Chapter 11
Some people don't need much to be happy. For Rarity Belle, the sound of fabric waved by a client and the muffling of the dressing room’s curtain was an uplifting melody. Despite the confidence she had in her talents as a stylist, she wondered each time how the client trying the garment she had sewn with passion would react.
“Shit! Why does it scratch like this?!” screamed the concerned young man.
Not that surprised, but still annoyed by this reaction, Rarity reacted vehemently.
“Language, Kenneth! And that’s particularly rude to say this since I worked all night on it.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that it scratches like hell.”
“Because it’s a new suit and you have no fur. You’ll get used to it… I guess.”
The human replied with a frustrated growl, but she was starting to get used to it. She then heard an exhausted sigh that made her look at Twilight. Hoping to make up a bit for the exasperation Kenneth was causing to the stylist, the purple unicorn put a sympathetic hoof on her.
“Thanks for making this suit on such short notice.”
“Oh don’t worry, I already finished my urgent orders and wasn’t really in the mood for the others. I was actually curious about creating something for a bipedal being. Humans have quite a curious anatomy. Not unlike diamond dogs or minotaurs but indeed different. It was an interesting experience. By the way, I couldn’t let him go to the gala in his usual attire.”
“My checked shirt is never good enough for you. Right? ” asked Kenneth from behind the curtain.
“There are places and times for casual clothes, and the Grand Galloping Gala isn’t one of them. The crème de la crème of Equestria’s nobility will be there, including the princesses. We need to be all dressed up, including you and Spike. Is his suit still good, Twilight?”
“It is. Dragons don’t grow up as fast as us so he can keep it for some time.”
“You don’t need to wait for too long to ask me for some new clothes for our cute little dragon. I have plenty of ideas. Suits, hats, pajamas...”
“No wonder the kiddo doesn’t grow any balls if you treat him like a doll,” commented Kenneth.
Rarity grunted in turn and tried to ignore the metalhead's remark.
“Speaking of Spike, where is he now?” she asked Twilight.
“At the library. I need him to prepare my luggage since I’ll have some research to do in Canterlot’s library after the celebrations. ”
Rarity discreetly rolled her eyes. Twilight taking advantage of her stay to visit the Canterlot Library was as unexpected as the snow in winter. The bookseller was relieved that her friend did not ask her about her goal because lying to her friends was getting more and more difficult for her. However, if she wanted to respect the will of the princesses, she had to do so. She hoped to learn more about this mysterious Ivory Tower by searching in the ancient manuscripts of the castle and thus unravel the mysteries of the Canticle. The sooner she discovered them, the faster she could tell her friends about it.
“Okay, I put this damn thing on!” announced Kenneth, quite irritated.
The young man pushed aside the curtain of the dressing room with a swift gesture to reveal his face, distorted with frowning, perched on his unrecognizable body. Instead of his faded jeans, patched red and black shirt and shirtless tank top, Kenneth was dressed in a brand new black suit over a milky white shirt. Although a little wider than necessary, these clothes made him look straighter and slender than usual. His hands in his pockets and his loose tie, however, maintained his negligee style accentuated by his slumped posture, as if his new clothes weighed as heavy as lead.
“Happy?” he asked, scratching his forearm and looking at himself. “Do I look like Sinatra at least?”
Twilight and Rarity exchanged a look that indicated they didn't know what to say. Rarity circled around him, thinking deeply, before uttering with a small smile.
“Well, I don’t know anything about human esthetic standards or celebrities but you seem presentable to me.”
“I think so too,” added Twilight.
Rarity used her magic to tighten the tie, but Kenneth hurriedly loosened it before groaning and going back into the dressing room. Shortly after, he emerged in his old clothes, his shirt over the shoulder, revealing his Cthulhu tattoo, and the costume folded and rolled up into a bundle under his arm.
“Don’t fold it like that!” intervened Rarity. “You’ll crease it.”
Kenneth fixed her gaze with a bit of aggressiveness which didn't impress her. The stylist told him not to look at her like that, and that he knew she was right. The heavier-handed approach not working, and refusing to be commanded by a unicorn barely reaching his chest, the young man took a slightly surprised look and asked her.
“Are those dark rings under your eyes?”
“WHAT?!” screamed Rarity before rushing to her room.
Twilight gave Kenneth a disapproving look. He ignored it.
"If that’s all, I’m out," declared the young man, moving to the door. “I need a nap.”
“Did you sleep badly again?” asked Twilight.
“Yup.”
“You should talk about it with Princess Luna. She might help you.”
