It was very easy to get Celestia to agree to the movie night; after all, I had utterly annihilated her schedule for like... a month. Sure, me not being out to get them or turn the world upside-down meant that she did NOT need to organize a military effort, or set up a financial relief plan, but she merely neglected to return to the old schedule afterwards.
She was doing paperwork as it came, without attending any visits beyond court and those she invited herself.
She saw quite easily that chaos wasn't all bad. It could be used like entropy, removing the needless bits until only a stable thing remains... and boy, did Equestria need it; the legal system was a joke, as were a good deal of the laws. I'm no lawyer, and my knowledge of legislation could fill a thimble half-way, and even then I was baffled with all of the unnecessary things Celestia had in her rule! She didn't even follow half of them herself! The council meetings were designed to sidestep all of that!
Meh...
Twilight devoured the book, albeit metaphorically, and...
"You're invited to a movie night with princess Celestia!" I said, slipping an invitation in front of the tablet.
"Yes, right, do you mind?" Twilight nosed the invitation away from the 'bounty of worlds'. I had placed her on the couch, where she continued to read; occasionally she gasped or shivered, since this was Edgar Allan Poe she was reading. She had trouble wrapping her head around what kind of offense Fortunato incurred upon Montresor to make him think of getting revenge by immurement (which is kind of the point of the story).
"I think I didn't make myself clear." I leaned in closer, to whisper directly into her ears.
"Princess Celestia, watching movies, snuggling with other ponies." She shot bolt upright, while I caught the tablet with an idle thought. "Who knows? Maybe we can make a ponypile and braid our manes while we're at it."
Twilight sputtered and turned around, only to come face-to-face with a brown-eyed mare grinning at her. Besides, I had to stop her before she came across Fahrenheit 451 on her own. I don't think I need to say how letting Twilight come across that book unsupervised and unaware is a bad idea.
As for the attendance roll, it turns out that Blueblood checked out a few books out of the library, and decided to do some soul-searching; he asked me to give him a showing in his room, separate from ours.
(In reality, he didn't want to face Rarity. Yet.)
Shining and Cadence had... their own agenda. Yes, right. They had 'plans', and would like the same deal Blueblood made. It wasn't that he didn't want to keep Twilight company, and Cadence certainly wanted to talk to Lyra and Tootsie a little more, but the couple wanted to make the most out of Shining's vacation time. Preferably in 'private'.
Hence, I wasn't about to be the only stallion in the gathering!
Spike declined altogether, saying (to me, in private) that being surrounded by so many girls including his mother figure would be really awkward, preferring instead to spend the night with Hoity-Toity.
Oh? I didn't mention it? Spike has an impressive circle of friends. Sure, any brony you ask will know that he knows him, and in good enough terms that he'd consider going to humble Ponyville for a play-pretend fashion show because his buddy Spike showered the designer with praise.
He's a member of their gaming group.
Other members include Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis, and I suggested Blueblood join in after I found this fact.
Bluey made a paladin, and I notice he's... happier.
All of the movies would be human world movies. Because... well, you see...
Equestrian film industry is... well, let us say that some of the troubles that human films faced when at the infancy of the industry? That's so it. It wouldn't be until I stuck a hoof in that pie that over-dramatic actors (migrated from mute films), awful voices, and overall the sheer inexperience of actors and scriptwriters alike ruined many moments.
Normally, you'd need an awful lot of contacts to go anyplace of importance in the film industry. If you know Spike or Blueblood, they can get you Fancy Pants, who can get you anywhere. He barely has to try, the sycophants do their best to try to accommodate him. Thanks to him I can organize life-size Mario Party games!
He is also really good at playing Smash Brothers.
"Alright! Listen up everypony, right now, there are no roles or ranks." I said while pacing, managing some dignity despite the mini-corn snuggled between my wings. She was really warm; then again, there are plenty of blood vessels there - any trapped heat is felt quite well. "Only Celestia and Luna, because they technically own the room because they own the castle."
"To allow for the metaphorical letting down of hair, I have an idea." I stopped in front of Celestia, inspecting her.
"Say, can you turn your hair a single color? Like, say, that tone of blue?"
Celestia raised an eyebrow, but a little flash of light later, her whole mane and tail were sky blue.
"Perfect! Right now, you are not 'princess Celestia', you are..." I pretended to think for a little, even tapping my chin. "Modestia, humble homeowner."
"Mow-what now?" Dash asked, one of the few that had a voice after my strange requests.
Besides Pinkie, who said she looked pretty.
"Mo-DES-tia, Rainbow Dash." Luna replied. "It means 'modesty'."
I poof'd some pajamas... on everyone, actually. Rarity only had to 'suggest' better colors three times!
