//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Dreams // by Incredible Blunderbolt //------------------------------// The banquet hall was a grandiose room with dozens of white-clothed tables and brightly-lit crystal chandeliers. Even though the lights that hung overhead provided more than enough light, there were still hundreds of candles covering the tables. I guessed that there was enough room in the place to comfortably seat every stuck-up noble in Canterlot and his mother! Still, despite the sheer size of the room, only the biggest, most fancy table on the stage had been set up with dining equipment. Captain Iron Hoof weaved us through the aisles and up to the table. He gestured to the far end with a hoof. “Down there would be best,” he said thoughtfully. “Sir Ladon Fireclaw will most likely wish to sit nearest the princesses...” Twilight frowned and looked at him. “Are you sure that's wise?” “No.” She bit her lip. “I thought so...” I shrugged and jumped onto a chair, taking in the sights the table held for me to see; not much, as it turned out—just a bunch of empty plates and polished silverware. “So what?” I asked, picking up the shiniest fork with a grin. “If he tries anything, we'll just take him down!” “Rainbow!” Rarity cried out indignantly, “I demand you get that off your nose this instant! Forks are for eating, not to get dirty in silly balancing acts!” I huffed and crossed my forelegs on the back of the chair. “So what? It's my fork!” “Yeah!” Pinkie Pie cheered, bouncing into view on the table. Perched on the tip of her muzzle was an assortment of dozens of pieces of cutlery all perched so precariously that I wondered how they hadn't already fallen and created a huge mess on the floor. “Besides, fork-balancing is so much fun!” I laughed as Rarity's jaw dropped. A clattering sound came from the floor and I looked down to see my fork on the ground. “Aw...” A second later, a crashing chorus of clangs announced that Pinkie had dropped her own set of silverware. I looked over at the pink mare and we shared a look of mutual disappointment before bursting into uproarious guffaws. At some point during our laughter, the others passed by and took their seats at the table. “How boorish...” Rarity grumbled while she walked. I picked up my fork and frowned at the numerous little hairs that had somehow entwined themselves around the prongs. “Shoot...” I tried to wipe them off on the table cloth, but the silver instrument disappeared in a flash of purple light. A moment later, it materialized next to my plate, gleaming like newly washed steel. Dozens more of the tiny flashes bolted across the table, leaving the cleaned utensils behind them. “Now come on, Rarity,” Twilight chuckled, her horn aglow. “They were hardly harming anypony.” I felt my lips stretch into a stupid grin until the unicorn's chuckles turned into a reprimanding, albeit not unfriendly stare. “But you two really ought to at least try and practice proper table manners.” My grin faded to a smile and I shrugged, feeling a heat rise to my cheeks. “Sorry...” I laughed uneasily, suddenly very aware of Twilight's judging gaze. She's still thinking about it... I gulped. “It won't happen again!” I said hastily. Rarity snorted. “Now, c'mon, Rares,” Applejack said through a crooked smile, “She did say she was sorry.” “Besides!” I blurted, pointing a hoof at Rarity, “That wasn't exactly lady-like either!” Gasping in indignation, however mild it was, the alabaster unicorn brought a hoof to her heart. “Rainbow Dash is giving me a lecture on proper etiquette?” she cried, “I must be dreaming! Next you'll be teaching me how to design my dresses! My jaw dropped. “What?” I cried incredulously. Obviously, Rarity didn't know me as well as she though she did. When had I ever even wanted to take part in anything fashion related? “No, way! I don't want and part of that sissy dressy stuff!” Just saying it left a bad taste in my mouth; I stuck out my tongue in disgust. The Captain, standing stoically behind Twilight, shifted his weight. “Er... I'll go fetch the princesses, shall I?” Without waiting for a response, he took off for the nearest door. He didn't have to go far—just as he made it halfway across the room, that very same door opened up to reveal two tall-as-heck alicorns and a relatively small dragon. He jumped in surprise before standing at attention by the door. “—trust it will be to your liking,” the tallest alicorn finished saying as she led the party into the hall. Her white coat glimmered in stark contrast to her younger sister's midnight blue fur, which seemed to melt into the shadows. Emerald green eyes glowed angrily under deep red scales as the dragon stomped his way into the room, almost running over Celestia in the process. “You think I'm so easily bought?” he growled deeply. The power of his vocals shook the plates on the table; I gulped. “My people will have justice!” 