//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: You Shall Go To The Gala 
// by Purple Patch 
//------------------------------//

The Grand Galloping Gala was never expected to be an interesting event for any relatively normal pony.
But for the Canterlot elite, it was an unmissable occasion, for no better reason that because it was simply what the rich and powerful did.
Hang around at big, fancy balls, converse with ponies they weren't friends with, laugh at things they didn't find funny, consume an awful lot of expensive food and drink and...do absolutely nothing.
Irregular Glass, or Derpy as she'd once called herself, had never seen the glamour in the Gala but being invited to it was, nonetheless, a gesture of praise she was obligated to accept. 
She was awaiting the arrival of a mare who her friends had promised would get her ready for the Gala.
All her friends had recommended her after going to her for costumes for the harvest party at Sweet Apple Acres. Derpy fondly remembered the pretty baby-blue tutu they'd gotten her, how it had fluttered as she hopped and pranced to the trill of Granny Smith's fiddle, making her look so graceful despite her staggering lack of dancing talent.
Derpy Doo sat forlornly on the stairs of the Glass family estate, Invitro Manor, as she'd done in her late childhood, waiting for her parents to come home.
They never did.
She'd been afraid to come back here after two years.
She'd been even more afraid to bring Dinky here.
But she’d done it anyway to protect the ones she cared about.
It had been a couple of months since she returned. Night and day she was forced to cook or clean or do whatever else was ordered. As expected, she hadn’t performed well and was often cruelly punished for it, usually with the crop.
A recent bruise on her face had almost faded. The bruises on her shoulders, back and legs, however, had not.
She was told to work. If she failed, she was beaten. If she refused, she was beaten. And she never got to succeed.
Deep down, Derpy believed that they simply enjoyed beating her.
Why? What had she done? Back in Ponyville she’d made plenty of mistakes right up until her pregnancy. Ponies got irritated, sometimes even downright angry, but they never hit her.
Why were things so harsh at Invitro Hall? The house that had once been her home.


"Mah..." a tiny voice piped up behind her. Derpy turned her head to see her little daughter tugging at her mane lightly.
"Hey little Muffin" Derpy's voice was sleepy "You okay?"
Dinky, barely getting used to crawling, was peering up at the portrait of Derpy's parents, a prim silver unicorn with a flowing cyan and magenta mane and a rugged lilac pegasus stallion in a jumpsuit with a spiky blonde mane, holding a tiny, smiling, wall-eyed foal between them. Can Doo the Wonderbolt and Looking Glass the Noblemare with little Derpy in their hooves. It was high up upon the walls and had been left to grow dusty. The Glass Household had constantly spoken of how distressing it was to keep it up but had never gotten around to removing it.
"That's right, Dinky...they're your grandparents...one day maybe...we'll see them again"
"Stop moping under that blasted painting, you stupid filly!"
The imposing figure of Countess Magnifying Glass strode into view, accompanied by a duo of solemn-faced servants. For the gala that evening she was dressed in a deep crimson satin dress with a white silk collar decorated with a net of rubies. The beautiful garment did nothing to hide her tight-lipped and disdainful expression she wore most of the time.
At the sight of her, Derpy instinctively clutched Dinky to her chest and shrank into the corner of the step she sat upon.
"...sorry...milady..."
"And I specifically stated I wanted that 'thing' locked in your room!" She gestured dismissively at Dinky.
"But...she's only two years old...I can't leave her alone"
"Irregular Kaleidoscopa Glass, you will do as I tell you!" she barked "It's a terrible enough indignity that the family must suffer you but that...ill-born will not be seen in public! Not on my watch! The noble Glass family will not suffer it! Now put that thing back where it came from or so help me..."


