Shades of Grey

by Inquisitor M

10. Sleeping Beauty

Being asked to observe and assist with the research team from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns was a rare and precious opportunity: Silverlight’s usual comrades were five pegasi—mostly on the meat-headed side—a unicorn with as much affinity for magic as a toaster, and a millennium-out-of-touch princess that made him feel like he was back in magic kindergarten.
“Master Spellsong, Miss Sparkle,” he said, approaching the pair.
“Master Spellsong?” The tutor’s eyes brightened suddenly. “Silverlight? Is that you, boy? I’m sorry I didn’t recognise you! Was that you in the main hall with Twilight’s friend?”
The guard nodded formally. “Yes, sir, but I’m not surprised you didn’t recognise me. Guard training and this armour will do that to a pony.” Clearing his throat, he adopted a louder, flat tone. “Princess Luna requests that I be allowed to observe your deliberations. Also, she would like to extend an invitation to Twilight Sparkle for a late luncheon in her tower.”
“Really?” Twilight said. “I mean, of course! We’re very busy here, but I suppose a pony has to eat sometime, and I couldn’t possibly turn down Princess Luna.”
“Good. I’ll escort you up in a little under two hours if that is agreeable?” Silverlight relaxed and stepped closer, leaning between the other ponies and whispering, “On a personal note, can either of you tell me what happened after I left the audience chamber?”
“You know, I can still hear you, Silverlight,” Sonata said from behind the Encyclopaedia of Forbidden Magics. “If you must know: Spellsong asked Miss Sparkle to tell us ten times over what I already knew. Your pegasus colleague asked us to prepare a report for the less successful teams. Princess Celestia thanked me for using my initiative. The end.”
Silverlight growled, his ears flattening against his head, but Spellsong spoke out before he could reply. “Perhaps we should focus on filling you in on where we are? Twilight, why don’t you start us off?”
“Sure! When I was talking to Princess Celestia yesterday, it struck me that I felt two very different presences when I had contact with Stormcloud. Once I started looking it up, I found references to naturally-occurring magic that matched my experience very closely. It’s nothing anypony would know much about today because they haven’t been found in Equestria in over a thousand years. As far as I can tell, it’s been more like one and a half thousand years, but the details are a little sketchy.”
“Luna’s briefing didn’t imply Stormcloud was from quite that long ago.” Silverlight’s eyes rolled upward. “But then, she does seem to be vague when it comes to dates.”
“I’ve noticed that Princess Celestia does that too. I suppose it can’t be easy remembering things from that long ago. Sometimes I have to make checklists just to get through the day without forgetting something.”
Spellsong coughed loudly. “If we could focus, please? These pools of magic were considered very dangerous at the time. Depending on whose accounts one reads, they have been called things like wild magic, mana fountains, and wyld-bombs. The last is the most troubling because the name came about due to explosions or ambitious unicorns trying unsuccessfully, and usually fatally, to tap them for power.
“That’s our worst-case scenario. The idea matches the descriptions we have, and Twilight’s first-hoof account, but we can’t pin down the source of the pools or how it could affect a pony. It would seem from Sonata’s study of Princess Luna’s encyclopaedia, however, that the princess knows a thing or two about such magic already.”
“Of course,” Silverlight replied. “I can relay questions to Luna for you if you want. She won’t mind, I promise.”
“I suspect Princess Luna has plenty to think about already,” Spellsong tilted his head down as if angling his gaze over spectacles that weren’t there. “I wouldn’t want to go chasing our tails until we’ve done the proper homework first.”
“Yes, Master Spellsong. I understand.”
Twilight raised a hoof. “Silverlight? I hope you don’t mind if I ask but, how do you know Spellsong, and why do you call him master?”
“He was my tutor in the year I left the school. Of all the ponies we could have had, we thought we were lucky to have him. I seem to recall we gave him the honourific of master half-jokingly, but I’d say it turned out pretty well in the end. I mean, we could have been lumbered with some self-obsessed mare stuck up her own—”
“Silverlight!” Spellsong clipped the back of Silverlight’s head with a well-aimed book.
Sonata lowered her book to peek over the top at the guard.
“Nothing to see here,” Spellsong said. “You can get back to your reading.”
“Oh come now. I was just thinking that I actually admire this one. He graduated from our school, joined the guard, and now he’s the elite of the elite working directly for Luna. That takes strength, courage, and ambition. He’s also the only pony with the nerve to say what he really thinks. Honestly, I think I like him.
“By the way, Silverlight, you’ll find Amethyst’s bag over there in the corner if you have the sudden desire to vomit. I won’t be offended.” She disappeared behind the encyclopaedia again, turning one of its ancient pages slowly.
Twilight cringed. “Umm, Silverlight, maybe you should go talk to the other groups about what they’re researching? We’ve allocated focused fields of inquiry to three pairs of researchers.” She pointed towards the furthest pair. “Amethyst and Winter Fire over there are investigating known sources of naturally occurring magic. Why don’t you start with them?”
“From Clouds To Cutie Marks,” Silverlight said, examining the book Winter Fire was holding. “I remember studying that at school. Hopefully I’ll even make myself useful.”

