Dinner at the Pranceston
Winter Bells
Preread, Edited, and Reviewed By
Batty Gloom, Illustrious Q, Municipal Engines, Cloudhammer, Wraithguard, Kohta Izumi, Kirk Heller
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Part of a side-story miniseries known as "In The Family" for the story Past Sins
- The stories of the miniseries -
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Chapter 3
Dinner at the Pranceston
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“Okay, last inspection everypony? Twilight, fix your brother’s crest. It’s on crooked. Honey, straighten your tie. It’s on crooked. Okay? Is that it? No, wait, Nyx has a smudge on her cheek. One moment... there. Okay. Oh, wait, Cadance, fix your crown. Oh, and honey, can you make sure I’m zipped up all the way? I am? Good. Okay, quick check. I’m good, you’re good, you’re good, you’re good, you’re good, and you’re good. Okay, we’re all good. Let’s do this on three. One... two... three...”
Velvet opened the door to the carriage, stepping out onto the sidewalk in a dark purple evening dress. Night Light was a step behind, in a full suit jacket and tie. Shining Armor followed in his military formals, including the family crest from his favorite uncle, and Cadance a step behind. She was wearing her royal regalia, much like Celestia and Luna did for most of the parties and events they attended. The next to exit the carriage was Twilight and Spike. She was wearing her gala gown and he was in his tuxedo from the wedding.
“Come on, Nyx, we’re going to be late,” Velvet called into the carriage before trying to straighten Night Light’s tie again.
Nyx slowly stepped down from the carriage, a deep frown on her face. Rarity had made her a nice outfit for the formal evening, one she really liked. But, upon returning to the house after caroling, she and Twilight discovered that Velvet had picked out another outfit for the filly. An outfit she claimed would be perfect for the dinner with the publisher.
It was also a dress that might have made Rarity faint. It was a bright, holiday red dress with a bow in the middle of Nyx’s back that was twice as large as the one Apple Bloom wore in her mane. It had white frills on the edge of the sleeves and the bottom half poofed out into a large, wide bell shape. It was also tight, itchy, it possessed no wing holes, and more than once Nyx was sure she was going to fall over because her back hooves were getting tripped by the poof of the dress. Finally, her headband had been wrapped in red ribbon, to make it match the rest of the outfit.
The only good part of the situation was that her friends weren’t there to see her. Scootaloo would never let her live this down.
“Oh, Nyx, you look darling,” Velvet said, as if oblivious to the filly’s frown. She then quickly moved to the front of the group and began leading them down the street. “Now, come on, we don’t want to be late.”
And the thing they “didn’t want to be late to” was just down the block. Lit up with lights, the sound of holiday music, and general chatter was one of Canterlot’s most famous hotels, the Pranceston. Guests who had stayed in its finer suites included dignitaries, pop-stars, and Princess Celestia herself when part of the castle was being renovated to conform with modern building standards.
That evening, in its grand ballroom, the Pranceston was hosting the Hearth’s Warming ball for the country's largest book publisher, Equestria Publications. The company was responsible for many classics of literature like the Mare of the Ring trilogy and its most recent windfall, the Daring Do series. They also published Twilight Velvet’s mystery novel series, a series that usually managed to get onto, but never quite top, the bestseller lists.
The stallions at the front of the hotel opened the doors for the family as they stepped inside into the warmly decorated interior. The vibrant, red carpet stretched out before them to a huge Hearth Warming tree that stretched all the way to the ceiling of the foyer, which was several stories high. Ponies in fine suits and dresses dotted the room. Some lounged in chairs, reading the evening edition of the paper. Others were checking in at the front desk, and others still just were mingling and milling around.
The group, however, did not linger in the beauty and wonder of the lobby. With Velvet at their lead, they quickly found themselves at the doors to the grand ballroom. Like the lobby, the ballroom was decorated in every possible way for Hearth’s Warming. A wreath hung from every light fixture on the wall and garland hung freely between the wreaths. The tables in the ballroom were covered in a mixture of red and green tablecloths, and a holiday centerpiece with a candle sat on each one.
“Name?”
The hotel host, a waiter unicorn with a thin, wiry mustache, had slipped up beside the family as they came in the door. He held a clipboard and pencil suspended in his magic, waiting stoically for an answer.
“Oh, Twilight Velvet and family. Party of seven.”
The host flipped through the papers on the clipboard, then quickly placed a checkmark on one of the pages. He then turned and pointed across the room with the pencil. “Table twelve. Dinner will be served in an hour. Appetizers on the buffet table. Feel free to mingle until you are asked to sit down.”
“And who else is at table twelve?” Velvet asked, craning her neck to try and see the waiters list.
The waiter arched an eyebrow, gently levitating his clipboard away from Velvet’s prying eyes He then glanced at the list himself. “Besides your own group, table twelve also has seating assigned for Print Press with her two guests.”
“And where is Edit Mark sitting?”
The waiter flipped through his list again. “Mr. Mark and his guests are at table three.”
Velvet smiled, bounced a little, and then quickly turned to her family to usher them away. “Oh, this is perfect. Come on, everypony, let’s go sit down. And remember, you use your utensils from outside to in and always use your napkin.”
Eyes were rolled at Velvet’s rhyme, but the family made their way to table twelve all the same. They were seated in proper fashion. Night Light and Shining Armor helping Velvet and Cadance into the fancy, red cushions while Twilight got a waiter to bring a small booster cushion for Nyx so she would be more comfortable at the table. They took up one half of the ten seat table and began to wait as more guests arrived and were seated.
“Velvet, might I ask who Edit Mark and Print Press are?” Cadance said as she shifted in her seat a little, getting more comfortable.
“Edit Mark is the executive editor for my publishing company and Print Press is the president,” Velvet answered back quietly as she straightened an imperfection in how her silverware had been laid out. “We’ve never had the chance to be at her table for the company’s holiday banquet before.”
“So why are we—” Cadance began to ask before she deadpanned. “Velvet, is the only reason we’re at this table because Print Press wanted a chance to eat dinner with a princess, namely me?”