There was a high-pitched screech from one of the dressing rooms as Monocular and Binocular thundered down the stairs in their underwear, frantically flailing worn dresses in their hooves.
"Mummy! Irregular folded our clothes improperly again!"
"They're all creased! We can't wear these to the gala!"
Magnifying rolled her eyes and snapped at Derpy.
"Celestia forbid, you are hopeless!"
"I-I-I'm sorry I just...it was really hard to-"
"Don't speak." She raised one hoof to the side of her head and nursed her temples "Just go down to the laundry room and ready your cousins a pair of dresses immediately! And then put that back in its room!" she hollered, pointing to Dinky, before storming off, followed by her daughters who violently shoved Derpy into the side of the wall on the way down the stairs.
"You heard her, stupid, go and see to our dresses!" Monocular sneered.
"And don't you dare ruin them again, or there'll be trouble!" Binocular snarled.
Her bumped head spinning, Derpy's first instinct was to check on Dinky. The little filly was whimpering in her chest but hadn't been hurt.
Sighing with relief, she got up.
"Come on then little Muffin" she murmured "Let's...let's get those dresses ready"


*


“And just what time do you call this, milady?”
A cloaked and veiled equine walked primly into a small but cosy old mansion and was addressed by a pinto mare in a maid’s uniform.
“The ship from Zebrica is never really on time, dear” she said, her voice smooth and eloquent “You ponies have never really been good on the sea no matter how hard you try”
“And you’ve never been too hunky-dory on land, if you remember” In contrast, the maid possessed a Trottingham Cockney accent.
“I’m getting better...slowly” The lady removed her cloak and veil and gave a contented sigh that came out more like a hiss “That’s better. 	Allows my scales to breathe. I don’t know how the ponies keep these clinging fabrics on all day. I felt claustrophobic. Multiple times I felt the need to simply fling them off and soak up Celestia’s sun”
“Doing so in the garden’s fine by me, milady. Or I could run you a bath” She smiled wryly “And wait it in for you”
The lady gave a chuckle.
“I’m not home for a minute and you’re jumping at the chance to do something lewd?”
“That didn’t sound like an objection, ma’am”
They both laughed, drew each other together and kissed passionately.
After what must have been several minutes, they pulled their lips apart.
“Cor! I forgot how thorough you are” The pinto maid’s head spun.
“One of the many benefits of a prehensile tongue” The lady gave a menacing grin “Aren’t you going to ask me how it went?”
“Aren’t you going to tell me?”
“The Wilderbeast will stalk the streets of Timbucktu no longer” She hung up an ornate Neighponese blade on the wall.
“How did it end for him?” the maid asked.
“I chased him into the Street of Masks. From there it was largely a matter of leading him into the right alley. Somehow my sword caught fire...and then so did he. But that’s alright. I quite enjoy my food crisssssp”
“Well, I certainly hope you washed out your mouth before you kissed me just now” the maid tutted “Now you’ll want to wash and change as soon as poss. We need to be at the gala in three hours”
“I almost forgot, or perhaps would’ve liked to. Will he be joining us this evening?”
“Yes, he will ma’am. He wrote to me while you were out”
“Sending each other letters now are we, my wayward filly?”
The maid rolled her eyes.
“I’ll run a bath”
“Do, darling”