Sunlight no longer flooded through the window, but the room still bathed in a shimmering, afternoon glow. A cool midsummer breeze stirred the air, along with the distant sounds of Canterlot’s daytime hubbub.
In her royal-sized bed, Rarity lazed on plush pillows that were soft against her muzzle and under sheets that were silky-smooth against her coat. Even with the added effects of the brew Thunderer had summoned, the luxurious sensuality was not enough to ease the knot in her stomach. She imagined going back to see Twilight and telling her how she felt, begging her attention and the solace that came with it, but the very idea disgusted her. Twilight wasn’t simply busy: she was doing important work that would not only help Stormcloud, but go a long way towards helping to ease Luna’s troubles. How could she possibly put herself above such things? How could she live with herself for being so weak and foalish? To make matters worse, she couldn’t get Blessing out of her mind: the filly had captured Luna’s attention completely—giggling, playing, and bringing her a joy that Rarity could neither rival, nor find justification for interfering with. Perhaps one day she could be happy that she had grown enough to recognise these feelings, that this wasn’t that day. Today she had to be strong, for everypony’s sake.
Somewhere in the haze of dissonant thoughts, there was a knock at the door.
“One moment, please!” she called out, pulling herself from the bed and hastily remaking it, careful to hide the tears soaked into the top pillow. “Come in!”
When the door opened, it wasn’t Thunderer who stood behind it, but Twilight Sparkle. “Rarity! Are you having lunch with Princess Luna too?”
“Twilight? I was expecting—oh.” She caught a glimpse of Thunderer’s smirk just before the door clicked shut. “Twilight dear, I do believe we have been set up.”
Thunderer, you... you did this... for me?
“Set up?” Twilight followed Rarity’s gaze to the door. “What do you mean? By who? I was told that Princess Luna wanted to—”
When she turned back, Rarity’s eyes were already watering as her lip trembled.
“Rarity! Oh my gosh! Rarity, what’s wrong?”
Rarity lunged forwards and threw her forelegs around Twilight’s neck, hugging her friend fiercely. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice already breaking as tears streamed down her face. She felt Twilight inch forward, allowing her to settle back onto her haunches before two legs wrapped tightly around her middle.
“It’s okay,” Twilight whispered. “Everything will be okay.”
Rarity screwed up her face and choked out a solitary sob. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice little more than a whimper. “I d–didn’t want to take you away f–from your work. You were enjoying it so much… I-I—”
“No, Rarity! I’m sorry.”
Rarity felt the intensity her friend’s concern through the hooves that repositioned themselves to hold tighter.
“I wasn’t paying attention in the first place, so I didn’t notice there was anything wrong. Being busy is no excuse for ignoring your friends, and I should know better! You’ve been through something horrible and I was too wrapped up with the princess to make sure you were okay.”
For a long moment, neither said anything. Eventually, Rarity loosened her grip and put one hoof back on the floor. She pulled her head back slightly to nuzzle the side of Twilight’s face and whispered, “Thank you.”
“It’s okay,” Twilight said again, nuzzling her friend back and putting her own hooves down. “It’s all right. I’m sorry, Rarity. I’m so sor—”
Three knocks on the door, in military timing, interrupted the moment.
Rarity backpedalled. “Lunch!” Horn glowing, she hastily grabbed items from the vanity desk and started making herself presentable.
“Don’t worry, Rarity. I got this.” The sheet on the bed rose up in a purple aura and spread itself to hide the flustered Rarity. “Take your time,” Twilight said, and then turned to the door. “Come in!”
From the other side of the makeshift curtain, Rarity heard several sets of hoof-falls, the sound of something heavy being set down on the floor, and Twilight gasping.
“Wow. And I really do mean, wow.”
Rarity recognised the unfurling of cloth, and the ring of plates and bowls being set out was unmistakable. Lastly, there were some thuds and lids being removed. Given Twilight’s reaction, she could barely imagine what might be awaiting her. Pulse racing, she hurried her preparations, only for Twilight to whip the sheet away as the hoof-falls stopped.
An unexpectedly long, sumptuously laid out table for two, filled the middle of the room. Matching vases sported roses colour coordinated to the princesses: white in one, with a taller yellow bloom in the centre, and deep blue in the other with a single, pale purple rose. The silverware was of the highest quality, the tablecloth a masterpiece of design, and even the chairs were ornate to the very limits of being functional.
Two extravagant starters sat waiting before the chairs, and finest crystal glasses accompanied decanters of orange and cranberry juices. A whole pitcher of iced lemon-water sat to one side with large, crystal tumblers.
Rarity closed her drooping jaw. The smells of roasted pears, lemon drizzle and hot olive bread filled the air. “This spread, it’s…”
“The princesses’,” Twilight said. “This set was a gift after Princess Luna returned. She’s really going all out for you.”
Not Luna.
As Rarity stepped toward the table, Twilight’s leg shot out to hold her back. “Don’t take no for an answer next time.” Twilight rested her muzzle on Rarity’s crest, holding her tightly with a hoof again. “Promise me.”
“I promise.” Rarity raised her own hoof, clinging tightly even as the smell of hazelnut oil and roasted cobnuts tickled her senses. “You really are the best friend a girl could ask for, you know, but we should probably eat while the bread is still hot.”

