//------------------------------// // Faithful Gala // Story: Aeternitas Book II: Starry Eclipse // by Shadowlight Wanderer //------------------------------// Chapter 22 "Stop struggling Rainbow, we are almost finished" muttered Rarity, doing the final snips on Rainbow's outfit "You've been saying this for ten minutes now. I need to move, you know I don't like standing in place for so long" Rainbow growled, scratching her back. Applejack was looking in the mirror, analyzing her own outfit. She was wearing a long, light orange dress, fastened over one of her shoulders by a green gem. Her blond locks, usually tied at the end, were now loose. Her Stetson hat was adorned with a complicated composition of branches and flowers, that for some reason didn't fall down on the ground. It wasn't Applejack's idea, but Rarity insisted, saying, that it will be a nice touch, since Applejack never applied any make-up. Her outfit was completed by high brown boots, with the apple ornaments sowed into them. Pinkie was trying over 20 outfits throughout the hour, most of them not from Rarity's shop or not even from the correct time period. Finally, she decided and picked up a short pink skirt. She then added a light blue top, with a realistic looking whip-cream on her chest, covering her breasts. Satisfied with her choice, Pinkie put on her head a small, fedora like hat in the colour of deep blue, with pink feather on it. Fluttershy's hair was tied up in a complicated, ancient-like hairstyle, with a butterfly and flower hairclips. She decided to go in a long, light green dress, that she remembered as one of her choices for the Fall Formal. The dress was adorned with the motives of leaves and pink petals. Rainbow's outfit, which Rarity was now trying to finish with great determination, consisted of light blue leggings and cyan top with a yellow strikes of lightning crossing on the chest. Rainbow's hair, in contrary to Applejack's, was tied up in a ponytail. Much to Rarity's dismay, rainbow-haired athlete insisted to go to the Gala in a regular trainers. She also added a wing like plates on the shoulders that looked like they belong to some sort of armour. In Rainbow's opinion, that was the only way to add an "awesome twist" to those clothes. After two hours of make-up application, twisting the eyelashes and the other beauty necessities, Rarity changed into a long indigo dress that matched her eyes perfectly. It also pronounced the curves in all of the right places and that was the main reason why Rarity was so proud of that creation. She completed the outfit with a high heels, golden bracelets on her wrists and a tiara with sapphires, situated proudly at the top of her head. Her normally curled and twisted locks were now straighten up a bit to show a full volume of her regally purple hair. Sunset was wearing a long, red dress with a orange flame pattern on the edges. With a help from Fluttershy and Rarity, her hair turned into a mayan-esque hairstyle, that Sunset enjoyed but wore only on special occasions. The other element of the outfit was a medallion in a form of Sunset's former Cutie Mark, the flaming sun in a both red and yellow colour, that was hanging on her neck. "Aaaand....done!!!" exclaimed Rarity and Rainbow jumped off the postument. "Finally !!! Well, look at that !!!" Rainbow Dashstarted to turn around in front of the mirror. "You really did a heck of great job Rarity ! This looks cool !" "Why thank you, this is nothing, I am glad I could help" Rarity waved her hand and smiled. Sunset looked at the clock on the wall of Rarity's dressing room. They should be leaving soon and the Doctor was still missing. She knocked on the door to another dressing room. "Doctor ? Are you okay ?" "Sunset, come in please !" came the muffled response. Sunset waited a few seconds and entered the room saying " I just wanted to knowif you are ready to go because we are going to be laaaa-" And then she froze in place. The Doctor's legs were the only visible part of him. The rest was buried in the pile of medical kits, food supplies and clothing. Sunset pulled the Doctor out of the pileof stuff "Doctor !!!" The Time Lord looked at her "I was just doing a little re-packing. We are going on a dangerous mission and I really don't want to mess up this time. I don't want you to get hurt so I need to be prepared really well. " Sunset smiled, touched with a true care in his voice. "That's really sweet of you. But there is no way that you are going to carry this things to the Gala. You have to leave them here." Doctor shook his head "No, no, I won't carry them, I will hide them on myself." Sunset looked at the pile of various things and the Doctor. Her gaze said it all. Playful grin formed on Doctor's face. He raised a hand, in which he was holding a small pouch. It looked just like a deflated balloon. "Observe" he said, placing it on the floor. Doctor started to expand the hole in the pouch till it was about one and a half meter wide. Then he came over to the pile of stuff and started pushing it until it was placed exactly over the black circle. Sunset covered her lips when the mountain collapsed and fell