'Small' is never an appropriate word for a mature dragon—even the shorter ones usually grow as big as houses, which is why their ambassadors were usually on the younger side. They were still small enough to fit in meeting rooms. Sometimes. The whole banquet hall seemed to hold its breath in this particular drake's presence. I wondered just where the princesses were talking to him, because Ladon Fire-whatever's spines were scratching the ceiling tiles. To her credit—or maybe stupidity—Celestia seemed unfazed by all of the overgrown lizard's intimidatory features and she walked beside him as they spoke. “I have little doubt of that, Ladon,” she said calmly. “As I said, would be happy to sort this out if Maw Alduin would simply meet with—“ “No!” the dragon rumbled, stopping in his tracks. “The Great Maw answers to no one—especially not a weak little pony!” Smoke wafted out of his nostrils. “You meet with him on the sacred grounds or we will deal with this problem ourselves—and I need not remind you what happened to the last spies that infiltrated our tribes!” Celestia's wings flared and, for a brief moment, I thought she was gonna buck the teeth right out of that dragon's mouth, but her face remained flat and devoid of anything but peace. “I have already agreed to do so,” she said flatly. “But those ponies were not spies, Lord Ambassador; they were sociologists on their way to Gryphonia and they were innocent.” Silence reigned supreme in the hall for almost a minute before the dragon's mouth opened again and released a horrid stench of sulfur. “The Great Maw sees no difference.” “Clearly...” Celestia began moving towards the table again. “But you do not see us threatening war over their deaths, do you?” “That is your prerogative.” I felt my heart stop for a second. War? With the dragons? We'd all die! I hoped Celestia was a good a negotiator as the stories made her out to be, or Equestria might well be roasted. Celestia sighed as she took her seat at the center of the table, apparently too distracted to throw a passing smile our way. Luna sat to her immediate right and the dragon dominated the whole left half of the table, nostrils flaring as he studied each of us for a long while. My blood turned to fire as he blew a smoke ring in Twilight's direction. The unicorn hacked on the foul smelling burn product, her eyes watering as she tried her best to wave it away with her hoof. “Hey!” I cried, smashing a hoof on the table before I could stop myself. “Cut it out!” Our eyes met and I saw the cold hatred it had for all of us; for a creature that breathed fire, his stare could have frozen continents. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and my lip peeled back; I ignored the jab of pain as my wings sprung out instinctively. For a moment, I wished he would try something, but nothing happened. Applejack elbowed my foreleg. “What are you, part wolf?” she hissed in my ear. “Quit your growling before you stir up more trouble!” I said nothing and kept my eyes on the dragon. He leered over the table at me before turning to face Celestia. “Are these your warriors?” he said gruffly. The alicorn shook her head, “No, Ladon,” she said through gritted teeth. She gestured to Twilight jerkily. “This is Twilight Sparkle, my prize student, and these are her friends: Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.” She looked at each of us with a smile. “I really am glad that all of you could make it—you are all true friends!” “Any time, Princess Celestia,” Twilight said with a smile. “We're always happy to help!” “I know, Twilight, that is why I've sent for you.” Ladon snorted. “Send for the High Flame himself if you wish, pony,” he growled. “My people will have justice.” High Flame? I wondered, catching Twilight's eye. She shrugged. “You needn't worry, Sir Dragon,” Princess Luna piped up. “This has naught to do with you.” Celestia nodded. “Correct, Sister. There are other matters we must attend to.” Twilight's smile faltered for a moment. “Other matters, Princess?” she asked, turning her head. “Yes, Twilight,” Celestia said carefully. She eyed the large red lizard, who glared in turn. I wondered just what we'd missed earlier today. I didn't think our rulers were taking very kindly to Ladon. “But we will discuss this later. For now, we shall eat!” As if on cue, the banquet hall suddenly filled with servants carrying platters of food. I tuned out all conversation as I watched several stallions place giant bowls of salad on the table. My mouth watered and my stomach growled painfully; I could smell grilled asparagus and fried onions and baked potatoes just like my mother used to make. Another smell I couldn't quite place flooded my nostrils. I wasn't sure what it was, but it reminded me of the time I'd been flying through a thunderstorm and got shocked by a bolt of lightning. I forgot about it when more food was set down on the table. I grinned and laughed jovially. Without wasting another second, I gripped my fork and started piling everything I could reach onto my plate. I tossed some asparagus on my platter and reached for the spinach. Beets