"Look, I've read enough fiction - and non-fiction - to know that hiding your emotions equals bad. No friends? Bad. Buying into 'heavy is the head that bears the crown'? Bad. Being lonely at the top? Bad. Thinking that you are not allowed to be wrong because you are at the top? Bad. Bad, bad, bad. Celestia is not... actually, I'm not even going to rant about this. I'm going to cut to the chase and say that Celestia needs time to be herself; no masks, no worries, no exceptions."
I inhaled deeply.
"There are stories that, if there is an inkling of truth to my theory, are true somewhere. Tons of stupid mistakes and heartache caused for the stupidest of reasons, like Celestia believing tons of idiotic manure like she's not allowed to make mistakes because she has to live up to the image that ponies have of her." Then Modestia gasped.
"But that's impossible!" She said. "Trying to sustain an image of perfection is doomed to failure! True I do try my best as a role model-"
"But if you are seen as an ideal instead of a role model, fewer ponies will even try themselves." I interrupted, making her wince, then nod tiredly. "Not to mention that as long as you buy into 'heavy is the head', 'lonely at the top', or any similar nonsense, you would never allow yourself to become close to... well, anypony at all, even your own sister."
"No mare is an island, Aether. To be alone goes against the very definition of a ruler. If they are such fools as to even attempt, then, should any event bring us to interact with one another, I ask of you to do everything in your power to assist me into making them see the error of their ways." Celestia... well, she hates those types. Those have the tendency to screw up in spectacular ways; spectacular, insane, easily preventable ways.
"Say, remember that 'Celestia just like us' article from the Foal Free Press?"
The others winced.
"We can play with that. I have an idea."
That should be my catchphrase. 'I have an idea'. I can provoke any reaction with it, from hope and excitement, to that icy pit in the bottom of the stomach that fills you with dread down to your very soul and makes you wish you'd never heard me - that way, you wouldn't feel anything until after that idea has been unleashed upon the world.
I tore down the little gilded cage Celestia made for herself, and reminded the... lees-than-honorable ponies that rules were not a cage made to restrict the tiger.
And that the tiger isn't them.
"But for now, movies! And, since the sisters own the house, they get the picks."
I handed them many sheets of paper. The titles for non-filly-friendly movies were greyed out, but they occasionally asked me about them anyways. Celestia, then Modestia, naturally felt drawn to certain words.
Warning, there might be spoilers following, so I'll give you a warning and a place to jump ahead to.
For now, I just gave a small summary or comments.
"Equilibrium?" She asked; that whole page had grey names.
"The film follows John Preston, a warrior-priest and enforcement officer in a future dystopia where both feelings and artistic expression are outlawed and citizens take daily injections of drugs to suppress their emotions. After accidentally missing a dose, Preston begins to experience emotions which make him question his own morality and moderate his actions, while attempting to remain undetected by the suspicious society in which he lives. Ultimately, he aids a resistance movement using advanced martial arts, which he was taught serving the very regime he is helping to overthrow."
I quoted that from a website.
"The film's plot is considered average, lacking in originality, although it is well-liked for being showy and cool. It contains, at its climax, one of the most epic one-on-one gunfights of any movie, and it all happens within a meter of each other."
"One meter?" Dusty asked, slightly blushing - because I looked good as a mare, she said.
"You are about one meter from Cinnamon." I pointed out.
"Wait, aren't guns long-range weapons?" Twilight asked, fiddling with her blue clothes.
"Now you see the importance of being close enough to knock the arm off-target."
"Up? Why is it called simply 'Up'?" Modestia asked, and I pulled out a poster. The name on the page she held had stars, marking it as one of my recommendations.
"Oh! Oh! That one! That one! It's got balloons!" Pinkie bounced as she beamed brightly enough to make me suspect she'd actually light up a dark room; Tootsie agreed with her choice, by the way. Pinkie's white-and-blue stripped pajamas were not provided by me, nor did she have them (or much of anything) on her person when she arrived, just FYI.
"By tying thousands of balloons to his home, seventy-eight-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America and to complete a promise made to his lifelong love. I can't say much more because it's a really good film and I don't want to spoil anything; the studio that made this and many other movies is famous for playing heartstrings like a darn orchestra."
Tootsie giggled, with less restraint that the others that knew her mother's name.
"No, really. This one is a tale of love and devotion, moving on in the face of adversity, and that adventure can be found right at home. You will cry."
Dash scoffed. I said nothing because I knew better.
"Toy Story? There's three of them." Luna asked, to which I pulled out three posters. Needless to say, they were also recommendations.
Dash perked up at seeing Buzz, the cool space toy.
"A poignant tale of friendship-" With that, I knew it would be picked; didn't even have to see Modestia's eyebrows. "- across three movies. First is jealousy and acceptance, both of the great and small changes of life as well as difficult truths. If you look a little deeper, reading between the lines? You can see that the three also deal with what it truly means to grow up. The first one is also the first feature-length production of Pixar studios, it's the one that made the studios shoot upwards."