into the circle...under the level of the floor. Sunset looked through the hole and noticed their things in the dark space below the hole Doctor zipped the pouch and the hole's size decreased. He lifted it and hid in the pocket. Sunset let out a sigh of amazement "Doctor...how...what did you do ?" Doctor raised an eyebrow. "I am a Time Lord and "bigger on the inside" technology is our speciality. I mean...it was, back before..." Then he was nudged by Sunset's elbow. Fiery haired girl giggled "That...was cool. I am really starting to be convinced that you are really a time traveller." "Well, it took a while. Anyway, I think we can go if you and girls are ready too." Summer frowned and held Doctor in place. "Doctor, you still doesn't have your suit on you" Now it was time for Sunset to be nudged. "Yes, I do. It's called " his sonic screwdriver flashed and Doctor swung it around his body " a shimmer". Doctor's clothes glimmered in the light and were replaced by a black tuxedo with a white shirt underneath. Doctor was also wearing a indigo tie with a golden, circular ornamentations, dark trousers and boots. In the chest-pocket of the tuxedo was placed a crimson coloured rose. His hair was even more spiky than before, sticking up in a funny manner. Doctor turned around "Do you like it ? I was thinking about wearing a collar at first but it seems they are not popular on Earth, especially in this time period and-" "You look magnificent Doctor. Now we can go, can we ?" Doctor raised his hand "Just one more question. Am I naked by any chance ?" Sunset chocked and blushed slightly. "No !!!" she turned around and after a moment, gave a little peek behind " Definitely no. For Celestia's sake, why do you ask a question like this ?" "Because with bad calibration shimmer can malfunction and be visible only for some people. But since I didn't set it for anyone in particular, I guess it is working." He reached Sunset with his hand. "Miss Sunset Shimmer, may I escort you to the Gala and show you the universe beyond?" Sunset gladly accepted Doctor's hand, reaching out for her, closing her in her own grasp. "I'll be delighted Doctor. Now let's go get the girls." ************* "Ah ya're sure ya're old enough to drive this limo ? We are always ask for a driver, ya know" asked Applejack, when the group was entering the vehicle and Doctor sit himself in front of the steering wheel. Doctor dismissed the question with the wave of his hand. "Applejack, I can assure you that I am old enough to drive absolutely anything". Doctor tried to turn the engines on but the limousine remained motionless. He looked at the girls, sitting in the other part, just behind him "Don't worry, I will fix it up pronto !" "Wait a moment, I can help you, I know quite a lot about motorisation" Rainbow Dash followed the Doctor out. Remaining five girls observed as Doctor and Rainbow were repairing something in the innards of their mode of transportation. Surprisingly, it only took eight minutes and they high fived. Then Rainbow whispered something to the Doctor's ear. Time Lord looked at the fob-watch he pulled out of the tuxedo and nodded. He slowly passed the glowing sonic screwdriver over the parts of the machinery. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was clapping and smiling mischievously. "Sh-should we be worried that she is happy in that way ?" whispered Fluttershy Doctor and Rainbow made the limo and themselves decent again, then they I got inside. "Rainbow, what did you tell Doctor to do ?" Sunset said, glaring at Rainbow Dash with suspicionin her eyes. "I was only worry about us being late to the Gala, so I convinced him to speed things up ?" Rainbow said with the innocent face. Rarity's and Sunset's eyes widened simultaneously. "Speed things up ??!!! Doctor, wait !!!" But it was already too late. The limousine dashed forward and the speed was so great that all of the girls were consumed by the leather seats and their eyes pressed deep into the eyesockets. Pinkie Pie opened the window and stick her head outside, her tongue sticking out. She didn't seem to notice the pressure or the wind as she happily cheered to go faster. Rainbow was thrilled and she was laughing maniacally, enjoying the sudden rush of adrenaline. "Thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssss iiiiiiiiiiiisssssssss aaaaammmaaaaaaaaaziiiinnggggg!!!!!!!!!" "RRRRRRaaaaaaaaaaaainnnnnnnnbooooooowwwww Dhahahahahahahhhhhaaaassssssshhhh!!!!!!" screamed Rarity as the limousine was flying across the town. ****************** "Well, at least we are on time " muttered Applejack, supporting herself on the streetlamp and breathing heavily. "I think I left my stomach back home. I am going to be sick " muttered Rarity. "Tell me about it" Sunset tried to fight the urge to throw up, just like Fluttershy who was sitting nearby " Rainbow, if you ever do this again, I swear to all the gods in all dimensions that I will-" "Oy, chill" Rainbow helped Sunset get up. She didn't seem to be affected by the crazy drive at all. " I am sorry, I would never think it will have such a effect on you . But this was cool ride, you have to admit !" "It