Moon glanced around the busy party, a little tense. "I have arrived as requested."
Pinkie threw an arm around Moon's neck, guiding her right along towards the big angry cat bird thing. "So glad to see you! Now, this is Gilda, you two met, but let's do it better this time." She was grinning wide enough to squeak in her cheeks.
Moon offered a hoof, at least sure she was not on a bike that could be sent hurtling. "Greetings?"
She was fairly sure that would not be one of her favorite parties.
"And then, my little filly, she marches right up to yer town." Pear Butter sipped from her cup of juice with a proud smile.
Across from her, Velvet was listening raptly. "And she didn't visit? That's a shame."
"She was a bit distracted," defended Pear, but it turned quickly. "I'll make sure she stops by on the way back."
That got Velvet to pause. "The way back? Is she still there?!"
"Nope, right here, where she belongs, helpin' with the harvest." Pear nodded with a confident happiness. "But she will be back, because she done got herself a little job, just fer a day, but what a day it'll be!"
Velvet reached across the table, hoof on her friend's arm, near Pear's hoof. "Stop teasing me, you country delight! What will she be busy doing? Something exciting?"
"Oh, you betcha." Pear bobbed her head firmly. "She's gonna be an assistant chef at the Grand Galloping Gala. Paid 'course. She's an adult pony, don't need no unpaid work."
"Wow!" Velvet crashed her hooves together, her grin growing by the moment. "That's exciting. I was going to skip this gala, but now I want to try something your daughter made."
"Silly city pony," laughed out Pear. "Just come right back here after it's over and let her whip up a treat with her new city slickin' skills. No need to go to all that trouble ah goin' to a fancy party just fer the chance."
"I may do just that." Things grew quiet then, the two savoring their afternoon drink in good company. "Say. There's an event coming up that may be just up your alley."
Pear raised a doubting brow. "Yer the one bringin' it up, so ah'm gonna guess it's somethin' dangerous."
"Jus' a little," defended Velvet, waving her hooves at Pear. "More excitin' than dangerous, and there are fruit involved!"
"Uh huh..." Pear had known Velvet long enough, dear friend she was, to know what that meant. "So what kinda stunt do you want to sign us up fer?"
Velvet leaned in with a big grin. "Am I that obvious? Do you just see me as that crazy unicorn that likes to do crazy things?"
"A little," admitted Pear with an unsure smile.
Velvet swatted at her friend. "It's more fun than dangerous, I promise. It's the rolling of the fruit barrels! We start high." She raised a hoof high. "And get to roll 'em low." And down went her hoof with a whistling noise that descended with it. "Keeping your fruit from getting smashed up is part of the game. The one that reaches the bottom with the best barrel wins!"
"Ah thought fer a moment we'd be in the barrel." Pear's ears twitched lightly. "That doesn't sound too bad..."
"It isn't bad," assured Velvet with a huff. "It'll be fun. You're an active mare. Maybe you'll even beat me for a change."
"Ah do know how to roll a barrel proper." Pear buffed her chest with confidence. "Ah hope yer ready to lose fer once."
"Against you? With pleasure." She leaned in, touching snouts briefly. "I'll pen you down then. This is going to be so fun!"
"One thin'." Velvet perked an ear at Pear. "Yer husband."
"What about him?" Velvet looked quite perplexed.
"As much as ah enjoy our little trips, he is yer husband. Shouldn't ya bring him 'long?" Pear set her hooves together. "If... ah still... he'd be comin'."
Velvet paled a little, almost instantly around the table to grab up her friend in a great big hug. "Ah'll invite him then. We'll make it a big family barrel rolling trip!"
Pear smiled faintly. "'Sides, he's a smart pony, right good planner. Get him to figure out the path we should take. Gonna guess he'll like the job."
Velvet's eyes widened. "That is a great idea!" She squeezed Pear all the tighter. "And if we win, we'll all win. Oh, a perfect idea." She danced in place before backing up a little. "I better go tell him. The more time he has to plan, the happier he is."
Pear allowed her energetic friend to flee back to the mountain she came from. "Yer a bit of a chore." But a chore worth doing, she reckoned. She began cleaning up from their little lunch. "What friends are fer."