and carrots laid down next to the greens. Next to fall victim to my voracious search for anything edible was an especially tasty looking potato and several buttery biscuits. I licked my lips and grabbed a strange, lumpy thing that looked like a fruit and set it in the middle of my plate. “Woah, girl!” Applejack laughed as I dipped a black ladle in the beans for the fourth time. She grabbed my hoof. “Slow down, there! Save some for the rest of us!” My jaw quivered in response. I felt weak, like I hadn't eaten in days. The site of my plate, piled high with just about everything I could think of, sent a burst of joy through my body. This is the last day I ever skip breakfast! I thought ruefully. One of the stallion servers sat a large brown mass before Ladon and the strange smell returned. The dragon sniffed it and chuckled. “Amazing,” he said with a smirk. “I wasn't expecting this.” Celestia's features drooped. “Neither was that poor deer...” she mumbled. Wait... what? I took another long look at Ladon's meal. Suddenly, I recognized what that strange smell was; almost as instantly, I didn't feel very hungry anymore. My stomach churned and threatened to empty what little I had managed to put in it back onto my plate. Fluttershy's face turned green. Her breathing grew erratic and her wings puffed out. “You mean that's... that's...” her voice trailed off, returning full force in the form of an earsplitting screech. Looking at her, I wasn't sure if she was gonna run screaming from the banquet hall or charge the twenty-foot-tall, fire-breathing lizard—she did neither, electing to simply stare at the accursed plate and whimper. Finally, after several long moments, she was silenced by the comforting hoof of a pale faced Rarity. Next to me, Applejack and Pinkie Pie wore matching looks of horror on their faces, but otherwise seemed to be mostly okay. In fact, the only pony aside from the princesses that didn't appear to be affected by the sudden revelation at the atrocity that was the dragon's dinner was Twilight, who sipped from her mug. She even appeared to be taking it better than Celestia and Luna, who both looked a little queasy as they watched Ladon laugh at us. “Uh, Twi?” I said, trying to regain control over my shifting insides. “You did hear that, right?” She shrugged and looked at me with a slightly amused look on her face. “Dragons are carnivorous,” she answered, returning to her salad. “I'll admit that it's not exactly palatable, but it's a fact of life.” “It's wrong!” I objected, standing up on my chair and placing my forehooves on the table. “How can you side with him? He... he's eating a—“ “—a cadaver from a species that has not even developed a proper form of communication,” the unicorn finished. “He needs to eat, too.” “Hah!” Ladon cheered through a mouthful of singed flesh. He pointed a sharpened claw in Twilight's direction. “I like this one!” That seemed to wake Twilight up a little; I think praise from a dragon, of all things, would be enough for anypony to reconsider their views on life. Through a frown, she turned to Princess Celestia and spoke again: “Though I have to ask, Princess: why did you decide on meat in lieu of the traditional dish of gems normally served to draconian diplomats?” Celestia's eyes never wavered from watching the giant barbarian stab at his meal with teeth much too sharp to do any real chewing. “A conversation for another time, perhaps?” she said softly. I rolled my eyes and cast my gaze back at my own plate. Where once I could smell beautifully prepared greens and beans, I could now only find the putrid stench of burned flesh. My eyes watered a little as I pushed the bile rising from my stomach back down my throat. How was I supposed to eat now? I pushed my plate away and sighed; I wasn't that hungry anymore anyway. A look around the table showed I wasn't the only one having difficulties with dinner. Fluttershy had outright forsaken her plate for Rarity's shoulder—and the palomino unicorn could hardly eat with a pony sobbing into her embrace. Applejack's face was a little mottled, but she otherwise appeared to be fine. Even Princess Luna only poked at her food; she stared at her plate while rolling a cherry tomato around with her hoof. Ladon, however, appeared to be having a blast. He tore at his dinner with a savageness I'd only ever associated with timber wolves before. Strands of fibrous sinew hung from his teeth as he smacked his gums together. “You know,” he said amidst his chewing, “For a bunch of flower-chewers, you ponies really know how to fry a buck!” He smiled malevolently and tore off another chunk of the poor beast's body. “Perhaps you'd like to try some roast bear when we get to Black Mountain!” Princess Celestia frowned deeply. “Twilight Sparkle will not be accompanying us to Black Mountain,” she said sternly. “That wasn't the deal.” Ladon shrugged. “Whatever,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Suit yourself, pony.” Twilight looked up. “What's going on at Black Mountain?” she