//------------------------------// // Ticket Travesty // Story: The Champion of Harmony // by Voxum //------------------------------// Two weeks had passed since the night of the Ursa Minor 'attack', and Emerald's hearing had finally returned to it's normal state. It had been probably the most annoying two weeks he'd had to live through, however. Everywhere he went, ponies kept throwing him pitying looks, whether that was because of the story of the Ursa knocking him unconscious, or the bandages that had been wrapped around his head, he really didn't care. But that, that wasn't the worst thing. No, it was him living with the idea that he nearly failed! How could he possibly fail like he did?! His entire purpose was to fight! He wasn't supposed to be caught off guard, sound dampening spell or not! And most of all, he certainly wasn't supposed to black out because of some pathetic pain! It tore at his pride to know that he'd been bested that night, even if unintentionally and with everything stacked against him. He needed to train more, to get stronger, faster, better. The fact that he couldn't, pissed him off beyond all measure, and it was likely that palpable anger that caused everyone in town to mercifully leave him alone after a few days. Well, almost everyone. Pinkie and Fluttershy, of course, didn't leave him be for more than a few hours at a time. Pinkie because she wanted to keep his spirits up, and Fluttershy because she believed she understood the pain he had been in, still under the impression that he was a half-breed like her. Unfortunately for him, while half-breeds did have heightened hearing, it wasn't as strong as a pure-blood's. But her concern was appreciated. Bon-Bon had come by once or twice to make sure he was fine, being more informed about his hearing than even Fluttershy. Lyra had come along both times, preventing the two of them from openly speaking with each other. Rainbow Dash, unsurprisingly, didn't drop by at all, for whatever reason. Rarity and Applejack, however, had. Rarity's appearance hadn't surprised him, given her fixation on him, but Applejack had been a bit of a shocker. It hadn't lasted long, as she had been there just to give her condolences, but given that she had a farm to help run, it was pleasant regardless. However, the ones who had visited him the most were both surprising, and yet, entirely expected. Sparky had kept him the most company during his stay in the hospital, as she had apparently, with the help of Trixie, been the one to get rid of the Ursa Minor. However, the strain of doing so, along with the integration of Trixie's magic, had knocked her unconscious in the process. The first few days had been awkward, as the two of them had been admitted to the same room, but eventually things smoothed out, especially after his hearing recovered. Although Emerald noticed Twilight seemed to be taking a lot of notes during their stay, but whenever he asked, she would only respond that it was for a study about the intricacies of inter-magical connections between unicorns of similar and dissimilar types. Given the amount of stuttering and her avoidance of eye contact, he didn't believe it for a second, but eventually gave in, figuring he'd know if it ever became an issue. Trixie and Wisp tended to visit together, with Wisp happily recounting her day, and even started gushing about the few lessons Trixie had deigned to give her, much to Sparky's chagrin. The competitive glint that had appeared in the two unicorn's eyes had nearly gotten a sigh from the thestral, but he left it alone, knowing that he really couldn't do much to stop it. It was Wisp's problem now. But, now that his hearing was back up to snuff and he was no longer in the hospital, he could get to work on his, and now Trixie's, training. He supposed it was a good thing Trixie had decided to stay in Ponyville after the Minor. He wasn't sure of the reasoning behind that decision, but he figured it had something to do with her newfound rivalry with Sparky. First things first, they needed a location. It was a rather obvious choice. There was a large clearing back behind his house, hidden a little ways into the Everfree. Close enough to town to keep most animals away, but far enough away that most ponies wouldn't even think of entering. Now all he had to do was set up the damned obstacle course he was hoping to order from Luna, after getting permission from the mayor, of course. Contrary to popular belief, most guard training programs don't consist of repetitive motions, patrols, and light sparring. The whole point of the guard training is to get the participants in the best shape possible, and if there was one thing that he found admirable about the guards, it was that they understood that things like weight training did not cross over into fighting shape. The obstacle courses were designed to increase their level of fitness, allowing them higher endurance, faster speeds, greater flexibility, and so on. It was made even more effective with the introduction of timing and weights. While at first used to measure their level of progress, the times they score on the course, as well as the level of weight they were wearing, are now used as a sort of contest, with bragging rights being the prize. He wondered how Trixie would do. Emerald sighed, resting his head on the counter. Business at Sugarcube Corner had been surprisingly slow the whole morning and even well into the afternoon. Granted, customers didn't come in one right after the other, not unless it was a special occasion, but they at least had one pony every fifteen minutes or so. It's been around eight hours since opening, and they had one. With the downpour scheduled for later, he supposed it wasn't much of a surprise after all. "Still no customers?" the motherly voice of Mrs. Cake echoed from behind him. He grunted, but straightened up, "Nope," he replied, not even turning around to answer, "But it's not that surprising, now is it?" she laughed, "Well, I guess not. Boy, I hope Pinkie's doin' fine with those deliveries. If she's any later she might get caught out there," He took immediate notice of the worry in her tone, and sighed, "I'm sure she'll be fine, Mrs. Cake. Pinkie's a big filly, she can take care of herself. Most of the time," he said, adding that last part under his breath. "Still..." They lapsed into silence after that. But even so, Emerald's superior hearing caught her constant shuffling around, and the vibrations filtering through the air kept informing him of her periodic glances back out towards the front door, and it was beginning to get on his nerves. Finally, it was too much, and he slammed his hooves on the counter, startling the motherly mare, "Enough is enough!" he snapped, turning to face her, "If you're truly so worried about Pinkie, I'll head out and grab her myself!" "Could you?" He withheld a growl, but only barely. He gave Mrs. Cake a stiff nod, and proceeded around the counter and out the door. Once the door closed behind, he sighed in relief. Ever since being let out of the hospital, he'd been feeling unusually aggressive, although he chalked it up to a build up of stress. After all, he'd spent two weeks without going to work, just waiting for something to happen while he was out, only for nothing to happen. Honestly, it was like the town was mocking him! Random chance situations putting him in the hospital, making him fret over the town's protection night after night, only for nothing to happen! Combine that with a lack of training, and his stress just kept building, and building until he'd be ready to fucking explode! Did he do something in a past life to make Faust hate him or something?! Was there some sort of higher being who took pleasure at his misfortune, as if he was naught but a character in some story?! ... Damn, the stress was making him think weird thoughts. He quickly shook it away, only regretting it slightly due to an oncoming headache. "Hey Emerald!" a coltish voice suddenly called from above, he glanced upward, finding the familiar gray pegasus, "Oh, hey Ditzy," he responded lazily, "If you're here for a muffin, don't let me stop you," he added, casually waving a hoof towards the door behind him. The wall-eyed mare giggled at his lackluster response, but shook her head, "I'd like too, but I can't! I'm on duty!" she exclaimed proudly, hooves on her hips, before reaching into her bag, sticking her tongue out as she did so, "And speakin' of duty! Here ya go!" she said, finally pulling out a single, red envelope, with the words 'Personal Delivery' stamped on it in gold ink. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Emerald hesitantly took the scarlet envelope from the mailmare, "Thanks Ditzy," he said, glancing back up at her, only to find that she was already flying away, swerving dangerously close to the nearby buildings, all the while humming some song to herself. Emerald sighed, but a chuckle ended up mixing itself in. Had it been anyone else, he might've been offended at their lack of manners, but he knew Ditzy meant well. She was dedicated to her job and nothing would stop her from completing it. Just like him. Turning his attention to the little package he'd received, he inspected it carefully, even holding it up to the light, using his superior vision to peer at the contents slightly. