen Plains in a dead gallop, and stood as stiff as a board. If Applejack hadn't had the presence of mind to step up and support her, she would have tipped over like a manikin.

“Never!” she finally managed to retch up. “Never do that ever Emerald! Sweet Harmony, I think I'm going to pass out.” It took her a few more seconds before she had pulled herself together enough to stand on her own volition again.

Author's Note:

Hey, look! Rarity is talking about fashion. That's a new one! Real bloody original, Friend_Computer, you clueless tool!

. . . Thank you, constantly nagging voice inside my head. As always, your completely unsolicited input is appreciated. And no, of course I'm not just saying that because I can't figure out a way to make you shut up!

So yeah, one of the first things Rarity says to Ruby is basically 'nice outfit.' I was trying to avoid something like that, but picturing the armor Ruby and Emerald are wearing, I couldn't help but think that this is really something Rarity would comment on.

Also, 'if an authority figure tells you to do something, it's no longer morally questionable' is probably the most German sentence I have written in this thus far.

Comments

[Friend_Computer]

Originally, the chapter I was going to upload had a word count of 18k. Then I realized 'Yep, that's insane, I'm already pushing it with my usual chapter length.' So I picked a spot where I could take a break and split it in two. I'm going to upload the rest in a couple of days, maybe even tomorrow.

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

"NOOOOOO!"

I WAS SAYING THAT BEFORE I READ THAT PART!

the whole Flugglehorn scene was priceless