“Please take over guarding Lady Rarity,” Thunderer said as Vanilla entered the antechamber. “I need to go and explain to Luna why she’s late for a lunch she didn’t know about.”
“Boss? You’re not making much sense. Isn’t Luna inside?”
Thunderer ignored the question and hammered on the door. When the reply came from inside, he was already striding down the stairwell. Shaking his head, Vanilla focused on the door, pushed it open, and walked into the room.
“Miss Sparkle, I really didn’t expect to find you here.” He nodded curtly, then again to Rarity. “I do hope we didn’t get off on the wrong hoof earlier?”
“The wrong—Oh.” Twilight shrank down in her seat. “Sorry about that.”
“Not at all, Miss Sparkle. Let’s just say you made more friends than you lost today, and leave it at that. Lady Rarity, I trust the starter was to your satisfaction?”
“Vanilla dear, it was simply divine.”
“Why thank you for saying so. I always approve of a receptive audience,” he replied, putting a hoof to his chest.
Twilight looked at Rarity, and Rarity just blinked.
“Oh please!” Vanilla briefly raised the hoof to hide his face. “You wound me if you are so surprised that a mere guardpony would be capable of such culinary feats.”
Twilight giggled. “I see what you mean Rarity, they’re definitely not what I would expect either.”
“Ahh. Am I to assume that her majesty’s finest have made the list of topics for lunchtime gossip? Clearly, if you have so much time to talk, you must be ready for the main course, yes?”
Twilight nodded vigorously. With a double-tap on the floor from Vanilla, two unicorn waiters strode in with a serving cart, replaced the starters with large, dome-covered platters, and refilled the decanters of juice.
“’Tis with heavy heart I must confess,” Vanilla said, raising his acting to a mockery of Shakesponian oration. “My life’s passion pales before he who brings forth the princesses’ finest fare. Behold!” Horn aglow, he lifted the silver covers.
“Giant portobello mushrooms, stuffed with artichokes, red onion and thyme, set on a pearl barley and butternut squash risotto with gremolata oil. There are plenty of vegetables in the side dishes, so please help yourselves!” Silently, the serving unicorns retreated. “I’ll be just outside if there’s anything you beautiful mares desire. Please, enjoy your meal.” With a deep, theatrical bow, Vanilla took his leave.
“Amazing,” Twilight said as the door clicked shut. “It’s really nice to know Princess Luna’s in such good care. Although, I suppose it’s a bit odd to think of a princess being under anypony’s care at all.”
Rarity was already busy chewing. She relaxed into her chair, releasing a satisfied moan as the exquisite flavours danced across her tongue.
“I know what you mean,” she said, after dabbing her lips with a napkin. “And I must admit that Princess Luna didn’t turn out to be anything like I imagined. One minute she seems like the exact opposite of her sister, and then she says or does something and you can barely tell the difference.”
Twilight swallow her own mouthful. “It sounds like the two of you had an interesting morning. I know it’s stupid but, I almost feel jealous. I mean, I saw Princess Celestia so much when I was growing up, but these days I rarely get to spend that kind of time with her. There’s always something going wrong or getting in the way, or she’s just busy being a princess.”
“Oh, Twilight,” Rarity said, adding carrots and roasted parsnips to her already heaped platter. “If you’re trying to apologise for being preoccupied again, you needn’t worry. If anything, I think I understand you more than ever now, and I feel ashamed that I never truly appreciated how much the princess meant to you. I mean, of course we all love Princess Celestia dearly, but I never really imagined Luna would be so inspiring. Honestly, I’ve had my share of being star-struck, but Luna’s just… different.”