"Rise of the Guardians?"
"Jack Frost, spirit of winter-" Dusty perked up. "- is chosen to join the ranks of the Guardians of Childhood, whenever he likes it or not, by the Man in the Moon."
(I should point out something: Luna. Means. MOON.)
Celestia can hardly deny Luna's wants or protest her interests, even 'the super-yucky ones' like her love of spiders.
(Yes, Celestia said 'Super-yucky'. I thought I would die of laughter, were it not for the fact that I physically can't do so.)
When devoid of the responsibilities of the crown, Celestia is near-completely the stereotype of the doting big sister.
Do the math.
I should point out that yes, they do have a Santa-analog, and the Griffons have an Easter analog that's more or less well-known here in Equestria. And a Tooth Flutter-Pony.
"Kung Fu Panda?"
"The story of a bumbling panda named Po, who aspires to be a kung fu master. He is a fanboy and knows everything kung fu related - the names of the masters, the stories of 'radical' kung fu showdowns, the legendary artifacts, the works. When an evil kung fu warrior is foretold to escape from prison, Po is unwittingly named the chosen one destined to bring peace to the land, much to the chagrin of the resident kung fu warriors. It's a story about hard work, dedication, and what it means to be special and staying true to yourself."
"Ah can think of a few ponies that need that kinda message." AJ said, to which Rarity and Dash nodded.
"The sequel deals with acceptance and past pains."
I can think of a few alternate Equestrias that need that message. Mostly the Luna's that believe that there is some 'taint of Nightmare Moon' preventing them from reconnecting with the elements (not counting the ones that do have NMM inside their heads) and the Celestias that think they are too emotionally hurt from the Nightmare situation to do so, even after a thousand years and seeing Twilight Sparkles/Rainbow Dashes/what-have-you that have come back from worse in less than a year.
Pansies.
"The LEGO Movie?"
"Huh, construction blocks really are an Universal constant." Twilight commented when she saw the poster; there are similar toys in Equestria - you know the ones, the kind that snap/fit in place. Also, 'Universal' with capital U means all of existence, parallel worlds included. No, I don't know how I knew that she meant it with capital U.
"An ordinary LEGO minifigurine named Emmet, who has got to be the most average guy in the world, becomes the central player in a prophesy to save the LEGO universe from an evil tyrant. It's a story about creativity, teamwork, and what it means to be special and unique."
"Hmm..." Rarity gave an aside glance to AJ and Dash, who nodded as well.
"Wreck-it Ralph?"
"The film tells the story of the eponymous arcade game villain who rebels against his role and dreams of becoming a hero, or at the least more accepted. He travels between games in the arcade, meeting what has to be the only person in the entire arcade who has it worse than him."
Yeah... they remembered that little comment, and, just minutes after the movie started, they were already dreading to see who would have it worse than him.
"The Sword in the Stone?"
"An adaptation of the novel of the same name. After the death of King Uther Pendragon, the land is left without a ruler, as he had no heir. A sword stuck in stone appeared; inscribed in letters of gold below the hilt were the words: 'Whoso Pulleth Out This Sword of this Stone and Anvil, is Rightwise King Born of England.' Though many tried for the sword with all their strength, none could move the sword nor stir it. The sword was forgotten, plunging England into the Dark Ages. The film follows young Arthur (training to be a squire), who manages to attract the attention of the wizard Merlin, making the old man take him as a student."
"I bet the sword had magic up the wazoo, and this 'Arthur' has something like a pure heart or something that can take the sword." Dash said.
"Yup. If you knew the legends, it would have been obvious. Merlin is like Starswirl the Bearded rolled up with Clover the Clever - Lyra, I'll lend you the books later, so don't think of giving me puppy eyes." I turned to her, who was blushing and trying to rid her eyes of the moisture she had conjured using her cutesy powers to cute me into submission. "And Arthur and his sword are incredibly popular."
I had a thoughtful expression for a bit.
"I'm going to make my own." I said, making the ponies look at me.
"Excuse me?" Luna said, puzzled.
"My own sword. Well, it'll more than likely end up being Celestia's or yours, but I want to make something like that; it is a symbol of everything that a king is, that a king should be. Only a man of noble heart may grasp the hilt, and I hold no illusions of being knightly material, but it still feels like something I should do."
Now the princesses were thoughtful.
Yes, the sword was forged, including a pseudo-Avalon. It has a selective gravity magical effect, plus other surprises. It is one of the few artifacts I made that is not subservient to my staff, mostly because it has its own requirements; if you want to get technical, if you are compatible with an Element, you can use the sword.
