Tonight was the night. We were officially headed to the Grand Galloping Gala. Surprisingly, I felt a little excited. I had just finished getting dressed and met Spike out in the hall. He was wearing a tuxedo with a purpling bow tie.
“Looking good,” he said.
“Not too bad yourself,” I replied.
“Yeah, I guess you look pretty good too,” Spike joked.
I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Together, we strutted down the hall to meet Twilight and Starlight in the foyer.
“Hey, by the way, I don’t have to like...dance with Sunset, do I? No offense, I’m just not into her like that,” Spike said to me.
“Nah...not unless she asks you to, which she may or may not,” I replied, smirking down at the little guy.
Spike stopped walking and turned toward me. “Seriously? Come on!”
I stopped walking as well. “What’s the big deal, Spike? I thought you were a gentledrake.”
“Fine,” Spike muttered, followed by some incomprehensible mumbling.
Down at Carousel Boutique, Rarity was busy poking needles into Sunset Shimmer’s mane.
“Ow! Rarity, I appreciate you making this dress for me on such short notice, but-Ow! I feel like you’re getting a little carried away with my mane,” Sunset complained.
“Well, it wouldn’t hurt so much if you would just hold still,” Rarity replied, sticking another needle into Sunset’s mane.
“If it makes ya’ feel any better, Sunset,” Applejack called from one of the dressing rooms. “We all had to go through the same thing.”
“Tell me about it, “ Rainbow Dash added, stepping out of her dressing room, wearing a smooth gown with distinct, fluorescent colors. “She tried to tie my mane into a bun.”
“It would have looked gorgeous!” Rarity replied, taking her attention away from Sunset.
Sunset fixed the neck of her dress with a hoof and stepped off the podium. “You know, I already had to deal with the Rarity back where I live. I’m pretty sure I look fine.”
Fluttershy stepped out of her dressing room as well, wearing a green dress with a flower wreath around her head. “Oh, I think she looks beautiful, Rarity.”
“Thank you, Fluttershy,” Sunset responded.
Rarity took one last look at Sunset before rolling her eyes and levitating her eyeglasses onto the table. “Oh, fine. I do suppose you look rather nice.”
Sunset turned to a mirror and inspected her dress. It was a deep shade of orange with gold accents. It covered half of her hooves, but didn’t run behind like the other dresses Rarity had made. It was more like a mini-skirt.
“How come this one ends so quickly at the back?” Sunset asked.
“Well, one, I only had a day or two to complete your dress,” Rarity answered. “But I also wanted to make a dress that matched your sense of style. Twilight tells us your a bit of a...what did she say? A ‘rebel, but in a good way’ I think.”
Sunset smiled at herself in the mirror.
“Now, if you don’t mind my asking, why exactly were you having such a hard time staying still?” Rarity asked.
Sunset suddenly remembered why she was here. It had slipped her mind a moment ago, but now it was back, and it terrified her.
“Well...it’s not exactly every day I return to my home world and my adoptive mother, who I treated so horribly that I can’t imagine she’d ever want to see me again,” Sunset said, her legs starting to wobble beneath her. “I still can’t believe Jake talked me into this.”
“Jake can be extremely persuasive. You know, he once convinced me to not only sponsor, but also lead a Filly Scout fundraiser. I was already gonna help, but I had no intention of being in charge of it,” Rainbow Dash said, putting a hoof around Sunset’s back.
“Jake just seems to bring out the best in all of us,” Applejack said, walking out of her dressing room, wearing a light red dress with her trademark hat.
Pinkie was the last to bound out of her dressing room with a baby blue, poofy dress. “That’s right! One time, when I was watching the Cake Twins and I thought I was in over my head, Jake told me to slow down and take my time, and it worked!”
Applejack rolled her eyes and looked back at Sunset. “Mah point is, Jake’ll probably be there with you, every step of the way. And Princess Celestia? You’ll be fine with her.”
Sunset smiled. “I’m glad you girls are as easy to get along with as my friends.”
“Well, from our understanding, they’re literally us,” Rarity responded.
“Come on, girls! Let us in!” Jake yelled through the foyer doors.
“Not yet, Jake. Not until Sunset gets here,” Twilight responded.
Twilight and Starlight had the doors locked, so Jake and Spike wouldn’t see them in their dresses until Sunset got to the castle.
“Come on, at least let me in,” Spike pleaded.
“No can do, Spike. Sunset’s your plus one, remember?” Starlight teased.
“Jake said it wasn’t a big deal!” Spike shouted back.
Twilight looked back to the front doors. “What is taking her so long?”
“Well, you know Rarity,” Starlight replied.
Jake banged on the door as hard as he could. “For crying out loud, we’re going to the Grand Galloping Gala, not getting married!”