“I'll think about it.” Kenneth stopped before the door to ask, “Meeting at six p.m. right?”
“That’s it,” confirmed Twilight.
“Did you think about the driver this time?” asked the fashion designer from upstairs, with cream on her face.
“Princess Celestia sent us a carriage.”
"Oh! A royal carriage?” said Rarity with a joyful curiosity. “I can't wait to see how it looks.”
Ponyville
5:45 P.M
The carriage was astonishing, completely made of precious wood and golden decorations and pulled by white royal guards in shining golden armor. The ponies in beautiful dresses were impatient to get in and arrive at Canterlot. Rarity placed her veil on the shoulders while observing with pride the dresses she had made for her friends. She remembered how much passion, and trouble, had gone into them. It was a good memory. She wondered why she didn’t feel the same recently. Rainbow Dash still looked like some colorful sky goddess as she arranged the golden bay leaf on her ears. Pinkie’s candy patterns were as colorful as always. Applejack seemed like an adventurous lady ready to conquer Equestria’s deserts. Fluttershy could have been mistaken for a forest fairy. Twilight, her deep blue dress shining with star patterns, seemed the least comfortable of the group.
The fashion designer knew that her friend was worried about Kenneth’s absence as it was almost time to go. Plus, the bookseller hoped Kenneth would actually be quiet, especially in front of the guards ready to take them away. She suspected that their presence was as much to give a little prestige to the transportation of the Elements of Harmony as it was to keep an eye on the extra-equisian creature that accompanied them. Twilight prayed that the human would make a good impression.
“So after punching him in the stomach,” detailed Kenneth, approaching with Spike, “I took his face in my hand and crashed him on the wall. He felt on the floor spitting a tooth, but I was unfortunately stopped before I could throw my foot on his ...”
Kenneth interrupted himself when he saw everypony. He stood silent for a moment with a strangely surprised look that he passed on each of the girls in dresses, before their confused looks woke him up.
“What’s up, girls?”
“What the hay were you telling Spike?” asked Applejack, horrified.
“My first day in high school and how I was almost expelled day one,” explained the metalhead without shame before turning again to the young dragon. “So remember this: school is like a prison. It is important to show who's the boss when someone pisses you off, or you’ll be the laughing stock of… ”
His story was interrupted by Twilight’s magic enveloping the dragon and bringing him quickly in her arms.
“Stop giving awful advices to my assistant!” she commanded with wide eyes, before laughing with embarrassment to the guards.
The element of magic could see the irritated look of the soldiers fixing on the human. They had orders and would apply them without question, but they definitely remembered the creature who had insulted and screamed at their sovereign. Their frowned eyes showed clearly that they wouldn’t mind to talk with him in private to give him a piece of them.
“Let’s go!” announced Twilight quickly, not amused by this situation.
“Yipee!” chimed Pinkie.
“Yaaay…” complained Kenneth. “Let’s see Sunbutt.”
The party had already started when the carriage arrived. Like any celebration at Canterlot Castle, it took place in a noble palace modestly hidden behind its white walls. As they got out of their carriage, the elements of harmony seemed to finally be able to breath after their travel. Pinkie hummed softly as she waved in her chair, unable to sit still, but the others were silent all along. The presence of the young man had cut all desire to discuss between them and many feared the future behavior of the metalhead. His tall stature had forced him to spend the entire trip hunched over so as not to bump into the roof of the carriage. It made him look a little ridiculous and gave him a furious expression and aura of rage that cut off any urge to laugh, especially when Rarity tightened his tie which he immediately loosened. Once facing Canterlot Castle, its golden towers and huge gate, the six elements of harmony began to smile and fidget impatiently at the incredible evening that awaited them. The stunned young human could only think of the fact that the architecture of this castle, perched on a cliff, made absolutely no sense.
“Alright Kenneth, called Twilight, “let me just give you some advice. Number one: Try to not be vulgar. Number two: Be respectful of the princesses. Number three: Don’t drink too much. Number…”
“You know the more you give me instructions, the less I listen, right?” the musician interrupted her, advancing toward the entrance.
Scared by how calmly he said that, Twilight began to stammer. Her friends, moving on too, tried to calm her.
“Don’t worry,” explained Pinkie, “he’s already making an effort.”
“How can you be so sure?” asked Twilight.
Rarity answered with a reassuring voice.
“If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have warned you.”