*


Derpy had never been good at laundry. The steam made it hot and hard to see, her hooves were next to useless folding and straightening the fabric and her wings felt wet and heavy in the humidity. She felt her nostrils stinging and her eyes watering under the vapours coming from the conditioner and her soapy hooves couldn't rub it away. Every now and again, she would check on Dinky, who she'd left atop a pile of towels out of the way. She was napping. It was a relief to know she wasn't undergoing what her mother was being put through.
After what seemed like several hours, the dresses were ready to an adequate quality, ready for the gala. Carefully placing them on hangers, she sent them up via the pulley system leading from the laundry to the dressing room.
As the hiss of the white hot iron and steam subsided, her foal's cry began to grow louder.
"Mah...Mah!"
Derpy turned and realised to her horror that the steam filling the room had caused the towels to expand with moisture and were toppling over. The little foal atop them was clinging to the edges of one they slowly began to tumble into the tub of scalding hot water.
With a cry, Derpy shot forward and grabbed her daughter, spreading her wings to shield her from the splash as the towels cascaded into the tub. She felt it fly across her wing and burn. It didn't leave a mark but it hurt. And she felt like she deserved it.
Too many times in the past, Dinky had nearly come to injury thanks to her mother's clumsiness. Dinky never took it that badly, she just seemed happy that her mother had come to her rescue when she did. But to Derpy it stopped her entire world and took her to a dark place in her mind, filled with lingering voices that told her that she wasn't good enough. Clumsy, stupid, irresponsible, words that had drilled into her mind by the crueller ponies she'd known.
"I'm sorry, Dinky" she whimpered "I'm so sorry..."
"Mm...Mah wah?" Dinky mumbled.
"I know, little Muffin, I know, I just..." she felt a pain in her chest as she knew she was going to cry.
"I just don't know what went wrong..."
Then she heard voices.
"I am sorry but the Countess is not expecting guests. We are, at present, preparing for the Grand Galloping Gala this evening"
She recognised the reedy voice of one of the servants followed by a mare's voice she didn't recognise, effete and with an air of an accent about it.
"Well, I'm sorry too but I have my invitation here and I simply must prepare my friend for the aforementioned Gala and I am running out of time, so to speak, so please let me check on her"
"I do not believe Madams Monocular and Binocular have ever mentioned you in passing"
"No, no, it's the niece of the family that invited me. Miss Derpy Doo"
"There is no such mare on the premises, madam"
"Course there is, she just moved in, the letter from Minuette Colgate mentions her by name. Young grey pegasus with amber eyes"
"Misaligned amber eyes?"
"That's not excessively relevant but yes, now are you going to let me in or not?"
"I am sorry, she is not receiving guests nor is permitted to do so, now would you please..."
Gingerly, Derpy opened the door and entered the main hall. The doorstallion was in the midst of some argument with a glamorous white-coated, blue-eyed unicorn mare with long eyelashes and a luxurious purple mane, massive bags of textiles and accessories hovering beside her.
She couldn't have been older than fifteen but she looked incredibly bright.
Upon seeing her, the mare's eyes brightened.
"Derpy Doo?"
"Me...yes"
The mare gave a whinny of joy.


"Hello, darling, it's such a pleasure to design for you. I'm Rarity, proprietor of Ponyville's Carousel Boutique. You may not have heard of us, we're still fairly new to the industry but your friend, Colgate, recommended me specially to design a dress for your gala visit this evening and I've been looking for a chance to visit Canterlot for ages so thank you tremendously for this honour. Now, we haven't got long before-GOODNESS GRACIOUS, DARLING, you look an utter calamity! Where did you come from, a laundry room?!"
"Uh..." Derpy scratched the back of her head and pushed a trail of her wet mane out of her face "...yeah"
"Oh...apologies" Rarity glanced around "Well now, this may take nearly all of my expertise to perfect"
"I'm sorry" Derpy mumbled.
"No, no, dear, that wasn't a rebuke. Trust me, by the time I'm finished you'll look as pretty as a palace portrait and twice as shiny. Let's go upstairs, darling, we'll need mirrors and a stool" she threw a curt nod to the doorman "Thank you, my good stallion, I'll find my own way around. I'd like to say you've been very helpful...but I'd be lying"
The seamstress followed Derpy up to her bedroom and, once inside, surveyed the meagre scene, a room little better than a solitary servant's quarter.
"Oh dear" she mused aloud "Don't you have any larger mirrors, darling?"
"I'm sorry, I'm not allowed in any of the other rooms"
"Quite alright, I suppose we'll have to make do. Hold still please" And with that she levitated some tape measures and fabric samples and began her work.
"Let's see, you're of fairly average size, that'll save some time. Your mane might look nice with bands or bonnets, not so sure about the tail, might need something more elaborate. I think...turquoise, yes...that would go nicely with your coat. Maybe some brazen thread to join the layers and perhaps...ah!" She marvelled at Derpy's bubble cutie mark and began exclaiming in giddy glee "Yes, yes! Pearls! Wonderful! A brace of clear pearls to line the hooves, neck and forehead! Fabulous! Now where did I put them?"
Placing down the massive bags she was carrying, she produced a large tub of pearls, each as big as her irises, and a length of thread. As she carefully began threading the pearls through to make a brace, she caught sight of Dinky trying to play around with the dangling pearls like a kitten.
"Why hello, little cherub" she cooed, her sapphire eyes twinkling in wonder "I'm so sorry, I got so caught up I didn't see you there. I think we can make something for you too, don't you worry" The white mare turned back to Derpy "She's simply adorable. Your sister?"
"N-no, my...my daughter"
"Oh" Rarity looked surprised for a moment but swiftly readopted her adoring gaze "Well you should be very proud, you have a beautiful young filly"
"Thanks...Miss Rarity"
"Now keep still for a moment, dear. This shouldn't take too long and if we're quick, we'll be able to fix your little foal up with something suitable as well" She chuckled, lost in her inspiration.
"Oh yes, in the words of a certain summerwing godmother...you Shall go to the Gala"


