"You already know Rarity, I hear?" Twilight gestured with a sweep towards her fashion-minded unicorn of a friend.
"Darling!" Rarity stepped forward with a bright smile. "Always a treat."
"The sentiment is shared." Platinum smiled gently at the one that could be called her first true friend of the era, made of her own volition. "And the others?"
Twilight turned towards the other girls. They were all gathered in a spacious room in the castle. Music played jovially in the background. Party things, provided by Pinkie, were strewn everywhere, along with refreshments and games. "This is Fluttershy, former bearer of the element of kindness, animal expert, tamer of Cerebus. She is a teacher at my school and operates an animal sanctuary you should visit, it's quite nice."
Rarity cocked a brow. "Why didn't I get such an illustrious introduction, dear?"
Starlight threw a leg over Rarity's withers, drawing her close. "She already knows you. You two are buds, you don't need to be introduced."
Fluttershy tried to stand straight, resisting the overwhelming nature of Twilight's introduction. "I just did what I could... It's nice to meet you, Princess Platinum. You're from the founding of Equestria? Did you know Twilight played you in a pageant?"
Platinum blinked at that, her eyes darting to Twilight. "She had failed to mention that. I do hope she portrayed us favorably? It... is odd to think we have become something to be portrayed at all in such a manner..."
Twilight laughed nervously at that, a hoof behind her head. "It was for Hearth's Warming Eve, a tale of how the three tribes came together. Besides, Rarity did that part. I played your assistant."
Platinum cocked a brow much as Rarity had. "I imagine it overly simplified the entire thing, but I suppose that can be forgiven... Those were different times, for different ponies..." She looked back to Fluttershy, considering her. "When you see a unicorn, what is your first thought?"
Fluttershy looked disarmed by the question. "Oh, um... Do I know them?"
Platinum smiled thinly. "Let us presume you do not. First thought, no inner editing."
"Well, um, I'm... a little shy..."
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "It's in her name, but she's getting better."
"Thank you." Fluttershy smiled towards Rainbow. "I would probably leave them alone unless they were in trouble, but I'd do that with most ponies. Them being a unicorn doesn't change that."
Platinum raised a hoof to her chin, resting it there, not tapping. "But if they were in distress, you mentioned, you would approach?"
"Oh, of course." Fluttershy quickly nodded. "To ignore a pony in trouble? Why... that wouldn't be very nice."
"I see..." She looked on to Rainbow Dash. "Since she spoke, why not introduce her next?"
Starlight waved up at her, releasing Rarity. "That little speed devil right there is Rainbow Dash, capable of the famed Sonic Rainbow, member of the Wonderbolts, that's a quasi-military performance group of considerable prestige, and former bearer of the element of loyalty."
"Rainboom," corrected Rainbow with a roll of her eyes. She zipped down towards Platinum, a hoof extended. "Put 'er there, your majesty."
Platinum stepped back awkwardly, her raised hoof coming down to support herself. What a strange blend of formal and outrageously presumptuous! "Charmed..." She did not move to meet hooves. "When you think about earth ponies in general, what are your thoughts?"
Rainbow snorted softly. "Pity they can't fly, but they're alright." She vanished in a trail of rainbows, suddenly beside Applejack, throwing a leg over her. "One of my best buds here doesn't have wings, but don't let that fool you, she's a real athlete that can keep me on my hooves." She took off, leaving Applejack wobbling.
She was beside Twilight. "And look at this one, she was just a unicorn at first, no wings, but all brains. I mean, sure, I didn't 'get' her at first, and she's still a super egghead, but she's a good pony and a great friend that I wouldn't give up for the world."
Twilight snorted softly. "That title's become something of a joke between us at this point."
Platinum's head slowly bobbed, considering things. That thought was interrupted by a sudden new presence beside her.
"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie, but you can just call me Pinkie." She was right next to Platinum as if emerging from nothing, already holding a cupcake in a hoof up towards Platinum. "Something sweet for a sweet new friend. I mean, I guess we're not technically friends yet, but we can be! That'd be nice."
Twilight went tense. "Pinkie... I told you--"
"--She's not getting into the party," argued Pinkie with a little huff. "You did not come here to stand in one place and look all serious. This is a party, relax."
Platinum took a few quick steps away from Pinkie, regarding her. "I believe I saw you working in a bakery as I walked past."
Pinkie gasped dramatically. "You did?! And I didn't notice a new pony? Something must be broken with my Pinkie Sense." She tilted her head left, then right. "Well, I know you're here now."
"Quite... How do you manage working with such dangerous, and yet delicate, things with only your mouth to employ?" She gestured at Pinkie's snoot. "Surely you risk burns with such an inappropriate profession, do you not?"
Pinkie blinked rapidly, fluttering her lashes at the thought. "That's silly. I have hooves." She thrust forward one of them. "They work great. Besides, we have oven mitts, they work too! I mean, they don't 'work' work, they mostly just don't burn. That's a kind of work, right?" She smiled brightly. "I made all this!" She threw the same hoof wide, gesturing to the party-enabled room.
Applejack casually nudged Pinkie away and took off her hat, dipping her head at Platinum. "Beggin' your pardon, Yer Highness. Pinkie's just... Pinkie. She's special in all the good ways, and some of the other ones. She don't mean no harm none."