The element of magic wasn't really convinced, but the dice were thrown now. She quickly told Spike to ask the guards to bring the luggage to their room before joining them. The dragon nodded before attempting on his own, unsuccessfully, to carry Twilight's suitcases, twice the size of him. Twilight then hurried to join her friends, who entered under the worried looks of the guests and the alert guards. Knowing that it wasn't her or her friends who were the center of attention didn't reassure her. Kenneth put his hands in his pockets and his tie was again loosened. They had made five steps in the great hall of white marble decorated with colorful tapestries and the human had not insulted anyone yet. Twilight had to convince herself that every second without incident was a victory, otherwise she guessed herself ready to explode with anguish.
In the great hall echoed a soft music which the violins’ chords made lively. One didn't have to take a look at the ballroom to guess that this tune was making many guests dance. Rarity relaxed as the flowers and chic scents brushed her nose. She felt in her element amid the frilly dresses and the discreet hobbling of the high society ponies. She was hoping to turn heads once again with the clothes she had sewn for her friends. SHe was however attracted by two others.
At the top of the majestic grand staircase that dominated the hall, the two rulers of Equestria stood with dignity, ready to welcome the new arrivals. Princess Celestia was dressed in a simple gown of a delicate pink, adorned with gold brooches in the shape of a star and the sun. A few motifs in the image of the sun reminded her function and highlighted the milky color of her coat and the rainbow that was her mane floating in a magical wind.
Her little sister was the complete opposite. Her star-laden mane was tied in a large bun decorated with pearls, leaving two strands framing her dark blue face. As for her dress, its fabrics were formed by a strange and elegant alchemy, a form of extension of herself. The cascade of blue fabrics and the cloudy shape of purple silk on her back perfectly hugged her shapes and softened the silver flame-like elements, decorated with amethyst, which she wore on her chest, as well as the shoes of the same style she had on her hooves.
Her style stood out in the midst of the more simple and colorful dresses worn by the nobility of Canterlot. None of the Elements of Harmony had seen the Night Princess like this, and each was very impressed with her appearance, which was not unlike that of the intimidating bat ponies of her Night Guard. Rarity was particularly impressed. It was very well done and quite the original work. Twilight preferred to take another anxious glance at Kenneth and was both intrigued and anguished to find him with bewildered eyes that did not clearly reveal what was on his mind.
Twilight and her friends bowed to the princesses when they greeted them with their refined voices. Twilight worried again when she discovered out of the corner of her eye that Kenneth had remained standing, staring like a lion at the Sun Princess. She herself remained unperturbed in dignity, but to her student, who had known her for a long time, it was clear that she was not thrilled. She still couldn't tell if it was because of his attitude or simply his presence. When the metalhead opened his mouth, Twilight had a stress boost that strained her entire body.
"Hello Sun…" Kenneth glanced at Twilight. “Lady.”
The purple unicorn didn't dare relax until she saw her mentor's reaction. The princess seemed taken aback. Kenneth then spoke to the Night Sovereign.
“Hi Luna! How are you?”
These somewhat familiar but quite polite greetings surprised everyone, in particular Celestia.
“Pretty fine, Kenneth Marshall. What about you?”
“Just Kenneth, and I guess it could be worse.”
Princess Luna smiled at his response and her older sister, much to Twilight's relief, did the same. The solar sovereign wished the group a good evening before letting them go to enjoy the evening. She nevertheless asked her student to stay for a moment. When her friends were far enough, the elder princess declared.
“You were telling the truth, Twilight. He looks more reasonable than when we first met. "
“He is, princess,” Twilight replied confidently. “I promise you he won't bother anyone tonight.”
“Stop tying my tie, Rarity!” Kenneth growled. “Just tell me where the booze is. I feel like I’ll need it.”
Twilight gave a deeply embarrassed laugh before adding, “We're still working on the details.”
The purple unicorn hurried over to the young man in an attempt to convince him again not to drink too much, while Celestia spoke to her sister.
“You should go, Luna. You have a right to enjoy the gala too.”
The Night Princess seemed struck by a realization that worried her and made her sigh softly.
“Are you sure, sister?” she asked with a tensed voice.
“I'll be fine and join you soon. Besides, you are here for a reason, aren’t you?”
Luna hesitated and almost pleaded with her older sister. She took her courage in both hands, however, and followed down the stairs towards the crowd of guests. The dark alicorn gave one last worried glance at her older sister, who gave her an encouraging nod, before finishing her descent.
This evening was exactly as Kenneth had imagined it: quiet and refined. A real nightmare. People were chatting in small groups scattered all over the place. Couples were dancing slowly. Sometimes the clinking of champagne glasses was heard, but again with such delicacy that the music almost always covered it.
