//------------------------------// // party time! // Story: Viva La Lunar // by amf studios //------------------------------// Chapter 7: party time! After the meeting, Luna found Celestia in the royal gardens.  She was staring at some peculiar statue of an eastern dragon-like creature. “Discord,” Luna said staring at the statue, “oh, how the mighty have fallen.” She still remembered when that horrible creature ruled Equestria.  Soon after the first pony settlers moved in, the Draconequus appeared out of nowhere and began turning everything to madness.  Eventually, after about a year of convincing Celestia, the two sisters finally took action. The two were forced to use the elements of harmony.  Six stones that when brought together by two or more who embodied their respective traits could do virtually anything. The royal sisters unleashed this power on discord, turning him into a statue. “Sister, what is the real reason you want the republic to join equestria?” luna asked.  Celestia was a little shot back at this. “Why luna, whatever do you mean?” she said a little shakily, luna didn’t buy it, Celestia caved and said, “Not here, I don’t want him to know.” Luna followed Celestia to her private study, which was in worse condition than hers. “Make no mistake, I want you back more than anything, but… yes, I have ulterior motives for the republic joining equestria. When you left equestria, the elements somehow knew about it.  They noticed our crumbling relationship, and when you left, they cut their ties to us, I was never able to use them again,” Celestia said. Luna rolled her eyes, “wow sister, I’m so sorry you can’t use your magical mcguffin to zap all of your problems away anymore.” “Luna this is serious because…” Celestia said, “he’s breaking free.” Is actually got threw to luna, she knew that the only weapon that has ever worked on discord were in fact the elements, she had been researching ways to defeat him without the elements for years but without a test subject there was no way to be sure it would even work.   “How long?” luna asked. “I estimate three months,” Celestia said, “however there is hope, a few years ago, I felt three of the elements awaken in three fillies in the same day, I knew this would not be enough to defeat discord, however I felt the other three soon after, they were much fainter, but I eventually discovered they were coming from the moon.  A few years after that I discovered discord was chipping away at his prison. I realised I needed to get in contact with you so we could bring the elements together and defeat him for the foreseeable future.” “Rarity, Rainbow, and… Twilight,” luna thought.  She too had felt the spirit of the elements inside of them, and when it never faded, she made sure to be an active part of these ponies’ lives, at some point, they became like children to here, especially Twilight, she would not let harm come to them, or any of her subjects. “You begged me for the merger,just to get to three ponies?” luna asked, on the verge of going ballistick, but she remained calm, “look sister, I’ll continue the merger, and the ponies will face discord should it come to it, but their lives are to remain normal after that, and there had never be an incident again.” “Ok, but what's the difference to when you and I dealt with every problem?” celestia asked. “I felt better about it when it was my own life on the line, and not my subjects risking theirs’ for me,” Luna said walking away. She would rather die than let her ponies be hurt. Meanwhile in Ponyville, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were in the middle of a discussion that would change everything. “So let me get this straight, you find a filly with crossbreed syndrome, getting bullied because of it, find out she’s an orphan, and then immediately want to adopt her?” Rarity asked her mare friend for what had to be the third time.   “Well yeah, I mean come on, there’s no way any doctor down here will know what crossbreed syndrome is let alone how to cure it,” rainbow dash pleaded. “But Dashie, we aren’t ready for foals, we aren’t even married yet!” Rarity said. “Come on rarity, she’s thirteen, teenagers rarely get adopted, and we are already Sweetie belle’s legal guardians,” Rainbow argued.  Yes, after a cooking incident where their mother, Cookie Crumbles, accidentally burned the house down, she was deemed an unfit mother and lost custody of sweetie belle, who then moved in with her sister. “Well, you’ve got me there, and I guess, I’ve always wanted a daughter. Oh, alright fine, tomorrow we’ll adopt her, then get her the treatment for her condition,” rarity finally caved.  