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he calmly tore the seal and dumped the contents into his waiting hoof. A single, folded letter landed in his hoof, but he could tell that there was something folded within the letter itself. He flipped open the letter, taking note of the two golden tickets sitting on the parchment, and read. Hear ye, hear ye! Her Grand Royal Highness, Princess Luna of Equestria, is proud to announce this year's Grand Galloping Gala, to be held in the luxurious and magnificent capital city of Canterlot on the twenty-first day of November! Her Grand Royal Highness, Princess Luna also cordially extends an invitation to one Lord Emerald Skies of Nocturne, Trusted Advisor to Princesses Celestia and Luna of Equestria, and Champion of the Royal Army, plus one guest. Sincerely, Princess Luna of Equestria. ... Dammit Luna. Emerald let out a groan, before quickly stuffing the letter and tickets underneath his wing, making a note to put them in his bag later. Part of him was annoyed that the invitation was sent by letter, but given that most of them were mailed en mass, he couldn't do anything about that. The majority, however, was irritated that he'd gotten one at all. The Grand Galloping Gala. Nearly everyone in Canterlot would lead you to believe that it was the highest of honors, and that only the best of the best could ever hope of receiving a ticket, let alone two. They'd claim it was where only the classiest, the most well-mannered, the most important of important ponies in all of Equestria would attend. All of that was nothing but bullshit. Celestia would never say it to her little ponies, but she made no effort to hide her disdain towards the event with Emerald, going so far as to pace around her study, ranting about the numerous Gala's she's attended and just how much she wished something would happen to cancel the whole thing. Luna, having not attended one in a thousand years, wasn't able to give much of an opinion on them, as the Gala's from her time were more for political figures to meet up and even test their fighting capabilities with each other to determine whether they'd support the other or not. The look of despair on her face when she learned that she couldn't bring her armor and weapon to the Gala had been priceless, however. Almost as good as the look on her face when she realized she didn't even have her weapon and armor anymore! That had been a good day. But now he was stuck going to the damned thing. Sure, going to the Gala was completely voluntary for anyone involved, after all, things happen, and sometimes there wasn't much anyone could do about it. But he knew, short of him suddenly catching a fatal disease, he was going to be dragged there by Celestia herself, just so she didn't suffer alone. ... Actually, if he had a fatal disease, she might just visit him in hopes of catching it herself if it meant avoiding the Gala. Regardless, he was stuck, and there was no point in sulking about it. Right now, he had a pink pony to find. If Emerald was remembering right, Granny Smith had Macintosh order some cupcakes for the Crusaders, who apparently wanted to try their hooves at getting a pastry decorating cutie mark. It was likely that Pinkie had already left the farm by the time he'd get there, but at least the Apples might be able to point him in her direction. On a side note, the town was about as busy as it usually was, scheduled downpour or not, so he no longer had any idea why Sugarcube Corner was lacking business. Maybe it was because of him? Meh. He arrived at Sweet Apple Acres a few minutes later, although the orchard was surprisingly silent. He would've figured either Mac or Applejack would be hard at work, kicking trees left and right. Well, he supposed it made sense that they'd be on break at this time. That, and the weather schedule wouldn't really let them continue. He ventured further into the orchard, ears standing at attention, trying to catch the sound of, well, anything at the moment. It wasn't necessary as, a few moments later, he spotted an apple laying on the ground. He frowned. From what he knew, the Apples wouldn't let one of their crop go to waste, so why...? His thoughts trailed off as he looked up, finding another apple, and then another, and another, until it appeared that there was an honest to Faust trail of the damn things leading further into the field, and, at the very edge of his vision before him, he could spot two small dots, which were getting steadily smaller. Having found his potential lead, Emerald quickly jogged after them. Once he got closer, he managed to identify the dots as Applejack and Sparky, with the hatchling riding atop the latter's back. It also served to reveal the source of the apple trail as the little drake's tossing while he rummaged through a basket of apple's hanging from the side of his steed. "-is lunchtime, all this hard work is making me hungry!" he managed to catch the tail end of whatever conversation the two mares were having, and couldn't help but interject, as well as announce his presence, "Hard work?" he called, slowing down, the two mares jumped, and turned to face him as he approached, "I'm not sure we have the same definition of hard work, Sparky," the mare in question just sent him an annoyed glare, but the drake spoke up before she could, "I know, right?" he asked, only to sheepishly grin when he noticed Sparky's dark look aimed at him, "Oh please, Spike!" she snapped, "You've been lounging on my back all morning while Applejack and I worked!" "Exactly, you guys were taking sooo long that I missed snack time!" he retorted. *GURGLE* As if on cue, there was a sudden, loud growl emanating from Sparky's stomach, who blushed in response, "Speaking of missing snack time," Emerald snarked, causing her to blush harder, but he turned his attention to the resident farmer, "Have you seen Pinkie? She was supposed to come back earlier today, but she's still out," Applejack sighed, shaking her head, "Sometimes I wonder what runs through that mare's head," she muttered, then looked up at him, "'Fraid not sugarcube. She was here earlier with some cupcakes fer Applebloom. I think she said somethin' 'bout a surprise, but I dunno what that's supposed ta mean. She ran off after that," she said, shrugging, "Sorry," Emerald sighed, but nodded. As annoying as it was, the information he'd just received was mostly expected, given Pinkie's... tendencies. A sudden burp, followed by a trail of green flame caught his attention. "A letter from the princess?" Sparky muttered, carefully enveloping the letter in her magic, before Spike snatched it and began to read, "'Hear ye, hear ye! Her Grande Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is proud to announce that the annual Grand Galloping Gala is to be held in the luxurious and magnificent capital city of Canterlot on the twenty-first-' yada yada yada," he skipped over the date, "Oh! 'Cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle, plus one guest!'!" Both mares gasped simultaneously, ""The Grand Galloping Gala!?"" Emerald sighed as the two mares celebrated the announcement, and it seemed Spike was just as amused by it as he was. After a moment, however, he burped once more, and a pair of familiar golden tickets popped into existence alongside the fire. "Look! Two tickets!" he called, catching the 'mail'. "That's great!" Sparky gushed, "I've never been to the Gala, have you Spike?" "No. And I plan to keep it that way," the drake responded, "I don't want any of that, girly-girly-fru-fru nonsense," "Aw, come on Spike. A dance would be nice!" Sparky said, sending a not-quite-discreet glance over at Emerald, "In fact-" "Nice?!" Applejack suddenly cut in, "It's a heap'o more than jus' nice! I'd love ta go! Landsakes!" she said, her eyes lighting up, "If I could set up an apple stand, ponies would be linin' up ta try our fiddles. Why, do ya have any idea how much business I could drum up fer Sweet Apple Acres?!" Applejack gushed, a wide grin threatening to split her face in two, "With all that money, we could afford ta fix the barn's saggy ol' roof, and Big Macintosh could replace that saggy ol' plow, and even Granny Smith could replace that saggy ol' hip!" she said, her eyes watering fondly, "Why, I'd give mah left hind leg ta go ta that Gala," She sounded rather excited about the Gala. That was sad to hear. So sad that it was actually kind of funny. "Oh," Sparky breathed, glancing at the tickets, then at Emerald, who had turned his gaze up towards a nearby tree, and finally at Applejack, "Well, then would you-?" "WOAH!!!" *CRASH* Emerald chuckled lightly. He'd spotted Crash sleeping on a nearby tree, how she still had her job despite her poor work ethic was an honest miracle. As it was, he'd seen her wake up, spot the tickets in Spike's claws, and practically dive bomb the two mares afterwards. "Are we talking about the Grand Galloping Gala!?" "Rainbow Dash!" Applejack snapped, shoving her off and standing up, looking furious, "You told me you were too busy ta help me harvest apples! Jus' what were ya busy doin'?! Spyin'?!" she growled. Rainbow turned away, huffing, "No," she drawled, as if it was obvious, "I was busy napping," she finished sagely, pointing to her nearby napping spot. "Aaaand!" she continued, this time invading Sparky's personal space, "I just happened to overhear that you've got an extra ticket?" she asked, far too pleasantly. "Well, yes, but-" "YES! This is SOOO awesome!" she squealed, spinning in mid-air, before she landed, "The Wonderbolts perform at the Gala EVERY year! I can see it now!" she said dreamily, staring off into space, "Everyone would be watching, their eyes riveted on the Wonderbolts, and