Starlight turned to face the locked door again. “We know, but it’s still bad luck~”
Jake could be heard groaning on the other side of the door.
Suddenly, the castle doors opened, and Sunset came running through. “Sorry I’m late, Rarity just...Raritied.”
“Not a moment too soon. We’re not sure how much longer we could’ve held Jake and Spike in there,” Twilight said.
Starlight got a good look at Sunset’s dress. “Oh my gosh, Sunset, you look beautiful!”
Sunset blushed and looked at Starlight’s and Twilight’s dresses. Twilight wore a long, silky dress with purple sparkles that ran across it and a small, golden tiara. Starlight wore a shorter, frilly, light blue dress that had shining swirls running down it. “So do you two!”
“I can here Sunset over there! Can we come out now?” Jake yelled.
“Why exactly are you holding Jake and Spike back there?” Sunset asked.
“We wanted to wait until you got here, so he could see all three of us at once,” Twilight answered.
“Alright, Jake, on the count of three. One!” Starlight said.
“Two!” Twilight added.
Both Twilight and Starlight looked at Sunset expectantly.
“Three!” I could hear Sunset yell.
The door quickly opened, and I was struck with awe as I saw my three marefriends. They all looked amazing in their unique dresses.
“Wow, Jake, looking sharp,” Sunset complimented.
I blinked a few times as my senses returned to me. “You three look...a-amazing.”
I looked down at Spike, who seemed to be getting restless.
“Calm down, Spike. The sun hasn’t even gone down yet!” Starlight said.
“Sorry, I’m just really excited,” Spike answered.
“What’s got you all riled up? Last time, you weren’t nearly this excited,” Twilight asked.
Spike suddenly stopped moving. “I don’t know.”
The three mares all shared a giggle.
“Come on, let’s get going. It’s a long trip to Canterlot,” I reminded.
“Right, and the chariots I called for us aren’t gonna wait forever,” Twilight added.
“Wait, you called chariots for us?” Sunset asked.
“Well, I thought the trains would be packed tonight, so I reserved us some chariots,” Twilight answered. There was suddenly a loud whistle outside the castle. “That must be them, so let’s go.”
The five of us walked outside the castle, and, sure enough, there were two golden, close-topped chariots with two pegasi guards in front of each.
Our friends walked up to the castle as well, each in their own dress, staring at the chariots with surprise.
“What’s with these, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Surprise!” Twilight said in response. “Now, I’m pretty sure they can each hold up to five of us?” One of the guards nodded their head. “Right, so you five wanna take that one, and we’ll take this one?”
“Sounds good to me. Just don’t get carried away in there with the romance,” Applejack teased.
I couldn’t help but blush at Applejack’s statement.
“By the way, Rarity, you really out did yourself with these outfits,” Spike complimented.
Rarity simply waved a hoof in response. “Oh, think nothing of it. It’s what I do, after all.”
The five of them boarded their chariot and took off. One of the guards with our chariot gave a grunt. Twilight went to open the door with her magic, but I stopped her by putting my hand on the door first.
“Not so fast,” I said, opening the door myself. “M’ladies.”
The three of them giggled and started to board.
“Thanks, Jake,” Twilight said, giving me a smooch on the cheek as she got on.
“Thanks, Jake,” Starlight said, giving me a smooch on the exact same cheek as she got on.
Sunset rolled her eyes and said, “Thanks, Jake,” giving me, you guessed it, a smooch on the cheek as she got on.
Spike walked up to the chariot and attempted to jump on, but came up a little short.
I chuckled and helped him up.
“Thanks, Jake,” Spike said, but no, he didn’t give me a smooch on the cheek as he got on.
I got into the chariot myself and closed the door. We quickly started moving, throwing us a little off balance. We quickly sat down as to not fall anymore. I looked out the window and noticed we were already pretty high off the ground.
“None of you are afraid of heights, are you?” I asked.
The others looked at each other and shook their heads at me.
I took another look outside. “Wow, we’re moving pretty fast.”
Twilight walked up next to me and looked out the window as well. “You’re right. At this rate, we should be there in just a few minutes.”
I heard what sounded like a whimper coming from behind us. Twilight and I turned our heads to see where it was coming from. Sunset had her front hooves wrapped around her legs, and she looked like she was about to puke.
“You...okay, Sunset?” I asked.
“G-G-G-Great! J-Just...fine!” Sunset squeaked in reply.
I looked at Twilight and Starlight, coming to a silent agreement with the both of them. I went over to Sunset and wrapped an arm around her. Starlight did the same, and Twilight rested a hoof on her chest.
“We know you’re nervous about seeing Princess Celestia again, and we don’t blame you, Sunset,” Twilight said.