On a side note, Luna works one hell of a forge, and Celestia knows some really spectacular enchantments.
(I sometimes take the sword and scabbard with me when I go dimension-exploring, since I can carry the former without issue so long as it's inside the latter, and lend it to the princesses if they need it. There was one Equestria that was being invaded, and their Celestia was on the ropes. Ever seen an Evil Overlord with armor warded against magic try to block a twenty-four tonne sword thinking it's just a plain old two-point-four pounds one? Cicy's sloppy swing would have been messy if not for the Solar magic not leaving much of anything behind.)
Movies for that night were Toy Story, Up, and RotG.
Twilight snuggled next to her favorite pony of the room. There were abundant pillows and beanbags, and Tootsie squealed as she chased origami butterflies - folded by yours truly - across the room. I closed the curtains, and the room was noticeably darker! Like, an ordinary pony would need a candle to move about.
Disco-! Oops, he's still out... should have figured when no uncomfortable comments were made. I'll try to put a... a break, so if you don't want to expose yourself to spoilers just jump right ahead to the next one.
*****
It works!
Anyways, first up - Toy Story.
The song of friendship sat well with all of them, and the panic at the 'birthday party spying operation' earned a few chuckles - like having a 'surprise present' was going to cause the end of the world. Modestia thought that Woody was an interesting character and a good leader.
The ponies thought that Buzz was cool, even if he was crazy; he was that good.
I commented on the tragedy of his situation. Many agreed with me.
Dash boasted that she wouldn't cry, for anything. She bet me some bits, even.
Dash also thought that the toys lost a few cool points for ignoring Woody so blatantly.
Sid... yeah, let's skip that can of worms. (Though Fluttershy almost fainted when Buzz and Woody were taken by him).
The accident when Woody tossed Buzz through the window by mistake instead of behind the furniture made them cry out in fear.
Dash thought that Buzz's delusions were starting to get annoying, specially since he got them lost when he could have been 'miraculously' found in the car. And the Pizza Planet part earned groans of annoyance after he ruined another recovery opportunity with his craziness.
The modified toys really creeped out the ponies. Fluttershy was aghast - how could somepony be so cruel?
Then came the part I knew would get to Dash.
The part when Buzz realizes he's just a toy and can't fly. She sagged, like a deflated balloon. When Buzz started to climb, it was pretty obvious what he was going to attempt...
"No." She whispered, eyes widening in mounting horror, moisture gathering despite her assertions to the contrary at the start.
Jump.
"No, no no no..." She never raised her voice, you know, she just gasped as Buzz started falling.
Then Buzz broke, literally and metaphorically.
Dash slumped, the tears flowing freely. Pinkie and Fluttershy sobbed into each other, and my whole 'disguise to show the true self' thing I did with Celestia worked, since even she sobbed - quietly, though.
Surrounded by crying ponies, being slightly in tune with the herd (yes, I'm not that antisocial), and being more emotional as a female, it was to be expected that I would cry a little, too.
"Heh, seems like you won the bet." Dash said, attempting to grin through the tears.
Seeing Buzz like that, broken both in body and spirit, twisted their guts in knots. They wanted - oh how they wanted - to tell him that being a toy wasn't that bad! That he may be one Buzz Lightyear out of thousands, but he's still Andy's Buzz Lightyear!
The hand joke earned a few morbid chuckles. They were quickly buried under the sadness of the other toys turning their backs on Woody.
After the modified toys repaired Buzz, the ponies saw them in a new light... just in time for them to go back to feeling horror after Sid went looking for a toy to blow up, choosing Woody, but ultimately using Buzz.
The pep talk Woody gave to Buzz was just what the doctor ordered, though. There are a few ponies that need a talk like that - in fact, Luna told Zero something similar! You know, about how everypony has a place in the world and how you are better than you think you are. Woody's self-depreciation made Luna cry, though.
Luna... well, Luna still has some moments where she's vulnerable. She's gotten better, ever since that one Nightmare night, but sometimes she still needs somepony to stay by her side. Celestia and I like to brush her; it helps her mood immensely.
The rescue plan was proclaimed genius by Twilight. Everyone was in the right place, at the right time. Celly agreed; sometimes, brats need a real good scare before they straighten out.
Luna likes doing it to spoiled children.
Me? Well, remember when I said I caught a purse-snatcher and made him wet himself? That. Luna does it, too, but once you take her age into account, it's easy to see why she considers criminals 'spoiled children'.
The confrontation with the rest of Andy's toys made more than one pony pull their manes in frustration, and the rocket being ignited? Twilight screamed.
The cries of 'To infinity, and beyond' filled the room as Buzz flew for real this time. Luna and Fluttershy even jumped into the air; Luna was the loudest, while Fluttershy was crying of the happiness.