Both ponies set their conversation aside for a minute to appreciate the meal set out before them. Twilight refilled the glasses with cranberry juice, and eventually spoke as she passed one across the table. “Do do you ever feel like we don’t make enough time for each other? I mean, you’re always so busy with the boutique and I know I spend just as much time studying, but I really enjoyed spending the other night together. We don’t do it often, and, well, I worry that I’m not doing enough. Especially after seeing you earlier…”
For a split second, Rarity’s face fell.
I don’t make enough time for you?
“You know, Twilight, I’m not really to type to talk magic that much, but I did enjoy our little get-together too. I’m sorry if it seems like I’m so busy all the time. I...”
“Oh it’s fine,” Twilight replied with a smile. “I mean, it’s not like I take that much interest in the finer points of your dressmaking. It’s just your thing, you know? I feel like it would be insulting to ask about stuff that would be trivial to you, but it never really occurred to me that you might feel the same way about magic.”
She doesn’t have any interest in your passion? Why would she?
“Well, I suppose that is true. You’re just so talented after all, but why don’t you tell me about what you’ve been up to in Canterlot instead?”
Oblivious to the deflection, Twilight’s speech quickened as she began to recount her tale. “Well, Princess Celestia wanted me to come and tell her about our encounter with Stormcloud. I think I might have fooled myself into thinking everything was fine, but I was really stressed. Worrying about you and Fluttershy wasn’t exactly helping.”
I didn’t listen to Fluttershy when she hinted at a problem. I didn’t make time for her, either.
“I felt so much better after spending time with Princess Celestia that I slept all afternoon. She must have known that I needed it, but it sounds like it messed up Luna’s plans for today. Then I ran into Sonata and—you know most of that already, I guess.”
“Well, I wouldn’t worry about Luna. I am absolutely certain she is just happy that you’re all right after being in that dreadful place.”
“I suppose, but I’m glad she has you to look after her, too,” Twilight said. Rarity cringed. “I do feel like I’ve held things up, though. There’s so much work to do, and I had no idea that Princess Celestia wasn’t heading the research herself until I started talking to Spellsong. Stormcloud sounds even more dangerous than Rainbow Dash thought he was, and she was pretty adamant that he was bad news.”
“Twilight? I’m not sure I follow. I know he can’t control his magic, but he’ll be fine if he stays where he is, won’t he?”
“Probably, but we can’t be sure. Princess Celestia said he was pretty angry when she first met him, but she said there were good reasons for that. She doesn’t blame him for what he did, but that doesn’t make him any less dangerous, either. She said he kept trying to get respect by becoming more and more powerful, until he couldn’t control it anymore, and that he hurt ponies when he got upset. Considering what he did to Fluttershy and me, he seems pretty dangerous even if he doesn’t leave the mountain.”
Rarity stared at the black vase decorated with a crescent moon.
‘Celestia said he gave up, but I refuse to believe it.’ That’s what Luna said. Am I supposed to believe that Princess Celestia is wrong?
