The great Galloping Gala is in full swing and I spent most of my time together with Rumble, hoping for anything interesting to happen. Seriously why had we been so eager to get here? If there ever was a event so boring that you could get bored to death, it is this Gala.
A look around just confirmes what I am thinking. Twilight is standing next to Princess Celestia, watching her greet every new arrival and only the presence of her mentor is keeping her awake. Countless ponies arguing about taxes and how the nobility "suffers" from another increase, and of course, the paparazzi is harassing the Wonderbolts. Seriously, can't these guys at least stop for one day and try to enjoy what is supposed to be the biggest party in Equestria?
I try to ignore all these morons around me and focus on the ponies most important to me, my family! I would love to spend the whole evening with them, but even that is easier said than done. Dad has been called away earlier away from some guards, mama D went to talk with the Wonderbolts, aunt Cloudy and Skyra vanished earlier into the gardens. If the stallion that was accompanying them is any indication, I suppose that at least those two are enjoying the Gala. And mommy, why the buck has she been talking with Captain Nightshade for the whole evening?
“Want to get a piece of this enormous Cake Rumble?” I ask the only pony that is paying me any attention at the moment.
He follows my gaze to the biggest treat in the room and I am sure it looks as tasty to him as it does to me. Sadly, there is one little problem with this and he just has to voice it. "But that is Princess Celestia's and she doesn't allow anypony to take a slice before she does."
I consider his words for a moment, before taking a quick look at where she is still occupied and decide that I don’t care. “I don’t think that she mind one or two missing pieces.”
After a moment of silence he starts walking towards it and like the starving filly I am, I follow him without a second thought. Gathering a knife and two plates from one of the nearby tables is easy and not much time passes, until we both retreated to a quieter place, so that we can enjoy our meal in peace.
“Wow, this is great.”
“Yeah, I thought Pinkie and the Cakes are good bakers, but they don’t come even close to this.” I reply in bliss over this sweet delicious goddess with only one thought in mind. I need more!
After I finished this small piece, I look up from my plate, planning to ask Rumble if we shall get more, but to my great surprise he isn’t there anymore. Only his empty plate is there and I have a good guess where he went.
Instantly I get up from my haunches and run back to from where we came from. There are only a few more feet left to pass when I finally catch up with him. I look at him and the grin he gives me in return, says everything I need to know.
I jump on the table, our price directly in front of us, before I bury my muzzle into it. My goal for this evening is clear now, with this irresistible cake being the only good thing at the gala, I just have to get as much into me as I can.
I enjoy my meal for quite some time, until I feel something tugging at my tail. I ignore this, and only manage to get one more bite out of the cake, before being lifted high into the air by my tail.
Only now I realize that everything is quiet, much to quiet for my taste since even the music isn't playing anymore. A quick look around confirms that Rumble is in exactly the same position and everypony is staring at us in shock, but this isn’t even the worst. No, that would be those two magenta orbs staring at us like we just murdered a dozen puppies.
“You two don’t happen to know where that cake went?” The owner of those two orbs asks us in her kind voice while pointing towards the almost empty plate.
I know we are busted, I know we probably get banished to the sun for this and I know that I should say anything in our defense, but the only thing that escapes my muzzle is a very loud “BUUUURP.”
“I thought so.” She replies in her kind voice, before marching out of the ballroom, still using her magic to hold us by our tail.
I may not know where she is taking us, but wherever she is carrying us, it can’t be anything good. So it doesn’t come as a surprise when the number of guards lining the walls increase with every step.
After some time Princess Celestia comes to a stop and I hear a large pair of double doors opening, through which she marchs quickly and only when I see the doors closing, I get a good idea where she brought us. With a soft thump both of us are dropped on a very soft bed, but instead of vanishing immediately, the golden aura around her horn increase for a short moment.
She then walks over to a small desk and writes something on a parchment, before she makes it vanish into thin air. As soon as she is done with this, she walks back to us and lays down. Once more I find myself being lifted by her magic, but this time much more gentle, and placed directly in front of her.
Still in fear of the punishment she is to be bringing down upon us, I try to back away but one of her large wings is stopping me from retreeting more than a few hoofsteps. “There is no need to be afraid little one. Even if you two practically inhaled my cake, you aren’t in any real trouble.”
I can only look at her in bewilderment, having trouble processing this information. How could we not be in trouble after we just ruined the Gala? “So you won’t banish us to the sun?”
“No, but I have to talk with your parents about this.”
Princess Celestia doesn’t even have to finish her sentence before I feel something twitch directly beside me, accompanied by a barely audible whimper. Knowing what caused this, I immediately turn my attention to Rumble, forgetting everything that happened in the last half hour, as I pull the colt that matters so much to me in a tight embrace, trying to comfort him as best as I can.
