I sighed, then leaned my head on the balcony. The mid-October air was crisp, but not yet cold. Below, the lights of Ponyville gleamed and twinkled in the setting sun. I smiled a little; the view almost made me wish I had my trumpet again. My hoof twitched, itching to feel the valves under them. Already, I could hear the notes of A Kiss To Build A Dream On…
Dah dah, da-dah da-dah duh-da-dah...
I was halfway through the second bar when Twilight stepped up beside me.
“Hey,” she said, putting her arm around my shoulder. “Everything alright, Cece?”
I looked over at her. She had her mane in an up-do again, but there was something deliberate about it this time—something special. She had a little rouge on her cheeks, and she wore a set of wire-rimmed glasses that sparkled in the dusk.
“Yeah, it’s…” I sighed again. “It’s alright.”
She pressed her mouth into a thin line.
“What’s going on, Cece?” she asked. “You can tell me.”
I shook my head. “No,” I protested, “No, it’s fine—”
“Cece, please,” she said, a note of firmness creeping into her voice. “I don’t like it when you’re not honest with me.”
I looked up at her again. For just a second, I saw a hint of Loonie in her face—and I shuddered.
But then, she smiled, and rubbed my shoulders a little, and she was Twilight again.
“I know…” I said. “But… not tonight, okay? Tonight, I just wanna have fun. Can we talk later?”
She smiled. “Sure, Cease,” she said. “Later. But I don’t want moping, now,” she said. “I mean, you earned tonight. You made it. A month of good behavior…” I could hear the grin in her voice. “And tonight we’re going to have the best night ever.”
I rolled my eyes. “Geez,” I muttered, “Drama queen much?”
She smiled. “Maybe Rarity’s rubbing off on me,” she said. “Speaking of—why don’t you come inside?”
My ears perked up a little. “Everyone ready?”
“Almost,” she said. “But either way, remember—” She smiled a little. “This is your night. You’ve earned it. Don’t spend it by yourself, okay?”
At that, I smiled, then turned away from the balcony. “You know just what to say,” I murmured as I walked back across the balcony with her.
“I’m getting better at it,” she said, pushing open the door. “Ever since you moved me here, at least.”
And with that, I stepped into Twilight’s apartment.
It had never been the biggest place in the world, nor the nicest, but tonight the place was packed. Fluttershy was putting the finishing touches on Applejack’s makeup, while Rarity was trying (and failing) to polish Rainbow’s hooves. Pinkie, already dressed, sat in a corner, bouncing impatiently and humming to herself.
Everyone was already wearing Rarity's dresses—including myself. I paused by the little square of mirror Twilight had hung on the wall for the occasion and examined my reflection. I had to admit, as I turned this way and that, that Rarity really knew what she was doing.
My dress was more of a wrap, really—it hung about me, maroon and salmon and burgundy, almost like a toga. It made me look like those old, ancient statues of goddesses and heroines that you saw in history books. Not what I would have chosen, myself, but I had to admit—it made me look pretty damn good. And all that hoof-stitching—
That hoof-stitching.
As I stared down at the needlework, my skin started to crawl, and I looked away. The hoof-stitching wasn’t Rarity’s doing—it was Luna’s.
Fluttershy and Rarity both had told me, in hushed voices, what had happened after I left Ponyville the night of our disastrous fashion show. The morning after our fight, Fluttershy went by to Rarity’s to see if she could help, and Rarity brought her up to her workroom and had her start sewing dress panels. A few minutes later, the door opened, and both of them looked up to see, to their astonishment, Princess Luna standing there. She nodded to both of them, then walked to one of the dress forms and looked it over, then examined Rarity’s sketches. And, without a word, she sat down and pulled out her needles.
Both Rarity and Fluttershy told me, several times, that they had been terrified of her--especially after she started sewing. She'd threaded seven or eight needles at once, then, holding them in her magic, started stitching. She didn’t stop until about four that afternoon, when she’d put together mine, Pinkie’s, and Applejack’s dresses, all by herself; in that same timeframe, Rarity just barely finished Twilight’s, and Fluttershy was only about half-done with Rarity’s.
They’d held a second fashion show the day following, a Saturday. Luna was in attendance, as were several fashion writers Rarity hadn’t expected—and Blossomforth, who they’d recruited to fill my spot, apparently didn’t do too bad (at least, after they’d pinned my dress up to fit her). Luna herself didn’t stay; she watched long enough to make sure that everything was going to go alright, then slipped away.
Throughout the whole affair, she’d never spoken, except to ask Rarity for clarifications on her design, or to ask her approval for the work she’d done. Neither Rarity nor Fluttershy was entirely certain of her intentions: Rarity seemed to think that she was simply enamored of her work, but Fluttershy thought she was apologizing for how I’d treated the two of them. I was almost inclined to agree with Flutters—except for the fact I didn’t know that she was capable of an apology. In fact, she hadn’t even—
Rarity growled. The sound shook me out of my reverie, and I turned to look at her. She had just stood up, and was glaring daggers at Rainbow.
“For Harmony’s sake, quit squirming!” she cried. “Your hooves are a nightmare—” Twilight and I both flinched, but Rarity was focused entirely on Rainbow. “—and you’re going to need everything you’ve got, if you want to get a chance at seeing those Wonderbolts—”
I smiled to myself. “Actually,” I said, “while we’re on that subject—I have a bit of an announcement.”
Rarity fell quiet, and everyone turned to look at me.
“As you know,” I said, “I… haven’t had a whole lot to do recently. So I spent my time working on gifts for everyone. Sort of.”