“Yeah, you have every right to be. But she’s not going to be mad at you,” Starlight added.
I put my hand under Sunset’s chin and moved her head, so she was now looking at me. “You have nothing to be afraid of. Princess Celestia really misses you. She’s going to be overjoyed to see you.”
Tears started to form in Sunset’s eyes. “But.......I just don’t know what to expect.”
“Don’t expect anything. Walk up to her, say what you want to say, and listen to what she has to say. Just take away whatever you gain from the experience, and don’t assume anything more,” I told her.
“Wow, that’s...really good advice,” Twilight admitted.
I chuckled at Twilight before turning my attention back to Sunset. “Trust me, you have nothing to worry about. I’ll even be right by your side if you need me.”
Sunset sniffed. “R-Really?”
I looked at Twilight and Starlight, silently asking for their approval. They both nodded, and I answered, “Of course I will.”
Out of nowhere, Spike cleared his throat. “Not to kill the moment, but...we’re here.”
We all looked toward Spike. Sure enough, he was standing next to an open door. We all separated and walked out the chariot door. As the pegasi took off, however, I could’ve sworn I heard one of them say, “He looks so weird.”
We were quickly joined by our friends. We all walked up to the front doors.
“You guys go on ahead. Sunset and I’ll catch up,” I said.
“Sure thing, Jake. We’ll save you a dance,” Starlight said with a wink.
“And good luck, Sunset,” Twilight added with a sincere tone.
With that, the eight of them walked into the ballroom.
Sunset stood in place, shaking. I could easily tell she was still scared. The sun had just gone down as our friends walked inside.
I knelt down next to Sunset. She had tears still running down her face. “I’m...so scared. I-I...I don’t think I can do this,” she said, barely above a whisper.
“It’s okay to be scared. But you’ll be fine. All you have to do is go in there and see Princess Celestia,” I said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I’ll be with you, every step of the way.”
Sunset sniffed again. “Thank you, Jake. You’re a really good boyfriend.”
I wrapped my arms around her in a deep, sincere hug until I felt her calm down. Once we separated, I asked her, “Are you ready to do this?”
Sunset took an extremely deep breath. So much so, that I thought she was gonna pass out. “As...I’ll ever be.”
With that, we finally walked through the looming doors of the ballroom. Inside, Twilight was having a conversation with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. She set eyes on us and whispered something to Princess Luna. Then, the two of them went into another room.
Princess Celestia bid them farewell and finally sat eyes on us, and on Sunset.
Hey, guys, bit of an intermission before you get to the big reunion scene. I really hope I did well enough for you guys. I was under so much pressure with this bit. Alright, here we go
Sunset looked at me, I nodded, and we slowly walked forward. Princess Celestia’s gaze remained on us, devoid of any emotion whatsoever.
Once we reached her, Sunset clenched her eyes shut and looked down. She didn’t say anything, but started hyperventilating. I knew I had to do something if this was gonna work.
So, I knelt down a put my hand on her. She looked at me with tears eyes. I looked back at her with a sincere look. “Just say what you gotta say.”
Sunset nodded and turned toward Princess Celestia as I stood back up. “I-I’m so, so, sorry!”
Princess Celestia blinked and looked down at Sunset.
“I’m sorry I yelled at you; I’m sorry I took what you were trying to teach me for granted; I’m sorry for doing forbidden research on the mirror; I’m...I’m sorry for running a-away; I’m s-sorry...f-for e-e-everything...” Sunset trailed off.
I couldn’t help but shed a tear at the scene unfolding before me.
Princess Celestia rested a hoof under Sunset’s chin. Sunset looked up with teary eyes. Princess Celestia began to tear up as well and smiled. “Oh, Sunset, all’s forgiven. I-I’m just glad you’re back.”
To my surprise, Sunset backed away a little. “W-W-What? Y-You...a-aren’t angry o-or upset at me?”
Princess Celestia shook her head. ”Of course not. Twilight’s told me all you’ve accomplished. Quite frankly, I’m surprised you didn’t walk in here with wings.”
“B-But...I was so horrible to you, a-and after everything y-you d-did for me. I-I thought you’d...” Sunset pleaded.
“What? Lock you away? Banish you for eternity? How could I? I’ve missed you, so, so much. W-When Jake told me you were coming, I-I could barely contain myself,” Princess Celestia cut off.
“But...I-I was sure I’d b-broken your...your heart,” Sunset said.
I wasn’t entirely sure why Sunset was trying to argue. Princess Celestia was welcoming her back with open arms. I guess she’d just forgotten my advice in the heat of the moment. I definitely would in her place.