“No, no,” Velvet quickly defended as she began refolding the napkins on the table from standard triangles into more elaborate origami cranes. “She’s just very eager to share dinner with us and find out how I’m doing on the book. You see, Edit Mark rejected the last two drafts of my final chapters, but I’m sure he knows what’s best.” She laughed through her teeth as she gave the tablecloth a gentle tug, removing every wrinkle from it’s surface.
“Why didn’t he like the chapters?” Nyx asked lifting a hoof and scratching at her dress again.
“Oh, Edit Mark just thinks I’m making the ending too predictable. I mean, it is a mystery novel and I’ve already written the rest of the story so there really is only one ending that makes sense, but he insists that I need to just come up with something better,” she forced a laugh again as she began to nervously fix and straighten everypony’s silverware. “Yes, something better without changing anything in the rest of the story. No trouble at all.”
Velvet then glanced up, her forced smile once more taking on a natural appearance. She stood up from the table and quickly began to scuttle away. “Oh, and here comes Print Press and her family. Everypony, sit up straight. I’ll be right back.”
Print Press was a unicorn mare of an impressive stature, dwarfing Twilight by a few inches. Her coat was a pale blue, her mane black, and she wore a matching black dress that made it look like she was going out to a fancy cocktail party instead of a Hearth’s Warming Banquet. She was followed by her unicorn husband, in a tuxedo top with bowtie, and they were followed by their unicorn daughter who was wearing a very familiar red dress.
“I’m just so thankful we get to enjoy this evening with you, Mrs. Press,” Velvet said graciously as she walked with Print Press and her family to the table. “The banquet looks lovely as ever.”
“Well, the Hearth’s Warming Banquet helps promote unity in the company and good spirits. That and the HR department won’t get off my back if I don’t give them a lot of leeway with the budget,” Print Press replied as the quartet reached the table. Print Press and her husband took their seats next to where Velvet had been sitting while their daughter was guided over to sit by Nyx, confirming what Twilight and the others had noticed from a distance.
The two fillies were wearing dresses that were almost exactly alike.
The dress Printing Press’s daughter was wearing had some nuansical difference from Nyx, but in overall design they two dresses were a dead match. Printing Press’s daughter, however, was wearing the dress better than Nyx. Where Nyx just looked like a red and white peppermint stick, Printing Press’s daughter’s natural green coat complemented the red well.
“Mrs. Press, you of course know my husband, Night Light,” Twilight Velvet said, keeping the conversation focused on her family. “And of course you know the love birds, my son, Shining Armor, and his wife, Princess Mi Amora Cadenza.”
“Cadance, will be fine,” she corrected.
“Oh, look at her,” Velvet cooed as she gently gripped her daughter-in-laws shoulders. “Such modesty for a princess. Oh, and of course this is my daughter Twilight, her dragon assistant, Spike, and my granddaughter, Nyx. And look, she’s wearing the same outfit as Green Ink. Tell me there’s a photographer around here, because those two look so cute together.”
“A granddaughter,” Print Press mused before focusing her gaze on Cadance. “I hadn’t realized that you and Shining Armor had been a couple that long. Correct if I’m wrong, but to have that old of filly, you must have had her well before you two were married.”
“Actually,” Twilight corrected as she rose from her seat. “Nyx is my daughter, by legal adoption. And, mom, can I have a word with you in a moment?”
Before giving Velvet a chance to answer, Twilight had magically levitated her mother away from the table. They crossed the room, going up near a wall that was away from the tables. And there, Twilight glared coldly at her mother. “So, you care to tell me again how you picked that dress out for Nyx?”
“Oh, honey, I assure you it’s just a coinci—”
“Mom?”
“Now, Twilight, we’ve had discussions about these paranoid tendencies of yours—”
“Mom!”
Velvet lifted a hoof and waved it gently, trying to signal her daughter to keep quiet. “Okay, I’ll admit, I saw Print Press buying that dress for Green Ink from Hoity Toity’s shop and I picked up a mass market version of it. But, Twilight—”
“So you guilt tripped me like that back at the house just to get Nyx in the same outfit as Green Ink?” Twilight pressed, eyebrows furrowed. “What about all that stuff you said about how you spent hours shopping for it, how you went to ten different stores, how it was the last one they had, and how you bought it just to make Nyx feel welcome?”
“Honey, please understand, Print Press is the only mare at the company that can override Edit Mark’s decisions. I’ve tried to get two drafts past him and I’m getting nowhere with the third. But, if Print Press gives the green light to one of my other drafts, then I can finally finish the book to print. This is my one night to talk to Print Press without Edit Mark sabotaging me.”
“And so you sell out your daughter-in-law and granddaughter to do it!?”
“Do not lecture me, Twilight Sparkle, I am still your mother,” Velvet snapped back, her own temper starting to flare. “Besides, is it so much to ask for a little support from my family? You know how much trouble I’ve had since Edit Mark got promoted. The moment he became Executive Editor he’s only made it more and more difficult for me to get my work to print.”
“Then ask for our help, don’t guilt us into it!” Twilight snapped back, her voice starting to grow in volume. “Nyx would have worn this dress anyway if you had just told us why!”
“Oh yes, just as she was so eager to wear her headband,” Velvet sassed. “And that’s another thing. Why didn’t you have her wearing it on the train here? You could have avoided all those photographers at the train station if you had just made her wear it.”
“Well, excuse me for thinking Nyx shouldn’t have to hide herself like she used to!”
“Excuse me, madams?”
“WHAT?!” Twilight and Velvet shouted in unison, glaring at the pony that had approached them. It was one of the waiters, who was currently levitating a tray in his magic. Most ponies would have dropped the heavy load of plates and food, but the waiter didn’t miss a beat.
“I do beg your pardon, but we are about to serve the first course. You may wish to return to your table.”
The two mares flicked short glares at one another then huffed and trotted past the waiter and back to the table. They sat down. Velvet brought a smile to her face again and began complimenting Print Press on her dress. Twilight also tried to put on a pleasant air but couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in irritation whenever she glanced her mother’s direction.
~~~
The first course was served expertly by the hotel’s staff. It was a salad, the kind of salad Nyx remembered being served during her short rule as Equestria’s queen. It was decorated with asparagus, grape tomatoes, orange segments, and a raspberry vinaigrette. And the only reason Nyx knew any of that was she had taken to reading the little folded menu that had been tucked beneath her plate instead of actually eating the salad.