Response to the movie was positive. Rainbow didn't even hide the fact that it made her cry, and nopony gave her any grief about it. I heard from the staff that Blueblood requested several boxes of tissues through the night - as did the loving couple. Blueblood said that it gave him a lot to think about.
Then it was 'Up'.
The first few moments they were confused, until they saw that it was supposed to be a black-and-white movie within the movie. And Carl and Ellie's antics drew a few giggles, specially her hair.
Then it was life. They grew up, and everypony could see how in love they were. D'awws and feels were had...
And then Ellie was in the hospital. As a maternal kind of pony, Cinnamon shuddered and swallowed, and Celly wasn't doing much better. The one actual mother in the room was crying as she explained what happened to Tootsie, with a warm embrace from Bon-Bon.
You know, Octavia's mom had a complication once, after trying to have another child; rich or not, there were certain things that there simply was no solution for... once I was made aware of this problem, I suggested getting creative with magic that already existed. A month of weekly visits by an Academy instructor (retired mage of the court) later, Tavi is now waiting to be a big sister. Props to the doctors, because I can't see any way that that could have been easy.
Life for Carl and Elie went on. Love never left the air.
They tried to save for their big adventure, but all of the unexpected things that could happen to anypony just wouldn't let them...
It looked like it would be the day; a romantic picnic, a big surprise... but Ellie didn't make it.
Cinnamon and Dusty were inconsolable; so much, that they didn't protest at all when I gave them a hug, and just cried onto my coat. Twilight, Celestia and Luna were too hugging each other for comfort, while Applejack hid behind her hat and allowed Rarity behind it despite the unicorn being quite loud. Fluttershy was being supported by Pinkie, who was rather still and quiet for the amount of tears coming from her. Bon-Bon, true to her status as Lyra's 'sister not by blood', helped her best friend comfort her daughter. Rainbow didn't bother hiding it or denying it, either.
"Like an orchestra, huh?" She said, sniffling.
Carl surprised the orderlies with his flying house, pulled up by an enormous swarm of balloons, and, before Pinkie could speak, I said.
"I want a floating castle."
The movie was paused for a moment so that I could be properly stared at awkwardly.
"You heard me." I turned to Celly. "If I find the materials and the proper enchantments and supplies and stuff... can I make my own floating castle?"
She gaped for a couple of seconds, then shook the shock off herself.
"Given the laws on owning land, only if you can ensure it will never fall on anything." She said, possibly on reflexes born of generations' worth of students asking if X or Y could be made/done/what-have-you.
Then she took notice of what I had asked, and what she had said.
"Wait, why not make it of clouds?"
"Where's the fun in that? I want a floating city anypony can live in... I'm going to call it... Skybloom!" I said, grinning. I could see. The magic Discord stuffed into me allowed me to see that it was possible. I could flex it, bend it; if I understood it better, it would take much less effort.
One hundred and sixty eight hours (total; minus breaks) of research on enchantments, both from Equestrian and Collective-borne sources, I concluded that Twilight could theoretically do it herself - if she had the materials and design given to her, of course, and removing certain limitations.
There was a small island that technically belonged to Equestria, but wasn't a good living space being so close to the Island of Shifting Seasons; there is some great stone there, but again, the I.S.S. makes it dangerous to send anypony to even know that there was good stone there.
Distance doesn't matter to me anymore, and I had reality-bending powers.
Go on, guess what Skybloom is - besides a sanctuary for monster ponies, emergencies and a great vacation spot.
If you guessed 'a floating city', congratulations!
I had to explain what a GPS was and how it worked, but the movie continued.
Carl's grumpiness reminded Pinkie of Cranky, and she swore that she would be more observant than Russell was being.
I had to disappoint them; dogs back on Earth were not smart enough to talk even with a nigh-magical translator collar. Oh, and Kevin's design apparently inspired Rarity, if the stars in her eyes were any indication.
Then...
"Oh no!" Fluttershy screamed, which was as loud as a librarian's inside voice. "He's a collector!"
Fluttershy really suffered whenever Muntz did... pretty much anything, really.
Carl and Russell's fight soured the mood, which was already tense after Kevin's capture.
Then Carl saw the pictures from Ellie's adventure book. She had treated her whole life like an adventure, and didn't have any regrets as she passed away, even encouraging Carl to keep going on his own adventures. Cinnamon and Dusty didn't even realize they were squeezing me instead of each other for a whole ten seconds.
As Carl took control of his life, letting go of his past, the ponies cheered. Even if Fluttershy was crying really hard, thinking of how painful it must have been for Carl to empty out the house he worked so hard to furnish with Ellie.
Two old men fighting in their physical condition got a few laughs, and Fluttershy and Tootsie let out a strange, high-pitched scream as Muntz fell to his death. After Kevin was reunited with her babies, there were cheers, and some more tears as the movie wrapped up.
