Twilight Gets a Puppy
By TDR
Beast Night Ever,
part 5
Princess Luna frowned looking to the windows of the gala. It was still night outside, but she could feel Tia moving her moon. Probably to placate or silence a noble or something, or probably because she was simply bored.
Even so she was going to have words with her sister about asking for a little thing called 'permission' when the Gala was over.
Right now however she had a more pressing issue.
Namely a pile of unconscious nobles half shoved under a table that was now as tall as her horn, a panicked server, and a small white rabbit that was devouring four times it's weight in food.
Luna's eyes narrowed at the rabbit as the bunny returned her stare with equal fervor as if daring her to do something.
“Thou are Fluttershy's companion creature?” Luna demanded.
The rabbit nodded.
“Are the bodies under thine table still alive?”
Another nod.
“Good. Carry on.” Luna stated, turning to glance over at the worried servitor. “Do thine best to not anger this one.... for obvious reasons.”
“Ye...yes Princess.” Silver Platter stammered.
Luna sighed heading away from the table grumbling about White's brood as Angel Bunny dug into another cake.
Shining Armor frowned as he searched through the crowd. It had been nearly an hour since she got away from him and he'd seen pink hide nor hair of Cadence.
He finally spotted something pink and rushed towards it in a gallop hoping it wasn't just another piece of that ridiculous strawberry cake. He built up a good head of steam shouldering past a number of ponies, many of them looking to protest but seeing who it was and the intent on his face none of them tried to stop him.
A guard on evident business was akin to a pony running with a fire extinguisher, best to let them go and complain later.
His hooves skidded over the tile as he quickly pulled out the ring with his magic, if this was Cadence perhaps he could do this here away from the crowd. A back corner wasn't the most romantic spot, but still, with how she had been running around all night it might be his only chance.
Given what had been reported to him by a Guard not long ago about what was happening to the sky he might not have another chance at all. He slipped past another few ponies to catch sight of a pink tail vanishing into one of the side halls.
Racing after her, he barreled around the door crashing into the pink mare and was sent tumbling as he rolled to try not to hit her that hard only for him to bounce off a wall, narrowly avoiding trampling the mare before he crashed to his knees with a wince, the ring box bouncing off his head to land on the floor before the mare popping open with a click.
A mare who despite being super pink, was not Cadence.
“OOOh that's pretty... wait is this a proposal? Oh wait that means a big party! Wait if I'm the one proposed to can I still plan the party. Ooh but I'm already seeing some pony else. That means I have to refuse, but if I refuse then there's no party.....” Pinkie Pie rambled.
“Sorry this wasn't for you Miss Pie...” Shining stated glancing around with a bit of worry as if expecting an alligator to the face again. “I'm looking for Cadence.”
“Ahh that's why I had a swingy ear on the way to the gala, that means someones gonna propose.” Pinkie Pie smiled, though she adopted a brief frown. “ Not sure I approve of your choice of the pretended to the throne of pink, but congratulations!”
Shining blinked as he tucked the ring back away starring warily at the pink mare.
“Um thank you, though I've been having trouble finding her to actually propose at all. ”Shining Armour confessed.
“Oh, I think she was stalking Prince Blue Blood last time I saw her.”Pinkie Pie admitted.
“Thanks, what are you doing back here any way?” Shining asked looking around the servants hall the pair were in.
“Oh... stuff.......” Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes.
“Right well.... I'll leave you too that then.” Shining nodded backing away slowly as the mares grin widened.
“Good luck.” Pinkie Pie called offering a wave. “Now where was I? Oh yeah! Now where am I going to get a black piglet with a tiger striped bandana this time of night....”
Prince Blueblood did his best to refrain from sighing. He was down to one now. A very insistent one however. The rose trick had worked at clearing off the others, though this one simply stuck around regardless of what he did. Boring double talk, acting as if she wasn't there, forcing her to keep up to his long steps in her pretty dress. So far she was putting up with it.
She was pretty and polite and carried herself with grace and dignity.
Not a thing like the mare he had fallen for.
It had been so long would she, recall him if they met? Would he even recognize her?
Prince sighed continuing on his path with the meet and greet mostly ignoring the nameless white mare at his side.
One day he would find her, but it didn't seem that would be today.
“And I snip this wire and move it over here. “ a dark figure hidden in the crawlspace over the gala hummed to itself.
“Then we give the little mousy over here a cupcake cause everyone loves cupcakes.” the figure continued leaving said mouse in possession of a pink frosted cupcake bigger than it was.
Princess Cadence, Goddess of Love, raised one eyebrow as she looked down at the three grinning fillies before her.
“I'm sorry, would you run that by me again?” Cadence blinked.