Dash smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek, “that’s why I love, you’re way too generous.” The two rejoined the group to find a very confused Scootaloo who was just staring at Twilight. “You tried to explain to her how the cure to crossbreed syndrome was invented didn’t you?” dash asked the unicorn. “Yeah, then she got so absorbed into what she was saying that she was talking too fast to even understand her,” pharynx said as twilight blushed. The next thing anyone knew someone yelled, “GggggAaaassssPpppppEe! All of them turned to see a pink mare running at them at ramming speed, toppled over pharynx and shot up saying, “New ponies!” “What?” twilight said. “You guys are the second, third, four and fifth ponies I’ve seen today that I’ve never met!” the mare said, “and I know EVERYPONY in Ponyville.” “Oh really,” Pharynx said. “Yes, she does,” Scootaloo said. “Yeah, and since you’re new I gotta throw a party for ya so You can get to know everypony,” the mare said, “the names, Pinkamena Diane Pie, but you can call me Pinkie.” “Very nice to meet you, Pinkie,” Twilight said. “Good to meet you too Twilight, can’t talk though, I gotta go get the party ready, I’ll see you later!” Pinkie said running off. “Did you ever tell her your name?” rainbow asked. “No, I didn't,” Twilight said confused. Once again back in canterlot, captain shining armor, a white unicorn with a blue and cyan mane, and lieutenant midnight blitzer, a blue pegasus with a dark blue mane with red streaks, were leaving the office of royal guard captain, battle scar.  Both of them were members of the lunar guard, and due to the merger would be answering to the captain of the royal guard. “For Luna’s sake, I hope we get to see that crazy mare as little as possible,” midnight said. “Well unfortunately for us, starting tomorrow she’s our boss,” shining sighed. “Excuse me?” a feminine voice said. Shining turned to see a beautiful pink mare with a violet and yellow mane, stunning blue eyes and seemed to be an alicorn. “Uh, yeah, I’m princess cadence, have either of you seen Princess Luna? You both seemed to be her guards so I thought you might know where she is,” Cadence said. “Um, yes, I believe she went to the gardens, I could escort you if you want,” Shining replied. “Oh, no, no that won’t be necessary,” Cadence said. “I insist,” Shining said. “Well, okay then,” Cadence said walking off, shining following.  Midnight rolled his eyes and followed after them. “So, what are your names?” Cadence asked striking up a conversation. “Captain Shining Armor, he’s Lieutenant Blitzer,” Shining said.   “I imagine being a lunar guard is uneventful since any enemies of the country are completely incapable of getting to you,” Cadence said. “Not really, just last week, a unicorn named Loose Cannon tried to blow up Dome 5 due to Dome sickness,” lieutenant Blitzer said bluntly. “Dome sickness?”  the alicorn asked confused. “It’s a mental problem that every now and then makes ponies, changelings and yaks do crazy things, happens when you stare at the moon’s surface for too long, most of the time the ones doing it are claustrophobic,” shining replied. “In essence, it’s feeling trapped in the dome and trying to force your way out,” Midnight added. “That’s horrible, does it happen often?” Cadence asked “No, at most we get like five reports a year, I’ve never personally had any experience of it, yes I do find myself staring at out beyond the dome every now and then, but rather than focus on the dome, my attention is at the stars,” shining replied, “they’re so much clearer up there.” “I’d love to see it sometime,” Cadence said. “Getting a little too friendly with the guards, cousin,” a male voice said. Cadence sighed, “Hello, Blue blood.” The unicorn stallion looked at the lunar guards, “at least they were smart enough to have a unicorn be the guards’ captain,” he thought. “So, you two are some the elite guards of the lunar republic, can’t say I expected much after seeing their court,” Blueblood said snootily. “That's, not very nice, Blueblood,” Cadence said annoyed. “Oh, like you can say anything, you aren’t of noble blood, you used to be a pegasus, and everyone knows unicorns are the superior race!” blue blood said. This time however midnight said something, “you’re a prince, right?” “Yes, what of it?” blueblood raised an eyebrow. “Well, it’s just your behavior, you are completely insensitive to those around you and constantly say how great unicorns are in relation to everyone else just because you’re one, if I were you, I’d work on my manners, you may be a prince but you sure don’t act like one,” midnight said which nearly made blueblood go ballistic, although for probably the first time in years, he thought rationally, “unfortunately if I chew him out, Luna will pull out of the merger, and not only will my wealth not be increased, but the second word gets out it’s my fault, my reputation is down the drain.” The prince scoffed and walked away. “How do you deal with him,” Shining asked. “I remind myself he’s not really my cousin,” Cadence said bluntly. “He’s not?” Shining asked again. “Yeah, he’s Celestia's seventeenth cousin,” Cadence smirked, “if it wasn’t for the fact he proved he was also related to Princess Platinum, he wouldn’t be any more royal than anypony else.” Cadence and shining bursted out laughing, midnight also had a small smirk. The three of them began walking toward the gardens but about halfway to the gardens before luna walk out of Celestia's study right in front of them. “Oh, aunt luna, I was just looking for you, a couple of your guards volunteered to escort me,” Cadence said. “I see, Celestia needed to talk to me in private for a moment, Captain Armor, Lieutenant Blitzer, you are dismissed,”  Luna said. The guards saluted and left, Shining looking back at Cadence when he did. “You like her, don’t you?” Midnight said eyeing him. “Yeah, right, me and a princess, like that’ll ever happen,” Shining said. Later back in Ponyville, the mane 4 were dumbstruck.  