was funny !!!! Can we do that again ?" Pinkie jumped high above them. Doctor stepped up "I am sorry. It sounded like a good idea at first but I see that I made you really uncomfortable. Let me help you". He slightly pressed Sunset's temples and dizziness disappeared. "Thanks Doctor, whatever you just did". Sunset sighed in relief. The Doctor repeated the process with Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity and soon enough they were all standing in front of the entrance to the Canterlot High. ************** The group entered the gym and then split up, promising that they will meet again after an hour. Pinkie Pie ran to try the new pastry on the buffet, Rainbow and Applejack started a competition on the dance floor, twisting their bodies to the beats served by Vinyl Scratch, Sunset went to enjoy some party activities, Rarity and Fluttershy were chatting to their friends from the school clubs. Doctor looked around, not sure where to go. Then he stepped into the dance floor. "Well, since I am going to be here for a while anyway, let's just relax...for now. I am going to show them some moves that were not discovered yet". Rainbow and Applejack looked at the Time Lord swirling around, jumping and flying through the air. Applejack adjusted her long dress to suit the fast dancing, with the clips Rarity gave her. "Oh it is one !!!" they shouted in unison. Doctor watched as Rainbow Dash preformed series of complicated hip-hop movements. He mirrored her moves for a while and then grab Applejack by the hand and she spanned around him. He held her in her waist and lifted above the ground. The apple farmer let out a warm fit of laughter. Doctor smiled as well. He actually had fun out here. More fun that he had in decades. But unfortunately, it had to be postponed. He did a few breakdance sequences with Rainbow Dash and then, after promising Rainbow and Applejack that they will all do it over again, he excused himself and exit the gym. He grabbed the sonic screwdriver and adjusted the settings. The device started flashing in the regular periods of time "Where are you ??!!!" muttered Doctor, following the source of the detected signal. ********** "Smash it !!! Smash it !!! Smash it !!!"the crowd cheered loudly. Sunset tightened her grasp on the baseball bat and tried to locate the invisible target. One swift swing and CRACK!!! The piñata exploded with candy and confetti. "Woooooohooo!!!" Sunset did a small victory dance, throwing her arms in the air and moving her hips in the rhythm "Oh yeah !!!" She giggled. She loved piñatas and this one was designed by Pinkie Pie, so the candy was really delicious. She happily picked it up and started working towards the direction of which she came earlier, looking for some familiar faces. She approached Fluttershy, who was sitting by the wall, quietly sipping lemonade. Sunset knew that the shy girl didn't exactly fancy the loud parties, so she wanted to check on her friend just in case. "Hey Fluttershy, everything ok ?" she asked Fluttershy blinked and smiled, noticing Sunset. "Oh, hello Sunset. Everything is fine, I just wanted to observe the dancing for a minute. I even tried myself, but I guess it's a bit too fast for me" she blushed in embarrassment. Sunset wrapped her arm around Fluttershy "It is okay. I am happy as long as you are enjoying the Gala" Suddenly, Rainbow Dash appeared in front of them, nearly giving both girls a heart attack. "Rainbow !!!" shouted Sunset. "Whopsie, sorry !"Rainbow looked at them for a moment, then continued searching something in the distance " Have you seen Doctor anywhere ? This is my favourite beat and he promised me..." She was interrupted by Applejack, who emerged from the crowd, shouting "Rainbow !!! Ya have to see this !!! Pinkie is jumpin' to the pool filled with punch and whipped cream !!!" Rainbow's jaw dropped "No !!!" Applejack nodded "Yeeeeeeesss!!!! Rainbow's eyes lightened up "Well in this case here I come, I can't miss it. It will be glorious. But if you see Doctor, tell me, kay ?" She and Applejack quickly ran towards the other corner of the gymnasium. Sunset and Fluttershy waved to them. Sunset tappeda floor with her fingers. "I actually wonder where the Doctor is. Well, we shall see later. He is probably having fun somewhere". *************** "Wish I could have more fun now" muttered Doctor as he fell out through the window. He traced the signal through the corridors to this forsaken window. The signal led outside so he decided to go out. And of course he had to fell through instead of simply going down. He raised from the ground, shifted and started crawling through the bushes that were surrounding the school building. "Come on, please, please" he begged into the air until BUMP !!! He looked up and saw a girl in a black glasses and a purple hair with a pink stripe, tied up in ponytail. She was wearing a dark clack with a symbol of the purple star. She was holding a medallion, that remindedDoctor of some kind of a scanner. The big violet eyes were watching his every move. "Don't worry, I don't want to hurt you. Keep crawling in your side and I will keep crawling in mine. Did