asked. “You would know,” Ladon growled. He tore a fresh chunk of meat off his plate and smacked his lips; I fought the urge to vomit. “You ponies and your spies... We ought to just burn the lot of you.” I stood up in my seat with a snarl. On the fence or not, there was no way I was letting my future wife get threatened by a stupid dragon! “Hey!” I cried, “Don't talk to her like that!” Applejack grabbed my wing and pulled me back into my seat. “Hey!” “Are you trying to get yourself killed?” she whispered into my ear, pinning my hoof to the chair. “I don't care!” I tried my best to wriggle free from the farmer's grip, but it was no use. Eventually, I gave up and simply glared daggers at the giant lizard. “Nopony threatens Twilight!” “I will have to agree,” Princess Celestia chimed in. “You'll not be pursuing any malicious intentions toward anypony, Ladon.” The dragon grunted and turned his attention back to his plate. “You ponies are too easy,” he chuckled. There was little other discussion as Ladon went about finishing his meal. It seemed to go on for hours. I used the time to try and calm myself down. I caught Twilight's eye and she shot me a warm smile. Ladon, however, ripped and clawed and chewed with great big and obnoxious lip-smacks until there was little beyond bone left on his plate. When he was done and picking his teeth with what appeared to be the broken shaft of a shin bone, he showed off his toothy grin. “Amusing,” he said, finally. He stood up and stretched, digging deep scratches into the polished wood of the table. Celestia's ears perked up. “Tired, Sir Dragon?” Ladon straightened himself up and tossed the bone onto the table, where it skittered across the plates and sat itself before Fluttershy—who'd just managed to crawl out from Rarity's shoulder. The buttercup pony shrieked and tackled Rarity off her chair. The two of them fell to the floor with Fluttershy on top, crying and howling in tragic indignation. Applejack had to hold me down again as he laughed cruelly at them. “I shall return to my quarters now,” he said simply. Without even excusing himself, he hopped off the stage. He landed with a thud on the floor below, and I didn't have to look to know that he'd managed to crack the marble. “Be prepared; we leave in the morning.” With that, he paraded himself out the door with an arrogant smirk and snaked his way down the hall, his tail slithering behind him. When the door clicked shut, the room filled with silence. Rarity and Fluttershy climbed back into their seats. Everypony looked at each other with an unpleasant look on their face. Celestia let out a big breath. “I thought he'd never leave...” Luna chuckled tiredly. “Tis not over yet, Sister,” she said, “There is still much to be done.” “I know.” After taking a silent moment to herself, Celestia sat up straight and looked at each of us. “As you've probably gathered,” she said slowly, “We have been having some problems with the Dragon Tribes.” “What happened, Princess?” Twilight asked. “Why do you have to go to the Black Mountain?” I groaned and put up my hooves. “There it is again!” I cried. The two of them looked at me funny. “What the heck is this Black Mountain?” I asked frustratedly. “Everypony keeps talking about it—not everypony studied dragons in school, you know!” Twilight's jaw dropped. “Rainbow!” she said with wide eyes. She frantically looked from me to the Princess and back again. “You can't talk to Princess Celestia that way!” The corner of said alicorn's mouth raised. “It's quite alright, dear Twilight. It is true that not everypony knows everything about Draconian government.” She paused for a moment and tapped a hood on the table. “The Black Mountain,” she said after a moment, “Was the location of the final battle between Thunderclaw and Tailwind. The land is considered sacred amongst the dragon tribes—all violence is prohibited. It is where the Maws of each tribe meet with the elected Great Maw to discuss matters that affect every tribe in the High Plains. Does that answer your question, Rainbow Dash?” I nodded. “I guess so...” Rarity shifted in her seat. “Princess,” she said. “I'm sorry to interrupt, but what exactly is the problem?” “I was just getting to that,” Celestia answered, taking a sip from her wineglass. “Luna and I must go to the Black Mountain for a summit meeting with the Council of Maws.” Applejack frowned. “What for?” she asked. “The dragons believe that we've placed spies in their ranks,” Luna mused, a smile playing on her lips. “Something about a hatchling and 'phoenix raid' of some sort.” I looked up at that and I saw Twilight's eyes widen. We shared a look with Rarity, who grimaced. Twilight shifted in her seat and bit her lip. “Uh... We might know something about that,” the lavender unicorn said softly. “Twilight,” Rarity interrupted. “That was a year ago! Why would we be just hearing about it now?” “You know dragons and their 'codes,'” Applejack grunted, shaking her head with a crooked smile. “Don't they only meet once a