“We want yah tah adopt Sweetiebelle, tah be her new big sister like yah did with Twilight, Spike and Rahs.” Applebloom stated around a mouthful of Gouda sprinkled popcorn.
“There's Spike again.” Scootaloo snarked.
“An how am ah supposed tah say those three without saying his name?” Applebloom snapped back before taking a bite of a chocolate biscottie cookie.
“It's not how often you say it, it's how you say it, like it's a breathless sigh or something.” Scootaloo chuckled getting an odd look from Applebloom and a stranger look from Cadence as she looked at the earth pony filly stuffing her face.
“You been reading Rarity's romance novels again?” Applebloom asked eating a small slice of pineapple bread.
“I was bored and the cover looked actiony.” Scootaloo shrugged.
Sweetiebelle was doing her part to look like the most adorable little sister candidate possible. Cadence had to admit that had she not been at ground zero for a number of the Sparkle Sibling's attempts to get what they want, Sweetiebelle's pouty look would have been far more dangerous to her. As it stood at least two ponies who had glanced over to see what the foals were talking about had already blacked out and were being carted off by the ever present trauma teams of the castle.
“Well there's sort of a reason I'm like a big sister to those three, I am dating their eldest brother.” Cadence admitted.
“Dang.” Applebloom grumbled downing some bubble apple cider. “ Rarity and Sweetiebelle ain't got an older brother.”
“I'm sure Shining Armor would protest my dating another stallion any way.” Cadence chuckled.
In reality Cadence wondered where Shining Armor had gotten off to. She hadn't seen him since they came into the main ballroom. He was probably arguing hoof ball with another stallion or talking guard things with some of the old retired officers at the Gala. She would need to find him later and make a fuss about him being a improper escort for her.
“Why would you want to get a new sister anyway if Rarity's already your sister?” Cadence asked taking note of the feelings Sweetiebelle had for her sister,the love was there, but strangely weak for a pair of sisters. Particularly after her last conversation with Spike had the drake explaining that the little unicorn filly usually wouldn't shut up about trying to be exactly like her big sister. He claimed it was almost as bad as Scootaloo when Rainbow Dash was brought up.
Honestly Cadence couldn't think of a worse roll model for the young pegasus.
“Cause Sweetie came to the gala with Rarity after being promised that she would git tah spend time with her, fer at least some of tha night and she got ditched first step in tah door.” Applebloom pointed out munching on a white chocolate covered cherry.
“Ditched you? Why would she do that?” Cadence frowned.
Sweetiebelle matched Cadence's frown with her own frown and pointed a dramatically shaking hoof at her sister. Who was currently still fawning over Prince Blueblood, completely ignoring his snobbish attempts to drive her off.
Cadence frowned deeper, flattening her ears.
She had expected a little better of one of Twilight's friends, particularly one who bore the Element of Generosity, but Cadence also clearly recalled Rarity's reaction when she was told Rahs was a Prince.
Not to say anything rude, but Rarity now struck her as some pony most called a name that rhymes with Bold Snigger.
And to leave ones little sister to fend for herself while focusing on a stallion who was clearly not interested was not what she thought of when she thought of the Element of Generosity.
The love between sisters was strained here because of Rarity's actions.
This would not do.
Octavia Melody raised an ear as she heard a noise.
This of course did not hamper her playing in the slightest, as there was plenty of noise in the room. Really she was simply getting paid for ambiance music. Any pony who had played the Gala before knew that no one was going to care the slightest about the music unless attention was drawn to it, either by it being bad, or too loud.
Those with her were also veteran players of the Gala. There was no creativity to it, no spark and little to no interest and most were on auto pilot, and she was certain Treble Clef was playing while also asleep with his eyes open.
It was a paying job, nothing more. She recalled her first time here when she was excited with the honor, only for one of the older players to be far less thrilled for some reason. It didn't take her long to find out the why of it.
Dull, repetitive, and monotonous. They could have gotten a record player for the same effect of playing the same three songs over and over in the background as every pony talked . But it just wasn't proper not to have alive band.... that no pony listened to any way.
Which was why the noise drew her interest.
It wasn't from one of those milling about, nor was it from the foals, or the unexpected white rabbit at the dining table. She had nearly missed a note watching what the rabbit had done to that noble with a spoon, but practice and routine had gotten her through it. She was also keeping an eye on the beast in case she needed to hightail it out of there if the beast turned hostile, well more hostile. She certainly didn't envy the pony feeding it.
The noise however sounded again at odd intervals and it sounded like it was coming from under the raised stage.
She spared a glance back during a pause and took note of a curly pink tail slipping into the curtains behind the stage.
Well that was interesting, perhaps she could ponder it and keep an eye out for that particular shade of pink while she mindlessness played. Pony watching tended to stave off the boredom slightly and she was curious as to what the pink one was up to.
