It was a beautiful day in Ponyville. The sun was shining, the birds were singing. Ponies all over were living their lives peacefully. And yet, here I was; helping Applejack collect apples from the orchard alongside Twilight and Spike. As wonderful as it sounded, I was not meant for manual labor. And it showed. Embarrassingly so. As Twilight and Applejack walked together at a casual pace, I was struggling behind just to keep up.
"So, why did you decide to help out if you knew you weren't capable?" Spike asked from atop Twilight's back. The young dragon was systematically picking out various apples from Twilight's basket and throwing them out, presumably picking bad apples out of the bunch, although none of the ones I'd walked past seemed to be off in any way.
"Seemed like a good idea at the time." I replied.
"Well thank you kindly, for helping me out anyway, both of you." Applejack said. "But if you don't mind me asking; how are you so out of shape? All the Pegasi I know are fit as a fiddle." she asked.
"If that's true, then perhaps I should have been born a unicorn. The practical applications for magic in one's daily life alone would be immeasurably helpful." I said, coming to a stop in a clearing alongside the girls. "To answer your question, I've just never really been all that physically active. I even kept flying to a minimum because it served little purpose beyond reaching high places. I didn't get the enjoyment other Pegasi seem to get when they start flying. That's why my flying skills are virtually non-existent. I had no drive to improve my technique, and it wasn't dependent on my survival."
The pair took in my lie with genuine interest. Why they were so curious was beyond me. "So, you're more into books and learning stuff than flying? Is that why you live with Twilight at the Library?" she asked. 'Ah, so that's what she was after. Clever girl.' I smiled at her in response.
"You're thinking I live with her because I've fallen head over hooves for her, aren't you?" I asked, to which Applejack just responded with a guilty chuckle. Busted. Twilight, for her part, just laughed at the topic being discussed. "Sadly, love has nothing to do with it. Princess Celestia asked me to live with Twilight. She was rather vague about the details. I accepted her request mainly because I had no lodgings at the time, and she's agreed to pay me for my services." I said.
This earned a confused look from Applejack. "What kinda services are those?" she asked.
"I'm not allowed to say, but suffice it to say; it involves all of us." I said.
...One week ago - After Nightmare Moon's defeat...
"That explains why you're so cautious of me... But not why you're scared of me." Was it magic that made me feel as though a blade was pressed against my throat just now? Or was I sensing her intent to kill? I almost wished I had Maou's power, if only to hear what she was thinking... if she was thinking at all. She hadn't said a word.
Upon closer inspection, I realised that she was no longer looking me in the eye, but rather at my flank. As to why, I couldn't fathom... Oh.
Of course. She was watching the entire time. 'She saw me use my geass on Nightmare Moon.' My eyes widened at this realisation, I was discovered. And from the way I'd used it, she no doubt had a good idea of what my power could do. And just like that, my geass was no longer a last resort; It was damning evidence. And she was afraid I might lash out and use it on her, like a smoking gun which could go off again. My mind froze. I couldn't think of a way out of this situation, I'd lost the war before it even started. Usually, it was the other way around.
Then a thought appeared at the forefront of my mind. What exactly had I lost? The question gave me pause, and allowed me to think once more. What had I lost? Before, my war was personal, a means to an end in which victory would assure a better and safer world for Nunnally. That was my life's goal, and I'd achieved it, ironically, with my death. But this time around, what was my goal? I had none. This life I'd been given was a second chance to live a peaceful and quiet life. Then I met Twilight, and peaceful and quiet didn't factor into the equation. In all honesty, I hadn't expected a second chance at life. I should be dead, so what does it matter if Celestia is afraid of me. The worst she could do is kill me or exile me.
With my fear suppressed, I began to wonder how I could alleviate Celestia's. I turned to look her in the eye, the motion cutting off her gaze at my flank. When her eyes made contact with mine, I saw her visibly flinch. She could see I wasn't afraid anymore, and that scared her all the more. I then decided on a rather dangerous tactic. I closed my eyes, effectively blinding myself from her presence.
"What do you wish to know?" I asked her, straight and simple. As my eyes were closed, I couldn't read her at all. There was a pregnant pause as I waited for her to respond. Five seconds, ten seconds, fifteen seconds. By the twentieth second, I heard her begin to speak, only to hesitate. Five more seconds.
"Your special ability is unlike anything I've seen before. Your intelligence is on par with my own and your ability to read others is so advanced, you could tell I had plans for Twilight that stemmed beyond this one event. You're right, Lelouch; I am scared of you. I'm scared not just for my safety, but for the safety of my friends, family and my subjects. You're completely unknown. I scouted Ponyville some time before sending Twilight here, and you weren't here back then. That alone was enough to make me suspicious of you." I could tell by the sound of her voice, she was trying to sound threatening. But it wouldn't work.
