//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Getting Even // by Mint //------------------------------// The third day of the fair arrived and Luna wondered if she were feeding every pony in the country. She was burning through her magic reserves like crazy. The place was just as packed as it had been since the beginning and everypony wanted a “sammich!” More to the point, Luna had used so much magic that she was becoming impressed with herself on how everything had worked out. Hundreds of thousands of ponies swarmed this town and everypony was making money hoof over tail. Meanwhile, Luna still had to stand up and appear pretty in front of the cameras. It seemed to have the desired effect. By the third day no one seemed afraid of her now. Most ponies were approaching her and thanking her for sponsoring the wonderful fair. No pony seemed to be avoiding her anymore. She was also getting compliments about her earrings, which had yet to be removed. Luna would direct them towards Rarity on where to purchase them. Apparently the princess had unwittingly started a fashion trend. The alicorn certainly hoped that these ponies loved pain. Around noon on the third day, whilst walking around the fair, filling orders and introducing herself to the citizens of her kingdom, Princess Luna heard a rather disconcerting noise. It was the booing of countless ponies. The alicorn jerked her head around and attempted to locate the sound. She saw, around the fringes of the fair, that Sweetie Belle’s stadium was lit up brightly. It was about time for her to start singing. The princess figured that after Scootaloo got her cutie mark, Sweetie Belle would jump at the chance to do what Luna said...the alicorn hoped. ‘Hoping is for suckers.’ Luna thought. ‘Like banks.’ She spread her wings and took off. When she landed behind the structure she realized that the booing was indeed coming from the crowd. Far more ponies had shown up for this event than Scootaloo’s, as everypony liked music. Luna walked into the small building that was used for preparations. It connected directly to the stage so it could be used as backstage. It was little more than a dressing room made entirely out of wood with a row of clothes, a table, mirrors and makeup. Once she entered the alicorn sighed and put two of her hooves to her forehead as a headache throbbed its way in. Sweetie Belle was desperately clinging to a support beam of the structure as Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were pulling on her tail, trying to get her to let go. “Come on Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom shouted. “You can do it!” “I can’t! I can’t!” Sweetie Belle shrieked, her hooves firmly locked around the massive log of wood. “Yes...you...can...!” Scootaloo said each time she pulled on her friend’s tail. “I can’t! There are so many ponies out there! I can’t do it! I’m too scared! I can’t!” Luna growled, still massaging her temples. Twilight Sparkle entered the room, a clipboard hovering around her. “We’re overdue out here!” She shouted. “The crowd is starting to get restless!” “Let somepony else go!” Sweetie Belle shouted, shaking with fright. “You’re the headliner!” Twilight stated. “‘The singing prodigy from Ponyvillie’ remember?” “I can’t do it!” Sweetie Belle shrieked again. “I did it and it wasn’t so bad!” Scootaloo said. “I even got my cutie mark!” “I don’t want it anymore!” Sweetie Belle replied. “For pony’s sake!” Luna shouted, marching over. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom parted. With her magic, Luna pried the filly’s hooves from the support beam. Sweetie Belle screamed as she was lifted into the air. “You promised you would do this! Now you’re going to do it!” “I can’t! I...I can’t sing in front of other ponies!” “Oh you can, and you will.” The princess said. She began marching towards the stage. Sweetie Belle flailed helplessly as she floated in the air. An order appeared in front of the princess. She let it fall and quickly trampled over it with her hoof as she brushed by Twilight. “Not now!” Twilight stared at the princess as she passed by. “She’s in a bad mood.” Scootaloo said. “She certainly is.” Twilight agreed. “Well, at least we get to hear Sweetie Belle sing!” Apple Bloom said. “Yeah!” Scootaloo exclaimed. They both dashed out of the room, desperate to find their seats. Twilight sighed and picked up the order that had been sent. She examined and was surprised to find that it wasn’t an order at all, but a notice. The state dinner was ready for tonight. There was a line that caught the unicorn’s eye on the guest list however. “Her Royal Majesty Princess Luna plus one guest, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight’s jaw hung open for a moment. She was attending the state dinner? This was an official Equestrian event, with dignitaries and representatives from all over the world...and the princess picked her to come. Twilight gulped before putting the paper on her clipboard. How was she supposed to respond to that? Luna used her magic and pushed Sweetie Belle on stage. The boos of the impatient crowd turned to cheers. All of Twilight’s friends sat in the front row, Rainbow Dash with Scootaloo beside her, Apple Bloom with Apple Tree beside her, there were two seats next to him where Applejack and Apple Core were supposed to sit, but they weren’t present at the moment. Then there was Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and finally Rarity who had the happiest smile on her face seeing her sister walk out on stage. What she didn’t know was that the walk was being forced by an alicorn. Sweetie Belle tried to fight it, but the princess was incredibly strong. Even the filly’s own magic was useless. Sweetie Belle walked directly to the center of the stage and struck a pose. The crowds cheered and clopped their hooves on the ground. Sweetie Belle was sweating profusely as a microphone hovered in front of her. Her hoof was forcibly pulled forward and wrapped around it as it was brought to her mouth. “Sing!” Luna hissed as the crowd began to go quiet, waiting for it to start. Sweetie Belle shook her head furiously. “Sing! Sing!” The filly could feel the princess’s magic push on her stomach, attempting to shove the air out of her lungs. Sweetie Belle wouldn’t budge. “Sing or I’ll make sure you’re a blank flank forever!!” Sweetie Belle’s face fell. She didn’t like the sound of that at all. Before she could give it too much thought, Luna signaled for the music to begin. Silence fell over the area as everypony waited for the singing to start. For a few nervous moments Sweetie Belle stood with her mouth open and no noise coming out. She missed the first verse of the song, causing Luna to grind her teeth together. Finally...the filly began to sing. Her powerful and rich voice washed over the crowd, which was immediately impressed. Once Sweetie Belle saw that they weren’t going to kick her off stage her confidence began to grow. Little by little, the princess weakened her grip over the filly as she began to sing along with the music. Her voice was perfectly pitched and did so with very little effort. She began walking around on stage as the crowd cheered and screamed. The song then came to the biggest part. The filly’s voice easily amplified and