*


Sugarcoat, a trim, bespectacled, young mare with a silver coat and a flowing white mane tied up in two enormous ponytails, stood at the doorway of the ball, checking off names on the register as the guests began to arrive. A trivial errand and hardly worth her time but she'd volunteered to help out and this was the task assigned to her by her princess and teacher.
One had certain responsibilities when one was privileged enough to attend the most prestigious university in Equestria and certain sacrifices as well.
She was getting to know Canterlot's leading citizens better than she'd like to. The guest list had a habit of puffing up their guests to the level of royalty whether they deserved it or not, listing family names, titles, households and even ancestors. Sunset Shimmer had suggested either getting rid of the practice or applying it to all guests, whatever their standing. This hadn’t gone down well with the nobles but neither did anything Sunset Shimmer had ever said or done.
"Mr Filthy and Mrs Spoilt of the Rich family with one daughter, Miss Diamond Tiara" The rugged stallion was, at least, courteous enough to thank her and wish her a good night as the mare and filly passed by without even acknowledging her.
"The Marquis Jet Set and Marchioness Upper Crust of the Du Pompé household" Two snooty ponies strutted past her, their noses so high in the air one would think they were watching for shooting stars.
"The Emissaries from Saddle Arabia, Haakim Bey and Amira of the line of Ibn Faris" The two tall, exotic horses bowed, greeted her in a foreign tongue and entered in a relatively humble manner.
"Name please?" She'd said that without up from her register.
"Sugarcoat!"
"No, that would be mine and if you're trying to be funny, you're sorely-Fleur?" she started, staring at her old friend, Fleur de Lis, who she knew as the head filly at the School For Gifted Unicorns and Student Rep at the Preparatory College. She was smiling ecstatically, accompanied by a well-dressed blue-maned stallion she was positively clinging to tenderly. Behind them were a trio of simpering ponies dressed up like a bunch of peacocks.
"It's so wonderful to see you again! I hear you passed your semester with flying colours!" the slim mare tittered.
"Well..." Sugarcoat shrugged "I passed anyway. So how's model life treating you?"
"To be honest, dear, it's leaving me rather exhausted. But a career's a career, one I worked hard for. You look lovely by the way"
"Thanks but we may have to talk another time, I'll need your names"


"By all means, madam" It was the moustachioed stallion who spoke "Fancy Pants, I believe you'll find my name and that of Fleur on the VIP list, I shan't bore you with all my titles. And these three behind me are the Art Curator Silver Frames of the De Jalousie family, Auctioneer Golden Gavel of Lotthammer Hall and the Architect of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Swan Song of the Cygnetta household"
"Quite" Silver Frames agreed.
"Indeed" Golden Gavel concurred.
"Rather" Swan Song coincided.
"Thank you, sir. I'll check them off"
"I must say, I quite agree with dear Fleur's opinion, young...Sugarcoat, was it? That suit does look jolly good on you" He was eying the white suit with the black straps and bowtie that Sugarcoat often wore to social gatherings.
"Thank you, sir" she felt a little embarrassed, uncommon for her "I've always preferred suits over skirts. I got picked on for it a while back but Fleur always told me to just wear what I felt fit me. I'm glad you like it"
"I do indeed. And the bowtie is quite a nice accessory, wouldn't you fellows agree?"
"Dashing"
"Charming"
"Beguiling"
"There you are. Wear it with pride, young mare, and it'll fit you to a tee"
"Thank you very much, Mister Fancy Pants. We hope you enjoy the gala" Sugarcoat was strangely elated at how nice it was to meet her old friend and be treated so graciously by the venerable stallion before her. Maybe her night wouldn't be so bad after all.