Each of the Elements of Harmony had mingled with a group that interested her, leaving the human alone with his own glass of alcohol, which he didn’t like so much. He remained slumped against a wall, a bit away from the crowd, brooding over his thoughts not too far from a large picture window from which he could lose his gaze into the starry sky and be lulled by the music. The musicians were good, Octavia was one of them, but the tunes they were playing could have been used to fall asleep, he thought. The cellists, the drummer, and the pianist mastered their instruments with skill, but their melody rang in the metalhead's ears like caged birds, prisoners of a golden yoke. He never believed that one day he would rather be in a New York bar.
Partially hidden by an intricately carved column, Twilight kept a worried eye on the young human. He hadn't caused any incident, and she was delighted by that, but she would have preferred him to be a little more open to the others. Since arriving, he had not spoken to anyone. If she understood that the ponies in attendance were intimidated by him, the curious glances given to him revealed that some were ready to speak with him. However, the deeply jaded and pissed off look Kenneth gave them in response discouraged them all. A unicorn who had stopped to observe him had made him say in annoyance: "Take a picture, it’ll last longer." It had scared off the unicorn in question and annoyed Twilight. She really hoped Kenneth would relax a bit.
“What’s wrong, Twilight?” asked a delicate voice behind her.
“Oh, nothing, Rarity. I'm just keeping an eye on Kenneth."
“I didn’t hear about him until now. You should relax or you’ll never enjoy this gala.”
“Thank you, but I don’t think I could right now. If only he could be less… apart.”
“What do you mean?”
“The princess invited him to socialize and show to Canterlot’s nobility that he’s not dangerous, but he stays away and makes everypony avoid him.”
“Not unusual from him,” reminded Rarity.
“I know, but if he could just seem less like that for a moment, that would help a lot.”
“Saving appearances is one of my specialties,” declared the fashion designer with pride. “How can I help?”
“That’s really nice Rarity, but you should…”
“Ta ta ta! It will be my pleasure.”
Twilight showed a smile full of gratitude to her friend and explained, “If we could make him talk with somepony, that would be a good start. Somepony who wouldn’t be afraid of his discourteous attitude.”
Rarity thought for a moment before beaming with joy.
“Come with me,” she stated, “I know just the pony.”
Meanwhile, Fluttershy was arriving in another wing of the castle where the music was only halfway through. Out of the gardens where she had spent some time with the animals, far more used to her presence than at their first meeting, she found herself in a different kind of menagerie. Many ponies had gathered here to chat away from the hustle and bustle of the dancers and the music. However, calm did not reign in these places. A chaotic hubbub reigned over the room. The high walls that surrounded the room sent back every word to add to the cacophony.
Fluttershy tried to fight her way through the jungle of noble stallions and ladies looking for one of her friends, apologizing every second as she brushed against somepony. Unsuccessful, she moved to a slightly more open space to breathe a little. She managed to break out of the stuffy maze of suits and ball gowns to find Princess Luna conversing with a unicorn stallion. What intrigued the element of kindness, however, was the latter's rather closed face as Luna addressed him with joyful energy channeled through her royal nobility. When the princess finished her sentence, the stallion excused himself, claiming to be expected, bowing slightly before going away. The yellow pegasus was then surprised to find Luna with a pained face. Faced with this, Fluttershy couldn't help but meet her.
“Excuse me Princess, is everything alright?”
The princess smiled again before answering.
“Everything is very fine, Fluttershy. I was just having a casual and interesting conversation with one of my subjects.”
“Oh, well that’s nice. What’s his name?”
Luna tried to speak but ended up stammering and losing her dignified face. She admitted her defeat with a deep sigh.
“Princess?” the element of kindness called out with more concern.
Luna glanced sadly at Fluttershy. Desperate, she let herself go to confession to the yellow pegasus.
"I actually try to be seen better by other ponies."
“What do you mean? If you don’t mind explaining of course.”
“Since my return from the moon, I haven't attended any gala or party other than the Nightmare Night we met at.” The princess, with sorrowful eyes, couldn’t ignore all those trying to not meet her gaze. “People still dread me because… of who I was.” Fluttershy lowered her ears, saddened. “I stayed away from the world to make sure to not worry anyone. We were hoping that as time went on things would change on their own, but it didn't go as we hoped. My sister thought it was time for me to take a step towards our subjects to change this image they have of me."
Fluttershy understood perfectly. She had hoped, along with her friends, that the other ponies would have understood that she was no longer Nightmare Moon, but as terrible as it was, she was not surprised that it was difficult to forget the image of the terrible evil entity that people had learned to fear for a thousand years. Especially since the peculiar look of her Batpony guards, some of whom were present around them, was not really reassuring. The princess turned a radiant face of hope to her and asked, “You are the element of kindness. Is there some advice you could give me to make people appreciate me a bit more?”