Seeing that the house fell exactly where Carl and Ellie had wanted it to be made them all cry a little once more.
...
Alright, I did, too.
After a few conjured snacks (Blueblood's request read more like a restaurant's menu, and Cadence can put down a startling amount of food herself), of the 'has flavor but no substance/calories' variety to make sure that 'little Tootsie' wouldn't get a tummy-ache, we moved on to the final movie of the night - it would be cutting it close, the movie would end a little after Tootsie's bedtime.
Rise of the Guardians.
The movie opens with a narration from Jack Frost himself, about how his first memory is that of darkness and fear. They saw him emerge from the frozen lake, taking in his surroundings.
Then he sees the light of the moon, and his heart found peace.
Luna put a hoof to her chest; filling the darkness with light and beauty was her. It's her in such a fundamental level, it's like saying fire is warm and ponies need water to live.
As a spirit of winter (as I had told them), nopony wondered why he wasn't bothered being barefoot during winter. They did ask why he was like that, but I told them to keep watching.
His plight - trying to find his purpose - sounded a little more serious than just trying to find a cutie mark; he was just too much like a kid ('he looks like a teenager' Rarity said) for them to not feel something as the confusion in his voice reached them.
He discovered his powers, and the ponies looked at me with a raised eyebrow, since I also use a staff. He starts to play with his powers, and it's then that they realize that Jack is a child! Celly, Luna, Twilight and Fluttershy had the sneaking suspicion of something 'harsh' having happened to him before he got out of the lake.
As the townsfolk seemingly ignored him, they didn't really understand what was going on.
Until someone quite literally walks through him.
"He's a ghost?!" More than one asked.
"I did say he's a spirit, no?"
"He's minutes old, and nopony can even see him?" Celly is a sensitive pony, and she was reminded of a few disheartening incidents in the past. And Twilight's own loneliness; but being forced into it? She felt for him; hard.
They were quite sad.
"That's a quite creative imagining of Santa Claus." I said as the tattooed muscular Russian appeared on-screen.
"The toy-maker? The one that gives gifts to children?" Lyra asked, to which I nodded.
Luna saw him with wide eyes; she likes foals, since their happiness is so comforting... seeing the dedication to his craft, Luna decided she liked Santa.
Then the little ice train he was working on suddenly sprouts wings and then ignited its jet engines.
"Cool!" Dash said. Cries of "No!" filled the room when it broke.
The lights going out and the darkness covering the globe worried them. The creepy laugh didn't help.
Tooth Fairy's obsession with teeth got a few laughs and lightened the mood again.
The Sandman... Luna got a new favorite character faster than you can say 'Sonic Rainboom'. His tricks with the golden dream sand gave Luna ideas, which I happened to share; we looked at each other, gave each other a smirk, and nodded.
Santa's 'gut feeling', or more accurately, 'belly-feeling', was compared to the Pinkie Sense.
Then BAM! The Man in the Moon is selecting a new Guardian! Although they couldn't see why Bunny was protesting so much.
Jack's antics make them laugh, although Fluttershy worried a little when he froze the top of a fishbowl.
Then he gave me an idea. He could ride the wind simply by asking it, so... why not ask things when you want something?
Jack's near-miss with a kid to believe in him made a few frowns appear across the room.
Jack's trick with the magic snowball and subsequent snowball fight earned a few 'ooh's of admiration. He made a group of friends come closer, even gain a new member! Celly said he'd make a great Element of Laughter - Pinkie agreed.
The concern Jack showed for lil' Jaime as he slid through the whole place earned him more brownie points with the ponies, and Dash, ever the thrill-seeker, said it was awesome. Then SLAM! Sofa out of freakin' nowhere! Laughs were had... but the kid lost a tooth and the whole thing was forgotten, making them sad again.
Jack's depression hit them hard. Then the streams of sand cheered him up a little.
Luna gave me a hug of appreciation for recommending the movie, and her awe at the scene was a reminder that, even if they are thousands of years old, ponies are still very child-like. Just like Jack himself, Celly noted.
"I have an idea." She whispered to me. I nodded.
Unfortunately, I was still within Luna's arm's reach when Pitch, the Boogeyman, appeared into the scene.
"Don't you dare touch that dream." She hissed, a dangerous, low thing that would have given me the creeps if only she hadn't gotten ahold of my freaking arm.
As the scene progressed and the golden dream sand turned into black nightmare sand... actually, I couldn't notice much of anypony else's reactions. I was too busy having my own.
"Luna! Oh God, please... Luna! I surrender! Dulce Madre de Dios, ¡piedad! Mercy! Uncle! I give, I give! Luna!"