A carriage came to a screeching halt as the Glass family emerged and proceeded to strut up the steps of the royal palace. The matriarch was cold and mean-looking and brandished a crop, twirling it round her hoof in an imposing manner, while the fish-faced young mares behind her were preening over themselves, following their mother's every action.
"Countess Magnifying Glass of Invitro Hall with two daughters, Monocular and Binocular and..." She looked up "One niece, Irregular?"
The three mares stood before her, unsmiling.
"One niece, Irregular?" Sugarcoat repeated meaningfully.
"Is her name on the list?" the Countess asked sternly.
"I'm not at liberty to say, ma'am"
"Don't talk nonsense, filly, is her name on the lists? Tell me"
"Well...yes, but-"
"There has been an administrative error. Irregular was not invited and is not, under any circumstances to attend this evening's event"
"Oh...well...I'll need to speak with-"
"No, give me that list, the pen too" She didn't wait for an answer, she simply snatched the clipboard and pen from Sugarcoat with a flash of carmine magic found her niece's name and scrawled it out from view with the marker and threw the board and pen back.
"Right. That takes care of things. Now hurry up and check our names off the roster and look snappy about it" And they poured in, the daughters throwing her smug sneers.
Sugarcoat took back everything she'd been thinking before she'd met those particular ponies.
She only felt bad for whomever 'Irregular' was.


*


"I have to say, darling, I'm positively green with envy! And I tell you now, green looks awful on me" the fussy but gracious seamstress chattered away as she sowed and wove her way around Derpy's dress with such grace, one might think it a dance.
"Er...sorry"
"No, no, it's not your fault, dear" she laughed as she expertly threaded pearls with her magic "I'm just utterly bowled over by the fact that Princess Celestia herself invited you to the Gala! It's very generous of her to give tickets to us simple working ponies. Perhaps my chance may yet come one day" She gave an excited squeal "Ooh, it would just be fabulous. I would treasure the memory forever!"
"I see..."
“Now turn this way for a moment, I’m applying some makeup. Not too excessive, we don’t want to hide you from view” She patted Derpy’s face with a sponge dipped in a cold white cream, looking worriedly at her cheeks.
“Goodness, darling. Where did you get these bruises?”
“Uh...I um...” Derpy mumbled to the kindly seamstress.
‘Remember. You can’t tell anypony or they’ll get hurt because of you’
“I...I deserved it”
“Deserved it?!” Rarity drew back incredulously “Young mare, nopony ever deserves to be bruised unless they’ve bruised somepony else and even then that’s pushing it. If someone’s hurting you, you should tell somepony, immediately. In the meantime, I think a little dash of blush will cover up the marks quite nicely”
Derpy blinked and thought back two weeks ago to when she'd opened that shiny letter with the royal seal, horrified that she might be in some awful kind of trouble. Then reading that she and her foal were welcome to join her friend the Doctor, who was visiting various acquaintances at the event, and that she'd dearly love to see the how foal she'd witnessed birthed that fateful night was growing and to personally thank Derpy for all her hard work this year. She'd nearly fainted on the spot. She hadn't seen the Princess in person since she gave birth to Derpy yet now the ruler of all Equestria was asking her to join her at, what she assumed, was an incredibly important event.
It had been Colgate and Lyra who slipped her the letter through the only barred window in her room. They’d pressed her to tell them what her aunt was doing to her and how they could get her out but Derpy had shooed them away before things could get worse.
It had also been Colgate who requested Rarity make her a dress.
She’d need to remind herself to thank Colgate personally. A muffin basket of gratitude would be in order, low-sugar of course.
For fear of her aunt's reaction, Derpy hadn't told anyone in Invitro Hall she had been invited to the gala or that she was going.
Still, Derpy exercised the idea of how her aunt and cousin would react when she walked up to Princess Celestia in her soon-to-be finished dress and was congratulated personally for her service to Ponyville.
That would show them all.