Uneasy, Fluttershy only managed to apologize with a heartwarming smile.
“I don’t think you lack kindness at all, your highness. And, to be honest, I don’t think it has anything to do with kindness here. You just have to be yourself and give the others more time to know you. I'm sure they’ll end up loving you as much as Princess Celestia.”
Luna was touched by the words of the pegasus, but she still felt a certain disappointment that weighed on her heart. Fluttershy was about to say a few words of comfort to her when a forceful and indiscreet voice startled her.
“Hey Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash said, approaching her without seeing Luna. “Have you seen Kenneth?”
“Hmm… no. Why?”
“I heard something interesting and I need to share it with him.”
“The last time I saw our human guest he was in the ballroom,” informed Luna.
"Oh! Sorry Princess,” hastily pronounced the blue pegasus, quickly bowing.
“It is alright, but what did you hear that makes you so enthusiastic?”
“The captain of the Wonderbolts told me that one of her friends in the royal guard have recently faced a monster just like the one Kenneth defeated.”
Luna tensed at the words. She had suspected, as did her sister, that these clay monsters would not go unnoticed forever. However, they had hoped that their existence would not be known to the nobles of Canterlot until later, that they had a little more time.
"Come on!" invited Rainbow Dash. “Let’s find him. He never told us about his fight against his monster.”
Fluttershy wanted to stop him but it was wasted. Even without flying, her daredevil friend was too fast for her. The yellow pegasus exchanged an intrigued look with the night princess who revealed that she was as curious as she was. Both followed Rainbow Dash in her quest for the famous human.
Kenneth emptied his fourth glass of champagne, one hand in a pocket, between two sighs tinged with growls. Boredom was making him tap his heel on the tiles at a faster rate than the music spinning the dancers in circles. They all had the same cold expression, as if they were automatons with a smile painted on. So as not to start throwing his glass at one of them, or pouncing on a bottle, he was staring at the outside world. He had to admit, however, that the starry sky of this cartoonish world, filled with a myriad of cosmic glitter, was very pleasing to the eye. His contemplation was outrageously interrupted by a clearing of the throat whose delicate tone he recognized. He sighed for the thousandth time that evening.
“Yeah Rarity?” he asked, turning towards her and discovering she was accompanied by an insecure Twilight and two unknown but clearly noble ponies.
“Kenneth, I would like you to meet two of my Canterlot acquaintances,” she announced while presenting a male unicorn with a blue mustache and mane and a female one with a pink mane. “Mister Fancy Pants, Lady Fleur-de-lis, let me present you Kenneth Marshall: the only human being in all Equestria.”
The two new ponies raised an eyebrow at Kenneth. The cutie marks in the shape of crowns and Fleur-de-lis and their upright posture, their chins slightly raised, left no doubt that they belonged to high society. Yet there was a slight glow of benevolence in their gaze and their smiles, a certain sincerity that intrigued Kenneth.
“Greetings, Mr. Marshall,” Fancy Pants said in a tone balanced between snobbery and respect.
“Hmm… Hi,” he answered uncertainly.
The young man glanced at Twilight and Rarity, silently asking for answers. If the bookseller was clearly not at ease, Rarity looked quite confident and addressed to the refined duo lightly.
“You must excuse his rustic behavior, milord. Mr. Marshall is not used to our cultural concepts or this kind of reception.”
“Just say that I’m a savage,” Kenneth growled, crossing his arms.
“Of course not,” corrected the stylist with amusement. “You are more like of a tourist, I would say.”
“Yeah right. A tourist who would have gladly avoided the cultural night tour. When I think there are some lucky guys out there drinking something else than that plonk I've been taking on, that pisses me off."
Rarity and Twilight could guess that Kenneth hadn't meant to be aggressive. He just wanted to release his stress. However, doing it in front of Fancy Pants and Fleur-de-lis did not seem good. They were afraid for a moment that their plan had collapsed. Then they froze when they heard two light and distinguished laughs.
“We know what you mean, Mister Marshall,” informed Fancy Pants.
“Do you remember this party in Baltimare during the last Fashion Week?” asked Fleur-de-lis with amusement. “I thought it would never end.”
Twilight gave a surprised look to Rarity, who was quite comfortable on the contrary. On the other hand, Kenneth displayed the same astonishment as the bookseller.