filled the area. Everypony cheered as she sang in a voice that sounded well beyond her years. The lights that were on the stage began to move back and forth, making the singing even more dramatic. The princess gazed up at them, seeing that there was a mechanism making them do that. She couldn’t help but be impressed at Apple Bloom’s skill. When the climax of the song hit Sweetie Belle opened her mouth wide. A rich, full sound issued out. It was perfect and pleasing. The crowd went wild. Much to everypony’s surprise, and in a complete break with her usual character, Rarity leapt clear into the air and shouted at the top of her lungs. “WHOO-HOO!! GO SWEETIE BELLE!” The fashionista shrieked at her sister. She had gotten way too excited. Every one of her friends stared at her but quickly turned their eyes back to the stage. When Sweetie Belle finished the final note of her big aria fireworks shot out of the front of the stage. Princess Luna blinked and stumbled backwards. She didn’t remember approving that in the budget! Once the alicorn’s eyes cleared however she got that smug smile again. The crowd cheered wildly as Sweetie Belle finished her song. She didn’t really know the reason why however. She finally finished and struck a dramatic pose. The crowd was leaping up and down, causing the ground and even the stage to shake. Luna marched out on stage, causing even more cheering. She stood beside Sweetie Belle who was excitedly waving at the crowd. “Not so bad huh?” Luna had to shout. “Not at all!” Sweetie Belle yelled back, her smile incredibly wide. “Even better than you think!” Luna replied. “Huh?” “Your butt is now decorative.” Sweetie Belle tilted her head and gazed at her flank. Her jaw dropped and she froze in place. Her cutie mark had appeared. It was a very festive open-ended bell with a red ribbon stringing through the top. The instrument was in motion as the body and the clapper were going in different directions. On the bell was a single music note, indicating her unique talent. Luna turned around and briefly flicking her hair with her hoof. The princess trotted away, her nose held high. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo leapt onto the stage and they both tackled their friend. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had finally achieved their goal...with a little help from a princess. Luna walked over to Twilight, yawning as if all of this had been little effort. The unicorn was staring off into space, completely out of it. “If I was any better at this I would quit being a princess and do this professionally.” Luna stated. Twilight didn’t respond. It hadn’t even registered that the princess was there. “Twilight? Twilight!” The princess nudged the unicorn with her hoof. “Twilight!” “H-Huh?” Twilight uttered, coming back to reality. “You okay?” Luna asked, concerned. “I’m trying to gloat here.” “Oh sorry, I was...thinking.” Twilight said. “Is Sweetie Belle alright?” “Cutie mark and all yes.” Luna replied. “What’s on your mind?’ “Well...” Twilight said glancing at the clipboard, apprehensively pulling the notice off of it. She handed it to the princess. “Oh what do they want now?” The princess whined. When she looked at it however her face fell a bit. “Ah, yeah, that’ll be fun, trying to keep the Retussians and Geldermans from killing each other for several hours.” “Y-You chose me to go with you?” Twilight asked. “Um...yeah.” Luna said, as if it were obvious. “I don’t think...I mean...what will I do?” Twilight stuttered. “I don’t think I can. I don’t know anything about fancy dinners, or being a diplomat or even how I’m supposed to act.” “I don’t want you there because you’re some kind of expert.” Luna replied. “I want you there because you’re my friend. I want one pony in that room that I can trust. I don’t really trust the rest of them.” “Oh...I see.” Twilight said, now feeling relieved. “I thought you wanted me act in an official capacity.” “No, I just want you to be yourself.” Luna replied. “Just be careful, it’s going to a room full of sharks.” Luna left the staging area to give Twilight some space. The lavender unicorn had to deal with all the other singers, who were far more like divas than humble Sweetie Belle. The princess was pleasantly surprised when a group of fillies ran through her legs, attempting to play tag. The alicorn played with them for a little while, lifting up her legs and putting them down, making a little obstacle course. She was taller than most ponies, so there was plenty of room. Finally however the group ran out from under her, dashing away. The sent a hail of “thank yous” as they darted through the stalls. The princess smiled. They weren’t afraid of her at all. This was certainly progress from only a few years ago. Luna stared up at the sky and was easily able to judge the time. The state dinner wasn’t until the evening, what could she do until then? Fluttershy popped up in Luna’s head. She had laid the seeds of her plan with her, but they had yet to sprout. The princess wondered how much pushing it would take...? “Might as well get on it.” Luna stated. “All my little games have worked out so far.” Just as the princess turned to head towards the animal exhibit another filly dashed underneath her and out behind her. When the alicorn turned to look, she saw the familiar sight of the back of Apple Core’s head. The filly had a bushel of grapes in her mouth and was fleeing as usual. Applejack came dashing by the princess, huffing and puffing as she yelled. “Because of you I missed the concert doggonit!” Applejack said. “You get back here or so help me I will make you...!” The country pony disappeared into the crowd, in hot pursuit of her daughter. Luna stared on blankly for a moment, and then materialized a quill and a piece of paper. “Twilight,” Luna began writing. “Do you have any books on kleptomania? If so, please give it to Applejack, she needs it far more than you. Sincerely, Luna.” The princess gave a wave of her horn and the letter disappeared, on its way to her friend. The alicorn chuckled to herself, shook her head and resumed her march. Luna wasn’t even going to bother to check if Macintosh was there, she knew he was. The fact that he was at the heart of the events that transpired three months and didn’t care one bit about what was revealed proved how much he cared about Fluttershy. There were things holding them back, which Luna could sense. Usually the princess’s policy was not to read what ponies were feeling, but if it was for the common good so she figured this time it was allowed. The princess weaved through a group of ponies watching Spike eat at the head of exhibit. He had his face buried in a bucket of jewels munching away sloppily. It wasn’t necessarily the way he would really do it, but it put on a nice show. Luna approached the stage and leaned over the side. “Spike! Spike!” Luna shouted. Spike lifted his head out. He chewed on the residual gems and turned to the princess. “Yes princess?” He asked. “Where are Macintosh and Fluttershy?” She inquired. “How do you know that they are together?” Spike retorted. “How do I know that water is wet? It’s a logical conclusion.” Luna said, sounding sarcastic. “Where are they?” “Probably off helping some other animal with a fake illness.” Spike