you happen to register chronomolecular distortion ?" "No, I didn't " the girl whispered shyly " the electromagnetic aura has too much density for the distortion of temporal stasis." "Yes, I noticed. So infuriating !" Doctor nodded. "So...have you noticed any recharges of energy with a weird amplitude or an energy of a high index of ionization ?" Doctor raised an eyebrow "You mean like magic ? Crawl through the bush, turn right, go straight for a few minutes and you will find a statue in front of the school. It is really flooded with this magical energy." "Thanks" the girl smiled. "You are welcome" Doctor replied. They both resumed crawling in their respective directions. Doctor finally emerged from the bush and entered the building once again. He started running. The beeping got louder. "And..." Doctor opened big door at the end of the corridor. He entered the through the door and sighed "Omega's pants, everything but that !" He returned to the gym. ******************* Sunset Shimmer was walking through the crowd to see Pinkie's jump when suddenly she lost her balance and fell to the ground. What was that ? she thought. "Are you okay there ?" Sunset noticed a hand reaching out for her "Yeah !" she said, grabbing the hand. She was lifted up to face the girl, who may be a year or two older than her. She was a simple, light orange dress. Her hair was the purest white Sunset has ever seen and her eyes were in the colour of amber. The strange girl was also wearing a medallion, just like Sunset. It resembled a number eight, but lying horizontal. "Do I...know you ?" Sunset twisted her head. The girl chuckled "Not yet, dear Sunset, not yet. I just needed to check if you are here and if you are okay. But I can assure you, we will meet again." Sunset shook her head and when she opened her eyes, the girl disappeared. Sunset looked around in shock. "Wha-what ?! Who was that ?" **************** "Maybe it is a relativity error ? Or a materialisation loop ? Or messed up space-time biodata ?" Doctor wondered, drinking the apple cider and walking around the gym. He still couldn't understand why the TARDIS wasn't here. She should follow him when Equestrian universe collapsed. Right ? Suddenly, the music stoppedplaying which caused Doctor to resurface from his well of thoughts. He looked at the DJ booth and saw Vinyl arguing with a distinguished looking girl with ebony hair and grey skin. After a moment, Doctor recognized in her a talented cellist, Octavia Melody. Since the sound transfer from the inside was still on, Doctor heard a phrases such as: "This is unacceptable !!" "Tavi, five more minutes !" "You are sleeping on a couch tonight !" And a few more in this tone. Then Vinyl was dragged by the ear out of the DJ booth and Octavia entered the large postument next to it. "I am so sorry for such an inconvenience. I can assure you it won't happen again. And now for all the couples out there..." She took her cello and started playing a slow, profound melody. Doctor froze when he felt a fingers climbing up his back. One, two, three, four... "Guess who ?" whispered a voice from behind. Doctor turned around to find Rarity, standing behind him and leaning against the wall. For some reason, she was wrapped up in a red curtain and had a very, very seductive look in her eyes. Doctor hyperventilated, not knowing why "Rha-ra-Rarity what a-are you doing ?" She giggled and her blush became even more visible. "Why, I am stealing you for a dance silly!". She grabbed the Doctor and before he could register anything, he and Rarity were gliding among the others in the rhythm of waltz. Doctor was a little taken aback, but shortly he adjusted to the melody and hold Rarity more tight. It was actually nice. Surprising and unexpected but still nice. They swirled, their legs, hips and arms in perfect harmony, dancing around in the endless, profound symphony. Doctor looked at Rarity and he was touched by the look of genuine relax and happiness on her face. Her cheeks were heated up by the red blush and her sapphire eyes lightened up by something that Doctor couldn't quite identify. The music changed and now it had even slower pace. Rarity hugged Doctor and lied her head on his chest, while he was still holding her in her waist. Doctor blushed himself. What on Arcadia was she doing ? He had a destination to follow to and promises to keep. Surely he didn't have time for this. But still... he felt the happiness radiating from the young designer. And he had to admit that he was peacefully drifting away. Doctor didn't feel so much affection towards him since... he reached back, but the memories were foggy for some reason. He knew that this memory was important though. The way Rarity walked, this dress, her way of talking, her curled hair, which smelled like lavender... all those things reminded him of...place, time, person ? Doctor was so wrapped up in this meditations that he didn't notice that Rarity was still getting closer and closer. Until the moment when she suddenly pulled his head to hers and her lips pressed against his. Shudder through Doctor's spine and that shock was all it took. He remembered.