"When you met Twilight, I saw you practically latch onto her when you found out she was connected to me in some way. Like any politician, you created a connection to her in order to access me." 'Ooh, busted.' "Every action you've taken since then has been to solidify your friendship with Twilight in the hopes of eventually meeting me. So let me save you the trouble, Lelouch Vi Britannia, and let me ask you just three questions. And the answers you give had better be honest."
I opened my eyes and made eye contact with her once more. As expected, her terrified expression was drastically reduced and she seemed to adopt an aura of determination. I'd given her the high ground, and she knew it. "Ask away." I offered.
"First question: Do you seek to take Equestria for yourself with that power of yours?"
I thought about how I should answer. Of course when a question is asked, they want a truthful answer, but there was only so much I could be truthful about. Celestia had figured out what kind of individual I was, but there was no way she could figure out my origins without my telling her.
"To be honest, Princess. The answer to that question was dependent on you." I said. She raised a quizzical brow. "When I woke up in Ponyville, I had absolutely no knowledge of Equestria. I didn't even know about you until the nurse gave me a brief overview. She said that Equestria was kind and fair to all. She had nothing but praises to sing when discussing you. But the words of a monarch's subjects can be ignorant at times. I've seen nobles, politicians, and royals lie through their teeth with the most sincere faces. Most would believe those lies. But I couldn't believe the purity of Equestria until I met you in person." Celestia seemed to be studying my response carefully, taking in each word and analyzing it.
"To sum up: after having met you, I have no desire to try and take Equestria from you. I know good rulers and bad rulers. And I can see that you're a good ruler. You make mistakes and you own up to them, even take advantage of them to some extent. But above all, you care about your subjects." This seemed to catch Celestia off guard. She clearly wasn't expecting to be praised for her work by me.
Celestia cleared her throat. "Second question: Do you seek to interfere with my plans for Twilight in any way?"
"Not at all, I like Twilight. Actually, I'd like to help, if you'd let me." I offered. Celestia blinked a couple of times in disbelief. Perhaps she was expecting a more extravagant answer?
"Third question: What exactly do you want?"
Ah, the ultimate question. "My life has been chaos and strife since I was very young. I've lost loved ones, friends and family both to a war I was determined to win, no matter the cost. Equestria is a second chance for me, a chance to live life the way it was meant to be lived; free, happy and surrounded by loved ones. I know I wasn't a part of your plans for Twilight and her friends, but I've come to like them. I'd like to continue to have them in my life, if possible." I replied.
Celestia studied me for a little while, checking for any deceit in my words or body language. Eventually, her whole demeanor seemed to relax and a smile once again dorned her features. It was that genuine smile too. I was suddenly very scared again.
"In that case, I have an assignment for you. I'll happily pay you for your work."
...Present Day...
Our conversation was interrupted by Spike suddenly belching out a green flame, which magically transformed into a scroll with the royal wax seal holding it closed. "It's a letter from Princess Celestia." Twilight pointed out. 'Obviously.' I thought.
Spike cleared his throat before reading it out. "Hear ye, hear ye. Her grand royal highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria," 'bit of a mouthful.' "is pleased to announce the Grand Galloping Gala to be held in the magnificent capitol city of Canterlot on the twenty-first day of... yada yada yada... cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle plus one guest." Spike finished.
A gala; a formal event akin to a high class party, only more grandeur. The last gala I went to was as Zero. Brittania was celebrating the engagement of my older brother Odysseus and the Chinese Federation's Empress Tianzi. My thoughts were torn away from me as the girls gasped with excitement before reciting the name of the event. 'The Grand Galloping Gala'. What a sickeningly sweet name for such a pompous affair. Nevertheless, the girls seemed excited about it, if the amount of bouncing around was anything to go by. Though, I had to wonder where their apple baskets went.
It seemed as though Spike was just as repulsed by the gala as myself as he made a gagging motion before seeming genuinely sick. Less than a second later, he belched flames once more, revealing two golden tickets. I'd expected the letter inviting Twilight plus one to serve as admittance in place of tickets, but it would seem Canterlot's nobility had other ideas. "Look, two tickets." Spike exclaimed.
"Wow, great!" Twilight responded. "I've never been to the gala. Have you, Spike?" Surprising, given that as Celestia's student, Twilight was almost always in or around the castle. It's hard to believe she'd never been to a gala. Then again...
"No, and I plan to keep it that way. I don't want any of that girly, frilly, froufrou nonsense." Spike replied.
"Aw, come on, Spike. A dance would be nice." Twilight argued. I was about to weigh in on the topic.
However, Applejack beat me to it. "Nice? It's a heap good more than just nice. I'd love to go." Now that was surprising.
"You don't strike me as the type to be interested in this sort of thing, Applejack. I always thought you as the practical type. Frivolous affairs like this gala, it just doesn't add up." I said.