“You don’t say,” continued Fancy Pants. "But I think you’re a bit severe with the champagne, Mr. Marshall. It is quite good, actually.”
“For champagne, maybe,” admitted the metalhead, “but I would have prefer something stronger.”
“Oh, I see what you mean,” agreed Fancy Pants. “A good whiskey is always a delight.”
“Thank you, Tsathoggua,” prayed Kenneth. “Finally someone who appreciates something else than cider.”
“You don’t like Equestrian cider?” asked Fleur-de-lis with innocent curiosity.
“I do. It’s actually the best cider I ever tried, but I end up full before being really drunk with how low in alcohol it is.”
Twilight practically froze in bewilderment at this discussion, which was a little unusual for a gala, but which ended up going perfectly well. She whispered in her friend's ear.
‘How did you know it would go well with Fancy Pants?”
“Remember the party where we met them? Where he said my friends were charmingly rustic?” Twilight nodded. “Well we stayed in contact and he was quite sincere. He appeared to me as the most open-minded and curious pony in Canterlot. Someone like Kenneth would only amuse him, in a totally fine sense. And Fleur-de-lis is like him. That’s why they are still together, actually.”
As the duo continued to chat in miraculous tranquility, Twilight congratulated Rarity and thanked her. The stylist didn't have time to answer her, however. A cough caught the group's attention. When they discovered the source, each had their own reaction. Kenneth and Rarity were intrigued. Fancy Pants and Fleur-de-lis, astonished. Twilight, on the other hand, was on the verge of panic.
“Sorry to interrupt,” declared a voice so severe it was clear his excuses were pure politeness, “but I’m surprised all you have in mind to talk about with an official alien being is old parties and alcohol.”
The one who expressed his astonishment was a male unicorn with a slightly gray coat, like white marble covered in dust, and a smooth, black mane like a waterfall of ink. His emaciated face, adorned with a pointed goatee, looked menacing like the feather of an angry lord draped in a burgundy red cape.
“Chancellor Neighsay!” said Fancy Pants with surprise. "I didn’t know you were in Canterlot."
“I prefer to stay discreet. I have important business with Princess Celestia and didn’t want to be disturbed before having dealt with it.”
Every word from that unicorn pissed off Kenneth. The other snobs he had observed all had a ridiculous side that made their sense of superiority annoying but nonetheless comical. The young man could well sense the difference between them and the newcomer. Nobles seemed to him to have simply learned that they were more important than others. From his harsh voice and piercing gaze, the metalhead felt that this Chancellor, unlike the others, was deeply convinced of it.
“Who is he, Twilight?” asked discreetly Rarity, while the famous unicorn seemed to observe Kenneth.
“The head of the Equestria Education Association, the group which oversees all schools in Equestria and the education dispensed by them.”
The element of generosity began to worry in turn. He was a very powerful pony, and she could hear he wasn't very kind. One wrong word and Kenneth could make an enemy of him. Twilight's concern exploded when she realized that the Chancellor's arrival had attracted the attention of several guests who were now watching the scene with attention. The head of the EEA stood in front of the famous human and stared into his. The metalhead was on the verge of annoyance; his interlocutor's next words would decide whether he crossed the border to anger or not. Neighsay had a cold, haughty expression that revealed nothing but suspicion. The tension between the two was palpable and the Chancellor's dignified but inquisitive voice didn't reduce it in any way.
“I heard you were from a different world, Mr. Marshall.”
“Indeed I am.”
“I'm curious about how you got into ours.”
“Not sure. I did some bad deal with some swindler and shazam! Here I am.”
Kenneth's usual flippancy was strained by mistrust, but neither bothered the Chancellor.
"You’re not used to magic, are you?"
“There’s no magic where I lived.”
“Really? Any other notable differences?”
“You mean except the fact that my species is the only sentient one? The weather and planets are not controlled by anyone, for what I know, the food is awful, everyone fights each other for stupid reasons, and nothing is in weird colorful 2D. That was a really disturbing transformation.”
Curiosity had taken hold of the ponies nearby, music playing in the background as a small circle formed at a reasonable distance of the human and the head of the EAA. Twilight was frozen in anguish at this powder keg like discussion, even more so at the thought that Kenneth could be the spark at any time. The fact that he had spoken of his species as a warmongering one made her fear for the worst, but the congregation seemed rather lost with the other items listed. Twilight herself thought she should ask him later what he meant by “weird colorful 2D”.
“Seems like a… chaotic place,” summed up the Chancellor.
“We deal with it. At least some humans do. The others, they cling to useless ideas or authorities to think they have some control.”
“Like what?”