She looked up to see Twilight waiting for her reply. “Luna says he never gave up, and never swayed from his isolation. She said he was more terrified of hurting any other pony than himself. He’s just scared and alone, Twilight. He doesn’t have any friends except Luna, and it sounded like that was strained at best. I don’t think he meant to hurt any of us.”
“Did Princess Luna know him that well?”
Rarity nodded, solemnly.
Twilight’s frown deepened and she started picking idly at her food. “I’m not sure what to make of it. I’d like to talk to him, but that would be extremely dangerous and I’m not really sure I want to risk going into that mountain.”
“Luna could tell you if it would be safe,” Rarity said, slicing a mushroom in half. “But I’m also sure it would be folly for me to go near it again.”
“No, it’s not the mountain itself I was worried about, although you’re right, I need to ask about that. If our research is even remotely accurate, we really have no idea what could happen with Stormcloud. All that magic he was giving off might only be the start of something much bigger, and that’s why this research is so important. We need to understand what’s going on before something terrible happens.”
Rarity gulped her mouthful down and leant over the table. “Something terrible? Don’t spare me the details, Twilight. How terrible?”
“Well, I may have overreacted when I heard the first time, so please try and stay calm. It could be anywhere from not very much at all… to exploding.”
Forcing the chair out from under her, Rarity rushed around the table. “You can’t let anything like that happen! You have absolutely no idea what it will do to Luna!”
“Rarity, we’re doing everything we can,” Twilight replied, her voice rising in pitch. “There’s a meeting this evening with both princesses and all the staff. If there’s a way of stopping whatever is happening to him, then we’ll find it. But we’re not even sure what’s happening to him yet, so it’s going to take time.”
Rarity started trembling, her face flushed. “That’s not good enough, Twilight! You can’t let anything happen to him!”
“Rarity! Please try to calm down! You look like you’re going to—”
“No! You don’t understand! You have t-to… y-you can’t… you...” Rarity’s voice weakened. Her eyes glazed over and she began to sway. Twilight pushed her own chair away and put a hoof around her friend, holding her up.
“Twilighht,” Rarity said, her words starting to slur. “Promish me you’ll… you’ll…”
She passed out.
“Help!” Twilight shouted, unable to do much more than hold her friend’s head up as her body slumped. “Geez, Applejack, just how strong are you…”
The door flew open and Vanilla charged in, quickly getting a hoof under Rarity’s shoulder to lower her carefully. With well-drilled expertise, he checked her temperature, pulse, breathing, and pupil reaction.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know! She suddenly got all emotional and collapsed again!”
With an amber glow, the bedsheet flew up and stretched itself over Rarity. “She’s out cold, but seems stable. I don’t want to try dragging her up on the bed though, so I’ll go find Luna first.”
“It’s okay,” Twilight replied, finding a little more composure. “I was just taken by surprise. I can manage it.”
She levitated both Rarity and sheet gently onto the bed, leaving Vanilla wide-eyed and gaping mouthed. “A whole pony… with almost no effort. I’ve never seen anyone but Luna do... Luna! Right, I’ll go fetch her immediately. You stay here.”
As the guard rushed out the door, Twilight fixed the sheets over her friend. She crouched with her forelegs up on the bed and watched Rarity breathing. She seemed almost at peace, her chest ring and falling gently in a languorous rhythm. She looked nothing like the mare stricken by Stormclouds mountain, and yet, Twilight was still just as powerless to do anything about it.