Fortunately, she saw fit to explain why she wanted to go. "I don't wanna go for the dancing, Lelouch. I wanna go for the business. Lots of folks come to the gala. If I had an apple stand set up, ponies would be chawing our tasty vittles till the cows came home. Do you have any idea how much business I could drum up for Sweet Apple Acres? Why, with all that money, we could do a heap of fixin' up 'round here. We could replace that saggy, old roof. And Big Mackintosh could replace that saggy, old plow. And Granny Smith could replace that saggy, old hip. Why, I'd give my left hind leg to go to that gala." I bit my tongue, tempted as I was to crack a joke and ask if she would use the money to replace her saggy, old leg.
"Oh. Well, in that case, would you like to -." Twilight began, only to be interrupted by a certain flying pegasus. Or a certain crashing pegasus, depending on one's perspective.
"Are we talking about the Grand Galoping Gala?" Rainbow Dash asked as her form lay splayed atop both Twilight and Applejack. Her question remained unanswered however, as Applejack forced herself up from the ground and stared crossly at the offending pegasus.
"Rainbow Dash! You told me you were too busy to help me harvest apples. What were you busy doing? Spying?" Applejack accused.
Rainbow Dash turned away from the cross farmer. "No. I was busy... napping." she directed our attention to a pillow and blanket resting on a tree branch above. How'd we miss that?
"Pink blankets, Rainbow? How girly of you." I teased. Rainbow just fixed me with a grumpy scowl before turning to Twilight.
"And I just happened to hear that you have an extra ticket?"
"Yeah, but -."
"Yes! This is so awesome. The Wonderbolts perform at the Grand Galloping Gala every year! I can see it now. Everyone would be watching the sky, their eyes riveted on the wonderbolts. But then, in would fly... Rainbow Dash! I would draw their attention with my super-speed strut. Then I would mesmerize them with my fantastic filly flash! And for my grand finale, the Buccaneer Blaze. The ponies would go wild! The wonderbolts would insist that my signature moves be incorporated into their routine and then... welcome me as their newest member." Rainbow seemed so excited. Too bad her plan was unrealistic. Chances were the crowd would go wild because she interrupted a wonderbolts performance, and then they'd chase her out.
"Don't you see, Twilight? This could be my one chance to show 'em my stuff. You've got to take me!" Technically, she wasn't wrong. While she could just enroll like anypony else, it would be more difficult for her to set herself apart from the other recruits. The potential for other candidates could equal or even surpass her own. In that regard, the gala would be an ideal time to advertise herself as wonderbolt material. However, her execution might need revising.
"Hold on just one pony-pickin' minute here." Applejack interrupted, grabbing Rainbow Dash by the tail. One would assume being grabbed by the tail would be extremely painful, but by the look on Rainbow's face, she just seemed surprised. Then Applejack spat the tail out and Rainbow's face grew offended. "I asked for that ticket first." she argued.
Rainbow Dash turned to face the farmer. "So? That doesn't mean you own it." Rainbow retorted. She wasn't wrong. Though, Applejack seemed to disagree.
"Oh, yeah? Well, I challenge you to a hoof wrestle. Winner gets the ticket." Once the challenge was made, both mares made their way to a conveniently placed tree stump that would serve as the counter top on which their wrestle would be helf. As the two mares interlocked hooves, Twilight and I looked at each other in disbelief before she went to break them up.
"Girls! These are my tickets. I'll decide who gets it, thank you very much. Whoever has the best reason to go should get the ticket, don't you think?" she offered. I made my way to Spike's side and took a seat.
"I can see where this is going." I said, sighing. Spike just chuckled at me.
Applejack went first. "Drumming up business for the farm?" How pragmatic.
"A chance to audition for the wonderbolts?" How idealistic.
"Money to fix Granny's hip." A selfless gesture.
"Living the dream!" a self-fulfilling plea.
Twilight's jaw hung from her face slightly. She wasn't expecting such compelling arguments. "Oh, my. Those are all pretty good reasons, aren't they?" Suddenly, a grumbling sound emerged from the mare's stomach. Someone was hungry. Saved by the stomach. Twilight laughed nervously. "Listen to that. I am starving. I don't know about you, but I can't make important decisions on an empty stomach. So, I'll, uh, think about it over lunch and get back to you two, okay? Coming Lelouch?" she asked.
"I could eat." I replied, falling in line beside her. As we left, I began to wonder just what happened to the barrels of apples We'd been carrying on our backs.
We made our way into town. It was a quiet trek at first, but Spike seemed curious about the fate of the tickets. "So, who are you going to give the tickets to, Twilight?"
"I don't know, Spike, but I really can't think straight when I'm hungry." she replied. We came towards the entrance to Sugarcube Corner. "So, where should we eat?" she asked. No sooner had she asked, than a pink blur shot out through the now opened half door, striking Twilight who was then sent straight into me.