Glancing up from the menu, Nyx looked across the table. The core of the table’s conversation was between Twilight Velvet and Print Press. They were talking, laughing, and most everypony else were listening in and making comments when appropriate. So far the topic of books had yet to come up. All they had really talked about was how Print Press’s family was doing with the holidays.
“Come on, Nyx, eat your salad.”
She winced a little at the gentle, verbal nudge from Twilight before looking down at the salad. She hated fancy food like this. The chef put everything on and just expected one to eat it as it was. There was no choice in the matter. The chef turned the food into some sort of art project and not enjoying it exactly how it was constructed was an insult to the chef and considered ill-mannered at fancy dinners. At least, that’s what Rarity had taught her.
Why couldn’t they just order what they wanted? Why did everypony have to eat the same thing? Why did the chef have to ensure every single piece of the salad had some light peppering of the dressing on it? Nyx could have liked the salad if not for the dressing.
Still, an empty stomach can be a powerful motivator.
Tucking the menu back under her plate in defeat, Nyx picked up her utensils. But she didn’t do it magically. No, her magic was still not quite reliable enough to be able to lift and manipulate unicorn utensils. So, instead, she had been provided with dining booties. They were small, fabric shoes, worn on the forehooves, that had silverware attached to them. They were fine dining tools for earth ponies and pegasi who had no access to a levitation spell.
Getting a fork booty on her right hoof and the knife booty on her left, Nyx eyed the salad one more time. She then pushed the fork down into the leaves, skewered them on the fork’s prongs, then carried the leaves to her mouth. She put them in her mouth, closed her lips, and then shivered as the taste of the vinaigrette hit her tongue.
It was as bad as she had anticipated.
Screwing up her face, Nyx had to fight the urge to spit the leaves back onto the plate. No, she knew from her lessons from Rarity that wasn’t appropriate behavior for a proper mare, and this was assuredly a time when Rarity’s teachings applied.
Finally, Nyx chewed the salad enough to swallow, and, afterward, she quickly wrapped her lips around the straw from her glass of water and took a long drink. The straw was like the booties, a convenience for earth pony and pegasi guests so they weren’t trying to haphazardly balance the fine dinnerware in their hooves.
“Hmph.”
The small huff had come from Nyx’s left, from Print Press’s daughter, Green Ink. She was sitting with perfect posture while levitating a fork away from her lips, having successfully delivered a bite of salad to her mouth. Still, despite the seemingly innocent look from Green Ink, Nyx knew better. She had heard that same kind of annoyed, snooty “Hmph” from Diamond Tiara too many times.
“What?” Nyx couldn’t help but ask.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Green Ink said. “I’ve just never seen a unicorn that had to use meal booties.”
“It’s not my fault. My magic’s been weak ever since...” Nyx fell silent, glancing around nervously as her mind stumbled to find a feasible answer. “Since I... huh... bumped my head.” She smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I fell out of a wagon being pulled by my friend, Scootaloo. She took a corner too tight when she was giving me, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Twist a ride to our clubhouse.”
“You’re in a club?” Green Ink asked, making no effort to hide the undercurrent of surprise in her voice.
“Yeah, I’m in the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It’s a club Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle started for ponies who are trying to find their cutie marks. Twist and I have ours, but we’re still in the club so we can help other members get theirs.”
“I see,” Green Ink said as she levitated another forkful of salad to her mouth.
“So, how about this dress? Is yours as itchy as mine?” Nyx asked, trying to use the conversation as an excuse to not eat anymore of her salad.
“No, but then again mine isn’t a knock off.”
Nyx furrowed her eyebrows. “What do you mean by that?”
“My dress,” Green Ink said as she skewered more salad leaves with her fork, “is the original. It was designed by Hoity Toity for me as a gift to my family. My mother’s company helps Mr. Toity publish and distribute his fashion catalogs all year long.”
Green Ink glanced at Nyx for a moment before focusing her attention back on her food. “Your dress, on the other hoof, is just a cheap knock off somepony made trying to copy mine. They probably made hundreds of them out of whatever cheap, red fabric they had laying around at the time.
“So, let me guess, you picked it out yourself.”
Nyx frowned. “No. Velvet picked it out for me. I actually have a dress I like better. Rarity made it for me. She’s the best dress designer in Ponyville.”
“I’ve heard of Rarity,” Green Ink commented. “My mother's friend, who's a fashion designer, says Rarity’s a hack who only found success because she’s making dresses in such a rural community like Ponyville.”
“Hey!” Spike said, leaning into the conversation with a scowl on his face. “Rarity makes some of the best dresses in all of Equestria. She even made Cadance’s wedding dress and the dresses for her and all the other bride’s maids.”
“I bet she got to just because she was a friend of your family. It isn’t because she’s actually any good.”
“You take that back!” Nyx and Spike shouted in unison.
“What are you two doing!?”
Nyx and Spike turned at the sound of Velvet’s scolding voice. Everypony else at the table, and some from neighboring tables, were staring at them. Velvet was looking particularly aghast, like she had just caught them performing a horrendous act like stealing or kicking a puppy.
“I’m terribly sorry, Print Press,” Velvet said quickly as she got up from her seat. She was behind Nyx and Spike in almost an instant. She glowered down at them a moment before looking back up at Print Press with apologetic eyes. “These two are normally so well mannered. They don't usually shout like that. They must just be cranky. We’ve been out all day.”
“Well, I suppose kids will be kids,” Print Press said as she glanced at her own daughter, the flatness in her voice making it clear she didn’t find anything about the situation amusing.
“Well, I think it would be in everypony’s best interest if I just took these two to the children’s tables over in the corner. Come along.”
“The kids’ table? Come on, Velvet, I haven’t sat over there since—” The stone cold glare from Velvet quickly silenced Spike. He then put on a smile and got up from his seat. “So, what are they serving over at the kids’ table this year?”
“They serve something different?” Nyx asked, grabbing her menu from beneath her plate. She flipped through the couple pages contained within and saw at the very back a list of what was being served in the kid’s section. The kids were getting tomato soup to start followed by an entree of a sandwich with hay fries. Then, for dessert, it was a bowl of ice cream. Ice cream where she would get to pick the flavor.