Luna sighed, and not for the first time considered retiring to her room early. So far she had been out of luck in regards to any pony wishing to converse with her or able to in some cases.
Well there had been that one noble, but he was simply trying to convince her to approve his project after Celestia had denied him. That conversation was cut off simply by telling him to petition at her night court.
Something he was unlikely to do given his mutters about not wanting a skewed sleep schedule.
It was situations like this that reminded her why she and her sister fought to start with. Arguments that let Him get to her and twist her from the inside.
She paused and let out a sigh. No. That would not happen again.
“Hello!” a cheery voice called.
Luna blinked, tumbling out of her own thoughts as she looked around quickly seeing no one. Had she gone mad again simply thinking of Him?
“Down here Princess.” another voice added in.
Looking down Princess Luna was greeted to the sight of three fillies, all of them in delightful little dresses adding to their already high levels of adorableness. That the earth pony was stuffing her face with some sort of apple pastry, to the point her cheeks puffed didn't hurt either.
She felt she should recognize them, but at the moment she did not. “Greetings young ones. Is something troubling thee?”
“Sorta.” Applebloom managed to gasp out between bites of a crepe.” Ah'm Applebloom, That's Scootaloo and tha one with tha issue is Sweetibelle over there.”
“See Sweetiebelle here had a bit of a falling out with her sister Rarity so we're looking to help her find an even better sister.” Scootaloo pointed out.”We asked Princess Cadence because she adopted Twilight and Rahs.”
“And Spike.” Applebloom added with a bite of some sort of chilled maple syrup chew, before glaring at a grinning Scootaloo for baiting her.
“And she sent us to you, cause you adopted Rahs, so we figured Sweetiebelle could be next.” Scootaloo continued with a wide grin.” Plus there was that awesome entrance you had.
Luna raised an eyebrow looking down at Sweetiebelle who was giving her best 'I'm the cute sister' look. She then looked to Cadence who was making her way across the floor with a more than a hint of anger on her face.
What could be the issue between Rarity and the little filly before her.
A quick look to where Cadence was going gave her the answer as she spotted Rarity fawning over Prince.
Luna rolled her eyes, she had expected this sort of thing from the mare after the talk with her regarding Rahs. She had potential but was quite … what was the modern term... it rhymed with cold bigger.
Perhaps a lesson could be learned here tonight by her.
Luna spared another glance at the window and the dark sky still feeling her older sister playing with her moon like it was a foals toy.
Perhaps her own sister needed a lesson too, or another upper cut, maybe both once she found out why Celestia was screwing with things she shouldn't be..
In any event the foals were waiting for an answer.
“It is been sometime since we have cared for a young one. We are not entirely certain we are caught up on the modern world enough to be an effective older sister to thee.” Luna offered getting a frown and a defeated sigh from the three of them, well two of them, Applebloom just shoved another cracker in her mouth.
“But we are willing to give it a try if you wish.” Luna smiled watching them light up, save Applebloom who was eating a chocolate orange..... where was the filly hiding this food?
The trio suddenly cheered and all of them looked to their flanks, pondered a moment, then struggled trying to figure out how to lift the frilly things they were wearing in order to look at their rears. During this Luna noticed that Applebloom's dress had bulging pockets, well that explained the food.
“What are thee doing?” Luna questioned.
“We got Sweetiebelle a new sister, we're seeing what sort of cutie mark we got from it!” Scootaloo grinned.
“One can get a cutie mark from that?” Luna pondered.” What would that even look like?”
“Dunno that's why we're trying tah look!” Applebloom stated through a mouth full of carrot cupcake.
“All I see is the dumb petticoat Rarity made me wear.” Sweetiebelle fussed.
“So you have yet to gain your cutie marks?” Luna asked.
“Yeah, we've been trying like... five ever........” Scootaloo stated.
“What?” Sweetiebelle asked.
“Five-ever.. its you know like four-ever but longer cause five is a bigger number.” Scootaloo explained.
“That's not how words work!” Sweetiebelle fussed.
“But it's how math works and you failed your last pop quiz.”Scootaloo snarked.
“Cause it was fractions and conjunctions!” Sweetiebelle fussed making Luna wince as the song about trains started in her head again.
“Perhaps we can assist with that.” Princess Luna offered. “ We have been around some time and have seen many ponies gain their cutie marks. Let us head to one of the side rooms and thou can inform me of the attempts thou has made thus far so we might suggest things.”
“YEAH!”The trio shouted, with Applebloom spitting out half a mouthful of crumb cake.
A glance to the nobles and then to Cadence made her certain this was the best idea for the young ones. She could feel something was building here, and she was unsure exactly what.