"I hear the hospital food has gotten better lately." I groaned in pain.
"AAH! BATS! BATS ON MY FACE! HELP! Wait! These arent..." Oh no. "Tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala?!" There was an absolutely frightening sparkle in Pinkie's eyes. "It's the most amazing, incredible, tremendous, super, wonderful, teriffically humongous party in all of Equestria! I've always, always, always wanted to go!"
Somebody save me!
♪Oh, the grand galloping galla is the best place for me♪
♪Oh, the grand galloping galla is the best place for me♪
♪hip, hip, hooray♪
♪It's the best place for me♪
♪For Pinkie♪
"With decorations like streamers and fairy lights and pinwheels and piñatas and pincussions? With goodies like sugar cubes and sugarcanes and sundaes and sunbeams and sasparilla? And I get to play my favouritist 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 gala-riffic♪
♪Superly terrific gala ever in the whole galaxy♪
"Whee!"
All my dead enemies are laughing in their grave at me now. Here stands Lelouch Brittania, 99th Emperor of Brittania and former ruler of the world, now doomed to endure sickeningly sweet pink pony whose music is surpassed only by her grammar in terms of irritation.
"Oh, thank you, Twilight! It's the most wonderfullest gift ever." Pinkie said, bouncing around us before coming to a stop right in Twilight's face. Twilight looked as disturbed as I felt. She quickly backed away from the uncomfortable proximity.
"Um, actually..." Spike went to pick up the tickets as Twilight tried to explain things to Pinkie.
"*gasp* Are these what I think they are?" came a voice that, after hearing that song, was quite welcome.
"Uh..." Twilight went to reply.
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Twilight's taking me to the grand galloping gala in Canterlot!" Pinkie chimed in.
Rarity's eyes grew wide. "The gala?" then her expression grew solemn. " I design ensembles for the gala every year. But I've never had the opportinuty to attend. Oh, the society, the culture, the glamour. It's where I truly belong." Perhaps in the lower echelons of Canterlot, in business class. I smiled, keeping that thought to myself. " And where I'm destined to meet him!" Rarity concluded.
"Him!" Pinkie parroted. "Who?"
"Him. I would stroll through the gala, and everyone would wonder, 'who is that mysterious mare?' They would never guess that I was just 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. And the princess would be so taken with the style and elegance that she would introduce me to him! Her nephew..." 'Nephew?' I thought. 'Does Celestia have another sister that I don't know about? Or is she married, and this is her husband's nephew Rarity is talking about? He couldn't be Princess Luna's son, Even rabbits don't work that quickly.' "The most handsome, eligible unicorn stallion in Canterlot! Our eyes would meet. Our hearts would melt. Our courtship would be magnificent. He would ask for my hoof in marriage. And, of course, I would say, 'Yes!!'."
'Rabbits may not work that quickly, but apparently, Rarity does.' I thought to myself. "We would have a royal wedding, befitting a princess, which is *giggles* what I would become upon marrying him, the stallion of my dreams!" 'And Spike's nightmare if his expression is anything to go by.'
"Twilight! I simply cannot believe you would invite Pinkie Pie so she can party and prevent me from meeting my true love. How could you? Hmph!" Rarity whined, stomping her hoof as she turned away from the now confused lavender mare.
"Uh, listen, guys, I haven't decided who to give the extra ticket to." Twilight addressed. Never before had I seen someone move as fast as Pinkie and Rarity did when they turned to face Twilight.
"You haven't?!"
"You haven't?!"
"Um, excuse me, Twilight, I would just like to ask... I mean, if it would be alright, If you haven't given it to someone else..." the timid voice of Fluttershy interrupted. We were all equally surprised to hear that Fluttershy wanted to go as well. But it was Rarity who voiced her surprise, and perhaps not in the nicest way.
"You?! You want to go to the gala?"
"Oh, no." Fluttershy surrendered. The little bunny holding the source of Twilight's dilemma in his mouth - 'how'd he get those?' - began thumping his hind leg against Fluttershy's own leg. As if he were urging her to stand up for herself. That bunny was a good friend. "I-I mean, yes." she smiled. I couldn't help but smile with her. "Or, actually, kind of. You see, it's not so much the grand galloping gala as it is the wondorous private gated garden that surrounds the dance. The flowers are said to be the most beautiful and fragrant in all of Equestria. For the night of the gala and that night alone will they all be in bloom. And that's just the flora! Don't get me started on the fauna. There's loons and toucans and bitterns, oh, my! Hummingbirds that can really hum and buzzards that can really buzz! Blue jays and red jays and green jays, pink jays and pink flamingoes."
As Fluttershy listed off all those animals, I thought to myself; 'I must remember to introduce her to origami. I'm sure she would love making little animals with folded paper.'
"Gee, Fluttershy, it sounds... beautiful?" said Twilight. But before she could go on, another voice interrupted.