When they were finished, Derpy soon discovered that her aunt and cousins had already departed for the Gala. She was both disappointed and relieved, not knowing how they'd react. She stood before a couple of stunned servants, carefully making her way down the stairs as her shimmering turquoise and bronze dress nearly stood up on its own. She'd had her makeup done and her mane fashioned into a curly tumble over the side of her shoulders. In a wide mirror above her parent's portrait, she looked at the end result.
She stared at it for several moments. She couldn't remember the last time she looked so beautiful.
"Hee" Dinky giggled, tucked in a sling across Derpy's chest that Rarity had insisted she make as beautiful as the rest of her garb, adorning it with pearls and golden thread. Dinky had been fitted in a little teal skirt decorated with little bands, bows and baubles that she was finding no end in playing with.
"Ah...yes, quite an acceptable piece, I think, though I do rather say it myself. I think I shall call it 'Moonlight Reflected on the Sea Foam'"
Rarity emerged from behind Derpy, admiring her work "What do you think, dear? Be as honest as you like...as long as it isn’t negative or critical in any way"
"I...I..." Tears began to form at the corners of her misaligned eyes.
"Careful, dear, you don't want to ruin your make-up-Oomph!" Rarity found Derpy's hoof throw itself around her shoulder and hugged her tight by the neck, nuzzling it in a friendly fashion.
"Or rumple the silk..." she added, returning the hug daintily.
"Thank you" the gray pegasus' voice cracked "Thank you Miss Rarity, it looks amazing..."
Above them, Derpy could have sworn that the images of her parents seemed to smile brighter than ever.
"No trouble at all, darlings" Rarity checked the ornate clock above the manor doorway "But you'll want to hurry if you want to get to the gala in time"
"Uh...oh, yeah" Derpy made for the door then suddenly stopped, trembling in her hooves.
"They left without me..." she mumbled "I don't...I don't know the way"
"Oh darling, I'm sorry. I...I wish I knew. I don't know if anyone-"
"Halloo? Anypony home?" A voice outside trilled and the servants opened the door to two of Derpy's Canterlot-born friends, Colgate and Pepperdance, both wearing dazzling sets of apparel designed by Rarity.
"W-wow, girls..." Derpy gasped, twiddling her hooves nervously "Um...are we gonna' be late?"
"Not if we're quick" Colgate, the ever-friendly trainee dentist, said cheerfully "We came round to pick you up"
"We saw your aunt and cousins in a carriage to the gala and figured they'd left without you, which meant we were clear to go" Pepperdance, the frisky Cabaleran dancer, added "You look great by the way, Derpy, muy bueno as my folks say"
"Yeah, told you Rarity could fix you up something good. She did with us, look"
Colgate wore a periwinkle-blue embroidered dress with a gleaming ultramarine corset and navy metal hoofbands, all decorated with drop-shaped sapphires while Pepperdance wore a daring pink and purple chemise above a crimson, plum and black ruffled skirt and high black tights embellished with ruby crescents fastened by tiny emeralds. Both looked absolutely magnificent.
"Oh you're too kind" Rarity trilled casually "I'm just happy to have the chance to visit this wonderful city and breathe in the culture a little. Ponyville's nice and all but one gets so starved of true refinement. Well, I'd best be on my way, I'm staying at the Squire Court Hotel. Tell me how it all goes. Ta-ta!" And with that she trotted merrily away.
"So...girls..." Derpy felt herself growing more and more nervous "Um...are we going to the gala now?"
"Ready when you are, hermana!" Pepperdance smiled and eyed the little foal slung over Derpy's chest "And I see little Dinky looks ready, don't you little chica, chic-chic-chic-chic!" She nuzzled the smiling filly.
Dinky’s little tummy shook with giggles.
"I didn't know Rarity could work foal-size. She's full of surprises, that mare" Colgate chuckled and nudged the timid grey pegasus.
"Well, let's not keep the crowd waiting. Saddle up everypony, to the Grand Galloping Gala we go!"