It was real, not fancy, food where she actually got to pick part of her own menu!
“Mom, I really don’t think they need to go to the kids’ table,” Twilight said as she got up from the chair. She gently stepped up beside Nyx, pulling her a little bit away from Velvet. “I’m sure she won’t do that again. Will you, Nyx?”
“Actually, can I just go over there?”
“Why would you want to go over there?” Twilight asked.
“Because...” she began before glancing at Green Ink. She then leaned in and cupped a hoof around one side of her mouth. “Because Green Ink is like Diamond Tiara’s long lost sister and I don’t want to sit beside her. That and they’re serving real food over there!”
Twilight arched an eyebrow but then snickered and gave Nyx a little nuzzle. “Okay, then go have fun, don’t get into trouble, and make sure you listen to Spike. We’ll come get you when we’re done over here.”
Nyx smiled, nodded, and stepped back over beside Velvet, who was understandably surprised to see Nyx was willing to move to the kids’ tables. Still, she put on a smile all the same and ushered Nyx and Spike away, quickly dropping them off before returning to her conversation with Print Press.
And yes, perhaps the pair were a bit old for the kids’ area, which was dominated by fillies and colts that had yet to develop the skill of sitting still for an extended period of time. But while Spike sulked, Nyx just smiled and eagerly awaited the delivery of her good, simple, not-fancy, tomato soup.
~~~
The main course was delivered to table twelve not long after Nyx and Spike’s departure to the kids’ tables. It was comprised of finely sauteed carrot coins along side a caramelized onion risotto and braised escarole. It smelled delicious and quickly became the topic of conversation at table twelve, diverging them away from their previous topic of how snowy Canterlot’s winter was turning out to be this year.
But when they had all had their chance to comment on the food, the conversation was led away again. This time, by Print Press who, after gently dabbing her lips with a napkin, looked across the table at Shining Armor and Princess Cadance.
“So, your highness—”
“Please, Cadance is fine. Really.”
“Yes, of course. I was just curious how you two were doing in the Crystal Empire. The last I heard of it was before that Nightmare Moon business a few months ago. Is it still going to be incorporated into Equestria as a new fiefdom?”
“Yes, it is,” Cadance answered with a nod. “After what happened there, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna thought it would be best if Shining and I were appointed to be the prince and princess of the county.”
“I never have quite understood why Equestria has so many princesses and princes,” Print Press’s husband commented. “It seems very convoluted.”
“It is, to a degree, but it’s also traditional,” Twilight said as she set down her fork. “The structure is modeled after the system of lords and ladies employed by the unicorn royal line in the old country. The lords and ladies managed smaller tracts of land and swear loyalty to the sovereign rulers of the kingdom. In modern Equestria, that system persists, but the lords and ladies are now called princes and princesses while Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are technically high princesses, since they are the sovereign rulers of the whole kingdom.”
“But why use the same name?”
“It’s because the old royal lines weren’t too keen on letting go of their power to rule, even to the two ponies who defeated Discord. Having everypony be called princes and princesses makes it sound like anypony in the old royal lines could take the sovereign throne of Equestria should Princess Celestia and Princess Luna ever be unfit to rule.”
Twilight giggled a little. “I don’t think they expected the princesses to still be around several hundreds years later.”
“Well, if nothing else, Equestria is a kingdom of traditions,” Print Press added before turning her gaze back to Shining and Cadance. “And the Crystal Empire sounds absolutely beautiful from what I’ve heard.”
“It is very beautiful,” Cadance said. “Though, being able to see through ponies takes some getting used to.”
“I can imagine, and it must have been hard to leave that kingdom behind when that trouble started with Nightmare Moon. I was honestly very surprised to hear you two had come back to Canterlot.”
“Well, it was a desperate time,” Shining explained. “There were some in the guard that were trained to cast the barrier spell, but none were on my level. That and the pony that replaced me here at the castle had a bit of a nervous breakdown at the thought of facing Nightmare Moon.”
Print Press took a sip of her water before setting the glass down on the table. “But why did Cadance come all this way just to leave soon after her arrival?”
“I had come with Shining to try to do what I could to help,” Cadance answered. “In the end, Princess Celestia felt the best way I could help was to take the Elements of Harmony to Ponyville. She felt it was best for Twilight and her friends to have them if they needed them, and after that I went back to the Crystal Empire. It is our fiefdom after all, and the crystal ponies were very worried Nightmare Moon would come enslave them as King Sombra had.”
“Those crystal ponies are very lucky to have two ponies like you as their princess and prince,” Print Press complimented. “Though, you’ll have to forgive my curiosity, but I just have to know. How did they react when they heard?”
“Heard about what?” Shining asked.
“I’m sorry to bring it up, but Barrel and I were talking about it on the way here,” she said, motioning to her husband. “We were just wondering how well the populace reacted when they heard their prince was the one occupying Canterlot for Nightmare Moon. As I recall, the papers were calling you Tyrant Armor.”
Shining Armor frowned, his jaw line growing tight. “I appreciate your concern, but Cadance explained to them the same thing that was written in every paper in Equestria. All those involved with the Children of Nightmare were under the influence of mind manipulating magic. We were not ourselves.”
“That’s not what I heard,” Print Press commented dryly as she picked up her glass of water. “I actually know a few very intelligent unicorns in Celestia’s School. My company publishes a number of textbooks for them. We got into a long conversation of the nature of the curse that was afflicting the Children of Nightmare. It was a curse that could turn into full blown mind control, yes, but for most, it only did one simple thing: it rewired and replaced only one simple part of a pony’s mind.”
“And what was that?” Twilight asked, unable to hide her curiosity.
“All it did was flip Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia’s places in a pony’s mind. It really was quite fascinating. All the love and respect a pony has for Princess Celestia became focused on Nightmare Moon. And, conversely, all our hatred and fear of Nightmare Moon was focused on Princess Celestia. It was no more complex than if the pair had switched seats at a dinner table.