"Wait just a minute!" all eyes were on Rainbow Dash as she stood on the roof of a house.
"Rainbow Dash! Were you following me?" Twilight demanded.
"You have to ask?" I chipped in.
Rainbow Dash glided down to land in front of Twilight and myself. "No. I mean, yes. I mean, maybe. Look, it doesn't matter. I couldn't risk a goody-four-shoes like you giving that ticket away to just anybody!" 'Way to ingratiate yourself with her, Rainbow Dash.'
"Wait just another minute." Applejack appeared. This was beginning to feel like that time during the school festival when I had to hide C.C. amongst the tomatoes and stop Shirley from tearing off Kallen's mascot cosume. In summation, this was a mess.
"Applejack? Were you following me too?" Twilight asked.
"No, I was following this one to make sure she didn't try any funny business. Still trying to take my ticket."
"Your ticket?!" Rainbow protested. And like that, the arguing commenced all around. I could do nothing but watch as Twilight seemingly crumbled under the pressure of the girls' arguments. Until...
"QUIET!!" Twilight yelled. All except for Pinkie shut up. Judging from the dialogue, she had trailed off onto some tangent. She quickly stopped after a few seconds, realising nopony else was talking. "Girls, there's no use in arguing."
"But Twilight-" Rarity went to complain, but Twilight stuck her hoof out to cut her off.
"Eh! This is my decision. And I'm gonna make it on my own. And I certainly can't think straight with all this noise." a grumbling sound interrupted her and she looked down to her stomach. "Not to mention hunger." she added.
"Perhaps we should adjourn this meeting and pick it up after lunch. Shall we go, Twilight?" I offered. She smiled at me and nodded before turning to the others.
"Now go on! Shoo!" she demanded. As the girls dispersed, each of them grumbling. I watched Twilight as her sad expression showed the struggle she was dealing with. I could sympathize. At first, she was only left with a choice between two friends, now she had to choose between five. "And don't worry! I'll figure this out! ...Somehow."
Twilight, Spike and myself sat at an outside table at the Three Clovers Restaurant. Spike was happily looking through the menu, while Twilight slouched straddled atop the hay bale that was her seat.
"Aw, guys, what am I gonna do? All five of my best rfiends have really good reasons to go to the gala. Applejack or Rainbow Dash? Pinkie Pie or Fluttershy? Rarity? Oh, who should go with me?" As she recited the girls' names, she plucked a petal from one of the flowers atop our table. Each petal landed on the surface, but quickly found their way onto Twilight's tongue as her stomach grumbled.
"Have you made your decision?" asked our waiter. Poor timing, as Twilight exploded in frustration.
"I can't decide!" she screamed, drawing the attention of our fellow patrons.
"Twilight, he just wants to take your order." Spike explained.
"Oh. I would love a daffodil and daisy sandwich." she said.
While I was becoming used to the dietary habits of ponies, I still couldn't bring myself to eat flowers. "I'll have a lettuce, tomato and cheese sandwich, please." I ordered.
"Do you have any rubies?" Spike asked, only to receive a stare from the waiter. "No? Okay. I'll have the hay fries." He tossed the menu away, much to the waiter's annoyance. "Extra crispy!"
"What do you think, Lelouch?" Twilight asked, looking to me with pleading eyes. I pondered what I might be able to say to Twilight without straight out giving her the answer. According to Celestia's plan, the situation Twilight had found herself in would be an ideal learning experience.
"Just so we're on the same page, the source of your turmoil is as follows. You only have two tickets to this gala of yours, and five friends who want to go. Whomever you give the ticket to, four upset ponies remain. You could give away your ticket so two of your friends could go, but that would still leave you with three upset friends. Or you could go the opposite extreme and not give the ticket to anypony. Just go yourself and leave all your friends upset." I took a moment to guage her reaction. The last suggestion left her looking mortified.
"Either way, at least three ponies go without. But that's not your real dilemma." Her ears perked up at that. "Your real dilemma is that you're afraid that whomever you don't choose will resent you for it." Her ears went back down and she nodded.
"I don't want them to hate me because I chose one over the others." she admitted. "And even if they say they don't hate me, how can I believe them?" she asked, her eyes pleading me for an answer.
"Trust, Twilight. You have to trust that when they say they harbor no ill will towards you, they mean it. Trust is the foundation of friendship. You demonstrated your trust in them when we went through the Everfree forest to combat Nightmare Moon." Her eyes lit up a little as I reminded her of that detail.
"But my decision will affect our friendship." she argued.
"You're such a pessimist." I grumbled, earning a frown. "Alright, look. A friend of mine once said 'If my reputation goes down for doing what's right, I don't need it.' In the end, you and you alone must decide who deserves to go more. Upsetting the others is inevitable, but it's up to them to decide if they'll let it ruin their friendship with you and if they decide that's the case, then you don't need them." Twilight's ears dropped again. "I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but circumstances where you have to choose between friends is rarely easy."