*


"Hi Sugarcoat!" Colgate called out to her friend "Lovin' the suit! How's everything going?"
"The gala is slowly filling up with preening, pompous, inbred whiners I'd dearly enjoy pulverising, thanks for asking" the silver mare muttered "Still, I'm glad to see another friendly face. Hello, Pepper"
"Hola hermana! Great to see you too! Anypony else we know arrived yet?"
Sugarcoat shrugged.
"Well, Sunset Shimmer, as you'd expect. Lyra, Twinkleshine and Lemon Hearts are waiting for you, so's your cousin Cayenne. Flash has just come off duty with Shining and a few Wonderbolts. Oh, and Fleur de Lis arrived with her new colt-toy"
"Sweet!" Colgate chuckled "Any sign of Twilight and Moondancer?"
"No, sorry"
Pepperdance sighed.
"Can't say I'm totally surprised. Demasiado, at least we tried. Let's just try to have some fun"
"Good luck" Sugarcoat snorted and checked the roster "Minuette Colgate of the van Tancrems and Pepperdance del Papricana" She checked the list then noticed Derpy behind them.
"And this is...?"
"This is Derpy. Remember? We mentioned her once or twice. She's here for the Gala too"
Sugarcoat's face twisted with concern.
"Would you be..."
"Irregular Glass...if you'd like to call me that..." Derpy smiled, the filly in her sling giving a small wave.
Sugarcoat winced and braced herself to lose several friends.
"I'm very sorry, Miss Irregular" she said "but your name was removed from the list"


"What?!" Colgate and Pepperdance exclaimed at once.
"Girls, please believe me, I had nothing to do with it"
"It was her puke-bag of an aunt, wasn't it!" Colgate stamped her hoof on the ground "We can't let her do this to Derpy!"
"C'mon, Sugar, can't you let her in?" Pepperdance pleaded "We've been planning this for months!"
"Look, I'm sorry, really I am, but if I let her in, I could get in serious trouble and so could Celestia. I wish I could, honestly"
"Please, Sugar, get the Princess up here, we need to..." Colgate stopped as she turned to Derpy, who sat on the ground, her head down, quietly weeping and clutching a confused Dinky like she the last thing in the world that could comfort her.
"I blew it..." she whimpered "I knew they wouldn't want me...I shouldn't have come here at all...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry"
"Oh Derpy no, this isn't your fault" Colgate and Pepperdance saw fit to comfort their friend as Sugarcoat turned her head away, feeling absolutely wretched.
"Ahem" a stallion's voice behind her jerked her eyes open "Check Page 10"
"Er..." Sugarcoat didn't look at the stallion, only checked her roster "I don't believe there is a page-"
She was aware, for about a split second, of a wallet opening and piece of paper with waved lines being placed in front of her, over her clipboard...then, sure enough, page 10 clearly bearing two names.
"Page 10, Derpy of the Doo family and one daughter, Dinky, VIP's. Ah!" her face brightened up "Thank you, mister..."
"VIP" a brown stallion in a top hat and bowtie trotted forward "Just call me Doctor. Love the bowtie. Bowties are cool"
Upon seeing him, Derpy gasped and a smile emerged on her face as bright as Luna's moon and nearly leapt to her feet.
"Doctor!"
"Hello old filly" He took her hoof "Coming? It's getting pretty boring at the gala. Never have I wanted an unexpected monster attack this badly in my life! I'd love to be with you tonight, Dinky too"
The foal gave a merry squeak and waved her hooves at the Doctor.
"Da-tah!"
Derpy gasped at her foal’s early bloom in communication skills.
The Doctor chuckled almost nervously.
"Yes yes, that's right, Dinky. Doctor. Well, come on, you two, the gala could use some eyes that don't look down on you all the time"
"Heh...okay..." Derpy picked herself up, brushed off her dress and edged closer to her faithful protector.
"Are you here to tell the Princess?" She whispered, worry apparent in her voice.
"No, Derpy" he replied "I'm not here to do anything you don't want. So I'm not here to tell the Princess anything you don't want her to know. But I am here to get you back home. Because I know that's what you really want"
The muddle-headed mailmare gently gave her scruffy ageless friend a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you" It was all she could do not to cry with joy.
"Thanks Sugarcoat" Colgate sighed in relief "You sure you won't get in trouble?"
"Not really, but if I do, quite honestly, it's worth it"
"Gracias Hermana, you are awesome, girl!" Pepperdance hugged her warmly.
Sugarcoat primly removed herself from the bubbly dancer's grip and straightened her suit but returned the smile.
"I owe that sweet flying klutz. If it weren't for her, I'd have never gotten my high school diploma before the deadline. Try to have some fun, okay? Well, that should be all the guests marked off so I'm gonna' see if I can find something on the buffet larger than a grape"
And with that, the four best friends for life, the foal and the time-travelling stallion entered the Grand Galloping Gala.