“But wasn’t the effect profound?” Print Press asked. “I mean, Shining Armor is a perfect example of what such a little change can do. Suddenly the kind, honorable prince of the Crystal Empire, who had guarded Canterlot so vigilantly for so long, became a conqueror. The guard turned against us. Curfews were put in place. It became dangerous to even walk the streets, no matter what time of night it was.
“And any infraction was met with such drastic consequences. No hangings or beheadings. No, nothing like that. But a lot of very important ponies got to learn what the interior of the Canterlot dungeon looked like. Hoity Toity was complaining about it for weeks afterward.
“That’s why I was curious how you were welcomed back to the Crystal Empire,” Print Press explained. “After all, I can only imagine hearing about Tyrant Armor gave them some nasty deja vu of their previous ruler, King Sombra.”
“Shining is nothing like Sombra,” Cadance said firmly, eyebrows furrowing. “And the crystal ponies know that. They know that wasn’t the real Shining Armor. This is the real Shining Armor. The honorable, kind, loyal, valiant stallion I married.”
“Now now, Cadance, there’s no need to get hot under the collar,” Velvet said, trying to calm her daughter-in-law down. “Print Press was just curious. She didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Yes, curiosity is fine,” Night Light said, though his own lips were turned down in a small frown. “In fact, I’m now curious about something. Print Press, I know Bastion Yorsets. We’re old friends, and I know he’s the unicorn that headed the research around the Children of Nightmare’s resurrection spell. He’s also become, to a degree, the head researcher around everything involved with what happened around Nightmare Moon’s reappearance. I think he’d be very interested in knowing who at Celestia’s school told you so much ab—OW!”
Night Light winced, and quickly looked down to see Velvet had firmly stomped on his hoof. “Oh, honey,” she said, “there’s no need to start an inquisition. I’m sure whoever told Print Press about what happened had a good reason, and I know she’s a pony who can be trusted to keep a secret. Now, why don’t we talk about something more pleasant?”
“Of course,” Print Press said as she closed her eyes and lifted her water glass to her mouth. “I didn’t mean to touch on such sensitive subjects. I meant no disrespect. My husband and I were just curious, mostly because we hadn’t seen anything in the papers or heard anything from any of our friends. We just weren't sure if no news was good news in this situation. After all, Nightmare Moon was the one that removed the blessing from everypony. Who knows? Perhaps she left a little something behind.”
“There was nothing left behind,” Shining said firmly. “All Children of Nightmare were examined physically and mentally by the finest doctors and psychologists in Equestria to ensure there were no traces of the curse left. Princess Luna oversaw the process personally.”
“And you’re sure everypony was checked?”
Shining Armor flicked his gaze away from Print Press for just a moment, glancing down the table, before looking back at her. “Yes, everypony was checked.”
~~~
Twilight and most of her family stood from the table. Dessert had been eaten; the dinner part of the banquet was over. Now, for those who chose to remain, juice drinks would be served and a band would play for a few more hours, giving ponies chance to mingle and talk with those who hadn't been seated at the same table. Twilight’s family didn’t plan to stay for this part. It was getting late, and they would need to be able to get up bright and early the next morning.
So, they began to say their “good night’s.” Twilight and Cadance went to fetch Nyx and Spike from the kids’ tables. The others drifted a little bit away, giving Velvet a chance to speak somewhat privately with Print Press.
“It really was a lovely evening, and it was a pleasure to be able to spend it with your family.”
Print Press nodded and shook Velvet’s hoof, though her own lips remained flat and stern, neither a smile nor a frown. “Yes, about that. Velvet, you can stop now.”
Twilight Velvet felt her stomach clench, but she kept up her smile. “W-what do you mean?”
“Velvet, when you brought the fact your son and his wife were joining us for the banquet, I’ll admit I was intrigued. I wanted to see the royal couple for myself, that’s why I agreed to share a table with your family.” Print Press began to frown. “But I also smelled something rotten. Do you know how many wanna-be authors pander and flatter me trying to get their book published? A week doesn’t go by when I don’t have to deal with somepony like that metaphorically, and once literally, kissing my hooves to try and get what they want.
“But I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. I thought surely one of my already successful authors wouldn’t stoop to flattery and bribery just to get her book published. I thought you simply wanted to bring your whole family to the banquet. But... you disappointed me, Twilight Velvet,” Print Press said coldly.
“And it wasn’t just your son and his wife. I asked all those prying, borderline offensive questions on purpose. I brought up the subject of Tyrant Armor on purpose, because I wanted to see if you’d actually let your family get angry at me. I wanted you to let them shout at me, to be angry, because that was the natural reaction to the comments I was making and the questions I was asking.
“But no, you censored them so it wouldn’t ruin dinner. You told your daughter-in-law to calm down and I know you did something to hurt your husband so he wouldn’t insult me. Yes, you did everything in your power to make sure the dinner went as smoothly as possible, even when I was purposefully being the worst table guest I could be.”
Print Press leaned in a little to Velvet, a cold fire behind her eyes. “Do you really think I’m the kind of mare to be swayed by such an obvious attempt to get on my good side? For Celestia’s sake, even your daughter realized what you’re doing when she saw the matching dresses, and we both know how socially clueless she can be.”
“B-b-but Print Press,” Velvet stuttered. “Edit Mark has been reject—”
“Edit Mark isn’t the one that’s been rejecting the drafts for your final chapter. It’s been me,” Print Press said flatly, her voice like a cold whip, frozen by bitter truth. “Yes, Edit Mark has been reading the chapters and leaving his own comments, but he's been bringing them to me for a final review. Velvet, this new book of yours has been your finest. This could be the one that gets you to the top of the best seller list, just like you've always wanted, but you have to finish it strong. You have to make sure the ending is just as good as the rest of the book, otherwise you'll get torn up by the reviewers. I know you can do it, and that's why I won't accept anything less than your absolute best for the last few chapters.”
Print Press turned away from Velvet, starting to head towards the now open bar. She then paused and glanced over her shoulder. “And Velvet, you try something like this again, I’ll drop your contract. You've been for us for years. You know better than this. You are better than this, and I don’t need to be publishing the books from authors who resort to these kind of measures when they aren’t confident enough in their own ability." She looked back ahead and resumed her walk to the bar. "Have your new draft on Edit Mark’s desk a week after the first of the year. Good evening, Velvet.”