Not only had pinkie followed through on her promise, but the extent she went to was amazing for a welcome party.  There were pinatas, a fondue fountain, a mile long snack table, and practically everyone in town showed up! “This is probably the biggest waste of supplies I have ever seen,” Pharynx said jaw dropped. “Why is it a waste?” Scootaloo asked. “Better question, how is it not a waste?” Twilight said, “yes, I have seen parties, but this is a little extreme!” “Ya see Scoots, back where we're from, we don’t have enough resources to waste on constant parties, especially one of this size, we only throw big parties for the big 3, any other time it’s a substantially smaller party, usually for a birthday or something,”  rainbow dash said. “What are the big 3?” Scootaloo asked again. “Hearts and Hooves day, Founder’s landing, and Dreamer’s eve,” Rarity said. “Ok, I know about hearts and hooves day, founder’s landing’s name says it all, but whats dreamer’s eve?” the filly asked a final time. “It’s only the best holiday ever!” Rainbow said. “The Dazzling costumes,” Rarity added. “The free candy,” Pharynx said. “The funny tricks,” Twilight finished,  “it’s easily the most important holiday of our culture.” “Costumes, candy, and tricks, sounds kind of like Nightmare night,” Scootaloo said. “Nightmare night, how could a holiday named that possibly be anything like Dreamer’s eve?” rarity asked.   “Doesn’t matter, this may be a waste, but let’s not let it go to waste!” Rainbow said. The ponies slipt up to do different things. Rainbow and Scootaloo started dancing.  Rarity saw sunny flare and they started to talk fashion. The only ones who didn’t have something to do were twilight and pharynx. “So, what do you want to do?” pharynx asked. “I guess we should just talk to some ponies,” Twilight said. Meanwhile, Trixie was walking up to a cider stand.  The barista seemed to be a member of the apple family, Big Mic, was it?  To be honest she didn’t care after the day she’d had. “Hit me with your strongest cider,” she said.  Spike had gone off with some foals, so she was free to get drunk, the consequences were future Trixie's problem.   Almost every aspect of her assignment went wrong, the earth pony in charge of catering nearly broke her leg, the crazy pegasus on weather seemed harmless, but messed up her mane which lead to problems with the stylist later, and probably the worst was the mare in charge of music. When   read the name Fluttershy, she expected some timid mare she could walk all over, but no, it had to be ironic.   The yellow pegasus with a short pink mane that covered her eye seemed to be orchestrating a ton of birds, then she suddenly stopped and said, “Mortikai, you’re singing a little off-key again.” The blue jay she was talking to seemed to blush and she said, “it’s ok, just try to work on it, we only have till tomorrow.” “Miss, shy,” Trixie said. “You must be the one from Canterlot, please call me Flutter, seriously, call me Flutter,” Fluttershy said. “Are these actually birds? Wheres the trumpets, the drums? I thought you were in charge of the music, not the animals,” Trixie said. “Couldn’t go five seconds without being offensive could you?” Spike asked. Trixie looked at the mare who’s face was littered with disappointment.   “I’m sorry, when did you become the music expert?” flutter said with a raised eyebrow, “music can come from anywhere, sweetheart, just cause you don’t like doesn’t mean everypony else won’t.” After that, she and Spike had a lengthy conversation about the ins and outs of being a dragon, soon after Trixie ran into some insane pink mare, and now here she was here.   Back with twilight who had noticed the moon was rising, it was hard for her to believe her home was so far away, and yet right within sight, however, her thought was interupetd by pinkie yelling, “the mare in the moon is gone!” “The what?” twilight said. “You, know nightmare moon! The evil alicorn spirit that lives on the moon,” pinkie said, “an imprint of her face is on the moon and now it’s gone!” “Evil alicorn?” twilight said before getting a thought, “wheres the town liabrary?” “Middle of town, acrossed the street from the hat store, why?” pinkie said. “I need to do a little research,” twilight said walking off.