"Talk about a party pooper." Spike turned back towards the others instead of the closed door an angry griffon had stormed through.
At least the large beast was not angry at Moon, rather Pinkie and, surprisingly, Rainbow Dash. Gilda stormed off in quite the huff. But that did not abate the confusion Moon had felt. "I thought you knew how to navigate this."
Rainbow Dash slid right between them. "I didn't realize how rude she was. Sorry about that." She threw an arm around Pinkie and they were soon in an embrace of friendship. "No hard feelings?"
"No hard feelings," assured Pinkie in a jovial tone. "I'd rather hang out with my nice friends anyway."
Moon waited her turn until Rainbow had gone off to other things. "Pinkie Pie."
Pinkie pricked at her name. "What's up, Moonie? Didja have fun?!"
Moon inclined her head faintly. "It has been a learning experience, but a confusing one. I thought the goal was to befriend the griffon, but you seem pleased with the result despite the failure of that objective. Why?"
Pinkie sat on her haunches. "Well, to start, I made a mistake, but it's not a mistake I'm mad about."
Moon nodded, but said nothing.
"I thought I was misunderstanding Gilda, so I gave her another chance. That's what good ponies do." She nodded firmly, sure of that logic. "And it showed what she really was, and it showed Rainbow what I really was."
"A great pony." Rainbow thumped against Pinkie from the side. "Now c'mon, the punch has my name all over it, but avoid the one with the dribble." She snickered as she wandered off.
Moon watched Rainbow go. "Another lie, but one meant... in jest. A small lie." She raised her hooves close together. "I am starting to understand that. So you are happy because you are not uncertain anymore. You know who is good and who is bad."
Pinkie blinked softly. "Huh, wouldn't have put it that way, but yeah!" She thumped her forehead against Moon's, narrowly avoiding getting poked with a horn. "Now you did your part, when do we get to do that exam that I can't fail?! I wanna see that."
Moon smiled faintly. It was so nice when her subject matter was also looking forward to it. "I must prepare the test." Ah ha, a little lie occurred to her. "I must make certain you cannot fail it."
Pinkie nodded with understanding. "Wow, thanks for going through the extra effort just for little me. I'll do my best, promise!" She saluted, then bounced away to rejoin the party.
"Sorry for being wrong about Gilda." Twilight was there!
"It's alright," assured Pinkie. "Not even you can be a smarty-pants all the time."
Moon leaned in. "Wait, you were involved?"
Twilight began to blush. "Pinkie had come to me for advice."
"Smart." Moon nodded in appreciation.
"But I was wrong." She sagged a little.
"But it came out alright," assured Pinkie, bouncing in place. "C'mon, there's still plenty of party left!"
"Sister."
Celestia pricked an ear at the small form of the recovering Luna. She looked so adorable in that little filly's form, but she was growing rapidly. "What is it, Luna dear? How may I help you?"
"Your plan... I don't understand it." Luna rubbed at the side of her face with the flat of a hoof. "This Moon Dancer seems uniquely unfit for doing anything with the magic of friendship." She cocked a brow. "Which wasn't a thing, last I knew of it."
"He was working on it..." Celestia turned instead to look out a window. "But he couldn't finish it. He didn't understand it, he couldn't. And it still isn't thing, yet. She is not yet even close to unlocking it for us, for herself, and for the country."
Luna stepped up aside her sister. "If it is not yet a thing, then why dost thou work so diligently on what could be nothing?"
"Because I have faith." She gently set her hoof on Luna's withers. "Because I have waited so long for this day. We must guide her, show her the path that will allow her to grow."
"Grow quite a bit, sister mine." Luna put her hooves together just to spread them out wide. "Thou hast given thyself a challenge most considerable."
Celestia quirked a little smile. "Sister, the way you speak is... dated." Amusing too, but... dated. "Would you like lessons to--"
"--Nay," luna cut off with a frown. "There is nothing wrong with mine mode of speech." That lesson would have to come another day. "Sister, thou are distracting from the point."
"I am perhaps," she admitted. "I have a very good feeling about this, but it is difficult to explain how. My hunches are rarely entirely off." She inclined her head faintly. "Can you have faith, in your sister?"