"Luna!" Celly chided, just now getting a reaction of the fire-engine-red-with-rage, eyes-blazing-white, literally-steaming princess of the night and dreams, who - the perfect picture of confused innocence, as if the sudden indoors storm complete with lightning never happened - turned to her sister who in turn only nodded urgently to the side.
My right foreleg was being held by her forelegs, and it took her a couple of seconds to register that she was exerting steel-bending levels of force, both in compression and in torsion. My arm gave seven full rotations, and was thin as a broomstick on the place she had it gripped; I was on the floor, on my right side, weakly hitting the carpeted floor in an ineffective effort to get her attention.
She gasped as she released me, allowing my hoof to rotate in the other direction, my blood slowly re-inflating it like one of Carl's balloons.
Never, ever, mess with the dreams of a child in the same dimension as Luna. You will be sorry.
Curiously, if I had been a normal, non-chaos pony, I still would have been fine; the way I handle my personal magic isn't much different from Pinkie's, so my body is more rubbery than even average.
Still, I'm given a moment to recover. Tootsie gave my hoof a kiss to make it better, and let me tell you, it's much more effective than what you'd think. Magic literally everywhere, remember? I thanked the mini-corn and ruffled her hair a bit. Cinnamon and Dusty gave me hugs.
"I get it." I groaned, interrupting Luna's stream of apologies. "Don't mess with the dreams of children, I'll pass the message."
This got even Luna to chuckle honestly, if a little awkwardly, and we kept going.
Tooth Fairy's obsession with teeth struck again, now with Jack as the victim, and everypony laughed as they saw her way too close for comfort.
The rest of the scene, being an argument, didn't help the mood much. Particularly the part where Jack said he had been waiting for an answer for three-hundred years.
"The elves might not make the toys in this story, but they are excellent stress-testers." I said.
Then the scene with 'the center' happened.
Lyra guessed correctly that one would find a jolly old man under the imposing first impression of 'North'.
"A tiny baby with huge eyes?" Twilight muttered.
They are left with gaping mouths. Luna loves that part, as do I.
"What would my center be?" Rarity asked in mumbles, but I heard.
I paused the movie.
*****
Oof...
Well, see, I - like many other fans of the show - read the fiction that accompanies such a popular show. I have read some of the character analyses, and came to my own conclusion.
"This is how you first appear." I said, making a painting appear. In it, Rarity wore her gala dress, with one foreleg in the air and giving a profile of her head, eyes closed. She was in the castle ballroom, and the frame was solid gold with detail like the ones I had seen in the ones of paintings of princes. "Regal, refined, at home with the nobility."
I gestured with a hoof.
Rarity took down the painting. Behind it, there was a simpler one. Rarity was still in the same pose, but now she didn't wear anything, and the frame was carved wood, elegant in it's simplicity. Rarity was inside her boutique.
"Anypony who has truly spent time with you can see this other side. Still noble, dignified, because that is how you let ponies know that your attitude isn't just for show; you believe in elegance as something more than posturing and pretension. Simple, because you rely on your demeanor, your true self to convey your convictions, instead of trying to use clothes and coverings."
Next one, a sunset scene at a hill with only the silhouette of two ponies, one obviously Rarity, in the classical Tango-like pose moments-before-the-kiss.
"You are a romantic, if maybe dramatic."
Next one, Rarity as she was when about to fight dragons for Spike's well-being; in addition, she was dirty and mildly disheveled, but her eyes were fierce. Spike and the girls were standing behind her.
"You are fierce when you put your mind to it. You are not afraid to stand up to your friends - sure, you might lose yourself in the way here and there, but you always come around by the end."
Next one, Rarity, eyes closed, giving something to another pony.
"You are generous. You don't concern yourself with what a pony has, but with what they need."
"And in the center... want to know what I have seen?"
Rarity looks at me with curious eyes for a second, before lighting up her horn and revealing the last picture.
A small frame with a photograph. Filly Rarity as the geode containing the gems for the school's costumes laid open before her.
"You would have been a mare, but you are a little too much of a filly at heart." They chuckled.
"My eyes are sparkling." She said.
"Yes!" I exclaimed, feeling a rush of magic that sadly I didn't know how to direct. "They sparkle because of the beauty! An idea, a sight, they fill your eyes with stars!"
Celestia used her magic, taking ahold of mine.
She shaped it in the way I couldn't.
"Your vision and work are commendable, Rarity." She said, allowing the energy to form illusions of everypony's gala dresses. Even on her and the others, which I supplied from designs I've seen floating in the Internet. "You help to bring out the beauty inside of everypony."
Celestia was clad in reds and oranges, her hair once more four-colored; Luna was wearing soft blues and deep purples, her smile showing how pleased she was; Lyra was wearing whites, golds, and sea-foam green...