year?” Luna shrugged and looked at Celestia. “They do,” the alabaster alicorn answered, nodding. “Well, there you go!” the farmer declared before draining her glass of liquid. “I guess we were technically spying on them,” Twilight conceded. “Though we had no malicious intent, Princess! We only wanted to make sure that Spike would be safe in the High Plains!” The princesses shared a look before shaking their heads. “It was you girls?” Celestia laughed. “I should have known...” “Sorry, Princess,” Twilight said meekly, shrinking in her seat. I wondered if she always acted so weird around Celestia. Was her face red? “I didn't think of the consequences when we left...” “Do not worry about it, Twilight,” the Sun Princess assured her. She reached out a hoof and pet her on the back with a proud grin. “You were concerned for your friend—it just shows how far you've come.” “You know, they won't care who it was,” Luna said twirling the wine around in her glass. “'Spies' are spies to them, after all.” Celestia shrugged. “I'd rather it be this than some form of terrorism. I'm sure they would as well.” “Touche.” I rolled my eyes and tried not to sound ungrateful as I raised my hooves and spoke up. “So what are we here for?” I huffed, crossing my forelegs. “Dinner?” “In essence,” Luna answered, taking a bite from a carrot stick. “Honestly, it was only Twilight Sparkle that we needed.” “But whatever for, Princess?” Rarity asked cocking her head. “Doesn't this just mean that you attend the summit?” Nodding, the Princess of the Sun leaned back in her chair. “Yes,” she said. “But, unfortunately, the Council of Maws refuses to let either of us stay in Equestria.” “They believe we'll try something underhoofed,” Luna added with a nod. “Which means that Equestria will go unsupervised for weeks—maybe even months—while we sort this out.” Twilight gasped. “But you can't do that!” she cried. “What if—“ Celestia raised a hoof and brought it to the unicorn's mouth. “Relax, Twilight Sparkle. I don't plan on letting anything untoward happen to my little ponies,” she reassured her. She paused for a moment. “Normally, we could call on Cadence to fill in for us, but she's rather busy now, with the Crystal Empire now under her stead.” “Not to mention a cute new husband!” Luna winked at Twilight, who shrunk back with a slightly sickened look on her face. I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculously cute redness that slowly bled into her face. “Which means that Luna and I have been forced to accelerate our plans,” Celestia finished, picking up her glass and bringing it to her lips. Twilight frowned. “What plans?” she asked, “I don't understand, Princess—you said you didn't want me to go to Black Mountain...” Celestia gave her a knowing smile. Suddenly, I felt very uncomfortable—something about the way she looked at Twilight made me absolutely furious. My wings rose of their own accord as anger coursed through me veins. The twinge of pain emanating from my injury only served to upset me more. “You shall see soon, Twilight,” the princess said way too happily. She stepped off her chair and motioned for us to follow her down the steps. “Come with me.” As the others all stepped down to the floor, I shared a look with Applejack. “What do you think's going on?” she asked. I gave her a halfhearted shrug and glanced at Twilight, who was trailing Celestia's hooves like a lovesick puppy. “I don't know,” I said. Growling, I pulled my wings back to my sides. “But I don't like it.” Her face grew uneasy. “You okay, Dash?” I snorted and hopped off the chair. “Yeah,” I said quickly. “Why wouldn't I be?” We followed Celestia and the others out the banquet hall doors and down the hall. The others whispered to each other up front as Twilight and Celestia talked about whatever. Applejack gave me a long, solid look. Her frown deepened. “You didn't talk to her, did you?” “I did.” Her eyebrow raised. “You did, huh?” She pushed my shoulder playfully. “And? Do you feel better?” I paused mid-step and looked at her. “I-I...” I didn't know what to say. Did I feel better? I thought I had, but right now all I felt like doing was finding a trashcan to buck across the street—or throw up in. “I don't know...” “You don't know?” I sighed and continued following the others. “Yeah,” I said, more to the floor than anypony else. “It's kinda hard to explain, AJ... I don't even know if I can.” “Try me.” I sighed and tried to figure out how to put everything into words. Twilight's smile flashed through my vision. I saw the joy in her eyes as she giggled and defined hard words for me. She wrapped me up in a hug and told me I was her best friend ever. I saw her give me The Look and I felt my knees immediately grow wobbly under me. I shook my head. “Well...” I started slowly, “It's kinda like when you open up all kinds of cool presents on Hearth's Warming Eve, but the one present that you really wanted isn't there, y'know?” I shrugged. “I don't know how to say it... I just feel... hollow, I guess.” Applejack