Luna took a deep sigh, which would have sounded more imposing if she wasn't in the awkward teens of growing up. "Very well, sister mine. I will trust that thou knows what thou is doing." She smiled then, uncertain. "But there is another matter, more personal to me." She turned a hoof on herself. "I was lost once." An awkward silence built then. Both knew of that, all too fresh. "I am not mad," she cut in sharply.
"I am still sorry." Celestina inclined her head. "But what is your thought?"
Luna's ears danced. "I do not wish for a repeat. What purpose does thou have in mind for me? The night is still a time of quiet and solitude, is it not?"
Celestia turned, her wing lowering to brush Luna to join her in the pivot. "I was going to wait a little longer, but since you have brought it up..."
"Verily!" Luna bounced in place, hope in her eyes. "Tell me what thou has in thine mind!"
"A duty you are singularly suited for." Celestia nodded softly. "A duty only a night pony could fulfill, but it is not an easy task."
"Yes, something in need of mine talents?" Luna smiled brightly, envisioning a thousand inaccurate things. "What sort of task am I needed for? Doest thou need me hoof slaying vicious creatures of the night?"
"Nothing so violent." She began to walk, trusting Luna would follow, which happened almost instantly. "You will be a princess dearly loved, and learn of our ponies in a new way."
Luna gasped with astonishment. That hadn't been one of the things she had thought of! "Tell me more, sister mine!"
Celestia led her sister away to explain the idea. Perhaps Luna would yet become a fine princess of dreams, in addition to being the watcher of the night.
Greetings Princess Celestia,
Friendship is very confusing! But I feel I have done well with it. Twilight was wrong. That is not a statement I can write very often, but she was, and she admitted it. Friendship includes accepting the mistakes of your friends, if they make efforts to correct it. Twilight showed me a lesson without even trying, did I mention how good she is at this?
On less positive news, I learned that the one that hurt me was deserving of my disapproval. On the other side of that realization, others in the community came to the same conclusion. I feel that I became more of a friend to them even as I gave up on trying to create a friendship with Gilda. She was quite against the idea of new friends. I wonder, now... was she like me? I was also quite hesitant to make friends, and would have acted just as anti-social, though not violent.
Perhaps we have more in common than I first thought? A part of me wants to speak to her again, in private, but that option is not there. I will continue my exploration, starting with Pinkie Pie. Look forward to that report.
Yours Faithfully and Humbly,
Moon Dancer
Moon's horn glowed with magic as she focused intently. "C'mon, you can do it!" called Spike in encouragement. With a sudden lot pop of magic, Spike suddenly had quite the fine moustache. "Yes!" He pumped a hand in victory. "She's gonna love this."
Moon inclined her head at her ward. "Who?"
"Um!" Spike colored. "Nopony!"
Moon nodded softly. "Good. We should not permanently adjust you while you are still in pre-adolescence." With a new bit of sparkles, the moustache was sent away. "Thank you for suggesting that magic exercise."
Though disappointed, Spike recovered quickly, counting on his fingers, "Twenty-five, Moon Dancer. Twenty-five different kinds of tricks and counting. I thought unicorns were only supposed to have a little magic that matches their special talents!"
Moon swerved an ear at him as she turned and lowered herself in a silent offer for a ride. An offer he took, clambering up onto her. "That varies depending on their focus and cutie mark."
Spike leaned off to the side to peer at her rump. "What does yours mean? Twilight's magic." He clapped his hands, only to grow confused. "Uh."
The moment of dissidence faded as Twilight poked her head free of her kitchen. "Where are you all off to?"
Moondancer lifted her ears at Twilight's arrival. "I was going to take a walk with Spike. Would you care to join us?"
"I would be delighted." Her horn glowed, flipping the open sign to closed.
As she did that, Spike could see her cutie mark, a pile of books. What had he been thinking? He shook away the moment of dissonance. "We were just talking about why some unicorns cast all sorts of spells."