Rarity raised her eyebrows. “Oh, darling,” she said, “you didn’t have to do that…”
I shook my head. “I didn’t. But I wanted to. After all, you girls…” I swallowed. Suddenly, I couldn’t get the words out. “Your… your friendship has… it means...”
I swallowed again, then took a deep breath. I turned to Fluttershy. “Twilight told me how much you were looking forward to meeting the animals of the Royal Menagerie,” I said, my voice carefully level. Fluttershy squeaked, then looked around nervously. “I don’t know if you’ve ever visited before,” I continued, “but the Canterlot animals are a lot less tame than your friends, and they don’t really trust strangers. So, I pulled some strings, and I was able to convince the Game Warden to give you a personalized tour tonight. He’ll be ready anytime you ask.”
Fluttershy blushed and stammered, but looked away. I grinned and turned to Applejack.
“And I know you’ve been baking apple treats for three or four days, nonstop,” I said to her, “but it’ll be hard to compete with the Palace kitchens. So I got you a contract,” I said, pulling an envelope out of my dress and passing it to her. She opened it, pulled out the papers, and began to read. “Long story short: the kitchens have a spot ready for you at the refreshment tables. Just bring what you have, and the catering staff will take it from there. They’ll pay you for anything that gets eaten, and you can take the rest home.” I smiled a little. “Just try to enjoy the party, okay?”
Applejack bowed. “Thank y’kindly, Cece,” she said quietly.
I turned to Rarity, and she looked back up at me, hopeful. I bit my lip. “Now,” I said carefully, “for you, I have some advice. I know you’ve been champing at the bit to meet Prince Blueblood…”
She gave a little, eager nod.
“...but I want you to trust me on this,” I said, taking her by the hoof. “Don’t even give him the time of day.”
Her eyes widened. “B-but… Ponies Magazine said—!”
I rolled my eyes. “Rares,” I said, “I’ve lived with the colt for seventeen years. He’s good at putting on a face when there are ponies around, but Blueblood, he…” I gestured vaguely, searching for the words. “He… he’s not the marrying type, if you know what I mean.”
Rarity’s eyes widened.
“Trust me,” I said firmly, “you’d be better off with basically anyone else at the party.” I thought for a second, then smiled. “Maybe Shining Armor,” I said. “He is kinda cute—”
“He’s working,” Twilight said curtly.
I shrugged. “Oh well.” I turned back to Rarity. “But… you get what I’m saying, right?”
She swallowed. “I understand,” she said, with a little sniff. “Much obliged.”
I nodded, then turned to Rainbow—and I giggled a little. I couldn’t help it. An hour ago, when Rarity had been trying to stuff her into her dress, Rainbow squealed like a stuck pig. But now, that everyone was looking elsewhere, she had finally calmed down—and, in fact, looked almost like she was enjoying that dress of hers. At my giggle, everyone turned to look—but I quickly cleared my throat, catching their attention again.
“You won’t be the only one trying to catch the Wonderbolts’ attention tonight, Rainbow,” I said to her. “In fact, they have their own, cordoned-off section of the floor just to give them a little space—and it’s always one of the busiest areas of the Gala, anyways. There’s no way in Equestria you’ll get their attention on your own.”
Rainbow deflated—and I grinned.
“Which is why I got you an appointment,” I said. “Between ten and ten-thirty, you have a private meeting with Spitfire—maybe even longer, if she likes you.”
Rainbow’s eyes went wide. “R-really?” she squealed. “You’re serious?”
“As a heart attack,” I said, grinning. “Speaking of…” I turned to Pinkie, who was grinning at me, smiling brightly, her eyes wide and glistening.
“Pinkie, I know what you’re thinking,” I said. “And I want you to know: this isn’t that kind of party.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly that,” I said. “I know you like dancing and party games and all that, but the Gala isn’t that kind of party. It’s more of a… a social gathering,” I said. “Like a see-and-be-seen sorta thing, you know what I mean?”
“B-b-but,” Pinkie stammered, “that’s a soiree! Or a hobnob! Not a party at all!”
“Of course not,” I grinned. “Which is why I took the liberty of planning a pretty kick-awesome afterparty for us.”
Everyone looked up at me, surprised.
“Of course,” I said, casually lifting one of my hooves and examining it, “it’s going to be one of the most exclusive parties in Canterlot. Only about a dozen ponies are invited—me, you, and a few of my and Twi’s friends from school. Catered, too, by the one-and-only Canterlot Kitchens. Maaaaybe even a bottle of champagne or two from the Palace winecellars.” I looked up at each of them and grinned. Their expressions ranged from astonished to eager. Pinkie looked like she was about to explode. “Sound good?” I said.
She nodded eagerly. “Totally!” she cried. “Anything for a kick-awesome party!”
I chuckled, then turned to Twilight. I opened my mouth, then hesitated. She looked up at me, bright-eyed, with a knowing smile on her face.
“I… I don’t really have anything for you,” I admitted. “I-I know you like books and stuff, but the Gala isn’t really a place for reading… and, y’know, you already live in a library, so…”
Twilight smiled. “That’s fine,” she said. “Parties aren’t really my thing.” Pinkie gasped, scandalized. “Just spending time with you is enough,” Twilight finished.
I watched her for a moment, then smiled wide. “Then that will be my gift,” I said. “I’ll spend as much time as I can with you tonight. Just the two of us.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “N-no,” she stammered, “you don’t have to—”
“I want to,” I said. “And I will. That’ll be my number-one priority tonight—right after the reception line, at least.”
Twilight hesitated, then nodded. “Okay, then,” she said simply.
I looked around the little circle, and I felt my smile widen. When Twilight had said it, I was… well, skeptical might be the word. But looking at the faces, I was starting to agree.
Maybe—just maybe—this was going to be the best night ever.