was quiet for a moment, her face unreadable. “Well, you could always exchange the ones you don't want for the one you do. Plenty of ponies do that, these days.” I shook my head. “I already did, but it's not that simple, AJ.” I scuffed the floor as I walked, something about hitting it made me feel a little better. “It's not on display—they have to check the warehouse to see if it's available.” Though she feigned ignorance, I think Applejack was starting to catch on. I didn't really want her to know how pathetic I was, but right now I just wanted some kind of reassurance that I wasn't being stupid. She gave me a long look. “You put all your eggs in one basket, didn't you?” she asked, her voice wavering slightly. “Yeah...” “And now your worried that you've gone and dropped it.” I didn't answer her—there was no need to; she'd hit the nail right on the head. Twilight wasn't gonna stop being my friend or anything, but I knew her. If—no, when we talked when we got home, I knew that if she didn't say yes, I'd wind up an outsider. Sure, we'd hang out and stuff, but it'd be awkward as heck. Eventually, she'd try to keep away from that awkwardness by avoiding me. Soon, we'd be total strangers. I wouldn't even be able to look forward to joining the Wonderbolts, either, because I'd messed that up, too! Why couldn't I have just waited until we got home to tell her? I could have worked the angles or something. I could have used her obliviousness to my advantage! We could have hung out more—growing closer and closer until I knew she shared my feelings. Instead, I screwed it all up the first chance I got; just like everything else I try. Applejack stopped and put a hoof on my shoulder. If felt oddly comforting, even though it was weird, coming from her. “Do you wanna talk about it, Sugarcube?” she asked. “Not really...” I answered. Well, not to you anyway. I glanced at Twilight, who was now walking shoulder-to-shoulder with the princesses. Heat crawled up my neck, and I had to fight the urge to kick the floor. Shrugging, the farmer turned her attention back to the hall. She tried to hide it, but I could clearly see the disappointment in her eyes. “Well, I'm always here if you do.” I shrugged her hoof off and put on a smile as fake as Rarity's eyelashes. “I know.” The princesses led us down a series of halls, waving to passing guards and greeting the servants with sickening cheerfulness. We ducked through a few rooms, trailed down some corridors and, at one point, had to stop and search for Pinkie Pie when we strolled through the kitchens. Applejack was silent the rest of the way, but I caught her fearful eyes staring at me plenty of times. Eventually, we stopped just outside a fancy engraved door. The guards posted outside saluted the princesses and opened the way for us, revealing the throne room in all of its majesty. We walked inside and stopped in the center, where we took in the incredible sight. I'd been inside the throne room before—all of us had, but there was just something about it that always managed to take my breath away; it could have been the marble floors, or the stained glass or even the diamond-studded chandeliers that hung like miniature suns from the ceiling. But something was different about it that day—something wonderful and awful. I wasn't sure why, but right down the middle of the room, where Celestia's pink met Luna's blue, was a streak of reddish-purple. The others oohed and ahhed at it. Twilight's eyes sparkled as she looked around open-mouthed. “Princess...” she said breathlessly. “What's all this? The Princess of the Sun smiled at her pupil—something that still set fire to my veins. All of my instincts were screaming for us to leave before something happened. I wanted so badly to grab Twilight and haul her back onto a train back to Ponyville, but I didn't think she'd be too happy about that. “Do you like it, Twilight?” Celestia asked proudly. “It took quite a bit of work, but it was all worth it.” “But...” Twilight fumbled for words. She looked at the floor—the ceiling—the walls. “I don't understand...” Celestia's smile only grew. “Don't you?” She wrapped a hoof around Twilight's waist. I had to stop myself from charging at her right there; being executed for attacking a princess wouldn't be fun—worse still, would be the fact that Twilight would hate me forever for attacking her mentor! “You've always been a special pony, Twilight,” the alicorn said. She brushed a lock of navy blue hair out of Twilight's eye with a hoof. “I've taught you everything that I could. I trained you—cared for you. I dare say I made you the mare you are today!” I frowned. What kind of game was Celestia playing at? Sure, Twilight had only known us for a few years, but she was a reclusive mess before she met us! Was she taking credit for everything that we'd done? Was she... Was she trying to steal Twilight from us? My heart sank at the thought. Why, that little... Twilight's cheeks colored. “Well, thank you, Princess, but I still don't understand