then, out of nowhere, Rainbow Dash!" she gasped, her face lighting up, "I'd draw their attention with my Super Speed Strut! And then I'd mesmerize them with my Fantastic Filly Flash! And, for my grande finale, the Buccaneer Blaze!" she did a loop in the air, "The crowd would go wild, and the Wonderbolts would have my awesome moves incorporated into their routine. And, after my last performance at the Best Young Fliers Competition, welcome me as their newest member!" she finished, before once again invading Sparky's space, "Don't you see, Twilight? This could be my chance, you just gotta pick me!" she gushed, before being roughly pulled back by Applejack. "Now hold one jus' one pony pickin' minute here! I asked fer that ticket first!" "So?! That doesn't mean that you own it!" "Oh yeah? Then I challenge you ta a hoof-wrastle! Winner gets the ticket! Deal?" "You're on!" "GIRLS!" Sparky shouted before the two of them could go any further, "These are my tickets! I'll decide who gets the other one, thank you very much!" she snapped, glaring at the two competitive mares. "But what about drummin' up business fer the farm!?" "What about my chance at auditioning for the Wonderbolts?!" "Fixin' Granny's hip?!" "Living the dream?!" "Oh dear, this isn't going to be easy, is it?" Sparky muttered to herself, *GURGLE* "Oh! Well, uh, would you look at that?" she asked awkwardly, patting her rumbling stomach, "I, uh, I don't know about you, but I can't really make big decisions on an empty stomach, so I'll come back to you girls after lunch, okay? See ya!" she chirped, before picking up Spike and left, trying not to look like she was running away. ""Okay..."" the two mares behind her chorused, dejected. A moment passed, however, and the two returned to glaring at each other. Emerald sighed. Fantastic. He just got out of the hospital and there was a brand new issue amongst Sparky and her friends. The thought revolved around his head for a moment, before he sighed, and turned to the retreating mare. If that was the case, then it was likely Sparky was in for some trouble. Trouble that would no doubt attract the other three mares to her like a moth to the flame, meaning if he tagged along for the ride, he was bound to run into Pinkie. It might be a roundabout way of tracking her down, but what better way to catch his prey, than by getting his prey to come to him? ----- Twilight was panicking. Sure, she might look calm on the outside, but internally she was freaking out! What was she gonna do?! Two of her very best friends in the whole world were fighting over the ticket to the Gala, and now SHE had to decide who to go with! Sweet Celestia, how was she gonna do this?! Choosing Applejack would disappoint Rainbow, but choosing Rainbow would disappoint Applejack! If she chose one of them the other one might be so mad that they wouldn't want to be friends anymore! And she couldn't just choose neither of them either! ... Could she? "Hey, Sparky," she jumped in surprise, making Spike groan, and turned her head, just in time to spot the familiar face of Emerald appear next to her. Trixie's advice had really helped her over those last two weeks. During the time she spent with Emerald in the hospital, she had made sure to take extensive notes about his behavior and how it affected her. The first few days were awkward, as Emerald had a difficult time hearing, but, once his ears healed enough for regular conversation, the feelings of nervousness seemed to gradually fade. It was... strange. The mere thought of being in the same room with him, alone, had nearly sent her into a panic attack when she first woke up. But as the days continued, she could honestly say she was... comfortable with his presence. Where her heart would be beating wildly before, now it was a light fluttering in her chest. Where her breathing would usually pick up, there was nothing more than a small feeling of breathlessness, but one that was easily ignored. But out of all of her symptoms, the one she was happiest about was her ability to think. Thinking was all she was really good at, after all. So when being around this pony had completely thrown her thought processes out the window, she had been almost distraught! Thankfully, it seemed prolonged exposure to the source had all but gotten rid of her problems, as her thoughts were perfectly clear once again! Although there were still moments where her thoughts would just blur, or her mind go blank, and she had yet to discern a reason. She would admit that there were times where she contemplated the idea of asking the princess, or even her family for help, but all were discarded after careful consideration. "It's my lunch break," he continued, "So I'll go with you," She paused for a moment, her thoughts suddenly racing, before forcibly calming herself, "O-oh, um, not to be rude, but, why?" she managed to ask. He chuckled and glanced at her, "Applejack and Rainbow are following us right now," he said, surprising her, "Don't look back, don't wanna tip 'em off just yet, now do we?" he asked, giving her a mischievous grin that sparked that fluttering in her chest again. "U-uh, I suppose... not?" he shook his head, looking almost exasperated, "Listen. If their earlier interactions were any indication, they'll likely say something about the ticket to your other friends, if only that it belongs to them, which might get them to ask for it themselves. I'm looking for Pinkie, and if I'm right, she'll turn up eventually," Twilight bit her lip, but nodded. It wasn't like he was wrong. Ever since she moved to Ponyville, weird things have been happening every few weeks, and sometimes every couple of days. Even so, she didn't mind. As long as she had her friends by her side, she could get through any trouble that they happened to find themselves in, she was sure of it. Except for this whole ticket nonsense, she reminded herself. She couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen if she chose one of her friends over the others. But... what if she chose somepony who wasn't in their little group? Somepony like... Emerald, for instance? ... No, that probably wouldn't work either. It might just make the both of them angry, rather than just one of them... But... did that matter? These were her tickets! Only she got to decide who would go, nopony else! Well, sort of. The other pony had to agree first, of course. "Um... Emerald?" she began, taking a mental note that her heart rate had picked up, "I-I was wondering... about the ticket... would you-?" "No," he stated, interrupting her without issue. Twilight's mind went blank for an instant. H-he didn't... he didn't want to go with her... Not with her... did-... did he not like her enough to go? M-maybe he already had plans with somepony else that day and he couldn't go? O-of course! She should've assumed he had plans, after all, he had both Wisp and Trixie to look after so he couldn't just be going to parties willy-nilly like Pinkie tended to! Right? But... but what if that wasn't the case? What if he had plans with somepony else? What if he had a marefriend he was planning on seeing that day, and so he couldn't go with her?! If he had a marefrien- "Sparky!" he snapped, jolting her out of her thoughts. She glanced at him, finding a rather annoyed look on his face, before he turned forward once again, "Like I was saying, I've already got a ticket," he admitted. "Wh-what?!" she gasped, surprised. A ticket?! To the Grand Galloping Gala?! Emerald?! "Yes," he stated flatly, "Two actually," he amended, causing her further surprise, "Wisp used to live in the castle, which means that she interacted with the princess fairly often. It's not that big of a surprise that she'd send her, and her older brother, a pair of tickets as an excuse to visit," ... She... she supposed that was a valid claim. Princess Celestia, for as long as Twilight had known her, often showed affection and concern towards the castle staff and their daily lives. It honestly wasn't much of a stretch to imagine the princess extending an invitation to the Gala for that exact reason. ... Twilight wondered if her parents would be attending... She doubted it. Her parents, like her, weren't the most comfortable in formal settings. Really, the only formal gatherings they were interested in going to were weddings and funerals. And the occasional formal birthday party. ----- Emerald inwardly sighed. Sparky had once again lapsed into silence, likely stuck in her thoughts, an issue he himself had trouble with every now and again. "So, Twilight," Spike suddenly began, almost startling the thestral, who had nearly forgotten that he was there, "Any idea who's getting the ticket?" she shook her head, "None whatsoever, Spike," she replied, throwing him a glance, before her while body dropped slightly, "And I won't have one as long as I'm on an empty stomach, so where do you t-two want to eat?" she asked. Emerald rolled his eyes, but went to make a suggestion, when a familiar pink blur slammed into Sparky's side, sending her and the hatchling tumbling. Finally, he found her! Pinkie, who looked completely unscathed by the crash, drowsily sat up, only for Sparky's tickets to land directly on her muzzle. Her eyes went cross as she tried to look at the disturbance, when she yelped and jumped away, "SPIDERS! SPIDERS ON MY- Wait!" she froze, before excitedly hopping back, peering eagerly at the two golden tickets, "These aren-" she gasped, "Tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala!?" she squealed, eyes lighting up like stars. "Ugh," Sparky groaned, pushing herself back up to her hooves, "What hit me?" she muttered, rubbing her head, "About 200 pounds of pink party pony," Emerald snarked, and glanced at the gushing Pinkie, who had lapsed into a fast paced rant, presumably about the tickets, "- to go! ~Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me! Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me! Hip-hip-hooray! It's the best place for me, for Pinkiiiieeeeeeeee!~" she sang, before returning from la-la land, pressing her snout up against Sparky's, "With decorations, and streamers, and fairy lights, and pinwheels, and pinatas, and pincushions! With goodies like sugarcubes, and sugarcanes, and sundaes, and sarsaparilla! AND I get to play my favouritest of favourite fantabulous games like Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Pony! ~Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me! Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me! Cause it's the most-" He tuned her out. For his safety. Not that it lasted long, as whatever silly musical number she started ended as quickly as it came, leaving him, Sparky, and Spike amused, irritated, and bored. In that order. "Oh thank you, Twilight! It's the most wonderfulous gift, ever!" Pinkie said, hopping around the mare, "Um, actually Pinkie-" a sudden gasp drew our attention over to Spike, who was clutching the tickets to his chest, with a stunned Rarity hovering above him, "Are those what I think they are?!" she asked excitedly, making Emerald sigh, "Yepperoony! Twilight's taking me to the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot!" Pinkie answered immediately. Rarity gasped softly, "The Gala? Why, I design ensembles for the Gala every year! Though I've never had the opportunity to attend. Oh! The society, the culture, the glamour! It's where I truly belong," she stated, smiling dreamily, "And, it's where I'm destined to meet... Him!" "Him!" Pinkie chorused happily, before blinking, "Him who?" "Him," Rarity continued, undeterred, "I would stroll through the Gala, and everyone would wonder... 'Who is that mysterious mare?'... They would never guess that I was but a simple pony from little old Ponyville. Why, I would cause such a sensation, that I would be invited for an audience with Princess Celestia herself, where she, upon being so taken by my elegance, would then introduce me to Him. Her nephew, the most handsome and eligible unicorn stallion in Canterlot! Our eyes would meet! Our hearts would melt. Our courtship would be magnificent, and he would ask for my hoof in marriage, and I would of course say, YES!" she squealed, froze, then, with a dainty cough, continued her absolutely hilarious tale, "We would have a royal wedding, befitting a prince and princess, which is, hmhm, what I would become upon marrying Him! The stallion of my dreams, Prince Blueblood!" "Uh, well, that's nice, but-" "Twilight! I simply cannot believe you would invite Pinkie Pie so she could 'party', and prevent me from meeting my true love! How could you!?" she wailed, before turning away from her friend. Emerald wanted to laugh. He wanted to laugh so baaaad! Not only at Sparky's continued predicament, but at Rarity's fantasy. Prince Blueblood was not "prince" material. He was an arrogant, rude, abusive, and downright unpleasant playcolt. He believed himself so far above others it was an honest wonder how he stayed on the ground. Being a unicorn, as well as the adoptive nephew of the princesses, had overinflated his ego to the point of bursting when, in reality, he really had no power. He might be a prince in name, but that was all he had. Emerald had more power than that fool, being a Champion as he was. Still, it seemed Rarity had fallen for the rumors surrounding the dipshit. Honestly, the number of mares, and some stallions, waiting in line to castrate the bastard just might span the distance between Ponyville Town Hall and Canterlot Castle. Twice! As it was, he really should warn Rarity of the "Prince"'s behavior, but, really, he doubted she'd believe him. Oh well, he supposed it was just one of those things you had to learn from experience. Speaking of experiences, shouldn't Fluttershy be popping up around now? "Wah-hey!" "Oh my, Angel these are perfect!" Right on schedule. "Look, girls, I haven't decided who to give the ticket to!" Sparky frantically assured them, causing both mares to whirl to face her, ""You haven't?!"" they chorused, Pinkie's horrified look completely contrasting with Rarity's hopeful one. "Umm, e-excuse me, Twilight?" came a familiar meek voice from behind the two mares, "I-I was just wondering... I mean, if it would be alright with you, if you haven't given it to someone else..." "You?!" Rarity asked incredulously, "You want to go to the Gala?!" Emerald had to admit, he was a little surprised as well. "Oh, no," she responded simply, only for the small white rabbit next to her to kick her side, "Oh, I mean, yes. Well, kinda. It was Angel Bunny's idea," she amended, "You see, it's not so much the Grand Galloping Gala, as it is the wondrous Gated Garden that surrounds the dance," she said, her whispering voice having picked up in volume slightly, "The flowers are said to the most beautiful and most fragrant in all of Equestria! And, for the night of the Gala, and that night alone, they'll ALL be in bloom! And that's only the flora! Don't get me started on the fauna!" Fluttershy gushed, uncharacteristically vocal, "There's loons, and toucans, and bitterns, oh my! Hummingbirds that can really hum, and buzzards that really buzz! With blue jays, and red jays, and green jays! And pink jays and pink flamingos!" she said, gently scooping up the rabbit, Angel he believed, and hovering in mid-air, lost in fantasy. "I see, Fluttershy," Sparky commented, "It sounds.... beautiful?" "WAIT JUST A MINUTE THERE!" came a shout, startling Sparky, who instantly recognized the voice, "Rainbow Dash!" she shouted, glaring up at the arrogant pegasus, "Were you following me and Emerald?!" "Didn't I tell you that already?" Emerald asked suddenly, chuckling at her bemused look, "Even if I didn't, it was obvious that she and Applejack were following us," he commented idly. "I was not!" Rainbow snapped heatedly, before deflating, "Well, yeah I was- I mean, maybe! It jus- It doesn't matter!" she said, stamping her hoof, "I couldn't just stand by and let a goody four shoes like you, give the ticket away to just anybody!" "Now wait just another minute!" an accented voice called out, making Sparky groan, "You too, Applejack?!" "I warned ya," "Sorry sugarcube," the farmer mare replied, before glaring at the chromatic pegasus, "I jus' wanted ta make sure this'un wouldn't get upta any funny business with mah ticket!" "Your ticket?!" "But Twilight promised she'd take me!" "She said she hadn't!" "I was hoping I could go..." "That ticket belongs to me!" On and on the five mares went, bickering back and forth over the owner of the ticket, slowly getting closer as they argued, leaving poor Sparky to curl up in the middle. In fact, it almost looked like she was going to have a panic attack if this kept up. Honestly, it was entertaining, but now it was getting annoying. Time to step in. Not only for Sparky's sake, but his own as well. "SHUT! UP!" he snarled, causing the five to go silent, "By the moon! You lot are annoying!" he continued, walking towards Sparky. Once he was by her side, he turned to face the five mares, "I was content with watching on, but this pathetic arguing is getting on my nerves," he spread his only remaining wing, the one not clutching his own tickets to his side, using it's larger than average size to shield Sparky, as well as provide the slightest bit of intimidation, "I will not listen to this drivel any longer. From here on out, until the fate of that damned ticket is decided, you will not bother Twilight Sparkle. Or else," he intoned darkly. His attention remained on the five mares, making sure they didn't move any closer to the mare behind him, especially Applejack and Crash, leaving her to begin calming down. As it was, he remained unaware of the look Sparky was sending him, as well as remaining slightly oblivious to the expression Rarity held. ----- Twilight stared up at the stallion protecting her. She could feel it. Her heart pounding in her chest and the heat on her face, burning hotter than it ever had before. He was protecting her... putting himself between her and the source of her troubles without worry for himself. For a moment, as the light shined down on top of them, she couldn't help but imagine the image of a suit of armour adorning the stallion before her, but it vanished quickly. But in that moment, a small spark once more ignited somewhere in her being, responding to the stallion's sacrifice. ----- Rarity, on the other hoof, almost squealed in glee at the look on Twilight's face. Maybe it was just the emotional high she was currently on, but the reverent look on her studious friend's face struck a cord in her. This was amazing! In this moment, Emerald was the spitting image of a knight in shining armour defending a poor damsel in distress! Rarity almost shivered in delight! She knew it! She just knew that those two would be a good pair! Emerald, the poor dear, might not be able to see it, but Pinkie was absolutely right! ----- "Or else what?!" Crash challenged, smirking arrogantly, "I bet you just want the ticket for yourself too!" Emerald directed his gaze at the foolish mare that was