replied. “Fluttershy was convinced that I had shingles earlier.” “Sounds like her.” Luna said. The pegasus was overcompensating and looking for something to help to make up for her friends getting hurt at her expense. “So they’d be in the back?” “Probably.” Spike repeated. “Alright, resume eating.” The dragon happily obeyed, continuing to munch away. Luna marched through the gated exhibits, noticing that some of the animals now had non-needed casts. The princess had never heard of a hypochondriac that projected upon others, but she might just have found one. She continued through all of the fences, some only a few inches off the ground, some several feet. There were plenty of fillies playing the animals, but no sign of the caretaker. The princess had to walk around for quite some time, feeling as if she were going in circles. She even stopped at one point to pet some cats before she remembered what she was supposed to be doing. It was as if cats had a cuteness beam they could fire and lure you in. Regardless, Luna was becoming annoyed. Finally however, as she passed what appeared to be a large chicken coups she heard voices. One had a country accent and the other was soft and delicate. Luna rounded the coup to find Macintosh holding up a chicken with his eyes half shaded. Fluttershy was attempting to look at the animal’s feet. “Fluttershy honestly, there’s nothing wrong with the chicken.” Macintosh said, chewing on the piece of hay in his mouth, annoyed. “I saw him waddling to one side!” Fluttershy replied, trying to hold its leg out. “He’s obviously in pain.” The animal didn’t appear to be in pain so much as it was annoyed. It was attempting to kick free. Macintosh sighed. Abruptly, he dropped the chicken which flopped onto the ground and ran away quickly. “Seems like he’s running in a straight line to me.” The country stallion retorted. “Oh! Now we’ll never know!” Fluttershy said, staring at the ground. “Fluttershy,” Macintosh began, putting his hoof on her shoulder. “they’re all fine. You’ve done a mighty fine job here and pulled off all these animals being together without a hitch. This has been a wonderful exhibit and you’ve done well. Will you please relax?” Fluttershy sighed. Then she chuckled a little. “I guess you’re right.” “I am right, now you go on and help me feed all these gosh-derned animals. It’s a lot of work.” “Thanks for your help.” Fluttershy turned to walk away. Her tail intentionally flicked up and her pink hair rubbed under his chin playfully. “Hey, hey!” He replied, in mock dissatisfaction. Fluttershy giggled and began trotting away. Luna smirked evilly. This was going to be a cinch. Luna crept over to the stallion silently. He was half-heartedly spreading seed out, which the chickens were eating ravenously. Without being noticed, Luna was able to whip her tail around and gently glide it under his chin. “Fluttershy, I told you that WARRGH!!!” Macintosh turned his head as he spoke. Once he saw it was the princess he jumped several feet in the air out of shock and displeasure. She was back. “Oh I’m sorry!” The princess replied in mischievous voice. “Did you think I was somepony else?” “Uh...duh...uh...” Macintosh was instantly uncomfortable and at a loss for words. Fluttershy came trotting back, wondering what Macintosh had screamed about. When she saw the princess an expression of annoyance appeared on her face. ‘The stage is set.’ The princess thought. “I have to tell you,” Luna said, nuzzling up beside him. “you working out here with the chickens makes you so rustically handsome!” Macintosh only fumbled with words. “I always thought that country ponies had a certain, muscular charm and you proved it.” Luna rubbed her head up his neck, causing him to stiffen. “You know, Applejack is still on about us getting married.” That was an obvious lie, but Luna could see Fluttershy’s eye twitch suddenly. “Should I go tell her that you’re good for it?” “Wh-What?” Macintosh asked in a struggling voice. “I-I don’t think that...” “Oh come now.” Luna teased, tracing her hoof along his shoulder. “You don’t have to be shy! Marrying a princess is great! You’ll be rich beyond measure, have servants wait on you hoof and tail and most of all you can leave all these hicks behind!” Fluttershy’s head was starting to turn red and her eyes were narrowing. Her jaw was also going back and forth, showing that she was grinding her teeth. Luna had heard legendary stories of how the yellow pegasus could blow her stack. “I...I rather....like it here...” Macintosh fumbled. Luna wrapped an arm around his shoulder and leaned up to his ear. She still spoke loud enough for Fluttershy to hear. “Good.” Luna cooed. “Let’s still pretend I’m giving you a choice.” Macintosh went a little pale. Fluttershy’s head began to shake. Finally she could take it no more. “HEY!” She shouted at the top of her lungs. ‘Bingoooooooooo!’ Luna thought as heard victory bells go off in her head. Fluttershy stomped over to them quite loudly. Macintosh tried to edge away from Luna, but the princess held onto him tightly. For added affect, Luna’s flowing tail wrapped around his neck and began rubbing the end of it back and forth alluringly. “Leave him alone!” Fluttershy shouted. “Why should I?” Luna asked coldly. “He’s a grown stallion. He can make his own decisions.” “He can’t when you’re the princess!” Fluttershy retorted. Luna cocked her eyebrow. “So what?” The princess replied. “It’s like he’s any different from any other male. They’re all a bunch of mean pig-heads who take advantage of mares.” “You’re wrong!” “Really?” “Really! He’s the nicest, kindest and gentlest stallion I’ve ever known!” “You expect me to believe that?” Luna began circling the red pony, almost like a shark. “That he’s somehow different from every other male in the world, that he’s different from your ex-husband?” “He’s a million times better than Bridleburg!” Fluttershy’s face and chest was bright red. She was incredibly angry. “There isn’t another pony like him anywhere!” “Oh please!” Luna scoffed. “Only some dumb, hick pony like you would say that!” Macintosh’s head jerked around. His dumbfounded expression changed to one of annoyance. “Wait a gall-derned minute!” He exclaimed. “Fluttershy isn’t dumb, and she isn’t a hick!” “Really?” Luna asked, now turning to him. “She’s a weak little pegasus who fell for the first stallion that came around and only helps other animals to feel better about herself!” “That’s not true!” Macintosh said in the most aggressive voice Luna had heard out of him. “She married him so she could help animals in the end! She doesn’t help them for herself, but because she loves them! She the kindest and least selfish pony I know!” “You expect me to believe that?” Luna retorted. “Yes! She’s the best mare I know!” “Really?” “Really!” “So,” Luna began, turning to Fluttershy. “There’s no stallion like him in the world?” “Absolutely!” Fluttershy said firmly. “And she’s the best mare you know?” Luna said to Macintosh, still sounding incredulous. “Of course!” Macintosh also said firmly. Both of them sounded as if they attained some kind of victory over the princess. ‘Perfect!’ Luna thought. “Well.” Luna said, shrugging. She then smiled devilishly and her tone dropped dramatically. “Why don’t you two date each other?” Both of their faces fell instantly. “Wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-what?” Fluttershy stuttered. “I...I couldn’t possibly...” Macintosh tried to say. Luna leaned forward and flicked her ear back and forth. “Oh I’m sorry.” She began. “I could have sworn you two said that each of you is the best pony they know, am I right?” Neither of them answered, but Fluttershy audibly gulped. “Since you two immediately came to each other’s defense you obviously care for the other and you’re both single...sooooo?” Both of them were staring in between the princess and each other. “Why don’t you two talk it over?” The princess trotted past Fluttershy. Both of the ponies left behind awkwardly stared between each other and the ground, neither of them speaking. Abruptly, Princess Luna returned. She pushed Fluttershy forward roughly with her forehead to her butt. The pegasus issued a little squeal as her face was shoved mere inches from Macintosh’s. “Think it over...deeply.” Luna said, before trotting away behind the chicken coup. She did peek an eye out from behind it however, intent on seeing what was happening. Fluttershy and Macintosh blushed deep red, for the country pony even deeper red. Their noses couldn’t have been more than a hair’s length apart. They could feel their breath on each other...but neither of them backed away. Both of them gazed at nearly everything but each other. They didn’t speak, but continued to awkwardly stand so close together. Finally, Fluttershy lowered her head. She appeared embarrassed. “It’s okay.” Fluttershy said. “Huh?” Macintosh replied, instantly confused. “You don’t have to do something just because the princess says so.” Fluttershy continued. “I know...after everything that’s happened to me...you couldn’t date me.” Macintosh appeared shocked by that statement. “After all the things I’ve done...I know that...” The red stallion leaned down and nuzzled the side of Fluttershy’s face. Her head jerked back up. The country stallion rubbed their noses together. “Let’s do it.” He said with a smile. “H-Huh?” Fluttershy asked, her jaw hanging open. “I’d like to take you on a date, if you’d allow me.” Macintosh said. Fluttershy appeared completely dumbfounded. She didn’t know what to say. Finally, she averted her gaze, smiled and blushed furiously. “R-Really?” She finally replied. “Eeyup.” Macintosh smiled and gently rubbed the side of her face with his own. “I’d like that.” Fluttershy cried a few tears, not expecting somepony to be interested in her ever again. They nuzzled up against each other affectionately. Luna sighed and stopped peeking. She smiled to herself. She saw that there was a chicken gazing up her with a chicken’s usual dead stare. “Yes.” Luna said to the bird. “I’m just that good.” The animal tilted its head. The alicorn walked away with her head held high. Plan after plan worked for her. Macintosh and Fluttershy were both kind ponies who deserved no insult. They both had deep feelings for one another, but there were certain things holding them back from each other. Macintosh was afraid that Fluttershy wasn’t ready for another relationship. He didn’t want to take advantage of her while she was vulnerable after her ex-husband, or even worse be a replacement for him. He was going to wait, possibly forever, before asking her. Fluttershy on the other hand had far darker demons inside of her. Macintosh knew what Bridleburg had been making her do. How could anypony love or even stand to be close to her after that? She felt as if she were tainted and damaged goods. She did some horrible things with horrible ponies, how could anypony ever think of being with her after that? She was content on spending the rest of her days by herself rather than face rejection. When Macintosh figured out that’s what was holding her back, he was determined to prove to her that wasn’t the case. Even if he feared hurting her or being the fall guy, he would never allow her to think that he didn’t want to be with her because of her past. He had to ask her out then. Luna knew all of this ahead of time, and only through trickery was she able to break the barriers that would have probably held them back for years, if not forever. Luna had to deceive them. It all ended well in the end. When the elements of harmony were shared between Luna and her sister...the younger didn’t end up with honesty. As Luna trotted through the gates of animals she stared up at the sky and sighed. Her expression was solemn. Plan, plot, manipulate and use, the tools that Luna had to employ. Her sister was always the righteous, pure and happy one. They had worked together long before Equestria fell into their hooves and it had always been that way. Celestia was the heart, Luna was the brain. While the heart ruled this country for one thousand years there was widespread prosperity. There was no war, no strife and very little suffering. Now the brain had returned after so long and there was very little power given to it. Luna ruled alongside her sister on paper, but when it came down to the bare bones of it, everypony followed Celestia. A one thousand years absence can do that. However, Luna didn’t have time to play games anymore. Time was running short and plans had to be laid far faster than the alicorn would have liked. She had lived for untold years...and now she was finally running out of time. Twilight Sparkle walked uncomfortably towards the massive (for being temporary) building hosting the state building. The unicorn was getting appreciative stares for her fancy dress. It was one Rarity had provided from her show. It was stunningly pink and covered in red jewels. It was much more sedate than most of her dresses though. As Twilight approached the wooden building she marveled at its ornate construction. Apple Bloom had built it like a cathedral and some other ponies flew in some apparently unused statues and put them on it. It resembled something gothic, a time even before the classical era of Equestria. If it were three times bigger it would look like it was right out of the time period. Twilight shivered and sighed. Fearing what she would say or do. She had a tendency to be block-headed and oblivious sometimes. She once danced like dork in front of Canterlot socialites and Rarity didn’t tell her until much later how “adorkable” it was. Twilight took a deep breath, composed herself and marched towards the large doors of the building. As she approached however, the two pegasus guards spread their wings in the way. Twilight instantly appeared annoyed. “Halt citizen!” One of them shouted. “No one enters without permission!” “I have permission.” Twilight replied curtly. “My name is Twilight Sparkle.” The guard gazed at a list on the stand. He went through every name on the list and turned back to the unicorn. “You are not on the approved list for staff and civilians! Please turn away now and return to the fair!” “I’m an official guest of Princess Celestia!” Twilight bellowed becoming increasingly angry. “Only foreign dignitaries and royals are on that list!” The guard retorted. “Please return to the fair before you must be escorted away!” “I’ve saved this country more than once!” Twilight shouted at the top of her lungs. “What is your problem?” “That’s enough guards!” Luna