what all of this is about.” “Yeah!” I huffed, stomping a hoof. Rarity shot me an angry look, but I didn't care. “What's going on here?” Celestia chuckled. I but back a growl; was she laughing at me? She had some nerve... “Twilight,” she said happily, “Even though the circumstances are not what I had imagined when I began preparing you for this day, know that I am still proud of you—and I always will be.” The lavender unicorn beamed and looked at the floor. “Luna?” Celestia announced, “Pull back the curtain!” I hadn't even noticed the Night Princess's absence, but she revealed herself between the two thrones at the front of the room. She stood near a sizable mass, hidden by a thick white sheet. Grinning, she seized the sheet with her teeth and pulled it away, revealing a third, lavender throne between the two older ones. Pinkie Pie screamed—an act that was only out-done by Fluttershy. Rarity fainted. Applejack's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates; I thought they were gonna pop out of her head. Twilight stared at the statue in awe. Me? Well, I felt like punching something. This... this couldn't be happening! “Twilight Sparkle, your country needs your expert guidance; will you be our newest Princess of Equestria?” I was breathing heavy. A million thoughts raced through my head. No! I wanted to scream. No! No! No! No! NO! Twilight couldn't become a princess! She couldn't live in Canterlot! We'd never get to see her! She wouldn't do that! She wouldn't abandon us—abandon me! She... She promised! Desperately, I looked at Twilight, who's face turned unreadable. She looked at the floor with her eyes closed. Say 'no!' I thought frantically. My vision turned blurry. Say 'no,' Twilight! My throat felt dry. My heart was beating a million times per minute. My stomach churned and tied itself into knots. My ears felt hot. My hooves felt cold. My whole body was shivering and my eyes stung. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't slow down my breathing; my wingtips were starting to get tingly. She'd say 'no.' She had to say 'no,' she promised that we'd talk when we got home! She promised that we'd always be best friends! We couldn't be best friends if she was always busy doing princess stuff all the time! The room was silent. You could cut the tension with a knife. Everypony stared at Twilight as she opened her eyes. She looked around the room. She looked at me. My heart skipped a beat. She looked at Princess Celestia, who gave her the same look as back in the banquet hall; suddenly, I remembered where I'd seen that look before—that warm smile—the comforting gaze—the feeling of absolute understanding! Sure, it looked different on Celestia, but there was no doubt about it: that was The Look. And she was giving it to Twilight. “Yes.” I felt like screaming. Twilight's answer hit me like a ton of bricks. I fell onto my haunches as the others swarmed her with congratulations and happy cheers. How could they possibly be happy that Twilight had just given us all up for a title that would ensure that things would never be the same between us? This can't be happening... I held my head in my hooves and bit my lip. No, no, no... “Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “Our friend is royalty!” Rarity cried, squeezing Twilight like a stuffed animal. I took in the site like one would a train wreck. I couldn't look away—I couldn't move a muscle to stop the torment. “No...” I whispered. I stomped on the floor as hard as I could. “No!” Everypony's eyes turned to me. I couldn't see anything but blurred spots of color through my stinging eyes. “No!” I roared again. I shook my head and felt a few tears fly away from my face. Twilight's delighted smile faded; her eyes flashed with concern. “Rainbow?” She took a step towards me, but I stepped away. “You promised!” I shrieked. Everypony was staring at me. Oh, Celestia, they were all looking at me! They could all see me crying! Applejack could see me crying! My heart raced. My face felt hot. I nearly tripped over myself as I continued to back away from their judgmental stares. Twilight took another step towards me. “Rainbow—“ “You promised!” I tried to scream it—I wanted to scream it, but I barely managed to choke it out. To make matters worse, my voice even cracked! Great, even my own body was betraying me! I had to get out of there. I had to get away. Everypony was looking at me, and every second I spent looking at Twilight only increased my desire to fall to the floor and roll around screaming in my own tears. Without hesitation, I turned around and ran out the door. Somepony yelled my name. I ignored them. I burst into the hall. The guards jumped back in surprise as the door crashed into the wall. They fumbled on their hooves while I ran past. My vision blurred again, but I didn't care. I charged down the hall without purpose; I didn't care where my hooves took me, I just wanted to get out of that horrible throne room and away from the pony who'd just ripped my heart out.