//------------------------------// // Op. 1, Movt 1: Prelude // Story: Private Gig // by NavyPony //------------------------------// Private Gig by NavyPony Op. 1, Movt 1 Prelude It was a party. Or rather, it was a Party, in the way only Pinkie Pie could manage. Almost everypony in Ponyville had found room in the library for music, games, dancing, and snacks. The Cakes had crafted an assortment of confectionary treats, Pinkie Pie had cupcakes on nearly every horizontal surface (minus the bookshelves – those were strictly off-limits), and somepony had procured a barrel of Sweet Apple Acres’ finest cider. Ponies were bobbing for apples, playing ‘Pin the Tail on the Pony’, and any of half a dozen other games, with foals and full-grown ponies enjoying them with equal vigor. And then there were the presents. There were bouquets of Ponyville’s most delicious flowers piled high on one table, and a score of gifted books on another. Almost half a dozen ponies had gotten decorative quills from Davenport’s Emporium, with Cheerilee and the Mayor having chosen some particularly fine specimens. Four dresses were laid delicately nearby, one from Rarity herself (with a giant hat to go with it), two commissioned from the seamstress as gifts, and one that Fluttershy had made using her ever-surprising sewing skills. Somepony with a bowling ball and pins for a cutie mark had given her a Persian rug. There was a complimentary spa package from the twins, and tickets to a Wonderbolts show from Rainbow. And there was bigger stuff, too. AJ and her brother had constructed a reading desk and a chair from apple wood. Mr. Davenport was promising a sofa, to be delivered next week. Princess Luna had even made a brief appearance, dropping off an expensive telescope and proffering a couple (admittedly stiff) salutations before returning to Canterlot. By almost any metric, it was the best birthday Twilight Sparkle had ever celebrated. There was only one thing missing, and had it been any other pony, it would have been ridiculous. Still, it kept Twilight from enjoying herself. Which was ridiculous, she considered. It certainly shouldn’t have been something worth ruining her party when her friends were having such a good time, after all. So why was she standing by herself in a corner? “Twilight?” Rarity crooned, appearing from the crowd with her lips pursed in concern. “Whatever are you doing in this corner by yourself? Is something the matter?” She answered more or less automatically. “What? Of course not, Rarity. Everything’s spectacular; I’m having a great time.” “You might be more convincing if you said that with a smile on your face, darling,” the other unicorn retorted light-heartedly. “I rather expected you to start danc- well, moving, perhaps, when this song started, but you’re just standing here. Now tell me, what’s really bothering you?” Twilight refrained from sighing when she reiterated, “It’s nothing Rarity. I really am having a good time, it’s just that I don’t really feel like dancing right now. I, uhh… I might’ve had too many of those apple fritters,” she fibbed, forcing a laugh. “By the way, have I thanked you for your dress yet? And the ones from the Riches and from Shiny? I know you put extra effort into his because he couldn’t be here, and I really appreciate that. But they’re all amazing, you know. I really-” “Yes, darling, I know; you must’ve said it a dozen times now, and so you know, your flattery isn’t going to distract me.” It did, however, put an enormous smile on the dressmaker’s face. “So tell me what this problem is,” the mare pleaded. “Is it the decorations? I did want to use the blue streamers, but Pinkie Pie absolutely insisted on green. I know it doesn’t quite match the décor, but it-” “The decorations are great, Rarity. They’re perfect, which is not to say that blue wouldn’t have been just as good,” Twilight affirmed emphatically, remembering to smile this time. “Say, is that Applejack over there? I’ll bet she-” Rarity interrupted the attempted deflection with a ‘tsk’. “Twilight,” she chastised, “you shouldn’t be like this – it’s your birthday, after all. Besides, imagine how Pinkie Pie would feel if she found out you weren’t enjoying the party she threw. She worked especially hard on this, you know.” “It has nothing to do with the party,” Twilight muttered, indirectly admitting that something was wrong. “And don’t even joke about that. You know how she gets when she thinks a party’s going wrong.” “Then you should just tell me what’s bothering you, darling.” The white unicorn’s lips turned up in a devious smile, one more befitting of a Canterlot politician than a simple citizen of Ponyville. “It’ll make you feel better, and maybe I can help. The last thing we want is Pinkie Pie-” “Did somepony say my name three times?!” A bouncing blur bounded out of the throng as if summoned by eldritch magic. “Hi Rarity! Hi Twilight! How do you like the party? It’s been really-really-really fun so far! It’s been, like, the best party ever! Even better than your party last year, and definitely better than the Grand Galloping Gala! All those ponies were stuffy and uptight, and the music was totally boring, but the ponies here are my best friends and this music is way better! Hey, did you know that I picked this song out just for you? You should get out there and get your groove-thang on!” Rarity was as shocked by the interruption as the pony she’d been talking to, but she recovered more quickly. She jumped into the conversation as soon as the pink earth pony took a breath. “Actually, Twilight was just telling me how much she was enjoying