Sitting at the round table, Spike looked at Starlight. She sat there, clasping a cup of warm cocoa between her hooves; looking like a tired mother hen that had just seen her young ones off to bed.
When asked about why he, a baby dragon, was allowed to stay up, she told him.
“I don’t mind your presence and to be frank, I don’t really wish to be alone right now.”
With that, she took another long sip and glanced at the clock. 8 PM. For a while, Spike sat there, awkwardly staring at Starlight for the next few minutes, before asking her about something he overheard earlier.
“You told Twilight you were once an Alicorn. What happened?”
“Ah, yes, my daughter was quite, the inquisitive fledgling, about that as well.”
“Fledgling?”
“Alicorn filly.”
“Oh. Wait, hold on. Twilight is your daughter?”
“Very much so. Luna and I were tickled pink to learn that we were expecting. Hard to believe it’s been 50 years since then.”
“50 years? Twilight is an Alicorn filly? I am so confused.”
Glancing at the clock, Starlight made a mental note of the time. 8:15 PM. They’ll be here soon.
“I suppose I have some time to share my tale with you.”
“Now presenting her Royal Highness, Princess Starlight of the Crystal Empire. The Princess of Time approach-”
“Knock it off.”
Dressed in a pair of low-cut denim shorts that were frayed, Starlight Glimmer did not embrace the formalities of her title. The Alicorn had on a purple t-shirt with a skull on it, that had blue and white flames surrounding it. She wore no crown and on her hooves, she had a pair of simple purple sneakers that she had bedazzled herself.
She surveyed the suddenly silent ballroom. Her eyelids boasted a heavy purple eyeshadow and thick black mascara had been painstakingly applied to her eyelashes. Her normally flowing mane had been cut in a jagged bob, a typical stallion cut, and the edges were frosted a bright purple to match her light purple locks with a seafoam green stripe.
The Gala had fallen unnerving quiet, for a few moments before Starlight spotted her; the mare she wanted to dance with. Confidently she strode over to none other than the Princess of the Lunar Heavens herself, Princess Luna.
“Hey, want to dance?”
While her older sister, Celestia was slightly taken aback by the lack of ceremony, Princess Luna was instantly taken by the way Starlight approached her. Holding out her hoof, Luna daintily lifted the folds of her flowing ball gown, as she bowed in a delicate curtsy. Starlight meanwhile bowed in response, and a gasp went up from the crowd. Mares did not bow. Luna, however, seemed excited by this break in tradition as Starlight took her forehoof.
At once a saxophone’s jazzy riff could be heard joined by a bass and an accompaniment of trombones filled the Grand Galloping Gala. Onlookers looked around, surprised at the sudden burst of Jazz, while the orchestra looked bewildered at their instruments as though the inactive instruments were the cause.
Side-step, twist, backstep, twirl, slide-in, twist, switch sides; the two were lost in the throes of a passionate melody as the rhythm flowed within and all around the two. While onlookers continued to search, baffled, for the source of the music, Starlight and Luna danced. Halfway into a reverse swing, Luna reached up and undid the bow in her mane, wrapping the ribbon around the back of Starlight’s neck and pulled her forward.
Now only inches from the other, Luna flashed her eyelids and whispered.
“I’ve missed you.”
Starlight laughed. The two had been dating in secret for a year now, and nopony was the wiser.
“You talk too much.”
Placing her lips against Luna’s, Starlight grinned as shouts of encouragement and scorn alike arose from the onlookers. Such uncouth public displays. Scandalous. Such passion. Go get her! The shouts flew heavy and fast from the observing dignitaries and Starlight winked at Luna. She whispered to her.
“Now that we gave them something to talk about, why don’t we get out of here? All of our friends are waiting.”
Luna nodded and as the music hit its peak, the two gave a flourish of curtsy and bowing respectively; amidst an explosion of light blue light and vanished from sight.
Reappearing moments later in a group of mares, Starlight and Luna were greeted by cheers.
“Hey look, who finally showed up!”
A cyan-blue Pegasus mare with a rainbow-colored mane playfully smacked Starlight on the flank as she chided the two lovers. Immediately a pale yellow-furred Earthpony with an orange mane and doleful sky blue eyes rested a gentle hoof on her back.
“Aw shucks Wendy, just leave 'em be.”
Wendy Whistles nudged the Earthpony teasingly.
“Oh you know I’m just messing with them, Pear.”
Pear Butter flushed a bright pink at this comment, seeing the wink from Wendy as she spoke. Meanwhile, a Pegasus with butter yellow fur turned to a gray earthpony with her red mane waving wildly in the night wind.
“C-Cloudy? Is it all set-set up yet?”
Cloudy Quartz laughed excitedly, her jet black mane and tail bouncing up and down.
“Not to worry Shy, I got the party all ready to go! Just waiting for Cookie to finish with her decorating.”
Luna laughed and said.
“Who’s ready for the greatest sleepover ever?”
Starlight nodded.
“I know I am, though are you sure it’s wise to keep this from your sister?”
“Oh Tia’s so busy with all that diplomacy that she probably won’t even notice I’m go-”
“Little sister!”
From under a nearby tree, Celestia, eldest sister and acting ruler of Equestria, approached. Never one to act without understanding she had observed the scene in its entirety. Walking indignantly right up to her little sister, Celestia towered over the others. The oldest living Alicorn, she lowered her head to stare inches from Starlight’s face demanding to know.
“How long?”
“She was intimidating, to be honest, but I held my own.”
Starlight shivered under the penetrating no-nonsense gaze of Celestia and her voice faltered, becoming little more than a squeak as she whimpered.
“How long?”
“How long have you been seeing my sister?”
Starlight felt her resolve turn to jelly as Celestia glared at her, inches from her face.
“O-one ye-year, erm Your Majesty.”
Celestia whispered to her.
“If you ever hurt her, the sun will never rise for you again, Princess, and not even time will prevent my infernal wrath. Understood?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Yeah, totally held my own.”
Seeing the absolute fear flash in Starlight’s eyes for just a moment, Spike just nodded.
“Totally.”
Taking a long sip of her cocoa, Starlight glanced at the clock. 8:45 PM. Soon.
“Ahem yes, well, anyway we gathered at Cloudy’s farm, her parents were surprisingly accommodating and offered the silo for our shenanigans. Celestia had joined us as she just wanted ‘some time away from the castle.’ Everything was going great. Too bad we didn’t notice we were being watched as we hit the floor for a dance.”