said from the inside. Twilight Sparkle heaved a sigh of relief. She would hate to disappoint Luna and not be able to show up. “Let her pass!” The guard she had been arguing with grimaced and opened the door in a very informal way with his foot. Twilight lifted her nose and marched past him haughtily. When Twilight entered she found that most of seats at a long table had been filled. There were ponies dressed extravagantly, wearing jewels and some that even had paint on their faces. There were even two zebras sitting together. Every eye in the room was on Twilight however. The pony blushed and smiled nervously as the door slammed shut behind her far louder than necessary. Luna saw that Twilight was petrified so she stood up from her large throne-like seat. “Fillies and gentlecolts, may I introduce Twilight Sparkle. She is the pony that planned this glorious fair we are all enjoying. Come! Sit beside me!” The various attendants clopped their hooves together. Twilight blushed further but quickly trotted to her seat next to Luna. As she sat down she whispered to the princess out of the corner of her mouth. “What is that guard’s problem?” Twilight said very quietly. “He’s captain of the guard and mad about being transferred from the castle.” Luna replied just as quietly. She then resumed her normal volume. “Almost everypony is here, so we will begin setting out the courses.” “Who else could possibly be coming?” A stallion in what appeared to be a military uniform said near the end of the table. His accent was only slight, but he sounded smug. “Who else do you think?” Luna said, indicating two empty chairs near the head of the table. “I thought those were extra.” The stallion said, his voice abruptly deeper. “You don’t mean...?” “The one and only.” Luna replied with a courteous smile. “They wouldn’t show up to this event.” The dignitary replied, now sounding irritated. “They never come to events. You must really be joking.” He laughed hollowly. Luna returned the empty laugh. “Oh, I’m really not.” Luna said. The stallion abruptly appeared angry. Most of the other ponies around the table were glancing around, confused. A few of them had caught on and were nervous. “Why would you invite them?” The male pony’s voice was now deceptively courteous. His accent was coming back. “I invited all nations to attend.” Luna replied, beginning to sound strained. “Last time I checked they were a nation.” “If you use the term loosely.” “Let us be civil.” Luna now appeared irritated herself, something that made the dignitary uncomfortable. “This is an official dinner and we all keep a certain decorum.” More sounds then came in from outside. “Ve vere invited.” A familiar voice said. “I’m sorry sir, but unless you are on the approved list for civilians and staff I cannot allow you to pass!” The same guard shouted. “We are ambassadors.” The pony replied, quickly sounding angry. “I’m sorry sir, but commoners are not allowed in.” Judging from what Luna had seen before, those two dressed in capes, they didn’t look the part and the guard wasn’t buying it. The princess felt a vein in her forehead pop. “Would you just let them in!” She bellowed across the room. Everypony could hear the guard growl and kick the door open again. Two ponies covered in cloaks walked inside. The room was dead quiet as the dignitary in the military uniform began to go red in the face. The other ponies didn’t even look at him. They quietly marched to their seats. When they finally sat down, they removed their hoods. The representative from Geldermany straightened his neck at seeing the common Retussian faces they had. “Nice uniform.” He barked, earning a glare from Coltov. “Looks to be in line with standard of quality from Retussia.” “Nice face you’re wearing.” Coltov replied. “It certainly looks be in line with ze ones your ponies ripped off of women and children in my country.” The Gelderman ambassador looked as if he was going to blow a gasket. The Retussians had hard and glum faces, but they didn’t appear any different from the way they were before. “Eveypony!” Luna said, with a very fake nice voice. “We will get along with each other. Those who do not will be asked to leave. It will then be reported, to international news, that the ambassador for their whole country could not keep their composure at an official state event. This will certainly not bode well for the dignitary or their nation. Let us all keep our composure. If you cannot, then I suggest you do not speak.” The Gelderman and Retussian kept their glare at each other. “Or, if need be, don’t look at each other.” They both reluctantly obeyed. What followed was an actual pleasant dinner. The Retussians ate in silence and ignored all the dirty glances the Gelderman threw at them. Fortunately nopony spoke to either of them. Twilight instead spent much of the time talking to the zebras, who were on the other side of her. “We were most surprised to receive this invitation.” One of them said. “I wouldn’t consider us a nation so much as an alliance of tribes.” They were both dressed in regalia Twilight was familiar with. They had rings around their necks and legs. They also had what appeared to be tattoos around their eyes and face, one with red, one with blue. The marks on their flanks were similar to Zecora’s in that they looked like suns, but the pattern was different. They had Mohawks, one regular and one with the ends wrapped in clumps. “An alliance you say?” Twilight asked, instantly curious. “Indeed.” Said the speaking zebra, apparently happy that somepony was interested. “We have an annual meeting out in the savanna. We gather, talk about our tribes and share news. It was fortunate that it occurred a few months ago. We received the news just in time for us leave our homeland and arrive here on time.” “I see you’re not a sage.” Twilight said, smiling. The zebra seemed pleasantly surprised. “My grandmother was, but I am not.” “We had one live around here for years.” “Really? Is she still here?” “She left yesterday to return home unfortunately.” “Pity, I would have appreciated the company of a sage.” “Perhaps you know her? Her name is Zecora.” The zebra thought for a moment before shaking his head. “I’m afraid I do not. She must be from a different tribe. There are tens of thousands of us across the savanna. Even though we all meet I cannot know all of them.” “I have a question about sages, if I may. Why do they rhyme?” The zebra grinned widely. He seemed quite pleased to answer this question. “It is part of their lot in life.” The zebra explained. His tail whipped up and hit the mark on his flank. “It also has to do with our life symbol, what you would call a cutie mark. When we are born, the stars, prophecy bones and runes determine what we do with our lives. We are raised to devote our lives to these tasks. The symbols appear on our flanks once we become set in our ways. Mine is one for a speaker. It is my duty to speak to other tribes and other races for the benefit of my ponies. Speakers learn how to have pride in our tribe and its ways, while also respecting others. Sages learn to understand nature and the flow of the world. That is why they are taught to rhyme, to learn rhythm and balance so they can better understand nature around them. In order to