Twilight Velvet stood dumbstruck, mouth hanging open as Print Press strode away, her family a few steps behind. At the same time, Shining Armor and Night Light came up beside her. They could tell from her facial expression, even at a distance, that things had not gone well.
“Are you okay, honey?” Night Light asked.
“It’s... it’s been her. She’s been the one rejecting my drafts,” Velvet said, beginning to shake a little. “I thought it was Edit Mark. On all the ones before, Edit Mark was always the one rejecting my work. Print Press doesn't read drafts anymore. She's too busy. That's why the company has editors, like Edit Mark. It's so Print Press doesn't have to read drafts.”
“It will be okay,” Night Light said again, he and Shining starting to lead Velvet to the door.
“But she saw through it. She said she doesn’t need flatterers... she said she’s disappointed. She expects the next draft a week after the first of the year. I haven’t even started the next draft. I don’t know how to even start it. I’ll never get it done in time. Then Print Press will drop my contract. I’ll never publish another book again. I’ll have to go back to work as a waitress. Then we’ll have to move because we can’t afford to stay in our house.”
“Velvet, honey, you’re spiraling. It’s not going to be that bad, I promise.” Night Light then glanced up at his son. “Shining, please, go get everypony else into a taxi and be waiting for us. I think it would be best if we just got home and got your mother to bed.”
Shining nodded and quickly galloped away as Night Light continued to assure Velvet as they made their way slowly to the exit.
~~~
Column pressed himself up against the wall, trying to keep his profile as thin as possible. He remained still for just a moment, then glanced around the corner.
Night had fallen over Canterlot. The bells in the clock towers were tolling the midnight hour. The streets were all but abandoned and a fresh coating of snow was sprinkling down from the clouds in the sky, refreshing the blanket of white that covered most of Canterlot. And, in the distance, Column could see his destination: the Canterlot train station.
“You really think this is a good idea?”
Column came back from the corner of the building, flicked his toothpick to the opposite side of his mouth, and threw a glare back at Quick Snap. “Twilight Sparkle dodged us at the train station yesterday and now, today, there’s that little filly with her and Princess Cadance. Sure, the princess could've had a kid since the wedding, but not one that old. Something doesn’t add up, and, when something doesn’t add up, there’s a story just begging to be uncovered.
“Now come on, while the coast is clear.”
At that Column rounded the corner and began to quickly jog down the street to the train station. Quick Snap followed in the air, flying slowly beside his news-cracking partner. The train station was all but dark, but in the windows the pair could see the occasional flash of light. There was a guard on duty, but they already knew that. They had been staking out the train station for most of the afternoon, after turning in their fluff piece of a story about the Hearth’s Warming festival to their editor.
It was going to be put on page five of the newspaper, and that was only if something interesting didn’t happen at baking competition being covered by another pair of reports. If that happened, they’d be on page eight, after the comics section.
But that didn’t matter anymore. Column knew there was a real story to be had, and he had his lead. He and Quick Snap approached the train station. They climbed the stairs, slipped under the overhang that kept the door and its entryway clear of snow and dry in the rain. They then pressed themselves against the wall on either side of the door.
“How are we going to get inside?” Quick Snap whispered.
“Easy,” Column replied as he gently juggled a small stone he had picked up from the street. He moved to the double doors, quickly checking something on the handles. He then moved over beside Quick Snap, smiling slyly before he lifted a hoof and knocked on the door.
“That’s it?! That’s your plan?! We just knock on the—”
“Shhh!”
The pair heard the hoofsteps of the guard coming closer and the rattle of his keys. The lock on the door clicked open, and Quick Snap braced himself to be caught. But then the door opened towards them, blocking them from view as the guard stepped outside and waved his lantern around.
“Who’s out there?!” the guard shouted.
Column just smiled at this and, with a flick of his magic, he threw the small rock out into the street, away from where the guard was looking. It clattered against a lamppost, and the guard on duty quickly snapped his lantern in that direction. He stepped out from beneath the terminals overhang, descending a few of the steps that lead down to the sidewalk.
“Show yourself!”
“Sorry, no showing. But how about a little snowing?” Column whispered as he threw his magic upwards. On the overhang that protected the door, a large amount of snow had built up. With a small surge of magic, Column unsettled that snow. It came tumbling down like a small avalanche, making the guard yelp aloud before he was quickly swept down a few steps and buried, his back legs kicking in the air.
Quick Snap stared in astonishment but only for a moment before Column elbowed him in the side. “Come on,” he said as he levitated the train station’s keys off the guard’s belt, “get in there before he digs himself out.”
~~~
Column and Quick Snap found their way quickly to the operation offices for the train station and, using the keys they lifted from the guard, quickly found their way to the files. Train stations in Equestria had to keep logs of passengers and tickets sold for at least a year, in case the records were needed in a court case. For the Canterlot station, most records were stored in the basement but were only sent down there on a weekly basis.
That time of the week hadn’t come yet, so, with a triumphant smile, Column opened up the filing cabinet in the station’s records office and began to flip through the records of the trains for the past few days.
“Let’s see. Ponyville... Ponyville... Ponyville.... Ponyville... Ah-hah, here’s the records.” Column removed the manilla folder from the filing cabinet and trotted over to the nearby desk. Quick Snap followed a few steps behind, ears turned forward in interest. Column took a seat and opened the folder, beginning to skim the records as his tongue toyed with his toothpick.
“Okay, they were on the first train out. So that would be this packet. Let’s see. Employee manifest, coal usage, travel report... ah, here we go, the passenger manifest.” Column smiled, tapping his hoof on a column. “And there she is. Three tickets purchased together at the same time and paid for with a royally approved government travel account number.”
“So, what does that mean?” Quick Snap asked.
“Twilight Sparkle is Princess Celestia’s personal student. If anypony has a royally approved government travel account that arrived on that train yesterday, it would be her.”
Quick Snap flattened his ears in irritation. “Again, what does that mean?”
“Don’t be dense and look,” Column said firmly as he tapped the paper again with a hoof. “She bought three tickets. That’s one for herself, one for that dragon assistant of hers, and then a third. Who was the third ticket for?”