"Ah, your food." the waiter interrupted, placing our dishes in front of us.
"Oh, thank you. This looks so good. I'm sure everything will be much clearer once I eat." Twilight said, lifting the sandwich with her magic.
"Did you not hear a word I just said?" I asked before noticing ponies running indoors.
"Um, Madam, monsieur? Are you going to eat your food in the rain?" the waiter asked as he held the door open for patrons to enter. 'Rain?' I thought, looking up. 'Oh no.'
"It's not raining." Twilight commented. The thunder rumbling begged to differ. "What's going on?"
"Two words: Kiss. Ass." I replied, pointing to the hole in the clouds.
Rainbow Dash's head peaked out from the edge of the ring. "Hi there, best friend forever I've ever, ever had. Enjoying the sunny weather?" she asked.
"Rainbow Dash, what are you doing?" Twilight asked.
"What do you mean? I just saw the smartest, most generous pony about to get rained on, so I thought I'd kick a hole in the clouds to keep her dry so she could dine in peace, that's all."
"Rainbow, you're not trying to get extra consideration for the extra ticket by doing me extra-special favors, are you?" Twilight asked.
"Me? No, no, no. Of course not."
"Uh-huh." Twilight said.
"Seriously, I'd do it for anypony." Rainbow added. We looked around at the scurrying ponies outside.
"Uh-huh." I parroted.
Rainbow Dash audibly swallowed before chuckling nervously. "Rainbow, I am not comfortable accepting unwanted favors, so I'd appreciate it if you'd close up that rain cloud right now." Twilight demanded.
"Uh-oh!" I said, suddenly rushing my meal.
"Ugh! Fine!" Rainbow replied, closing the hole in the clouds.
"That's better." Twilight said. As I swallowed my last mouthful and Twilight raised her sandwich to her mouth, the rain came crashing down on us. Twilight dropped the now soggy sandwich, an expression of great irritation on her face.
A groan escaped her lips. "You've got no-one to blame but yourself for this one." I said, equal irritation on my face. Spike was just covering his mouth, trying to stifle the laughter.
"What was I supposed to do, accept her favour?" she demanded.
"Of course. Twilight, the definition of a favour is to do something for someone else without thought of reward or gratutide. It's synonymous with a good deed. Rainbow Dash might not have known that, but you should. It doesn't matter how many favours she does you, it's up to you whether you would let them weigh in on your decision." I replied.
"But it wouldn't be fair to the other girls if Rainbow Dash's favour brought more weight to her whilst the other girls waited patiently." Twilight protested.
"You really think the others aren't going to try and win you over? You really think Applejack, the hard-working family mare who wants to earn enough money for her family won't try to buy her ticket with a favour or two? Or Rarity, the businessmare who dreams of marrying a prince would let something as simple as fair play come between her and happily-ever-after?" As I spoke, I saw Twilight's expression change to one of realisation.
As if on cue, Rarity appeared with an umbrella saddle on her back. "Twilight! It's raining."
"We hadn't noticed." I deadpanned. Seeming to have ignored my comment, Rarity wrapped her hooves around Twilight's midsection and pulled her away.
"Come with me before you catch a cold." she said.
Twilight and I shook the water from our bodies, however, most of it managed to get all over Rarity. "Oops. Sorry." Twilight said.
The alabaster mare wore an unamused look on her face, but quickly discarded it. "Oh, no! It's quite alright. After all, we are the best of friends, are we not?" I knew where this was going. "And you know what the best of friends do. MAKEOVER!" she cheered. Using her magic, she slid a room divider in front of them. The sounds that followed were bizarre and did not belong to the situation at hand. Drilling and hammering sounded in the background of Twilight's protests. I even thought I heard a cat shriek, but that could have been Twilight.
Finally, the divider was remived and Twilight stood wearing some strange frilly blue frock with what appeared to be the ends of blonde pigtails dangling from the side. "There! Oh, you're simply darling!" Rarity stated.
"Uh... yeah, it is kind of pretty, isn't it? What do you think, Lelouch?" she asked, turning to me.
'You look like you've just escaped the carousel.' I thought. However, I simply wore a fake smile. "You look lovely, Twilight."
Rarity made her way over to Spike. "And you! Oh, Spike, I have a dandy little outfit for the dashing gent." And out came the divider once again. Seconds later, Spike emerged, looking something akin to the love child of a dashing prince and the dragon he was destined to slay. "Oh, Spike. Now, you just need a hat." Rarity added, putting some kind of dark grey embroidered U.F.O looking thing on his head, with a yellow feather sticking out.
"Ugh! I told you, I don't want any part of this girly gala gunk. See you back at the library." And like that, he was out of here.