"A fascinating topic," agreed Twilight with a nod, walking along with her friends. "Most ponies only use the magic allowed by--"
"--instinctive prompts related to their cutie mark," completed Moon Dancer with a firm nod. "Twilight and I attended a magic school--"
"--Princess Celestia's," cut in Twilight in return. "School for Gifted Unicorns. We learned a lot of magic, and an appreciation for it."
Moon slid in closer from the side as they trotted. "It does not help that my cutie mark is literally for magic." Her cutie mark, a moon with six stars glittering around it, was proudly displayed. "Not that you have much trouble keeping up, Twilight."
"Aw, thanks." She thumped gently against Moon, avoiding brushing Spike off. "What's that up ahead?"
"What is this?" Moon agreed in her question, spotting a few young unicorns rushing to the front of a thick crowd. "Some sort of community event?"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Just a showboating unicorn that thinks she's great."
"Behold!" proclaimed Trixie, producing flowers from nowhere that she sent flying into the crowd of cheering ponies. "A small trick for one as Great and Powerful as Trixie. Did you not hear?" She cocked her head as if to listen. "Why, it was Trixie that defeated the dreaded Ursa Major!"
"My My, what boasting." Rarity fanned herself with a hoof as if to keep cool from the heat of the showing off.
The crowd was eating it up, ooing and ahhing in wonder. "Woah, no way," exclaimed one of those unicorn colts gaping up at the bright blue pony.
Trixie nodded. "Yes way. When all hope was lost, the ponies of Hoofington had no one to turn to, but the Great and Powerful Trixie stepped in, and with her awesome magic, vanquished the ursa major and sent it back to its cave deep within the Everfree Forest!" She gestured towards the forest with a cocky grin. "Saving the day."
The fanfare was quite loud, hooves stomping the ground and clopping against one another, which Trixie soaked up eagerly.
Moon Dancer inclined her head. "I know this."
Applejack was there, tilting her hat at Moon Dancer. "Ya do?"
"Yes. It is a lie, told not out of malice." She looked proud of her realization. She had gotten a chance to put her lesson into motion so quickly! It was rarely so immediately useful. "She is an entertainer, lying for the amusement of the other ponies." She waved a hoof at the great cheering crowd. "It appears to be successful."
Rainbow shook her head. "Moon, Twi, you're both better wizards than her. You should be up there, not her!"
Moon paled a little, imagining standing before that cheering crowd. "I do not desire this."
"I'm no good at showing off," stammered Twilight, blushing at the idea. "My magic is not that big of a deal anyway."
"Now that is a lie!" Moon circled in front of Twilight, facing her directly. "Your magic is amazing and astounding."
Spike shrugged from atop Moon Dancer. "It's true," he agreed with a quirk of a smile.
"What is this?" came Trixie's loud voice. "Some other pony thinks they are also a Great and Powerful wizard? As great as Trixie? This she doubts." She buffed a hoof on her chest, sneering at Twilight and Moon Dancer.
Rainbow could contain herself no longer, rushing right up to Trixie in a streak of colors. "You think you're so cool. What makes you so awesome anyway?"
Trixie was not intimidated by the sudden pegasus. "It seems our fine feathered friend wasn't paying attention, or perhaps you have locked hooves with the mythical, terrible, mighty, and fearsome ursa major?"
Rainbow rubbed the side of her head at that. "There's no reason to go show boating."
"Oh?"
"That's my job." Rainbow thumped herself on the chest before erupting in a great display of speed and skill, ending in a rainbow over herself and a great smile. "They don't call me Rainbow and Dash for nothing."
"When Trixie is through, the only thing they'll call you is loser." With a glowing horn, she seemed to grab hold of the very rainbow over Rainbow Dash, bringing it down to create a voilently spinning vortex that carried the pegasus away.
"Seems like anypony with a dash of good sense would think twice before tussling with the Great Trixie." Trixie nodded, satisfied. The crowd cheered. They had cheered each part. Even Rainbow's challenge had been a delightful part of the show, so far as they were concerned.
"We need a unicorn to counter her," called out Spike, just for a cloth tape to appear over his mouth.
"Neither Twilight nor I wishes to engage in this show." Moon Dancer looked up over her shoulder at her ward. "She is succeeding at entertaining the crowd, and I have no desire to become part of the show."