invading his personal space. He gave her a wicked grin, "Oh really?" he asked in a would-be pleasant tone, though he was only just restraining the urge to hit her. He casually reached underneath his closed wing, mentally saying 'Fuck it' to the possible consequences, and pulled out the pair of golden tickets, "Why would I want those, when I already have my own?" The five gasped at the sight of another set of tickets, "Are those-?" "Tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala?" Emerald asked, cutting Rarity off, he grimaced, "Unfortunately, yes," he said, returning them underneath his wing. "What?!" Crash screeched, "How did you get a set of tickets to the Gala?!... Also who are you taking?" she asked. He growled, "Trixie, since I know Wisp won't want too," he stated, "As for why I have them, I've no reason to tell you," he straightened himself, using every last inch of his height to tower over the five mares, "I'll say it once more, for good measure. You will not bother Twilight Sparkle, until she decides who gets that ticket," he repeated. "But-!" "No. He's right," Sparky suddenly spoke up, causing Emerald to lower his wing. She rose from her curled up position on the ground and strode forward to face her friends, but stopped by his side, "... These are my tickets. I'll decide who gets the other one myself! And I certainly can't do that with all of this noise!" she snapped, stamping her hoof. A low growling broke the minute silence, causing her to flush slightly as she placed a hoof to her stomach, "Not to mention this hunger," she muttered, "Now... go on!" she said, waving her hoof, "Shoo!" she added. Four of the five mares hung their heads as they turned away, leaving Rarity as the only one seemingly not put off by her dismissal. In fact, the mare actually looked quite happy about something. ... He... had a bad feeling about that. "And don't worry!" Sparky called after them, "I'll figure this out!... Somehow." she added under her breath. Emerald and Sparky were soon the only ones left in the area, which wasn't too surprising, since the downpour was in fifteen minutes. He sighed once they were all gone, but then turned his attention towards Sparky, only to pause once he did so. She was staring directly at him. She stood there, almost completely unmoving, just staring straight at him. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she began moving towards him, her gaze not wavering in the slightest, until she stood less than a few inches away from him, leaving the height difference between the two of them almost comically obvious, with the thestral standing almost a head taller than her. "Thank you," He almost didn't hear it. The words barely left her lips before her head fell against his chest, her horn almost poking him in the cheek. "Thank you," He was a bit surprised by her actions, but nevertheless, he wrapped a single hoof around her now trembling form, paying no mind to the slight wetness that was beginning to run down his coat. "Th-thank you!" He smiled gently, slowly rubbing the crying mare's back, even as he rested his head against hers in a working attempt at comforting her. "You're welcome," - - "Feeling better, Sparky?" The mare in question twitched slightly at the familiar nickname, even as it warmed her insides. She'd been called plenty of things over the years. 'Twily', 'Twi', even 'Twinkle', but never anything like 'Sparky'. Not until he came along. At first it had annoyed her a little. After all, most ponies usually used the first part of her name, never the second. But she had to admit, it was... nice. A unique nickname, from an equally unique stallion. ... It was decided. Only Emerald was allowed to call her that. ----- Sparky had gone quiet ever since their little hug, but he didn't find that too surprising. Though, it had struck a little cord in him. Twilight Sparkle had little social interaction, even since she came to this town, oh so long ago. Even her choice of friends, as social as they tended to be, seemed a little... dense when it came to many social interactions between the five of them. Or rather, of their little group of six, the individuals in it were so vastly different from each other, that they often weren't sure how to properly approach a situation, and it tended to dissolve into an argument. Certainly didn't help that their personalities were often in conflict. Applejack's stubborn pride and competitiveness. Crash's ego and selfishness. Pinkie's hyper attitude, coupled with her lack of common sense. Fluttershy's shyness and lack of a backbone. Rarity's sophisticated manners and ambition. Sparky's studious habits and general naive nature. All of that put together often didn't work. But it was probably those instances where it did work that kept the six of them together, even through the issues they were bound to have. What didn't kill you made you stronger, after all. It was time that he started being more active in his efforts to protect these mares. Starting now. The three of them, Sparky, Spike, and himself, had soon relocated to Horte's Cafe, which Spike revealed to be her favourite place, even if it didn't stock her favourite food. Both of which Emerald already knew. Emerald made a mental note to thank Pinkie for all that previously-unwanted information. "... Yeah," she sighed, resting her head on the table, gazing sadly at the flowers in the lone vase, "It's just... all five of them have a really good reason to go," she breathed, "Applejack. Rainbow Dash. Rarity. Pinkie Pie. Even Fluttershy," she said, plucking a petal from the flowers with each name, "I just don't know who to pick!" she cried, pouting, gazing guiltily at the petals, before her stomach growled again, and she quickly licked them up. Emerald chuckled at the sight. He'd admit, it was rather cute. "Have you made your decision?" came a sudden male voice, just as the waiter came up beside them. Sparky growled, "I CAN'T DECIDE!" she snapped, "He means your order, Twilight," Spike deadpanned, causing her to flush. "Oh, sorry," she muttered, "Eh, anyway, I'd love a daffodil and daisy sandwich," she said. "Might wanna order that to-go," Emerald muttered, glancing up at the sky, only to be mostly ignored, "Do you guys have any rubies?" Spike asked, the waiter glanced at him, nonplussed, "No? Okay, I'll have the hay fries. Extra crispy," he concluded bitterly. "I'll just have a glass of cider," Emerald added. "So what do you think, Spike? Emerald?" "I think we need to try a new restaurant, I mean, would it hurt anybody to offer gemstones?" Spike asked petulantly, "Considering their value, yes," Emerald snarked, "You want gems, dig 'em up yourself," "Not that, you two," Sparky insisted, catching their attention, "I meant the tickets to the Gala!" "Well first off," Emerald began, "Don't say that out loud. If your friends are any indication, who knows what other ponies might do if they hear about you having a spare ticket," Sparky sighed, but nodded, "He's right," Spike said, before frowning, "And you're still on that?" "Spike!" Sparky snapped, slamming her hooves on the table, "I'm serious! I don't know who to take! If I choose one of them, wouldn't that make the other four mad at me?!" she panicked, "I could give up my ticket, but that still leaves three unsatisfied ponies! What do I do?!" "For starters?" Emerald began, just as the waiter returned with their orders, "Eat. I get the feeling you're high strung when you're hungry," he finished, tossing the waiter some bits. He threw another glance up, finding that most of the clouds were in place, save for a single spot directly above them, though it shouldn't take long to fill. With that information in mind, Emerald didn't waste any time and downed his cider in one gulp, and prepared to leave, only to pause. It was already raining.... But not on them. "Oh thank goodness! I'm sure everything will be sooo much clearer once I've eaten!" Sparky gushed, staring down at her sandwich like it was water in the desert. "Um, madam?" the waiter from earlier spoke up, "Are you going to eat in ze rain?" he asked, concerned. Sparky looked up from her little piece of Elysium, confused, "What? It's not raining," she stated, "Look again, Sparky," She glanced at Emerald, confused, but her eyes ended up sliding off of him, and widened, "What?!" she snapped, looking around wildly, before looking straight up alongside Emerald, spotting the lone hole in the sky rather easily, just as a familiar rainbow head popped out. "Hi there, best-friend-forever-that-I've-ever-had!" the pegasus shouted gleefully, "Enjoying the sunny weather?" "Rainbow Dash," Sparky began heatedly, "What do you think you're doing?" "Whaddya mean?" Crash asked innocently, "I just saw the smartest most generous pony in all of Equestria about to get rained on, so, I just thought I could kick a hole in the clouds so she could dine in peace!" Sparky narrowed her eyes at the failing actress, "Rainbow Dash, you're not trying to get extra consideration for the extra ticket by doing me extra special favours... are you?" she asked, though her tone implied she already knew the answer. "Me?" Crash asked, incredulously, and Emerald could practically see the halo around her head, "Of course not! Seriously, I'd do it for anypony!" she said. Emerald and Sparky took that moment to glance around, finding ponies still rushing around to avoid the rain. "Hehe?" "Rainbow, I am not comfortable with accepting unwanted favours, so I'd appreciate it if you closed up that raincloud, right now!" ... Was