Shortly after I wrapped my forehoves around him, I fell his head resting on my shoulders and tears leaking out of his eyes. I try what I can to help him calm down but nothing helps, only when two large white wings are wraped around us, he noticeable begins to calm down.
The three of us are locked in this tight embrace for a while until Rumble is able to talk again. He says that he feels better now and that everything is fine, but all three of us know that the last part is far away from the truth.
Princess Celestia let go of us now but he still clings to me like his live would depend upon it. “I am sorry little one, I didn’t know.” Princess Celestia says with an apologetic smile on her face.
“It’s okay Princess, you couldn’t have known.” Rumble replies with one last sob. “They are gone for so long now, but it still hurts so much every time somepony brings them up, even if it’s just something small like this.”
“Don’t say this. Losing one's family is nothing small.” She replies immediately and again I feel how he flinches slightly, but at the moment there isn't anything I can do, expect holding him closer. “Isn't there anypony you can turn to for comfort?”
“My brother, but since almost two years ago he barely has time for me.” He replies sadly and everypony present knows that there is more behind this, but it’s obvious to us that he isn’t comfortable talking about it right now. I think about it for a moment before I come up with a solution to this problem. I am sure mommy would answer Princess Celestia's question, if she gets asked about it.
With her knowing how uncomfortable Rumble is right now, it doesn't come as a surprise when Princess Celestia changes the topic. "Now about your punishment."
“You two will spend the next week with me and I’ll teach you about table manners. ” I can’t believe my luck when I hear her distributing our punishment, that we get off almost scot free. What’s even better is the fact that she basically freed us from school. “Or you could always spend the same time in magic kindergarten if you want.” She adds to my great horror when I fail to hide a smile at the prospect of a school free week.
I am still dumbstruck when Rumble begins to laugh and neither me nor Princess Celestia understand what could be so funny, so we are forced to wait until he calms down enough again to explain it. “Good one Princess, we are pegasi not unicorns so no chance for that.”
I agree with him on that one, but for some reason, I have a bad feeling about this, such as disaster would strike soon. That Princess Celestia is now grinning, doesn’t really help to calm me down, so what in Tartarus is she planning?
“So does this mean you would do this if you were unicorns?”
Wait, What? Unicorns, as in more than one? She wouldn't do that to us right? "Maybe?" I hear Rumble's reply and am more than glad that he didn't agree blindly to this since I have a distinct feeling that his answer wouldn't only affect him.
“How?” I ask her to my own surprise, but when she doesn’t answer immediately I clarify my question. “You can’t just turn us into unicorns or could you?”
“Actually, I could do this and I would turn you back when the week is over.”
"But how about we get cleaned up and head back to the Gala for now, you can tell me your answer later." She offers in that soft voice of hers and I am almost tempted to accept if not for the fact that I wouldn't be able to fly for a whole week.
Neither Rumble nor I give her a direct answer, but unimportant what we choose, one thing is for sure. We will spend an entire week here in Canterlot.
Hours had passed since I saw those two little ponies, who are now sleeping in my bed, make the Gala more interesting than in over two hundred years. It may not have been what I arranged for Twilight's friends, but it was fun nonetheless. Just to see how the nobles reacted when those two little ones devoured the cake in less than five minutes, was worth more money than Equestria makes due taxes in ten years.
I used this interruption as an excuse for a short break, in which I planned to lecture them about their lack of manners, but all this changed when I learned about Rumble's family situation. To say that I am shocked would be an understatement and I can only hope, that it isn't as bad as I fear.
“You are still awake sister?” I hear Luna asking and for a short moment I am surprised that I haven’t heard her entering my room.
“Yes, Luna.” I reply and a sigh escapes me when I get up from the comfortable position on my bed and walk over to her. After a quick hug the two of us sit down on the couch next to the fireplace. “How did it go?”
“Not as good as I hoped Tia, but still good enough.” She pause for a short moment before she starts her report. “Wingy’s family was easy to find and they have no problem with her staying here for a week.”
“And what about Rumble?”
“That’s where the trouble starts. I ordered lieutenant Mango to inform this Thunderlane about Rumbles stay here, but neither he nor his family think that this is possible for them.”
“After a few questions from me, they told me that Thunderlane quit his job two weeks ago and left Ponyville. Since then, he hasn’t been seen in town, except for when he told Flitter that she will be foalsiting Rumble for a while.”
As Luna continues and tells me even more that she learned about this Thunderlane, the more I begin to wonder how this stallion got custody about his little brother in the first place. It just shouldn’t be possible for a twelve year old pony to adopt a two year old colt. No, something is definitely wrong here and I intend to let my Guard have a close look into it!
When the important part is taken care of, I talk a bit more with Luna before bidding her a good night. With the last bit of strength I lay back down next to Rumble and Wingy and soon drift off to sleep, wondering what these two will choose tomorrow.