“Gods, ideologies, the next Walmart, their own pride… You name it, there’s someone to bow before it. No matter how ridiculous it is.”
“You don’t seem to have a high regard towards authority. Am I wrong?”
“Nah. They all fall in the end. It must be weird for you all but not everyone has immortal princesses to tell them what to do.”
To Twilight's surprise, Chancellor Neighsay frowned. It was the first clear emotion he expressed. She dreaded finding out what a chord Kenneth had struck. And the appearance behind the Chancellor of a trio of familiar faces didn't help her relax.
“Let me inform you, Mister Marshall, that the EEA, although completely loyal to Equestrian royalty, is perfectly independant. We protect Equestria’s future from futile or dangerous ideas and are quite proud of it. Not even Princess Celestia has authority over what is taught to our people.”
Kenneth arched an eyebrow without taking his eyes off the gray unicorn.
“What about princess Luna?” he asked.
“To be completely honest with you, while her opinion is valuable, we don’t consider it with the same importance as her sister’s. She is undoubtedly an appropriate ruler, but she let herself be corrupted and became a real threat to Equestria. I don’t think the people will be able to trust her anytime soon and I think they are right. She is respected, but I don’t believe she’ll be loved like her sister for a long time.”
As Kenneth was about to answer, his eyes widened to find something behind the Chancellor. He was intrigued by this look and discovered that all the ponies surrounding them had a surprising array of emotions themselves. Some seemed worried, others embarrassed, and a few, especially Twilight and Rarity, saddened. When he turned his head, the Chancellor found himself unpleasantly surprised. A few steps behind him was Princess Luna herself. Beside her stood the element of kindness, looking at her with sad compassion, and loyalty, looking at Neighsay with anger. The night princess had heavy eyes but a straight posture. If she had smiled before, all traces of it were gone.
“Oh, well…” hesitated the Chancellor with an unsettled dignity he tried to maintain. “That’s a bit embarrassing. I’m sorry you had to hear that, your highness.”
“It is alright,” declared Luna, turning her head away. “You have the right to have your opinion, Chancellor.”
Rarity and Twilight could sense the tension in their princess' noble voice. She managed to maintain her dignity with admirable courage, but both of them knew her well enough to understand how much the words had hurt her. They became worried when they caught a glimpse of Kenneth's clenching fist out of the corner of their eyes. His eyes reflected an anger more tumultuous than Rainbow Dash's, and his lips twisted to reveal his clenched teeth like those of an angry dragon.
“Please, Kenneth,” whispered Rarity with understanding, but also the saddeness of the powerless. ”Calm down. It’s not worth it.”
Kenneth neither looked at nor answered the stylist. She froze in terror, as did Twilight, who was on the verge of collapse, seeing him raise his fist. Anguish changed to amazement when the human pointed an accusing finger at the Chancellor.
“How dare you, you son of a bitch?” he declared, shocking some ponies. “You are really lucky to have someone like her as your ruler. The luckiest, actually.”
The sentence surprised Twilight and Rarity as much as Luna herself. The princess could feel the human's anger blazing in his eyes and how his muscles were twitching with barely contained tension. He lowered his finger and spoke with more temperance.
“You say she’ll not be loved before a whole lot of time?” He looked to Twilight from the corner of his eye. “Want to bet on it? Someone recently reminded me how to make it happen. ” Without giving the Chancellor time to respond, Kenneth backed away from him, throwing. “Come on Luna! It's showtime.”
All the ponies around them exchanged incredulous looks, including the elements of harmony present. Caught off guard, Luna cut him off.
“What do you mean, Kenneth?”
The human turned to her and answered her more clearly.
“Let’s sing something for this crowd of snobbish morons and show them what you’re made of.”
The princess was no less bewildered than before.
“But… We can not impose ourselves in the middle of the gala like this. It’s not appropriate”
“Well, I will. I could ask someone else… ” He looked discreetly in Fluttershy’s direction. She opened her eyes wide and shook her head very quickly. “But you are the best choice right now.” He arched an eyebrow before teasing Luna. “Or maybe you’re telling me you can’t sing.”
This accusation did not make Luna laugh, who in turn walked over to Kenneth.
“Let me teach you that I am a great singer. I was educated by the best musicians in the kingdom and many ponies hailed my voice."
“That was a thousand years ago. It’s time to refresh their memories.”
Under the intrigued gazes of the whole room, as well as the worried ones of Twilight and Rarity, Kenneth and Luna stepped forward, one with the stance of a recently insulted queen and the other with the lightness of a child who was having a great time. Twilight almost wanted to stop them. Kenneth's music was, given what she had heard, absolutely unsuitable for the ears of the Canterlot nobility. However, the way he had won the sympathy of the people of Ponyville yesterday made her doubt.