“One of her friends?”
“She wouldn’t have been dodging us otherwise,” Column said as he looked back to the paper. “No, I’d bet my right hoof it was that white coated filly we saw yesterday. Cadance was under a lot of public attention before and during the wedding. We would have seen this kid if it was one she and Shining had out of wedlock. That and I did the math. Cadance and Shining had only started dating when this filly would've had to have been born, and she hasn’t had any other steady coltfriends.
“So if that filly doesn’t belong to Cadance and Shining, then she has to belong to Twilight” Column smiled, nodding his head. “Yes, yes... that has to be Nightmare Moon.”
“But doesn’t Nightmare Moon have a black coat?”
“Disguise magic is hard, but Twilight Sparkle isn’t a pushover. She could manage a spell to change a pony’s coat color. And who knows how powerful Nightmare Moon still is? She could have changed it herself.”
“I’m sorry, Column, but this is stretching, even for you. How do you know?”
“I don’t know,” Column said as he began to put the train reports back into their folder. “But it’s a lead I intend to chase down, cause if I’m right, this is a story of a career. Nightmare Moon, Snuck into Canterlot. No, that’s too long. Nightmare Moon in Canterlot. Yes, that will be the headline.” He took the folder up in his magic and levitated it back in the direction of the filing cabinet. “Now, put out that lantern and let’s get out of here. The guard should still be looking for his keys in the snow. We get a few feet away, I throw his keys into part of the pile, he’ll find them, and, in the end, he won’t even suspect we were here.
“By Celestia, I love it when it snows!” Column said proudly as he placed the records back in place and shut the filing cabinet.
=====================================================================
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I sense bad things coming...
I hate those stupid reporters.
But still, great story. You do a good job of making characters that I love to hate. 
Well, Twilight Velvet has just royally bucked up, big time.
Column, you foal, you'll cause the whole city to panic with that article!
Two errors:
First two words should be switched.
It's actually personal student, not private.
Uh oh. Things are starting to go wrong.
I like Quick Snap. He's sensible! Also, the revelation that Print Press was denying Velvets' chapters was very well thought out and kind of appropriate.
A shitstorm is about to be unleashed, still I do hope everypony including the princesses have a contingency plan for such a thing.
But maybe it would be that shitstorm that wins over Shining, and give Velvet the push she needs for her final draft.
Magnificent, the family resemblance is perfect. Like mother like daughter.
Oh, I really hate to sound like I am correcting you, please forgive me.
But I think when Velvet was talking, you meant to put her family, not his.
I am truly sorry if I misread that part, please don't hate me if I did!
1886067 1886095
Fixed.
1886111 Glad I could help, Pen Stroke-Sama.
I sense we are going to see lots of family drama later on and Nyx's first Heart's Warming Eve will not be her best... shame, she's gone through so much
This is getting interesting. I wonder how Twilight's family will now go with Heartwarming's Day, because of this whole fiasco with Print Press (and now I know where Twilight got her fiery temperament
), not to mention this Column fellow and his stubborness of journalist.
Can't wait for the next chapter!
Every time I see another one of this series update, my day is made that much better.
Stop. Elder member of the royal herd groveling before the usual publisher? Someone not well probed text of chapter for accuracy.
Am I the only one who thinks Velvet got what she deserved? She put her publisher higher on her priorities than her own family (During a time of the year where she's supposed to be more considerate to her loved ones than normal!). She forced Nyx to wear a dress she didn't want to (So they could impress the daughter of the aforementioned publisher), scolded Twilight (Sparkle) for calling her out, using messed up "I'm your parent, and despite the fact that you're old enough to live by your own and adopt, you gotta do everything I say" logic, and depending on how hard she stomped on Night Light's hoof, that could have counted as assault (I think. I'm... not acually sure).
There is no dialog here. It doesn't fit in.
Great chapter. I am looking forward to the next update. Stuff is about to go down.
Somehow, that last scene made me think of a scene from DBZ Abridged...
"Look, Vegeta... the paparazzi. ...I have to protect my image!"
BOOM!
"He blew up the cargo robot... and the cargo was people!"
1886195 You are not the only one.
Oh Celestia... Why?
: Just googled Nyx. DAMN She's gotten famous around the web 
Edit: Just finished reading this chapter. Damn I hate paparazzi...
Yet another edit
Stupid reporters, and Green Ink. I want to slap him/her across the face, hard. It's Diamond Tiara all over again.
How many chapters are there going to be? I hope a lot more!
1886195
Dun worry, she got what she deserved. T'was the equivalent of a good slap in the face for her, and I'm sure she'll think twice before planning something like that. Actually, I would love to see her admit she can't do it and require help. I'm sure someone in the family have a good idea about how to end Twi's mother novel. (Inb4 Nyx finds the perfect idea)
Ugh. I agree with 1886195, Velvet had this coming. And Print Press is right, when somepony as socially clueless as Twilight Sparkle knows that the whole affair is just an attempt to flatter your boss, you're doing something wrong.
On another note, now we see where Twilight gets her OCD from.
I can't help but wonder: what did Rarity's dress look like? And what would Green Ink's reaction have been had Nyx worn that one instead?
Damm that Collumn fella
! So, Shining fears that Twilight is still somehow under the effects of NMM control; That, plus whatever the h
l his medical evaluation says, is what makes him so wary of Nyx. Speaking of her: Y U Make her so cute
, Penstroke! Man, I can see her smiling from ear to ear sitting on the kids' table. Keep up the good work
!
Damn, isn't it possible for Twilight to have a normal life for just a few days for once?!!!! These two reporters are just gonna cause chaos.
1886011
You said it.
I'm so loving this story, Nyx is best pony :) Please keep going Pen Stroke - seeing this update made my day.
I'm holding a light sense of curiosity around the acronym 'HR' in "That and the HR department won’t get off my back." Horse Resources would be my best guess so far.
Very much looking forward to the next instalment!
1886111 Just a question, is Twilight Velvet, in any terms a good author or is this just or OCD that Twilight inherited from her talking about how she has to go back to a waitress? Because if Velvet WAS a GOOD author she could easily just change publishing companies.... right?