Rarity chuckled nervously. "Oh, who needs him anyway? Last but not least, Lelouch." I could see the magic aura around the wall divider. 'Oh crap!'
"Spike, wait for me- gah!" Too late, she had me. To this day, I have no idea what went on behind that divider. Although, from what I remember, her hooves might have gone places I'm pretty sure I could sue her for. The divider disappeared again, and I was left in a surprisingly familiar bit of clothing.
A smile made it's way to my lips as I saw myself in the mirror. My zero suit, munis the cape and hemlet, but fitted for pony biology. It was like some sick joke. I couldn't help but laugh at this uncanny coincidence. "Rarity, you truly are gifted." I said, turning to her.
"You like it?" she asked. I nodded, keeping my smile.
"Indeed I do. This suit is definitely me." I replied.
"I agree. You look very handsome, Lelouch." Twilight commented. I bowed towards her, the smile still on my face. It had been a while since I'd genuinely smiled this long.
"I'm glad you both like your clothes. Just think how fabulous you'll look at the grand galloping gala?" As Rarity spoke, I watched the realisation come to Twilight's eyes as our earlier conversation came to mind.
"Called it." I said, knowing she knew what I meant.
Rarity made her way to a mannequin sporting an identical dress to Twilight's. "And, oh, my goodness. What a coincidence. I happen to have an ensemble of my own that matches yours to a 'T'. We would be the belles of the ball, you and I. Everyone would be clamoring for our attention. All eyes would be on us. And then everyone would finally know the most beautiful, most talented, most sophisticated pony in all of Equestria is Rarity the Unicorn!" And I thought Rainbow Dash had an inflated ego.
A pregnant pause gave Rarity enough time to come back to reality. She giggled nervously before adding. "And Twilight Sparkle, of course." I had to hold back my mirth at seeing her add insult to injury by patting Twilight on the head.
"I see what's going on. You're just buttering me up so I give you the extra ticket. Well, it's not gonna work. You're going to have to wait for my decision, just like everyone else." Twilight tossed the dress towards Rarity, the necklace that came with the ensemble dangling from the seamstress' horn. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've been trying all day, just to get some lunch!"
"Did somepony say 'lunch'?" Applejack appeared out of nowhere and tore Twilight through the front door. With a sigh, I removed my suit and handed it to Rarity.
"Put this on hold for me, would you?" I asked. She smiled gently at me as she took the suit. "Thank you." I concluded before following the smoke trail that was Twilight being flung across town.
I arrived just in time for Twilight to start laying into Applejack. "No. No! I don't know who I'm giving the ticket to! And all these favours aren't making it easier to decide. In fact, I'm less sure now than I was this morning! Ugh!" Twilight stormed off, angry and unfed.
"So, that's a 'maybe'?" Applejack asked. I stopped just beside her.
"You don't get it, do you?" I asked.
Applejack turned to me. "Get what?"
"Twilight is struggling to decide who she should take with her. She wants to make you all happy, but she doesn't have enough tickets for that, so she's left with an incredibly difficult choice. Who does she take, and who does she leave behind. Ask yourself; what if you had to choose?"
Applejack's ears fell flat. "You're right, Lelouch. I feel awful for having put Twilight through that. What do I do?" she asked.
"You should talk to the others. Make them aware of the problem if they aren't already, and then discuss the best course of action from there. I'd suggest letting Twilight know that none of you will be mad at her for choosing one over the other. That you understand it is a difficult choice to make." I replied. Applejack smiled and nodded. With a plan set in motion, we walked together in search of the other girls.
Having discussed the issue with the girls, each of them seemed to comprehend the strain they'd been putting on Twilight. Each of them agreed that they'd lay off of her and let her decide who to take with no hard feelings from the rest. No sooner had we concluded the meeting Twilight and Spike suddenly teleported into the library. 'I wasn't aware she could do that.' Apparently, neither was she. Having not noticed us, Twilight and Spike began barricading the library, turning off all the lights. For a brief second, they thought they were alone.
Then on came the light. As soon as Twilight saw us, the day's events caught up with her, and she exploded. Not to my surprise. "YAH!!! I can't decide! I just can't decide!" The girls adopted shocked faces. "It's important to all of you, and I just can't stand to disappoint any of you. And giving me gifts and doing me favours won't make any difference because you're all my friends, and I want to make you all happy, and I can't! I just can't!" Her meltdown ended in poor Twilight curled up on the ground with her hooves over her head, wanting to hide from the world.
Applejack was the first to respond, walking right up to her. "Twilight, sugar, I-I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you. Lelouch explained to us that what we were doing was only hurting you. He helped us see things from your perspective and realize our mistake. So if it will help you any, I don't want the ticket anymore. You can give it to somepony else. I won't feel bad, I promise." she said. I smiled, glad that things seemed to be going smoothly.