The pony pairs stopped dancing when they found their princess with the human walking towards the space where the musicians were playing. Octavia almost dropped a wrong note when she saw them arrive and nodded to her conductor that there was someone behind him calling for his attention. The latter gently stopped the music when he discovered the princess behind him. He bowed to her and asked respectfully, “Your highness. Is there something we can do for you?”
Luna answered him with a broad smile and her most gently distinguished tone.
“I would like to show our guest that I have not lost my voice. Could we borrow you and your group for a song?”
“Of course, Princess! It will be our honor.”
Kenneth chuckled, which puzzled the princess.
“Nobility isn’t that bad I guess,” he whispered to her.
“It has its advantages indeed,” she admitted on the same volume.
“Is there a specific score you want us to play?” asked the conductor.
Luna turned to the human, who understood that she was throwing the question back at him.
“I have a perfect one in mind. I’ll just think about it and let you, the musicians, and any of your world’s magic trick do the rest.”
Luna looked surprised at what Kenneth had just said.
“Now that you mention it… It is true, we can do that.”
“Any chance you know how it works?” asked the metalhead.
“I… never thought about it to be honest.”
“I knew it,” said Kenneth, disappointed. “Too bad.”
All the ponies present in the room gathered to discover with curiosity what the famous princess of the night and being from another world was up to for them. Twilight and Rarity, accompanied by Fancy Pants and Fleur-de-lis, as well as the Chancellor, were in the front row. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash joined their friends as soon as possible. Without losing a second, Kenneth thought about the music he chose, pointed at the pianist and declared.
“Okay! Music Maestro!”
As soon as the last word was said, the first notes of the piano were played. Crystal clear sounds echoed throughout the room with a soft drumroll in the background. Then Kenneth began to sing with a delicacy that practically knocked the jaws off the elements of harmony.
Such a beautiful light to undo what I thought I believed in
Wild and cold is the wind that'll blow my conviction away
It was followed by the princess’s noble and powerful voice, accompanied by an electric guitar that Kenneth pretended to play.
Hear the call of the bright moon above outside of your window
Would you follow me into a world where reason doesn't pertain?
Each of the spectators were intrigued by what they heard. The musicians themselves were confused by what they were playing, but they let themselves be carried away with pleasure, especially the pony on the drums. Even more so when the two voices, so different, sang together in perfect harmony.
Everything I've come to know is gonna fall to pieces
Everything you've come to dream is gonna turn out real
At first uncertain, Luna felt overwhelmed by more than the urge to do well. This song, playing it here and now, filled him with joy, a joy that seemed to explode as she and Kenneth started the chorus.
A lunar light into your room
Let it carry you into the night
Moonglow, let it take you away
The road aflame, fooling gravity
You follow the light
Moonglow, moonglow to the other side
Twilight was the most surprised of all, but for good reason, so she said. The music Kenneth played in front of everyone was peculiar yet catchy, and sweet enough to scare nopony. But what surprised her most was Princess Luna. Twilight and her friends knew she was a kind and caring person, but there had always been a cold side about her that made her seem distant. Not this time. The Night Princess looked energetic. Twilight wanted to tell herself she sounded warmer, but the word didn't seem fitting. Despite the dynamism of her gestures and the sincerity of her smile, she retained an admirable dignity that was not unlike Celestia herself. If she really had to compare, Twilight would have said that before, Luna could look like a statue with a smile carved into it. During the song, she gave the same feeling as a gentle summer breeze. She didn't quite understand what was going on, but she had to admit that she was happy for the princess.
All you're told to comprehend
And put in place and understand is gone
When the music ended with the delicacy of a feather, there was a moment of silence. Then came a clash of clogs on the tiles, typical Equestria applause, and cheers. There were fewer of them than in Ponyville, the nobles of Canterlot were too distinguished for that, but the admiration was sincere in many of them. Some weren't impressed, even disgusted by this savage music, but they didn't mean much after Fancy Pants chanted how much he loved it.
The princess gazed at the whole assembly with astonishment and fascination. She could feel how the ponies present only saw the wonderful singer she had been at that moment. Her heart grew so light that she thought for a moment she was going to drop a tear. She held back with all her might and turned her gaze to Kenneth instead. The young man, who was also gazing at the crowd, was apparently pleased with himself. He met Luna's gaze and found in her eyes a gratitude as deep as a perfect starry sky.