“It’s true, you did, but it was just as much my fault as it was yours. I shouldn’t have tried to force you to make friends. I should have let you do things your way,” Princess Celestia replied.
“B-But I-I-I-“ Sunset started.
“Sunset, it’s okay,” I cut off myself. “She’s long gotten over it. You should do the same.” I knelt down and put a hand on her back. “Don’t expect anything, remember?”
Sunset looked at me and then Princess Celestia. And just like that, Sunset ran to Princess Celestia like a filly to her mother, and the two joined a deep hug, like a mother finally reunited with her long lost daughter.
I had pretty much lost control of my emotions right then. I did my best to hide it from the incoming ponies, but they just gave me puzzled looks.
Princess Celestia raised her head and smiled at me. “Thank you, Jake, for bringing my daughter back to me after so long.”
“N-No problem.” A few more ponies walked past me. “Ponies are starting to arrive. I-I’m gonna go inside.”
Sunset pulled away from the hug. “I-I’ll join you.” She then gave the princess one last hug.
“I’ll be out here for most of the night, but promise you’ll come see me before you leave again?” Princess Celestia asked.
“Of course! I wouldn’t dream of leaving without saying goodbye again,” Sunset replied. With that, she walked up to me, and we made our way inside.
Phew, that was not easy to do. I hope that was satisfactory enough for you guys. Either way, we’re not quite done yet
Sunset and I walked into the main ballroom and joined our friends. Twilight was quick to notice Sunset’s tears. “Did it not go well? I’m so-“
“No, it went...great, a lot better than I thought it would,” Sunset cut off.
“So...you two are good?” Starlight asked.
All Sunset could really do was nod while she tried to wipe the tears off her face.
“That’s great! We told there was nothing to worry about, darling,” Rarity cut in.
“Th-Thanks, guys. I couldn’t have done this without you.” Sunset turned towards me and added, “And thank you, Jake, for convincing me to do this.”
“No problem.” I heard a few other voices and saw the ballroom was starting to fill up. “I think we should get going here.”
“Good idea. I’m gonna go see if the Wonderbolts are here yet. See you guys later,” Rainbow Dash said, flying off.
Everyone said their goodbyes and went off in different directions. It was now just Twilight, Starlight, Sunset, and me.
“So, one of you girls wanna dance?” I asked, reaching out my hand.
“I’m still feeling a little emotional right now, but thanks. Maybe when I’m feeling a bit better,” Sunset said.
“Twilight, why don’t you take the first dance? I’ll stay with Sunset and keep an eye out for Sunburst,” Starlight added.
“Thanks,” Twilight said before turning to me. “So...”
I held out my hand, and Twilight held it with her hoof. Together, we went out to the dance floor.
“I’m not really sure how to do this,” Twilight mumbled.
“Umm, I’ll just-“
Twilight then stood up on her hind legs while holding onto me with her front hooves.
“Uh, sure, that works,” I said. I wrapped my hands around her waist. We took a step forward and a step back. Twilight struggled at first to keep her balance, but we quickly got the hang of it.
“I’m not sure if I’ve told you this yet, but you look beautiful,” I said.
Twilight blushed and looked away. “T-Thanks. You look handsome.”
I ran a hand up and down her back, earning a content hum from Twilight. I caught a whiff of her lavender perfume, and my mind went hazy at the scent.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you too,” Twilight replied.
We spent the next few minutes in silence while the music kept playing. I heard a few whispers around us, but kept my focus on Twilight.
Then, however, I heard one sentence in particular that caught my attention and couldn’t have been about anyone except for me: “He looks so weird.”
I suddenly became aware of what everyone around me was saying.
“I’m not sure it’s safe.”
“I can’t believe Princess Celestia allowed it inside.”
“I don’t know what that thing is, but keep him away from my children.”
“What is Princess Twilight doing dancing with it? I wouldn’t get within twenty feet of that thing.”
I felt thousands of eyes on me. All sound around me became nothing but a high pitched ring. My vision began to blur, and my body began to tremble and burn up.
“Jake, are you okay?” I barely heard Twilight ask.
“I-I...” I trailed off as more and more ponies whispered about me.
“It must be dangerous.”
That was it, the breaking point. I let go of Twilight as tears started to form in my eyes. I quickly wiped them away and said, “I’m s-sorry. I-I-I gotta g-go.”
I turned and walked toward the outside garden, doing my best to ignore the whispers, but I tripped over something. It was a waiter, holding drinks for guests. I had knocked him over too, and spilt the drinks. I could feel the sheer anger and judgement from the ponies watching me.
“I-I-I-I’m s-s-sorry,” I stuttered before finally getting out of there.
I crouched down and let my tears flow. I haven’t felt this way in four years. I felt judged. I felt misplaced.
I felt............unwelcome.