//------------------------------// // Special Guests // Story: Friendship 101 // by BlazzingInferno //------------------------------// Twilight Velvet stared down at the perfect grid of party favors on the kitchen counter; thirty six little bags filled with hats, noise makers, balloons, and a generous amount of star-shaped confetti. Her hoof tapped out seconds in time with the clock on the wall. In another minute everyone she’d invited would officially be half an hour late. “Stupid other parents… stupid public school… stupid scheduling conflicts… that’s what they’re all going call it: a scheduling conflict. Forget asking the Princess; I should’ve just put invitations on lamp posts.” Night Light nudged the nearest party favor with his hoof. He looked at her with a cautious yet optimistic smile she knew well, the same one she gifted to each of her book’s dashing heroes. “She was the longest of long shots, dear… but we can still make the afternoon special. What if we go out instead? We could let Twilight pick a restaurant… maybe stop by her favorite book store…” Shining Armor sighed, the short crop of his mane barely visible over the back of the couch. A book on military strategy floated over his reclining form. “Dad, we did that last week after she aced her entrance exam! She’s probably rereading her new teleportation book right now, that’s why she hasn’t noticed what time it is. Can’t I just go upstairs and get her? We can have the cake, and sing, and—” Twilight Velvet swiped her foreleg across the kitchen counter, scattering the party favors across the floor. She stomped into the front room and focused her magic on the streamers hanging from the ceiling. One by one, the decorations came down and joined the party favors on the floor. “Not another word, either of you! Just… let me think.” “Mom—” “I said let me think!” “Mom—” She whirled around and glared at her son, an adolescent stallion already as big as she was, but not so big that he could escape cowering under her fiery gaze. “What, Shining Armor? What?” He curled into a ball and held a spare cushion up as a shield. “There’s… um… there’s somepony outside… looks important.” Night Light reached the front window first, and his tail stuck straight out when he did. “D-dear, you didn’t say anything… threatening to Princess Celestia, did you?” Twilight Velvet gasped. “What? Of course not!” “Shining Armor, did you commit some horrible crime that you’d like to tell us about?” Shining Armor jumped off the couch and joined them at the window. “Are you crazy? I’ve got a week left before I go to the acad—whoa.” Twilight Velvet pressed her nose to the glass. A golden chariot was parked on their front lawn, and no less than five royal guards, four fillies, and one bearded and bespectacled unicorn stallion were stepping off of it. “Go get Twilight.” “Huh?” “Go get your little sister! Tell her study time is over, the guests are here! Night Light, could you wait by the door while I… um… pick up the mess I made?” Shining Armor ran for the stairs, while Night Light headed for the kitchen. “I’ll clean up, dear. If the royal guard is coming to arrest you for Princess harassment, who am I to stand in their way?” She rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. “You’d better hope they do, because if they don’t my pillow’s got a date with your f—” The sound of the doorbell made her jump. The soft clang of metal on metal, the sweet music she’d been fantasizing about since sending out invitations was finally calling out to her. “J-just a minute! Be right there!” “How about that, they’re not just breaking the door down.” She shot Night Light one last glare and marched to the front door. Twilight ran down the staircase and nearly collided with her. “There’s ponies here to see me? Really?” Shining Armor came up behind her, laughing. “Really, Twily.” Twilight Velvet smiled. “Let’s just remember to be friendly and accepting, no matter what they look like, okay honey?” Young Twilight gave a vigorous nod. “I will, mom. I promise!” Twilight Velvet took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the new cutie mark on her daughter’s flank. “Why don’t you open the door, honey?” Young Twilight’s horn glowed purple, and the front door swung open. Two royal guards in full armor stood in the doorway, their stern expressions as friendly and inviting as a brick wall. Young Twilight gave a seconds-long gasp. “Are… are you here for my party?” Twilight Velvet bit her lip. They’d better be. If this was some sort of sick prank, no jury would ever convict her. The guard on the left spoke, his voice as level and stern as his expression. “Is this the residence of one Twilight Sparkle, personal student of Princess Celestia?” Young Twilight gave her mother a brief glance before nodding. “Yes… That’s me.” “And is this the date and time of her cute-ceañera?” Young Twilight tilted her head slightly. “Yes…” Both of the guards pulled off their helmets and grinned. “Phew, we’re at the right place! Can we please come to your party, Miss Twilight?” Young Twilight gave her brightest smile. “Sure! That’s okay, right Mom?” Twilight Velvet beckoned them inside. “I hope you’re all in the mood for cake.” Five royal guards filed through door in a straight line, removing their helmets as they did so while the other guests rushed by them. In seconds, the quiet house was filled with conversation and calls for the special filly to tell them her cutie mark story. Twilight Velvet took a deep breath, exhaling week upon week of worry in the process. Little Twilight had some guests at her party, and she didn’t care that most of them were muscle-bound stallions clad in armor. “Did somepony say cake?” The room went silent, and Twilight Sparkle gasped. “Is… Is that—“ Princess Celestia ducked through the entryway. “Good afternoon, Twilight Sparkle.” “You came to my cute-ceañera! Oh thank you, Princess!” Princess Celestia smiled. “Your cute-ceañera is today? How convenient! I actually came to begin your private lessons early alongside a few late additions to the school roster, but that can wait until we’ve celebrated, don’t you think? I’m sure Lyra, Lemon Hearts, Minuette, and Moondancer would love to get to know you, considering how much time you’ll spend with them once the school year starts.” Young Twilight’s smile faltered for just a moment, at least until she looked at the roomful of guests, especially the four fillies grinning at her expectantly. “Oh, wow! I guess that can wait… Since we have guests and everything.” “Wonderful.” --- An hour later, the party was still in full swing. Twilight Velvet sat at the kitchen table next to the remains of the cake, watching three royal guards in party hats tossing her daughter in the air amid repeated choruses of For She’s a Jolly Good Pony from Night Light and the fillies. Her attention wandered to the other side of the room, where the two other guards had her son backed into a corner. “—heard you’re shipping off to the academy.” Shining Armor gave a shaky salute. “Y-yes, Sir!” “Think you’ve got what it takes to be a Royal Guard, eh? Maybe a lieutenant?” “Yes, Sir!” “Wrong! You’d better aim higher than that! If you want to last a month in the academy, you’d better be aiming for captain of the guard, got that?” Shining Armor’s eyes went wide. “C-captain of the guard?” “Say it!” “I-I want to be the captain of the guard… Captain Shining Armor.” Both guards chanted in unison. “I can’t hear you!” “Captain Shining Armor!” Princess Celestia slipped through the room, gingerly stepping through a battleground of confetti and balloons, and joined Twilight Velvet at the kitchen table. “I’m sorry we were late. Convincing Moondancer to come to an impromptu ‘friendship lesson’ took some work. Minuette on the other hoof…” Twilight Velvet laughed. “Late? I wish you’d told me you were really coming, but… thank you. Thank you so much. This means the world to Twilight.” A glass of lemonade rose to Princess Celestia’s lips, and was soon emptied. “I might as well get used to the favoritism accusations that come with having a personal student… although I’ve never had a student so eager to jump ahead to the ‘lesson’ portion of our time together. I just gave a command lecture on the magical properties of cutie marks, and Professor Hoofington is going to talk about their origin and historical significance next. I’m not sure either of us will get out of here with our voices intact.” “That’s my Twilight. She’ll soak up every drop of knowledge you give her… but I hope you see the other side now, too: the filly that… doesn’t really get what friendship is.” Princess Celestia gave a long, slow nod. “We’ll work on that.”