this party…” She turned to face the floundering birthday mare. “Come on,” she hissed at her fellow unicorn, “tell her.” Pinkie jumped in before Twilight Sparkle had a chance to put their thoughts back together, let alone form a response. “That’s funny. She looks kinda like… oh no…” Her eyes widened and her mane went from being outright bouncy to merely poofy. “Twi… is something wrong? Did you want blue streamers? Or maybe you wanted the banner that said ‘It’s Your Birthday’ instead of the ‘Happy Birthday’ one? I’ve still got them at Sugarcube Corner… I can go get them right now if you want. I’ll just-” Reacting instinctively, Twilight wrapped the party pony’s tail in telekinetic magic to keep her from zipping away in panic. “No, no, no,” she asserted, levitating her friend far enough off the ground to prevent her from putting a hoof down. “You did everything right, Pinkie – the party’s perfect.” “Then whatever’s the matter, darling?” Rarity interjected, not wanting to be forgotten. “It’s not like you to be so down when all your friends are having fun.” “Yeah, what gives?” Pinkie echoed. “Fine, fine,” the purple mare conceded. “Just… don’t talk to other ponies about it, okay? I don’t want to bother them or… or let them think I’m ungrateful.” Both members of her audience promised. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Only one of them performed the hoof-motions. It was enough for Twilight. “It’s just… it’s my birthday, you know? And usually, on my birthday, Princess Celestia comes. Like last year, when we had my party in the castle ballroom? She showed up after we left the garden party. But… she isn’t here today,” the unicorn explained with a melancholic smile. “I just wish she could’ve come.” “Twilight… you know that the Princess is very busy; she’s probably doing something vitally important right now,” Rarity murmured in her most reassuring voice. “And her sister aside, I don’t think there’s a single pony in all of Equestria that she cares about as much as you. I’m sure she’d be here if she could.” “Well of course,” she answered, rolling her eyes. “And I know that. After all, it’s not like it’s the first time the Princess hasn’t been able to come. It’s just, when she can’t, she normally tells me beforehoof. But this time... she didn’t even send me a card.” An errant sniff accentuated the emotion Twilight was trying to hide. “She’s never completely forgotten before…” “Oh, darling…” Rarity cooed, swooping in for a hug. “I’m sure she didn’t forget; I’ll bet something just-” “Tch. Of course she didn’t forget, silly! She’s Princess Celestia! She doesn’t forget anything, especially not her favorite pony!” Pinkie shouted optimistically. “Besides, I know the absolutely most perfectest way to brighten you up!” Both the unicorns shared a glance – Rarity with an exaggerated but good-natured sigh, and Twilight resigning herself to a smile. Cheer, after all, became downright contagious when Pinkie was around. Pinkie paused only long enough to look between the two of them expectantly. “With cake!” she sang, rising on her hindhooves and looking towards the library’s main door. “Mr. and Mrs. Cake! Mr. and Mrs. Cake! It’s time! Bring it in, bring it in!” At Pinkie’s words, everypony in the crowded library turned to the front door expectantly. Most of them sucked in breaths of air, like they were getting ready to sing, and intentionally or not, all of them were smiling. And they all waited. And waited. And waited. And as the silence became more and more tense, the party-planner’s brow became sheened with a nervous sweat and her smile strained uneasily. “Cough-cough, THAT WAS THE SIGNAL, cough!” she shouted, as if unaware that everypony inside the library could hear her even more clearly than the Cakes could outside. When there was no answer, she blushed something fierce and looked towards Twilight with an embarrassed grimace. “Eheheheh,” she chuckled, “Excuse me Twilight. I… just-hafta-go-check-on-something-and-I’ll-be-right-back-before-you-can-” But even before Pinkie Pie could finish her sentence, there was a knocking on the library’s door – a rich ‘thunk thunk thunk thunk’. It was not a quiet noise, but nor was it harsh on the ears; it was a sound both vibrant and clear, as if the pony outside had turned the door into a well-tuned instrument. Nopony’s hoof could make that sound without musical inclination or practiced experience knocking on the doors of the rich and famous. Or both. Everypony stood in silence for an awkward amount of time. That sound was most certainly not the rough banging Mr. Cake would have made, nor was it the casual thumping Mrs. Cake made when she knocked, and nopony had expected another knocker. The silence was only broken when the knocking resumed, followed by a melodic, feminine voice. “Excuse me,” she intoned with a tonal Canterlot accent. “Is this the residence of Miss Twilight Sparkle?” Her questioned asked, the hush remained. Seeing as how nopony else was going to do so, it eventually fell upon Twilight herself to answer the question. “Yes!” she called, stepping through the shocked crowd. “If you’ll give me a moment-” She pulled the door open with her magic as she stepped up. “I’m Twilight. Can I help-” Her question was cut short by an involuntary gasp. The pony outside seemed used to the response, nodding her head politely and smiling. “My name is Octavia van Clef,” she spoke with a melodic lilt, hefting an impressive cello over her shoulder as she did so, “and Princess Celestia of Equestria wishes you a very happy birthday.” She marched inside like she owned the whole library, and began to play.