I take full responsibility, of course.

It is to Twilight.

Perhaps, but I do.

It wasn’t.

It’s not magical, and your physician says she’s just exhausted.

Not so loud, please. You’ll wake her up.

Shh. I said be quiet.

Him, you can keep.

Quiet.

The conversation seemed so far away. She recognised the four voices—knew them from somewhere—but couldn’t put faces to them. She dragged herself upwards, away from the abyss and toward the light.
“Rarity?”
The clarity of the nearby sound focused her, but she could not will herself to move. When a hoof touched her foreleg, her eyes flicked open instantly and her whole body convulsed for a fraction of a moment. In front of her was Luna, arched over the edge of the bed and smiling warmly. Vanilla and Splashdown stood either side of the princess, relief etched on their faces, and behind them all, Celestia stood passively by the door.
Relaxing back into her pillows, Rarity let out a long sigh. “This wasn’t the kind of attention I was thinking of, either.”
Vanilla groaned. “You are such a loudmouth, Splashdown.”
“Both of you, out,” Luna said.
Without comment, the two guards marched briskly out of the room, and Celestia followed them after a small nod to her sister.
“Now, how are you feeling, Rarity?”
“Exhausted. How long was I asleep?”
Luna frowned. “I am not sure I would call it sleep. You fell unconscious less than an hour ago, and even the doctor’s examination didn’t wake you up. Speaking of which, I’m under orders to get you to eat more before I encourage you to rest.”
The room was empty of other ponies and the dining table, but her lunch plate and a glass of juice floated up to the bed, wrapped in Luna’s magic.
“I seem to recall we have been here before, you and I. I don’t know if I’m distressed that I may have made things worse for you, or very glad you asked me to keep you close. At least this time you can feed yourself, I think?”
Tell her.
Rarity lifted over the glass of orange juice and drained it, easing her parched throat. “I’m so sorry to be taking up your time, Luna. You’re so busy today already, and now that I know why, I really don’t want to be getting in your way.”
The princess smiled, and her eyes softened as she relaxed. “I know, and there are many things I must attend to. However, I would like to make you a deal. I am not sure you’re going to like it, but please listen. Twilight tells me that you would both like to speak to Stormcloud again. I believe I can arrange this safely, but in return I want you to allow me to put a spell on you that will make you sleep and help you to recover faster.”
Rarity’s eyes widened. “Might I ask why, Luna?”
“Of course. If you want to come with me to see Stormcloud, I need to know that you will be strong enough for it. It is possible to shield you from the nullification spell, but you are still badly exhausted. If I did not think that you would benefit from it, I would simply refuse to allow you to come. The choice is yours, of course, but those are my terms.”
Tell her!
“That’s quite all right, Luna. I understand,” Rarity said with a smile of her own. Buying herself time to think, she sat up on her pillows and fed herself a mouthful of risotto. It was still warm and fresh, and the surprise must have shown on her face.
“One of Vanilla’s tricks: food preservation. It’s always nice to be surprised by a spell that I have never encountered before.”
Luna paused and Rarity let her enjoyment of the platter show with a quiet purr.
“I understand your concerns, Rarity. I would have Silverlight stationed in the room at all times. He is perfectly capable of rousing you should anything happen, and he knows the spell intricately. You will be quite safe. I don’t mean to push, but I believe this is what you truly want, and I sincerely hope that speaking to Stormcloud will help with whatever it is you are holding in.”
And she’d know what that was if you just told her!
Rarity turned sharply away. “I’m sorry I haven’t been more open with you, Luna. It just feels so silly. I… I can’t…”
Luna waved her off with a hoof. “Anything that you feel this strongly about cannot possibly be silly. Do not rush yourself on my account.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Are you quite sure?”
No!
“Yes, Luna. Quite sure.”
Turning to the door, Luna pulled it open with a glow of her horn and shouted. “Splashdown. Fetch Silverlight immediately. Tell him his assignment has changed.”
Rushing a few extra mouthfuls of risotto, Rarity set the platter down on the floor and settled herself comfortably. “Please. Do it now before I start worrying.”
“As you wish.”
Watching Luna straighten herself and close her eyes, dozens of images flashed through Rarity’s mind: Pinke, Twilight, Stormcloud, Blessing, Splashdown, and as always, Pinkie’s face refused to disappear easily.
“Luna?” She tried to keep the fear out of it, but her voice was small and wavering. “I… trust you,” she said, reaching out a hoof.
For a moment, Luna just stared at it. Then, she took Rarity’s hoof in her own and smiled. “Thank you, Lady Rarity. Now please try to relax.” Her voice turned soft, and Rarity stared into the warm, benevolent face of Luna that shone down on her. It was the face she wore for Blessing: the face she could only wear when she was comfortable, and the Princess of the Night was unnecessary.
And you still don’t deserve it.
Luna’s horn glowed and Rarity let the abyss claim her. Her eyes watered, but the last thing she saw was Luna gazing down at her, still beaming warmly.
You couldn’t say it. You’re a liar. A liar and a coward.
Rarity’s hoof fell to the sheet, and Luna wiped tears from her eyes.
“Sweet dreams, Lady Rarity.”