Fluttershy glided in. "Me too. I feel just aweful that I made you feel so awful."
"And me too! It's no fun upsetting your friends." Pinkie added, followed by Rarity.
"Twilight, it was unfair of me to try to force you as I did."
Finally, Rainbow decided to add her two cents, though not how we discussed. "Yes! That means the ticket is mine! ♪I've got the ticket, I've got the ticket♪" she paused to look at the group, seeing their judging stares. How quickly, peer pressure forced her to backpedal. "You know, I haven't perfected my signature moves for the wonderbolts, anyway. I don't need that ticket, either." she said.
"Sit down!" I ordered, giving her a stern glare.
Rainbow Dash stopped flapping her wings and let gravity plant her on the ground. "Yes sir!" she squeaked. I'd learned early on that my lecture during the welcoming party on the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration had left a traumatic impression on the usually carefree pegasus. As such, I didn't even need Geass to reel her in.
"We all got so gung ho about going to the gala that we couldn't see how un-gung ho we were making you." Applejack resumed.
"We're sorry. Twilight." the girls all said together.
Twilight seemed to come out of her proverbial shell as soon as they apologized. "Spike, take down a note." she said, Spike grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill from seemingly out of nowhere and prepared to transcribe Twilight's words.
"Dear Princess Celestia,
I've learned that one of the joys of friendship is sharing your blessings. But when there's not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can make you feel pretty awful. So, though I appreciate the invitation, I will be returning both tickets to the grand galloping gala."
"WHAT?!" the girls exclaimed.
"If my friends can't all go, I don't want to go, either." Twilight added.
"Twilight, you don't have to do that." Applejack argued.
But Twilight was adamant. "Nope. I've made up my mind. Spike, you can send the letter now." Spike rolled up the letter and moved to the nearest window, opening it. With a deep breath, he held up the scroll and flew green flames at it. The scroll disolved into smoke and flew out the window.
"Now you won't get to go to the gala, either." Fluttershy stated. Twilight just smiled.
"It's okay, girls. I couldn't possibly enjoy myself without my best friends there with me." The girls all gathered around Twilight to give her a group hug. "So I would rather not go at all." I smiled at the group of friends before turning to see Spike struggling to not vomit.
"Well, wallop my withers, Spike. Isn't that just like a boy? Can't handle the least bit of sentiment." Her complaint was interrupted by a large flaming belch from the baby dragon. "Woah, nelly! The flames spun around and compacted into a small ball before exploding, revealing a scroll with a golden seal on it.
"A letter from the Princess? That was fast." Twilight commented. 'Indeed, looks like my prediction was correct. This was a teaching moment for Twilight. And for the others, it seems.' I thought.
Spike grabbed the scroll and began reading. "My faithful student Twilight, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Then Spike revealed a number of tickets. "Six tickets to the grand galloping gala!" he exclaimed.
All the girls cheered in excitement. I myself was pleased. 'Excellent. That means I don't have a ticket and I won't have to go.' I smiled contently.
"Now we can all go!" Twilight commented, earning further cheers from the girls. Then her stomach continued to rumble. She chuckled nervously.
"Allow us to treat you to dinner." Rarity said.
"I already made reservations for us at The Three Clovers." I said. The girls all began chatting excitedly as they stepped out. As each mare stepped out, Twilight used her magic to snag a ticket from Spike's claws. As soon as Applejack stepped out, the last ticket was gone. Despite his protests about the gala, Spike seemed disheartened that he didn't get to go. My suspissions were proven right as he voiced such disappointment.
"How come I don't get a ticket to the gala?" he asked. I went to try and cheer him up, but another belch of flame interrupted me. Another scroll landed in his hands. "And one for you Spike." he read, revealing another ticket. "P.S. Lelouch's participation is mandatory." Yet another ticket revealed itself. 'What?! I went along with your plan, why am I being punished?' I thought, taking my ticket and following the now giggling Spike outside where Applejack was waiting for us. Upon realising that he was busted, Spike stopped giggling whilst Applejack just smiled with one hoof crossed over the other.
Best 'Busted!' pose ever. Spike tried to save face, by pretending he was disgusted by the invitation, but it was no use. He zipped away, laughing, with Applejack and myself chuckling right behind him.
Dear Princess Celestia,
As I'm sure you're aware, Twilight's test regarding the tickets resulted in a successful lesson learned. As per our contract, I shall help guide Twilight towards her destiny by serving as your right hoof. However, since I do not know your ultimate goal regarding said destiny, I shall continue to aid her in the study of friendship, and provide you with weekly reports.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank you for the 'mandatory' invitation to the gala. I hope that the affair will present us with an opportunity to further discuss Twilight's future and my role in guiding her. Until then, I hope you are in good health.
Sincerely,
Lelouch Vi Brittania.
P.S: Please give Princess Luna my regards.