"Nor I," quickly joined Twilight. "It's good for her to show off. Clearly it's working for her."
"But it is not a habit Twilight, nor I, have need of." Despite her humble words, she looked quite proud of the stand she was taking. "Rarity?"
Rarity pricked up, her attention grabbed. "Oh, yes. We unicorns should hold ourselves to higher standards, darling." She smiled and nodded, joining the side of decorum. "I must admit, I didn't expect you to be the source of wisdom in this, Moon Dancer. Good on you."
Trixie could hear them discussing it. So could half the crowd. She couldn't have that. "Ooo, what's the matter? Afraid you'll get a hair out of place in that rat's nest you call a mane?"
Rarity colored in fury. "Oh... Oh now you've done it. It. Is. On." She drove a hoof down heavily, glaring at Trixie. Her expression softened as she began sauntering towards the stage. "You may think you're tough with all of your so-called powers, but there's more to magic than your brutish ways. A unicorn needs to be more than just muscle. A unicorn needs to have style."
The audience gasped and clopped at Rarity as she showed off with her graceful walk.
"A unicorn is not a unicorn without grace." She fluttered her lashes. "And beauty."
Spike nodded in appreciation. "Rarity knows how to... compose..." The audience was gasping in alarm.
Trixie's magic had transformed Rarity's gorgeous mane into a nasty green mess atop her head. "Mirror! I need a mirror!" she wailed, fleeing to find one, tears streaming from her eyes.
Moon Dancer frowned at that. "That was excessively cruel. Rainbow Dash is used to physical displays of dominance, but Rarity was entirely unprepared for that," she huffed, looking insulted in Rarity's stead. "Apologize to her."
Trixie raised a brow at Moon. "Pardon me? Trixie must not have heard correctly. Is some no-talent unicorn challenging her and telling her what to do? Surely that isn't it."
Twilight hooked a hoof around Moon's front, pulling her back. "This isn't worth it. Besides, uh, I hear my laundry calling!" And she fled the scene.
Moon Dancer was chasing after her. "Why did you not inform me of the laundry?"
Spike snickered softly, poking Moon from above. "Harmless lie to get away from the situation."
"Oh." Moon made a mental note. When to lie was so complicated... "Why are we fleeing? Rarity needed our help."
Twilight opened the door to the library and scooted inside. "The spell will wear off. Pony manes are notoriously difficult to affect in any long term capacity."
"This is true." Moon closed the door behind herself, lowering so Spike could climb free. "But she was still attacked. I could have earned a favor by assisting her. It angered me to see her attacked like that."
Spike hopped free. "I'm with you there. She didn't have to make Rarity cry like that." He was not as affected as he might have been. "I bet Rainbow will laugh it off."
Moon took a slow breath. "Putting that aside." She made a motion with her hoof of setting a box to her left. "She was performing her profession admirably. Perhaps later I can raise my concern privately, so she can improve her show."
Twilight's expression brightened at that. "Now there's a good idea. Perhaps, when she's... not performing, speaking will be easier."
Spike shrugged emphatically. "She seems like a real show off. I think it's just what she is. Whatever, gonna go."
"Where to?" Moon turned on him quickly. "You are finished with magic?"
"Oh, uh..." Spike rubbed an arm with the opposing hand. "I said I'd visit Diamond."
"Oh..." Moon flicked one ear back just for it to alight itself. "Thank you."
"Thank me?"
"For speaking truthfully." Moon leaned in and touched her snout to his cheek. "Have fun."
Spike erupted into a big grin, permission given. "I will! You're the best." He hugged Moon Dancer tightly around the neck and dashed off, soon lost to sight.
"They grow up so fast." Twilight was there, next to Moon Dancer. "He still needs you, as a sister."
Moon inclined her head. "Are you certain you have not developed a mind-reading spell of some kind?"
"I assure you I have not," laughed out Twilight as she flipped the sign with her magic back to Open for other ponies to come into the library. "But I mean it. You're a very important pony in his life, and you can't be replaced."
"Like a favorite book." Moon smiled with a touch of uncertainty. "But not the newest one..."