she serious? "Ugh, fine!" Crash snapped, before petulantly zipping the cloud up. Emerald blinked at the reaction, before raising his wing to cover the silly unicorn by his side, "That's better," she said, nodding her head appreciatively, taking a bite of her sandwich, just as the rain hit Emerald's wing above her. Sparky moaned in delight as she chewed, looking for all the world like a filly who'd finally gotten the doll she wanted. Though he noticed she remained mostly unaware of his wing above her, much too focused on finally sating her hunger. She finished her food in record time, gulping down the last bite with a satisfied expression on her face. She sighed, raising her head, only to flinch when her horn brushed Emerald's wing. Her face went beet red at the sensation, and she lurched out of her chair by mistake, landing heavily on the wet ground, quickly being soaked by the rain now that Emerald wasn't covering her. "S-sorry!" she stammered, flailing back to her hooves, now fully aware of the rain hitting her. Emerald rolled his eyes, but another voice spoke up before he could, "Twilight? Darling, it's raining," came the sophisticated voice Emerald had come to associate with Rarity. "Really, we hadn't noticed," Sparky replied, giving Emerald an appreciative look when he, once again, shielded her from the rain with his wing. "My, my. Getting cozy you two?" Rarity asked mischievously, her smile widening as Sparky blushed, "What?! Nononono!" she insisted, shaking her head wildly, splattering water everywhere. It seemed the unexpected spray caught Rarity's attention, "Well, come along you three," she said, turning around, "I have some tea on the kettle at home. Wouldn't want you to catch a cold, now would we?" "Here you go!~" Rarity sang, pouring tea into three separate cups, and floating them over to her guests. The inside of Rarity's house was surprisingly... pink. The walls and curtains of the work area were a dark pink, bordering magenta, but the floors were of a very light lavender. There was podium in the center of the far well, surrounded by several mirrors. Along the sides of the room were various other mirrors and fitting rooms. There was a large set of stairs leading up at the back wall, likely into her living quarters. The four of them were sitting in Rarity's 'Inspiration Room' as she called it. The walls of this room were dark purple, though still a shade or two lighter than her own mane. The floor was covered in a velvet carpet that spanned the entire room. Rarity was currently laying on a long, crimson couch, daintily sipping from her cup, even as her guests all sat around a small white table. "So, darling, if you don't mind me asking, why in the world were you out in that dreadful weather?" Sparky winced, "Oh, it's fine, it's just... this whole ticket business is stressing me out, is all," Rarity frowned, "Really?" she asked, setting her tea down, "Well.... oh! I know just the thing to cheer you up!" she gushed, hopping out of her seat, "Makeovers!~" "Uh... I, uh, I'll see you guys back at the library, bye!" Spike stammered, before bolting out of the room, much to Emerald's amusement, and Sparky's chagrin. "Oh well, we don't need him, come on dear!" Rarity squealed, dragging Sparky out of the room, "Uh, Rarity?! I appreciate the- ah!- concern, but-! Woah!" she tried to speak, but her overexcited friend's giddy movements kept her from speaking. Rarity remained oblivious to Sparky's dilemma, practically tossing the distraught mare behind a screen, where she followed soon after. "Not to worry Twilight! I have just the thing!" "Ooh! Rarity you don'- Ah! Too tight!" Emerald watched on, amused, as Sparky tried, and failed, to escape her friends clutches, only to be dragged back behind the screen each time. Finally, her tort-treatment was over, and the screen was pushed aside. Emerald's eyes widened just the slightest in surprise. Sparky was now wearing a blue and green saddle with golden tassels hanging off the side. The green portion of the saddle had several intricate designs woven into the material, making the, admittedly small, garment appear almost royal. It wrapped around her neck snugly, held in place by a yellow, green, and blue necklace. He'd admit, it looked good. Whether it was what she was wearing, or the pony herself, he wasn't too sure. Either way, he couldn't help the playful whistle that escaped him, causing Rarity to titter and Sparky to turn red. "Oho! I most certainly agree!" Rarity gushed, "You look marvelous Twilight!" she added, sliding a mirror in front of her impromptu model. "Yeah..." she breathed, "I guess it does look kinda pretty!" she continued, smiling brightly. "Oh! And I have something for you as well, Emerald!" Rarity suddenly said, startling the poor thestral, "What?" he asked, not comprehending, only for the fashionista to grab him and drag him over to the screen previously used to tort-dress Sparky mere moments ago. "Agh! What are you-! Hey, watch where you're touching!" After what could've been an hour or a minute, Rarity pushed aside the screen, almost bursting at the seams with glee as she presented her latest vict-model to her singular audience. Emerald kept his gaze resolutely on his tormentor, glaring fiercely at the demoness that was still oh-so-happily giggling to herself. "Wow..." he heard Sparky breathe. He glanced at her, finding her gaze firmly locked onto him, her eyes trailing over his costumed form. From the looks of it, Rarity had outfitted him with a blueish black top hat, a white lace mask that, thankfully, didn't inhibit his vision, a simple blueish black and white tuxedo jacket, with gold buttons and a crimson rose in the front pocket, a pair of white gloves on his front hooves, and on top of that, a long black cape, lined with crimson fabric on the inside. Admittedly simple attire or not, his struggling had caused the 'dressing' to take longer than even Sparky's. "My, my, my!" Rarity cooed, circling Emerald, not unlike a vulture, "Just as I thought!~" she sang, stopping in front of him, "Sometimes less, is more! Eheehee!" she clopped her hooves together giddily, "Oh my good stallion, you'll have to fend off those Gala mares with a stick!" "The Gala?" Sparky asked suspiciously, "Why of course!" Rarity said, unconcerned with the mare's increasingly angry expression, "The two of you are going to be the center of attention, no doubt about it! Everypony would be clamoring for your attention!" she glanced at Emerald, "Mares would swoon and stallions would weep at the sight of such a magnificent colt such as you, and Twilight!" she gushed looking at the bewildered mare, whose anger had subsided the more Rarity spoke, "Oh, Twilight! You'd be the belle of the ball! Stallions would beg for you, mares would want to be you! Ohohoho! I can't wait to see it all myself!" "... wait..." Sparky said, obviously confused, "So... but... I thought you wanted to go to the Gala for Prince Blueblood?" Rarity waved her off, "Oh my, yes, absolutely!" she said, "I'd love to go to the Gala with you darling, but Emerald was right," she said, smiling gently, "This is your decision. And you're both my friends. How could I, in good conscience, make that decision any harder for you?" she asked. Emerald frowned, "You treat my word pretty highly, then?" he asked. Rarity nodded, "Well of course," she said, as if it was obvious, "Not only did you save my life, but the more I look at and listen to you, dear, the more I realize what a wonderful pony you are," she said, causing him to stiffen in surprise, and a little confusion, "Oh come now, don't be so shocked," she admonished, smiling slyly, "Pinkie adores you. Your sisters love you. The Cakes have nothing but good things to say about you. And most of all?" she asked seriously, "Fluttershy is comfortable with you, and she's never truly comfortable with anypony, not even me," she said, before nodding resolutely, "Yes, there's no doubt about it. You, sir, are a wonderful stallion. One I hope to truly befriend in the near future," "... So... you're not, trying to butter me up for the ticket?" Sparky clarified when the three of them lapsed into silence. She laughed, seemingly amused by the innocent question, "Not at all dear," she said, before tilting her head in thought, "Though, I'll admit I have a second garment like the one you're wearing," she looked over to the podium in the far corner, using her magic to lift the tarp covering it, revealing a ponyquinn wearing the same saddle as Sparky, "But I suppose that it would work with just about any of our friends, really. Though I'd likely have to loosen the strap for Pinkie. No offense to her, of course," Apparently satisfied with that answer, Sparky gave a relieved sigh, plopping down onto her plot, using her magic to gently remove the saddle, "Thank goodness," she breathed, letting Rarity take the garment from her, "I was worried that every one of you girls would be like Rainbow Dash," "Oh my, whatever happened with Rainbow?" "Tried doing Sparky here a favour, kept the rain off of her head for a little bit while she was eating," Emerald replied, folding the tuxedo he'd been wearing into a simple square, laying the hat, cape, and mask atop it a moment later. "Ah," *GURGLE* ... "Again?" Emerald asked incredulously, "You just ate!" Sparky blushed, "Wha- It's not my fault!" she countered hotly, "I helped Applejack in the fields all morning!" "Didn't you eat breakfast?" "Well, yes but-" "Glutton," "I am not!" "Yes, you are," "No, I'm not!" "Yes, you are," "No!" "Yes," "No!" "Yes!" "Ahem?" The dainty coughing stalled their argument for the moment, causing both of them to turn to a very amused Rarity, who tittered once she had their attention, "My, my. Bickering like an old married couple? How sweet," "Rarity!" Sparky snapped, blushing harder at her friend's innocent teasing. She only laughed in response, "Now now, Twilight, no need to be so defensive!" she responded lightly, "Deny any harder, and I might just think you like the idea!