prepare for our roles all of us are sent upon a journey to discover what it means to be whom we are. Speakers are sent to live with other tribes to learn their ways and understand them. Sages are sent to faraway lands to learn how nature affects the whole world. Others of different lots are sent on similar journeys. Once we return and prove our worth to our fellow zebras we are accepted into our roles and receive these,” He pointed to the tattoos on his face. “the symbols of our tribe. We then take our place among them.” “Wow.” Twilight said, incredibly impressed. “Zecora never told me about any of that.” “She probably felt it wasn’t her place.” The zebra replied. “Or maybe you never asked.” Twilight chuckled to herself. She never thought of that. The unicorn spent practically the whole dinner discussing zebra culture with the speaker. He told her about his family, his tribe and their ways. How his son had been picked to be a gatherer and would soon depart on his own journey alone into the wild to find respect for the land. He even described some ponies that had come to respect zebras and lived with them as equals. This interested Twilight. “Really?” Twilight asked. “Can they marry zebras? Can they have children?” “Of course.” The speaker replied. “So...some zebra tribes have pony forefathers in them?” Twilight asked. “Are some zebras born with wings or horns?” “I’m afraid not.” Twilight tilted her head in confusion. “The children of ponies and zebras are sometimes born with wings and horns, that is true. However, these offspring are unable to have children themselves.” Twilight flinched. “That’s...unfortunate.” She said, abruptly feeling pity for them. “It is, but life on the savannah is rough and there are many orphans. It is often the lot of these mixed ponies to care for those who are without parents.” That made Twilight feel a little better. The unicorn had hardly touched her food all night. She was absolutely enthralled by all that this zebra had to say and was intent on talking all night. Her conversation was rudely interrupted however. A voice boomed outside the doors to the hall. The sound instantly made Luna go rigid and a look of disbelief spread across her face. “Step aside mortals!” The voice shouted. Every eye turned to the door. “Sir...you’re not on the list!” The guard actually sounded as if he was being genuine. “Do I look like a need a list? I’m only going to warn you once.” “Sir I cannot allow...” Everypony got a huge surprise. The doors swung open and a powerful gust of wind swept over the hall. Plates, utensils and manes flew in all direction. The two guards at the doors came tumbling in helplessly. They managed to jump to their feet and began running back to the pony in front of the door. “Stop!” Luna shouted. Both of the guards halted, gazing back at her quizzically. “It’s no use...if he wanted to kill you he could quite easily.” They flinched, but obeyed. Somepony trotted into the hall, grinning from ear to ear. “By the gods...” Twilight whispered. “It’s...it’s an alicorn!” It was a male and he was as big as Celestia. His coat was as blue as the sea and shimmered just as much. On his flank was an image of a large tidal wave. His mane was deep red, almost the color of blood and flowed freely around him. Everything about him just screamed handsome. His teeth were pearly white, his face was perfect and his eyes were a lovely shade of frosty blue. There was something in his gaze however...something deathly intense. When she gazed over the regular ponies it was as if he was staring at a dog or some lesser animal. His eyes passed over Twilight and the pony could feel the fur all over her body stand on end. She got the distinct feeling...that she never wanted to be alone with this stallion. When he was done gazing around at the ponies in attendance he gazed up at the ceiling “Oh, the inside is made of wood too!” He said, his voice was deep and melodic. His tone however, while sounding pleasant, was only veiling thinly concealed condescension. “How times have changed...we used to build them out of stone. I guess certain pony leaders aren’t as concerned with making buildings last.” Luna stood up on all of her hooves. She had the sourest expression on her face that Twilight had ever seen. The male alicorn’s eyes returned the pony sitting at the head of the table. “Princess Luna.” He said. “King Aecor.” She replied. Twilight flinched. She had heard that name before. He was the ruler of a kingdom called Oceanus one country south of Equestria, on the coast of the southern ocean. Twilight had been reading in-depth history of every known country on the planet for years...but she hadn’t gotten to Oceanus yet. She didn’t even know the ruler was an alicorn! “Quaint country this has grown into.” He stated, gazing back up at the roof of the hall. “Everything built out of wood, how rustic.” “It’s a fair Aecor.” Luna replied, in a very acerbic voice. “If you build temporary structures out of something else just to sit there uselessly afterwards then that’s your business.” “So we’re being informal.” Aecor said, tilting his head. “I always liked that about you...little Luna.” Twilight could see that the princess abruptly tilted her head. The unicorn noticed that Luna’s mane was beginning to float upwards. “Whatever you say...Corny.” The stallion’s eyes twitched. He didn’t appear too thrilled with his nickname either. “I apologize if our accommodations don’t appease your demands. You didn’t exactly RSVP.” “I didn’t exactly receive an invitation.” “A mere oversight I’m sure.” Luna’s fake smile was obvious. “Would you like to join us?” “Like, obligated, same thing.” Luna’s right eye twitched noticeably. She turned to some of the servers. “Would you please go make a place for our new guest?” The nodded and rushed to the only empty spot at the table, on the end. They were carrying chairs, plates and cups. Aecor walked casually to his spot being prepared. He was gazing up at the structure again. “I see style hasn’t changed much in Equestria.” He said rather casually. Once one took into account that the style was gothic, something very, very old, it was clear to see his implications. “I see that whole “movement of culture” thing hasn’t exactly hit here yet.” He sat down in a rather exaggerated fashion. The moment he did he gazed back at his chair, as if something was wrong with it. “Wood, for a chair? How...delightfully quaint.” He then turned to the food. He paused briefly, making a rather unpleasant face. “Is there a problem?” Luna asked, sounding annoyed. “No...no problem.” Aecor stated, picking up a fork with magic. “I find it...refreshing to be in a country where royals and commoners eat the same things.” He punctured a flower and cucumber sandwich with his utensil. “So do tell us Luna,” He said, hovering the food in front of him. “what’s new with the moon?” He put the food in his mouth. He paused there for a moment, brought a napkin up to his face, spat the food onto it and put it on top of the plate, indicating that he was done. “Oh, you know,” Luna said. “about as much as the ocean.” Aecor chuckled audibly. “I highly doubt that. There aren’t many tsunamis and storms on the moon are there?” He replied. He made a motion with his hoof. “Oh slaves! I’m done.” “They’re servers, and they’re being paid.” Luna replied, now sounding audibly angry. “Whatever.” Aecor said casually, shrugging. The workers made unpleasant faces and they cleared away his full plate. Aecor lifted his cup, sniffed it, made an unpleasant face and promptly put it back down. “If there’s nothing new with the moon how about what’s old?” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Luna asked. Aecor shrugged again, a smile on his face. “Well you spent so much time there.” Aecor said, chuckling. “Surely you must have story or two about some interesting rock or speck of dust that kept you company up there.” Twilight’s jaw dropped. He was purposefully trying to provoke her! Did he even have a clue about how violent Luna could be when she got angry? The unicorn’s eyes went between a smiling Aecor and an absolutely livid Luna. Her mane was flowing straight up into the air. Twilight knew that the next step would be for it to turn to mist... “Okay!” Twilight shouted, instantly jumping up. “State dinner is over, we appreciate your company! Please exit the building and proceed to the starlight viewing! Thank you! Goodbye!” Many of the other ponies tried to speak, but Twilight didn’t stop. She continued motioning with her hooves for ponies to leave as she walked by them. “Thank you, goodbye! Thank you! Thank you, goodbye!” The ponies reluctantly began moving. Slowly everypony began shuffling out, all except Aecor and Luna who sat still as stone. Finally, after everypony else had left, Twilight nervously approached the male alicorn, feeling very feeble in front of him. She gulped before speaking. “Sir...if you would please...” Aecor’s hoof shot out. It hit Twilight in the chest. She shot backwards and hit the wall of the building. The unicorn wasn’t hurt, but the abrupt strike left her dazed. Luna’s eyes exploded in rage. “Mongrels do not tell me what to do.” Aecor said in very dire voice. It was like that of a lion, waiting to pounce on prey. The princess practically screamed. “Hit a nerve did I?” She reached under the massive table and flipped it over. It was tossed through the air easily, landing a good distance to the side. The servers that were still in the room instantly dashed out the door. They weren’t being paid enough for this. “How uncouth of you.” “A thousand years and you’re still the same Aecor!” Luna growled, marching towards him with very loud steps. “You still walk all over those weaker than you!” “I control those who need to be controlled.” Aecor said, standing. His voice was dead serious now. “Your uncontrolled emotions were your undoing last time and they’ll be the same this time as well.” The princess walked right up to him. She stretched up and their faces were inches apart, with eyes glaring right at each other. “This time?” Luna asked. “Whatever could you mean Aecor?” The male alicorn chuckled darkly. “Trying to trap me in your usual paranoia Luna?” He replied. “Rest assured that if there is any...contention with Equestria it will be between the real ruler of this country and me.” “Really? I could have sworn there was title in front of my name.” Aecor chuckled again. “Go ahead. Try to get ponies to side with you over Celestia. You think throwing a fair will change their minds?” “Probably a lot better than drowning their loved ones under the ocean.” Aecor grinned smugly and stared off the side. “Well, somepony’s been reading a history book.” Aecor said. He then turned back to her. “Did that book also mention how many rebellions there have been in either Oceanus or Equestria?” Luna didn’t respond, but her hair was flowing straight up into the air. “I thought so. How has the world fared since you left? Last time I checked, with the exception of a few lower beings,” He glanced at the Retussian’s previous chair. “Everypony has experienced peace and prosperity. Even this fair is being paid with money that your sister has accrued. How many state decisions have you made since your return?” Luna’s hair had melted into mist. “You just don’t want to face the simple truth.” Aecor leaned even closer, their faces less than an inch away. “This world doesn’t need you.” Black veins began to stream across Luna’s legs. She was only inches away from turning. “Get out.” Luna said, both of the voices streaming out of her mouth. “Get out now.” Aecor chuckled, but turned and began walking away. “Good luck little Luna, you’ll need it.” The stallion waved his horn and the doors were blown off of their hinges and flew into the air. The two guards standing in front of them managed to dive out of the way. The alicorn cackled loudly, spread his wings and took off into the air at a blinding speed. The moment he left, Twilight leapt up from the ground. She didn’t dare come between the raging titans. If they could control such huge forces, she would be an ant by comparison. Now Luna was only moments away for going completely berserk. “It’s okay Luna, calm down.” Twilight said, getting close. Luna’s hair remained up and the blackness across her skin stood still. “He’s gone. Flying into a rage now would only hurt you. Please, please stop this.” Her hair slowly came back down to its normal level. The black across her coat retreated and disappeared. Abruptly, Luna’s hair slumped as if it were wet. It hung around her face as she lowered her entire head. Twilight was shocked to see tears dropping onto the ground. “I was afraid of what he said the whole time I’ve been back...but...” Luna’s voice was shaking. “It’s true isn’t it? I haven’t done anything since I came home. There hasn’t been anything for me to do. I’ve been gone a thousand years. Everypony had forgotten me. Now I’m just an add-on, some footnote underneath my sister’s chapter in history. This world...moved without me...and I...I...” Luna gasped a breath and let it out very shakily. Twilight instantly felt sadness at seeing her like this. Part of what Luna said was true, but part of it was not. Right now, Luna was the odd pony out. Celestia had ruled for so long by herself that it would take quite a while for ponies to adjust to having two again. The other half however... Twilight leaned down and pressed her face against Luna’s. She lifted the princess’s head back up and nuzzled up against her. “You are needed Luna.” Twilight said. “Where?” Luna asked, not moving as Twilight rubbed against her. “By who?” “Here, by me.” Twilight said. “If you hadn’t come back and then ran away to Ponyville none of this would have happened. I would have stayed at my library forever, wallowing in my sadness and solitude. You brought all of my friends back. You started this whole fair that so many ponies are enjoying. You made me happy, something that hasn’t happened in a very long time. I needed you. I still need you. Isn’t that enough?” Luna paused for a moment, taking in Twilight’s words. “Yes.” Luna said quietly. “That’s enough.” Their heads nuzzled together for several moments. Luna didn’t have to read Twilight’s emotions to know she was telling the truth. The princess believed her. Her hair slowly began floating back up, waving despite the fact that there was no wind. Twilight felt relieved that she was feeling better. She finally backed away so she could stare at the princess. “We should go.” Twilight said. “We’ll miss everypony watching