The designs morphed and expanded as Rarity thought of new ones, giving even my mare form one of soft creams and wooden tones.
My Rarity might not be like yours, or like the now-'canon' one, but I love her just the way she is.
Let's continue, shall we?
*****
I'm getting the hang of those...
Anyways, trouble began, and Santa took out his sleigh.
"Cool!" Tootsie said.
Jack's prank had Pinkie in stitches, but the 'show pony' comment made then grimace in unidentifiable emotions. I dunno, I had been a pony for less than a day total. I still don't get all of it.
"He forgot Jack can fly, didn't he?" Dash snorted and snickered.
"Yep."
The scene at the Tooth Palace made everypony gasp, either in horror or fear. Then Fluttershy got mad. Real mad. And Pitch didn't help himself either, what with mocking Jack so much.
And reminding us of his nightmare-sand trick made Luna fume again; thunder rumbled in the distance.
Although, Pitch's plight was just too similar to Jack's for them to be unsympathetic.
Jack wanted to recover his memories, and North's idea of gathering the teeth themselves lifted the spirits somewhat.
Chuckles and drama followed, particularly the scene at Jaime's house when he plays innocent about the 'freak sledding accident' he caused... and siccing a greyhound on Bunnymund.
"So big and cool, and so scared!" Dash rolled on the floor, laughing her head off next to Applejack and Pinkie.
Then the confrontation with Pitch. Luna beamed as she saw just how powerful Sandman truly was.
When Pitch hit him, Luna shrieked in horror. Hard. My magic reacted automatically to save everypony's hearing.
"Whoa, Jack is powerful." Twilight commented, even though she was still crying from what happened to Sandy.
"He's a nature spirit, not a belief spirit." I said, giving my guess as to how Jack could simply blast so much ice like that.
The egg-painting scene of the day before Easter filled Luna with even more ideas.
When Pitch played Jack's fears to cause a storm and ruin Easter... well, things were looking bad, particularly after the fights.
Then, Jack recovered his memories.
Jack was a prankster even as a human, and he even had a sister!
Then human Jack is seen focused intensely, calm and serious. We saw that he took off his skates, leaving him barefooted, wearing exactly the same outfit we saw him in at the start of the movie. Those with quick wits figured out what happened. We saw his sister standing in the middle of the frozen pond, surrounded by cracks on the ice. Jack wasn't having any of that, though, and kept his sister's attention on him, even managing to make her laugh! Despite the fear! Celly thought he was great guardian material, guessing that that must have been the reason he was chosen.
"I don't know how to play hopscotch." I confessed. I just... never played it; I was the 'stay at home' kind.
Then Jack picked up the stick that would become his staff, switched places with his sister... and promptly fell through the weak ice.
"That color on his lips... he froze to death!?" Twilight asked, horrified.
I winced.
"Eh... humans have certain limits, some higher than others; it's more likely that he drowned first." I said, and everypony shuddered. They cried as they saw Jack die.
And yet, Jack was smiling as he sunk to the depths.
"He doesn't even care that he saw himself die!" Dash said, smacking herself during her outburst. "He's just happy he saved his sister!"
Celestia truly believed he could be an Element of Harmony.
Pitch's weird behavior made them grin a little, even though he was being evil.
Jack helping Jaime believe in Bunny, despite the insults and pranks and fights... it warmed them up; they had been at the verge of tears again as they saw Jaime's light fade more and more... then, Jack came in. Jack was being a light in the darkness. A true Guardian. Once Jaime could finally see Jack? Laughter sounded through the room. It took three movies, but Celestia finally laughed out loud.
Celestia really should allow herself to laugh more. It's beautiful. Paired with Luna? Not even the guards have training enough to resist that.
She laughed again once she saw Bunny's de-powered form. Heartwarming.
They were scared once Pitch showed himself and threatened Jaime. They saw Jack's flashback, and they all realized what that meant. Jack found something about himself...
His center.
Fluttershy shared Jaime's conviction.
When the golden dream sand made its return, Luna laughed boisterously. You'd think she was crowned Queen of Nightmare Night and given enough candy to make a real-scale replica of Canterlot Castle.
"It's the belief!"
The scales quickly leaned the other way, and Sandman returned - much to Luna's joy.
"Talk about dreaming big..." Someone said, a sand dinosaur on the screen.
Guess what? Luna was reminded of her ideas.
Everypony laughed.
After the kids stopped seeing Pitch, though... it was a bittersweet thing.
Tooth giving Pitch a quarter before punching one of his teeth off, though? That was hilarious.
The credits' song was beautiful, and Celly asked us to stay quiet a little bit to hear it.
You know? I'm not the best conversationalist, but movie nights? That's perfect for me.
It helps. Any last bit helps.