~" "Bu-I-ah-!" Sparky stammered, her reaction causing Emerald to snicker, "Lighten up, Sparky," Emerald said, before standing at heading to the door, "C'mon, let's go satisfy your gluttonous stomach with some more lunch, already. I'm not dealing with that high-strung attitude twice in one day," Rather than vocally respond to his teasing, she just resolutely strode past him after a moment. Emerald and Rarity shared an amused look, but it was cut off by a familiar voice, "Did somepony say 'lunch'?!" "Wah?!" Emerald sighed as the farmer mare dragged Sparky through the door, and spared a glance at the confused designer in the room, "Well, here we go again," He quickly followed after Sparky, only under his own power, unlike her. He easily found her just outside the door, laying on her stomach, and staring both hungrily, and apprehensively at a red and brown apple-themed cart, filled to almost overflowing with, presumably, apple-based treats of every make. "Welp, I got apple pie, apple fritters, apple tarts, apple dumplin's, apple crisps-" Emerald's gaze flickered over to Sparky, whose eyes were widening with each and every treat named, before Applejack suddenly shoved one in her face, startling her out of her fantasies, "aaaaannnnnd! Apple brown betty! Eh, the dessert, not my Auntie," Emerald doubted that last part was necessary. "Whaddya say there, best friend!?" she asked. *GURGLE* "Is that a yes?" Applejack continued hopefully. He turned his attention back to Sparky, who snarled, "No!" she snapped forcefully, "No. No. No! I haven't decided who to give the ticket to, and all these distractions certainly aren't helping me!" she growled, "In fact, I'm less sure now than I was this morning! AAAH!" she yelled, barreling past the southern mare, likely towards the library. "So... that's a maybe?" Emerald narrowed his eyes at the unhelpful mare, before his gaze slid over to her cart. Well... he did say 'or else'. Casually striding over to the cart, the southern mare practically oblivious to his presence, he grabbed one of the pies and gently set it on the ground. Then, in one, smooth motion, he lifted the cart, and slammed it, pastries first, on top of the apple mare. Lifting the now empty wagon back into the air, he was greeted with a mushy pile of crust, filling, frosting, and everything else that had been laden into the cart, with a single blonde tail sticking out of the back. Smiling at his handy-work, he picked up the liberated pie, laid it on his back, and jogged off in the direction Sparky had gone. He caught up with the mare, who was dejectedly marching towards her home, likely the only safe place she could think of at the moment. "Hey, Sparky," he called, catching her attention, "You alright?" he asked once he reached her side, figuring he might as well. She shook her head, as he expected, "No. I never thought ponies doing me all these favours would be... so..." she sniffed the air, before taking a deeper, almost hungry sniff once again, and her eyes darted over to him, "... Why do you smell like apple pie?" she asked, almost desperately. Emerald gave her a cheeky grin, "You're not the only one who was hungry. Unlike you, I didn't get lunch," he replied. Sparky glared at him, before sighing, "I guess that's fair," she muttered, barely flinching when her stomach rumbled again. Emerald sighed, but it wasn't like he could do much to help her right now. Well, as it was, he planned on being more active in the lives of the Bearers, so it would be best that he get on their good sides as soon as possible. He already had Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy as 'friends'. Crash... well, Fluttershy and Pinkie could likely keep him updated on her if he pressed the right buttons. He'd likely ruined whatever chances at a relationship with Applejack with the stunt he pulled earlier, but he wasn't sure. That left Sparky. "We can head out again after this whole ticket debacle is over and done with, alright?" he asked. Sparky perked up at that, "Really?" she asked, he nodded, "Thanks, Emerald," she added, beaming brightly at him. "No need. I'm really only following along so I can steal Pinkie once she shows up again. Hopefully I'll be able to snap her out of this whole ticket nonsense and get her back to the Cakes," Sparky shook her head, the smile not leaving her face, "Well, even so, you just being here is a big help. Knowing that there's at least one pony who's not going crazy over that ticket," she replied, pushing open the door to the library, before freezing in shock at the door. Curious, Emerald gently pushed her aside and peered past her, only to groan. Rabbits, squirrels, mice, and many other small rodents scampered about the foyer. But the most surprising aspect about it, was that each one carried some manner of cloth or other cleaning material. Of course, it may have even more surprising, had it not been for the presence of Fluttershy, who was happily singing to herself, even as she hovered between shelves, gently cleaning off whatever dust she could find. "Fluttershy?!" Sparky cried, "Not you too!" "Oh!" Fluttershy jumped, an impressive feat considering she was still in the air, "Well, hello Twilight," she continued, in a poor attempt at being casual, "We all just thought that it'd be great to get some Spring cleaning done for you," she added, smiling gently. "It's Autumn," Sparky stated flatly, "Oh. Well, better late than never, right?" Fluttershy asked, blushing, "It was all Angel's idea!" she said, happily glancing over to the white rabbit, who was busy tossing a salad. "You're just doing this for the ticket, aren't you?" Emerald asked, though the answer was almost pathetically obvious, "Oh no, not at all!" Fluttershy protested, only for Angel to start squeaking angrily, "Oh. Yes, we are just doing this for the ticket," she amended, smiling sweetly. "Well, at least you're honest," Sparky muttered, "But honest or not, I refuse to accept any more favours from anypony!" she snapped, stomping her hoof, before she wandered over to the door, opened it, and firmly pointed out, "Now I'm going to have to ask you and all your little woodland friends to leave!" Her stern glare, aimed at the shy mare, coupled with an angry pout, were all ruined in an instant when a horn suddenly blared in her ear, just before a pair of pink hooves reached inside and plucked her out of the library. Emerald sighed, but didn't bother to leave, too busy sinking his head into his hooves. This was really beginning to annoy him. "~Twilight is my bestest friend, whoopee, whoopee!~" "Pinkie..." "~The cutest, smartest, all around best pony, pony!~" "Pinkie," "~I bet if I throw a super-duper fun party, party!~" "Pinkie!" "~She'll give her extra ticket to the Gala to me, to me!~" "PINKIEEEEEEEE!!!" By this point, Emerald had finally decided to walk out after the foalnapped mare, only to find her being tossed into the air by Pinkie and half a dozen other mares, until she finally snapped. Emerald gently caught the falling mare on his back, before setting her back on her hooves. "Thank you," "Yes, Twilight?" Pinkie asked innocently, fluttering her eyes with a bright smile. Sparky growled at her, "At least the others tried being subtle about the ticket!" she snapped, "Ticket? What ticket?" one of the mares Pinkie brought along asked, "Didn't she say something about a gala?" "Oh, you didn't know?" Pinkie asked, "Twilight has an extra ticket to the Gra-!" *SMASH!* Having had enough of Pinkie's nonsense, Emerald had, wisely, decided to clock her over the head, sending her to the ground. He cleared his throat, before directing his attention to the stunned crowd. "My cousin decided to invite Sparky here to a small gala she's hosting in Baltimare. For friends and family only," he stated, his tone demanding silence. Pinkie didn't get the memo. "Owie...!" she muttered, rubbing the top of her head, before shooting Emerald a small, but ultimately heatless, glare, "What was that for? I was just tryin' to tell everpony about Twilight's extra ticket to the Gala," ... It was times like this that Emerald severely regretted befriending Pinkie. ... And since when did he consider her a friend anyways? "The Gala?" "Wait, does she mean-?" """"""THE GRAND GALLOPING GALA?!"""""" Shit. "Have I ever told you I loved your mane?" "I could paint your house for you!" "I'd love to check out some books!" "Stardammit, Pinkie..." Emerald snarled under his breath, backing up into Sparky, who was looking panicked. The two of them darted away from the crowd, only to run into another group of ponies, who had likely overheard the loud shout, "I could help you with your gardening!" "I have some extra carrots I could give you!" "Damn, what should we do?" Emerald asked under his breath. Fighting them was out of the question, and he sincerely doubted he'd be able to do much else without blowing his cover. "We... we... we should... RUUUUN!" The two of them immediately darted off, speeding through the only gap in the crowd. They ran, with Sparky proving just how she had won second