1886610
Well, they could hardly call it PR because that is taken.
1886682
She is a good author, but at the same time Twilight is a good student and she's prone to doom spirals of worry.
My approval rating of Print Press went up a couple notches when she called Velvet out on her pandering. Her response to all of that is indeed cold and unforgiving, but I'd much rather have that than Print Press supporting and accepting the pandering as Velvet clearly expected.
Also, on another note, the problem with draft changes Print Press is expecting of Velvet isn't that it can't be done to expectations or within the time limit (it'd be hard work, with maybe some long nights included, but I think it could be done) but more of the fact that Velvet isn't being open-minded enough to see that there's a better ending available that she can use, having her heart set too much on what she's already written, which isn't to say that it is indeed the BEST way to write it. I say this with experience, having been in a similar situation myself with a school paper I wrote once.
Anyway, greatly enjoying the story, and hoping and praying that those pesky reporters don't actually get that story they're digging for, or at least that aspect doesn't all end as horribly as I'm fearing it will.
Column should be capitalized and I think there should be a comma after "that".
How can a newsreporter be smart enough to put together many details but not enough to to realize they would have to.face the wrath of two alicorns and the Element of Magic?!
I have sympathy for Twilight Velvet. Anyone who says Twilight Velvet "got what she deserved" has never been in a place where some right bastard of a boss had their balls in a vise.
Print Press is a nasty piece of work. She's making impossible demands of one of her best writers and treating her like a peon. And anyone in a position of power who gives you that "I don't appreciate people kissing my hoof" routine is lying through their teeth. Want to see the proof? Look at her daughter-- the apple never falls far from the tree, and Green Ink is already proving to be a piece of work. AS for Print Press, she went out of her way to insult one of her best writers' family right in public, tried to pass it off as a character test.... oh bull, you enjoyed every minute of it, you harridelle... and then saddled her with a demand for a whole new manuscript by the end of the month!
And where the HELL is Twilight Velvet's agent? That's who's supposed to be handling the Dragon Queen, not Twilight Velvet!
Good God, Velvet, if your publisher is giving you a nervous breakdown, yank your titles out of her hooves and go find another publisher! THEY need YOU, not the other way around! Or hells, do what people sick of the bass-ackward system do and self-publish! Keep ALL the money your book makes instead of getting by on whatever pittance advance check your publisher gives you!
You were looking for "would've" and "could've", because you want the contracted forms of "would have" and "could have". The same goes for "should have", but there isn't any instance of that in this chapter. The whole "_ould of" arose from how you pronounce these words, and it's one of my most-hated typos but I'm going off on a tangent and nopony wants that..
Love the story, keep it up!
I really want to see Twilight go Angry Mommy Ursa™ on these press guys.
Journalists
What are you doing
Journalists
Stahp
Anyone else think that Twilight is going to be disappoint in her family and get angry and try to leave with Nyx and Spike because none of the others aside from her father have honestly tried to make Nyx feel welcome(and Night Light thinks that Twilight should give her up, because he thinks she isn't ready for a child)? And that
thoseone idiot of a reporter, Column, will make that impossible.I like this side-story, its an entertaining read, and continues in the universe with Nyx and with all what that includes.
Its an interesting premise, and, I am really looking forward to how you decide on continuing this fic
(Hm, not very constructive comment, but couldn't figure anything of such out to write atm
)
Anyway, found an error:
focused*
Thanks for putting this up for everyone to enjoy!
And, happy 2013, and stuff like that
M
As much as Velvet was mean to everyone to get on her boss good side, I am surprised that Print Press just did something like that, he practically offended Prince Shinning Armor, Princess Cadence, Hero and Element of Magic and student of Celestia " Twilight " and everyone else only to test out his worked, what's wrong with him ?
Also, I must say I like that Shinning Armor got taste of his own medicine, he was suspicious of Nyx, and now he learn how it fell when someone suspect you of still being a tyrant.
And what is the biggest Irony, all the guards and even Shinning Armor just took over entire Equestria and were ready to fight or even kill those who resisted Nightmare Moon just because they thought of her as Celestia, it mean that Celestia can just create eternal day and force all her subjects into slavery and a lot ponies will follow her to the core, Twilight was even ready to kill Nyx because she thought it was what ordered her to do ( it was like Celestia asked her to attack her so that she will be killed later, it mean Twilight would be ready to stab Celestia and then lose her head if only Celestia would ask her to do it ).
I think that Nyx is actually least guilty, she was the one who defeated Nightmare Moon and freed everyone from her control, and they followed her not because they were mind controlled, but because they thought of Nyx as they thought of Celestia, ultimate trust and loyalty, the moment Nyx freed them, right away they started to hate her and blame her.
What it prove that it does no matter what good Nyx will do in Nightmare Moon form or what evil Celestia would do, every-pony would still call Celestia good, and they would call Nyx a monster, that's not justice, do Shinning Armor really not realise it, do he really believe that Nyx is using spell to make Twilight like her, do he not see that every pony is judging book by it is cover ?
Column is on my hit list.
1887294
Print Press is a mare. And deliberately picking a fight with Royals and Psudo-Royals is a terrible idea.
1887418
That's what I meant, honestly I do not know do it is because she is very brave and have strong character or do she is complicity stupid hypocrite who just decided to find a reason to punish her own worker, I do not say Velvet was not at fault, but still.
Also every-time I hear Print Press, I think she is a male, it just does not sounds like female name to me at all.
There's a storm coming....
In other news, Column is on my personal list of "Character's I'd Like to See Die Horrible Deaths at the Hands of Fate"
1887277 Shitstorm: Definitely happening.
But Nyx going Nightmare on Green Ink: Not a chance, since the magic that would be necessary for that to happen was reclaimed by Princess Luna at the end of Past Sins.
Any bets on the antagonists getting through Hearth's Warming without getting a little Flank Warming from one, or both Princesses in an invitation to tea, and a discussion on the meaning of the phrase "Lese-majesty" between the Darjeeling and the Thin Mint Crisps?
1886682 Ah I see. But why can't she just change publishing companies then?
Well, we're going to have another very well-earned happy ending.
Equestria Publications. I see what you did there