the stars.” “Yeah.” Luna replied, quickly wiping her eyes. “Let’s go.” It was night now and everypony was outside. Luna paced around the fair, nodding at ponies who bowed her way. She could see ponies staring up at the sky, a few of them pointing out the constellations. This seemed to please the princess. She had a wistful gaze on her face as ponies began handing out the floating lanterns. They lit the candles inside them and the entire fair glittered with the faint glow of gentle flames. As they walked along, Twilight was abruptly asked a question from a random pony. They wanted to know where everypony was getting the lanterns. Twilight answered them and then turned back to the princess. She was several paces ahead of her. The alicorn had turned and was talking to a small filly that had to hold onto the lantern with her whole body to keep it steady. The small pony asked when it was okay to let them go. The princess smiled. She replied that the filly could let it go whenever she wanted. The pony quickly responded by letting the lantern go. It floated gracefully up into the sky. The little pony was absolutely ecstatic. It wasn’t exactly time, but everypony else to this as a sign released theirs. The lanterns all ascended upwards gently, like stars returning to the sky. Luna lifted her head and watched the filly’s lantern fly away. That was when something clicked inside of Twilight’s head and heart. Maybe it was the soft candles in the moonlight. Maybe it was the fact that the weight of all that had happened finally fell on her shoulders. Luna’s soft smile, her eyes glittering in the moonlight, her earrings twinkling like tiny rainbows and hair waving among the flying lanterns...it was all beautiful. Twilight’s smile melted into a stupefied frown. Luna had saved her. Luna saved her from Bridleburg. She saved Fluttershy from a horrible life. She brought Twilight’s friends together again. She did everything she could, down to tricking and trapping...just to make Twilight happy. She engineered this whole fair, the largest in Equestrian history. She was using her magic to keep the whole thing going, just so it wouldn’t fail. What did she want in return? It was simple, for ponies to appreciate her beloved night...to appreciate her. It was such a simple thing for so much. She was happy, here among all these ponies letting lanterns go in the sky, simply because they were here, now. Luna and Celestia once shared the elements of harmony between them. ‘Generosity, laughter and magic.’ Twilight thought. ‘I’m sure of it.’ She was willing to give everything, her time, her magic, even he own well-being just to make Twilight happy. Her laugh was like a melody that made Twilight’s heart soar. She used her magic with such precision and expertise. She managed to keep hundreds of thousands of ponies fed and happy. All of what she did...for everypony, for Fluttershy, for Applejack, for Rarity, for Rainbow Dash, for Pinkie Pie, for Scootaloo, for Sweetie Belle, for Apple Bloom...for Twilight. It was all...just so... “Beautiful.” Twilight said very quietly. Her heart began to pound. Her head began to spin. Her stomach tied into a knot. This powerful urge swept over her. She wanted to be close to the princess always. She never wanted to apart from her...not for a second. The unicorn’s entire body locked up. Her vision narrowed. She felt as if she were going to pass out. “Twilight? Twilight!” The unicorn twitched. The moment in time had been frozen for Twilight, but not for everypony else. Luna had returned to her side. The lavender pony snapped out of her stupor. She saw that Luna was now only inches away from her. “Are you alright?” Twilight’s heart ponded in her ears and her face blushed. She saw Luna as something so beautiful now. For her to be this close... “I-I-I’m fine.” Twilight stuttered helplessly. “You sure?” Luna leaned forward and put their foreheads together. “You look a little flushed.” The unicorn went stiff for a few moments, unable to move. She could feel the warmth of Luna’s skin on her own. Finally, when she gathered her wits, she stumbled backwards. “I’m fine!” Twilight said, a little too loud and her voice a little too high. “Honest! I am!” “Okay...” Luna still sounded worried. She tried to sense what Twilight was feeling, but there were just too many ponies here with too many emotions. Twilight could have been feeling the strongest emotions ever while standing right next to the princess and Luna couldn’t tell what they were. Luna gazed at the clock tower and then back to Twilight. “Meet up there in a few minutes alone, okay?” “A-Alright.” Twilight said, still slightly stupefied. As the princess trotted away Twilight took a deep breath. She suddenly realized that she hadn’t been breathing. ‘What...was that?’ The unicorn thought desperately. She had never felt anything like that before. It was like her entire body went crazy. She took a few more deep breaths before rattling her head around. She had a sudden urge for something to drink. Getting one should take up enough time before she was supposed to meet Luna at the clock tower Twilight walked up the steps of the building, nervously anticipating reaching the top. Luna would be up there. Would Twilight have another strange reaction like that again? Twilight wasn’t sure if she could even walk when her body completely locked up like that. With a very nervous last step the unicorn arrived at the tower’s balcony. What she saw surprised her. For a brief moment, Twilight felt terror. A familiar pony was sitting at the balcony, but not the one she was expecting. Her hair flowed like mist and her mane was as dark as the night sky. ‘Nightmare Moon!’ Twilight thought. She was preparing to turn and run or panic or try to calm the powerful pony down...but something stopped her. The alicorn wasn’t doing anything. She was simply sitting on the balcony, staring down at the ponies on the ground and then back up at the floating lanterns. Luna’s voice played in Twilight’s mind. “That part of me was happy to be free...because she was lonely.” Now there were countless ponies on the ground, admiring the night, the very lack thereof that made Luna create Nightmare Moon. Luna wanted her to enjoy this too. There was only one thing left that would make it perfect. Twilight fearlessly trotted over to her. She sat beside the large alicorn. Nightmare Moon turned and saw who it was and returned her gaze to the lanterns in the sky. “Twilight.” The alicorn said casually. “Lovely night.” Twilight replied. “Lovely night indeed.” Nightmare Moon’s face appeared mellow somehow. Her usual grimace lacked its angry intensity. Twilight gazed up at her. There was twinkled in the terrifying pony’s eyes, one that the unicorn was sure wasn’t there before. The lavender pony leaned against Nightmare Moon affectionately, causing the alicorn to give her an odd look. “Are you happy?” Twilight asked. “About what?” Nightmare Moon retorted. “Everypony’s appreciating the night now. They’re all looking at it, counting the stars and celebrating with lanterns.” “About damn time.” Nightmare Moon said, gazing back out at the crowd. “I’ll take that as a “yes.”” Twilight said, rubbing against the alicorn’s large shoulder. Neither of them spoke after that. Neither of them had to.