Even as Pinkie blew a raspberry at Applejack, Platinum regarded the earth pony farmer. There was a pony she could comprehend... "You're a farmer, yes?"
"Best apple farmer around," announced Applejack with pride. "I hear ya already had a taste from mah brother, Big Mac. Kinda tall, red?"
"Ah, you two are related." Princess Platinum smiled gently. Yes, this pony made sense... "That apple was delicious. I could taste that earth pony blessing of agriculture. You should be commended, so I'm doing just that. Excellent work."
Twilight coughed softly into a hoof. "She is the former--"
"--pardon, dear." Platinum turned her gaze to Twilight, a quizzical look on her face. "Why are all your friends 'former' things? Did they do something wrong to stop having this title?"
Twilight rolled a hoof. "Nothing of the sort. We all returned the elements, me included, to the tree of harmony. There they grow in concert, helping to protect Equestria. We still have a... gift of sorts from them."
Applejack nodded towards Twilight. "Though it only comes out when we really need it. We get all fancy rainbow like, kinda tacky, but just as effective."
Pinkie stuck out her tongue. "You don't like being extra colorful?"
Rainbow shrugged. "I already have enough colors, thanks. That's a bit of an overload." She shared a firm hoof-bump with Applejack, the two in agreement.
"I see..." The world she was entering was so very different from her own. "I... need to think." She turned to flee the room, in a stately manner. It simply did not do to flee in a panic. What would the commoners think?
Pinkie popped up in front of her, cutting off her exit. "Hey, this is your party. There's no reason to go away."
"I need time to think," more firmly insisted Princess Platinum, her horn magic grabbing Pinkie and thrusting her aside, sending the earth pony tumbling with the force of it.
Platinum tried to resume her departure, but her legs refused to quite cooperate. They were fading, causing her to stagger. "N-no..." Not then. Anytime but then!
Pinkie sat up with a curious expression. "It's not nice to push ponies around, but are you alright?"
"No, she's not." Twilight advanced on Platinum's fading form. "We'll be back..." She draped a wing over her fellow princess's form, concealing her in part. "I have you..."
"Thank you." She leaned against Twilight, accepting the reprieve. "I've bungled this..."
Sunburst considered how to phrase it. "We only need one bit of it for one specific pony. It's not a big deal, in the large picture, but it would be for that one pony."
"So they're ready to pay?" Ember smiled with a calculating look. "What do you have?"
Spike rubbed behind his head with a hand. "Uh... Our ongoing friendship?"
Ember's brows fell in unison. "Really?"
Spike shrugged emphatically. "Does it look like I'm hiding a lot of stuff?"
Sunburst cleared his throat softly. "I imagine, if some crystals are more common in different places, there must be some that are equally rare here but common in Equestria?"
Ember gestured at Sunburst. "He's getting the idea. Yeah, now we're talking. You promise an equal amount of equally rare crystal in return, on Spike's 'dragon honor', and we have a deal."
Spike gasped dramatically. "I never told you about that!"
"Twilight talks." Ember smirked softly. "And I know you take it seriously, so you better not welch, or I'll tell everyone you don't have any dragon's honor."
"No!" He threw himself at Ember's feet. "We'll be good, promise!"
Ember reached down and patted Spike gently on the head. "Stop looking so sad. I know you will be, or we wouldn't be making a deal without having the crystals already here."
Sunburst took a step forward, a cautious smile on his face. "Well, great, we have a deal. I know just the pony that could figure out the perfect crystal and we have to see her when we get back anyway. Now, do you have this here?" He held up the picture with his magic.
"All I got is already crushed up." She shrugged softly. "But I know where to get it, so let's get moving." As she began to lead the way, she turned her attention to Sunburst. "So, you're friends with Spike?"
"Huh? Oh, yes."
"How's that work out?" She shrugged softly. "According to Twilight, we're buds, but I don't know her, you know? I wouldn't say we're pals." She hiked a thumb at Spike. "He helped put me on the throne, you can't exactly forget that. And he was a really nice guy doing it, so, yeah, we got history."
Sunburst nodded towards Spike. "We know each other, and we have some things in common."
"We do?" asked Spike, looking confused.
"Of course we do. We both like reading." He nodded with certainty.
"Dude, I read comics mostly."
Sunburst raised a hoof. "I do too, sometimes."
Spike's interest was captured. "You do?! What series?" He took to the air to be beside Sunburst's head. "Why didn't you bring it up before?"
Sunburst rolled a hoof. "You were busy, which I understand. I'm busy a lot too. Twilight keeps us both with lots to do."
"Now that I can feel." Spike thrust out a hand. "Guess we really are friends."
Sunburst met the hand with a hoof and a shake was completed. "You didn't think we were before?"
Spike shrugged helplessly. "I didn't think about it a lot? Twilight says someone's a friend, I kinda go along with it."
"See, that right there." Ember snorted a little smoke. "She can tell me what friendship is, but I'm not just gonna be friends with whoever she tells me to. Spike's a bud, and we have a reason for it; I like that."
Sunburst dipped his head. "I can only hope to earn that too."
"Don't hold your breath." Ember was smiling as she said it. "No offense or anything, but I don't feel even a spark of chemistry there. Doesn't mean we can't be friendly though."