//------------------------------//
// 9 Donut-chu know? 
// Story: The Not-So-Grand Galloping Gala 
// by Starpony999 
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Celestia slumped over the railing.  She was exhausted.  Not only had she had to hold day court this morning, but she also had to greet every single pony that came through those doors.  Not even a millennia of practice made her job any easier.  She looked out over the ballroom; Dawn had really outdone herself this time.  It looked fabulous, and the ponies of Canterlot's nobility actually seemed to be enjoying it.  She watched from her perch as Fancy Pants ushered Dawn over to a pony couple, Jet Set and Upper Crust.  Celestia couldn't help but giggle.  Who knew a little friendship was all Dawn needed to tone down her exorbitant parties?   Now all of Canterlot wanted her to plan their parties.  

A realization came to the Princess.  She straightened her posture a bit but continued to use the railing as support.  She began to scan the room.  Where had Dawn's friends gone?  Since the Summer Sun Celebration, they had been nearly inseparable, especially when out of town.  Celestia turned her gaze around the room, growing more and more worried by the second.  The sound of heavy wingbeats brought her attention away from the crowd as her sister landed down beside her.

"Hello, sister.  Art thou enjoying the Gala?"

Celestia chuckled at the thought.  "Oh, it is the same thing every year dear sister.  I am awfully glad you are here to share it with me though."  The younger princess turned away from the railing and gave her sister a hug.  Celestia smiled as she realized how much taller Luna had gotten since she had returned.  Only a few more months before she was back to her original height.  As the hug came to an end, Celestia brought up what had been worrying her only a little while before hoof.  "Luna, remember those ponies who saved you?"

"Of course We do, the new Elements of Harmony, correct?"

"Yes, you see, ever since the day they received that title, they have always been together."  She pointed out Dawn in the crowd.   "But Dawn is all by herself.  I can't seem to find the others anywhere."  She scanned the crowd again.  Where could they be?

"Well, We think they all went their separate ways this evening."

Celestia perked up.  "Why is that, sister?"

"We ran into Twilight Swish quite a few times tonight.  She was trying to get an audience with the Magnabolts."  Luna recounted her experience to her sister.  "And then she flew off to help the orange pegasus with the apple stand"

"Apple Jet."  Celestia supplied.  She supposed a millennium of practice did help one remember names.  Then her face morphed into one of confusion.  "But why was she running the apple stand?  I remember specifically signing off on a permit for Rainbow Zap."

"Are they not sisters?"

"I think something went wrong tonight, and not in the way I had hoped."

"Thou hath not stopped thine schemeing in a thousand years, We see."  Luna gave her sister a mirthful smile.

Celestia laughed.  "You can't blame me, sister.  The gala has gotten so boring over the last few decades.  All it needed was a little nudge."

Luna stepped forward to nuzzle her sister.  "Thou shall..."  The Princess of the Night stuck her tongue to the side as she tried to recall the colloquialism her nephew had introduced to her.  "You should 'hang tight.'  We will go find the prince to oversee the last details of the gala, and then we shall go have some fun together.  Gummy has been telling me in his little excerpts from Dawn's letters about this great donut place down the road.  Thine sister has a plan."





"Thank you so much, Princess!"  Gummy declared as he tossed another macaroon in his mouth.  He and his six ponies friends were gathered around a circular table at Donut Joe's.  Princess Luna had gathered them all up and brought them to Gummy's favorite place in all of Canterlot.  She had had to royal order a certain white-coated prince to take over the gala and leave the mares alone, but everypony else had gladly escaped their nightmare of a night.

"Yes, thank you Princess Luna," Dawn added as she carefully fiddled back and forth with a white powder donut.  "And I'm sorry, everypony.  I know this wasn't what you girls were looking forward to, and I got you hyped all up for no reason."

"I know it wasn't the best night,"  Apple Jet replied, "But it wasn't the worst.  I'm just glad to be back together with my friends..."  Then she leaned over and put a hoof around Rainbow Zap's neck, "...And my sister.  Speaking of which, Rainbow, where in Equestria did you get off too?  Twilight ended up finding me herself when everything was almost out of stock!"

Rainbow Zap sighed, as she pushed her sister's hoof off of her.  "I somehow winded up in the VIP lounge.  Some of the Wonderbolts thought I was some pegasus by the name of Windy Whistle.  It took me a while to get out of that conversation, but then I couldn't find my way out.  I swear the only reason I'm not there anymore is because Princess Luna flew overhead and found me."

"Well, at least we made a buck ton off of your apple sweets."

"That we did."

"And at least I got to see the gardens and the gazebo, even if I had to deal with a clingy prince the entire time.  I'm so glad you swept in, Princess Luna, or I don't think he ever would have left me alone."  Rarity giggled, despite how draining the night had been for her.

"And I got to meet the prince, even if he wasn't all he's cracked up to be."  Fleur added, giggling along with her friend.

"You'll find your prince charming someday, Fleur, even if he's not the actual Prince Charming."  Rarity assured her, before they both burst out into a fit of giggles.

"And I might have not gotten to meet the Magnabolts, but I got to hang out with Princess Luna for awhile, and she's pretty awesome."  Twilight gave the Princess a hoof bump.  "I mean, this night wasn't a total waste."

Dawn smiled.  "I guess not.  I did get to make a lot of connections with other ponies.  I think my party business might just take off."  She finally took a bite of her powdered donut.  "Mmm, Donut Joe, how do you manage to make this taste so good?  What is your secret?"

"Well if I told you that, I'd have to kill you."  He winked at her, to show he was joking, mostly.  "The Celestia Creme donut is our most popular here--"

"The Mare in the Macaroon is waaayyy better."  Gummy interrupted, tossing another one into his mouth.  

Donut Joe chuckled.  "That reminds me, Gummy, I need a taste tester."  He hovered a tray from the kitchen over to their table.  On it was a squiggle of a donut that ran from gray to brown to red.  Different kinds of sprinkles of varying colors were all sorts of shapes: bat wings, bird claws, feathers, scales, regular sprinkles, and even a Hearth's Warming Eve tree.  "I call it the Discorded Donut.  Like your macaroons, this was inspired off of an Old Mare's tale: the Creature of Chaos.  I'm thinking about releasing it on Nightmare Night, just like I did with the Macaroon's last year."

Gummy was already halfway through the donut before Donut Joe had finished his spiel.  "It tastes good....like choclate milk and cotton candy?  How did you do that?"

"If I tell ya, I'd have to kill ya, remember?" The whole table burst out laughing, even the princesses.  "Now, when did you want your next batch of Macaroons?"