Spike:

After hours of putting up more balloons, streamers and banners, Spike’s focus drifted. The arrival of Carrot Cake and the first round of party food had been a pleasant distraction, but the little dragon couldn’t help but imagine what might be going on in Canterlot. Still, Twilight’s suggestion about holding the party for all the ponies that helped at the library was a really good one, and he felt it was his duty to see it through.
When the mayor suddenly spoke, Spike’s cry of shock immediately silenced her again. The mayor tried speaking a little quieter. “Just what do you think you’re doing, Spike? There are no engagements scheduled for today.”
Spike blinked a few times, recovering his wits. “There aren’t? But Pinkie Pie already invited most of Ponyville!”
“Well there isn’t anything booked. Except for band practice this evening.”
“But Pinkie took care of that, too! She said they were happy to play at the party instead. It’s good practice and they didn’t want to miss out on one of Pinkie’s parties.”
While the mayor paused to think, two unicorns wandered in from outside.
“Yo!” Sandy called out, a yellow stallion who was to be a guest of honour. “Wassup, little guy? Mr and Mrs Cake said Pinkie Pie was called away and you might need some help.”
“I sure do!” Spike momentarily beamed before his face fell. “Well, I think I do, but apparently Pinkie Pie didn’t actually book the town hall.”
The other unicorn, Marble, approached the mayor. “That simply can’t be right. Aren’t you the first pony on the guest list, Madame Mayor? I mean, you were the one doing the organising, and that’s who this party is for, isn’t it?”
“I am? It is?”
“Well sure!” Spike said, his voice lively again. “The party is for all the ponies who helped us out at the library, and that includes you!”
“Oh, well, I suppose... that’s not so bad then. But, just how many ponies are supposed to be coming to this party?”
“I think, like, most of Ponyville,” Sandy replied.
“Well I suppose there’s not much I can do about it then.”
Behind them all, a pale blue pegasus, Windlee, flew into the hall. “Hiya boys,” she said, winking to the two unicorns. “I saw Rainbow Dash take off earlier, so I just dropped in to see what’s shakin'. She was supposed to be helping Pinkie Pie with her party.” Looking up at the sorry state of the attempts at decorating the ceiling, she added, “Looks like it didn’t go so well.”
“They all got called away to Canterlot in a hurry,” Spike said.
Marble stiffened as he spoke. “Since Pinkie organised this party for us, I do feel rather indebted to help finish setting up if she’s been rendered indisposed.”
Sandy looked up at Windlee. “I’m sure somepony could make it worth hanging around for,” he said with a wink.
“Sure. It’s all clear skies and gentle breezes above, I can spare you an hour.”
“Aww,” said Spike, crossing his arms and hugging himself tightly. “You guys are the best.”
Her attention still stuck on the haphazard cloths that hung from the ceiling, the mayor asked, “Is there any kind of plan for that mess?”
“Is there much of a plan to anything Pinkie Pie does?” Marble replied.
Spike chortled. “You have no idea…”