in the Running of the Leaves, much to his surprise. As the two of them ran, Emerald spotted Applejack's dessert cart, and immediately pulled Sparky and himself behind it, letting the crowd run past them. Once he was sure they had missed them, he sighed, only to jump when Sparky yelped in fright, revealing that they had been caught. He pulled Sparky and ran in the opposite direction, the crowd not too far behind. The crowd of ponies continued chasing after their prey, running past a couple wearing a bonnet and coat. It wasn't until one of them paused and looked back, that they realized they'd been duped, and turned back to run after the ticket holders. The chase kept on going and going, with Emerald and Sparky having to continuously find new hiding spots, be it underneath a bridge, where Sparky had lost her balance and fallen into the river, or hiding in a display case for a costume shop. Regardless, the two of them were eventually cornered in an alleyway, where Emerald cursed himself for forgetting where this particular turn ended up. "Dammit, now what?" he asked himself. He couldn't grab Sparky and fly off with her, else he'd lose his tickets, and who knows what sort of mess that would devolve into when the mob realized what he'd dropped. The two of them huddled together in the corner of the alley, where the mob of ponies were slowly closing in, each one of them talking at once, making it impossible to discern what any of them were saying. Emerald growled, but the sound of magic being cast brought his attention to Sparky, whose eyes had been screwed shut as her horn started glowing, along with the air around them. His eyes widened at the signs of a teleportation spell. She was going to leave him behind! Well, not intentionally, but still! He made a mental vow to get back at her for that, before a bright flash blinded him. He snarled and looked back up at the mob, only to freeze. He wasn't in the alleyway anymore. His eyes widened, and his head whipped over to Sparky, who was sporting some blackened marks on her fur, as well as appearing dizzy for whatever reason. But that didn't matter to him right now. No, what mattered was the fact that this mare had used magic. On him! That was... impossible! The only way for magic to actively 'affect' him was to prevent it from making contact with him at all! Even his disguise didn't touch him, the illusion hovering a millimeter away from his skin. Every sort of magical artifact he'd interacted with that had magic stored within only continued having magic because he'd touched a physical barrier preventing him from canceling out the magic within. But this mare had actually used magic directly on him! This... this was mind-breaking. "Come on! We need to lock up everything!" Sparky suddenly shouted, unaware of the thestral's world shattering revelation. Her shouting brought him from his thoughts, and he immediately followed after the now semi-scary mare. He rushed through the house alongside her, ignoring the confused drake, making sure to lock every window and door, as well as turn off every single light in the house. They ended up meeting back at the front door, which they had just finished locking, when they finally stopped, and let out a breath of relief. Sparky leaned against him, not that he minded right now. Twilight sighed, a mixture of relief and exhaustion robbing her of her energy. She gently set her head against Emerald's shoulder, breathing heavily. Finally, peace and quite. Nopony in all of Ponyville would be desperate enough to actually break into her house. Now, she could just relax, maybe even take a small nap next to the only pony she currently felt safe with. Then the lights turned back on. Their eyes shot open in unison, with one of the pair wondering how he'd missed the presence of another pony, while the other immediately latched onto the five forms of her best friends. And she lost it. "AAAHHHH!!" she shouted, "I can't! I can't! I'm sorry, but I can't decide! I know it's important to all of you but I just can't choose one of you and risk disappointing any of the others and I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!" Sparky cried in one breath, holding her hooves to head as she curled up on the ground, looking genuinely close to having a heart attack. Emerald found himself honestly worried for her well-being if this continued, even as he tried to calm her down by placing a hoof against her back. It worked. Barely. After a tense moment of silence, where Emerald seriously considered picking Sparky up and bolting out the door, when one of the mares came forward. Applejack gently strode forward, bringing the distinct scent of apple-based pastries wafting over the panicking mare, which seemed to calm her down a little more. "Twilight, sugar, I'm sorry," the farmer began, sounding genuine, "I didn't mean ta make ya feel so darn pressured, so... if it helps, I don't want the ticket anymore," she said resolutely. ""What?!"" Sparky and Emerald chorused, the former looking up in shock. Applejack nodded, "That's right. You can give it ta somepony else. I won't feel bad," she continued. "Yeah, me too," Fluttershy added, fluttering over to the three of them, "I'm sorry. I feel awful that I made you feel awful..." she admitted sadly. "Me too!" Pinkie chirped, though it lacked the usual energy, "It's no fun making your friends sad..." "Indeed," Rarity chimed in, "I'm only glad I took Emerald's advice to heart earlier. I'd have felt dreadful adding any sort of extra burden to you dear," "YES!" Crash suddenly shouted, ruining the serene atmosphere, "That's means the ticket is all mine! I got the ticket!~ I got the ticket!~" she chanted, dancing in mid-air, before freezing when she noticed the dark glares aimed at her, "E-ehe? W-well, I guess I haven't finished perfecting my signature move yet, so... I don't need the ticket either," she amended sheepishly. Sparky swallowed, and sat up. She took a deep breath, and nodded, "Thanks girls," she said, smiling gently, before giving a sudden, firm nod, "Spike!" she called, "Take a note!" The hatchling, who had been cautiously observing from the stairwell, scampered forward, a quill and parchment already in claw. "'Dear Princess Celestia, I've learned that one of the joys of friendship, is sharing the blessings you've been given. But when there's not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can feel pretty awful. But even when things feels dark, having just one pony willing to help can make everything seem bright again'," she said, sending a bright smile at Emerald, "'So, while I truly appreciate the invitation, I'm afraid I'll have to return both tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala'," """""WHAT?!""""" "'If my friends can't go, than I don't want to either'," Sparky continued. "But, Twilight you don't have ta do that!" Applejack protested, "Nope," Sparky retorted, "I've made up my mind. Spike, you can send the letter now," the young drake nodded, before doing just that. "But, now you won't get to go the Gala either," Fluttershy said, "That doesn't matter girls. I couldn't have possibly enjoyed myself without the five of you there with me. Without my best friends, I'd rather not go at all," """""Aw!""""" the five mares chorused as they happily enveloped her in a massive hug. Spike pretended to gag at the sight, before clutching his stomach, looking surprised. "Huh, well ain't that jus' like a boy," Applejack said, ignoring Emerald's offended growl, "Can't handle the least bit'o sentiment," Spike suddenly burped, sending a jet of flame from his maw, nearly scorching Applejack, who'd ducked, "Woah nelly!" "You were saying?" Emerald snarked. "A letter from the princess?" Sparky asked, "That was quick!" "Ahem. 'To my faithful student, Twilight'," Spike began, "'Why didn't you just say so?'," he suddenly gasped, dropping the letter, before holding up a fistful of golden tickets, "Six tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala!" "Now we can all go!" Sparky cheered, before her stomach growled again, having been suspiciously silent until now. The girls just laughed, "Well then, why don't we treat you to dinner, Twilight?" Rarity offered good-naturedly, "Yeah, it'll be a great way to apologize!" The mares all laughed as they began filing out through the door, a single ticket levitating over their heads as they passed by Spike, who began walking away, until the final ticket was plucked from his talons. The hatchling deflated, "Aw... why don't I get a ticket?" he asked himself dejectedly, before suddenly burping once more, reflexively catching and opening the letter that appeared, "'And one for you too, Spike.'," Spike grabbed the gold ticket, and began giggling to himself, before he realized the smirk Emerald was sending him, "Er- I mean, gross! Now I have to go to?" he asked, before smirking once again and darting out the door, laughing to himself. Emerald sighed, shaking his head. He followed after the group for a moment, gently shutting the door behind him, before directing his gaze upward towards the stars. He laughed silently to himself. "Emerald! Are you comin' or not?!" Pinkie called after him, "The invitation includes you as well, darling!" he nodded. "I'm coming!" he yelled back, hiding a small smile. Ponyville would be safe for one more night. He jogged after the retreating mares and drake, thinking idly to himself. Look at him, laughing to himself as he went to join a bunch of mares for dinner. The world sure worked in funny ways, didn't it?