//------------------------------// // 50. The Best Night Ever - Conclusion // Story: Blaze the Pony Tale // by Wolven5 //------------------------------// Before long, the music slowed and Vinyl Scratch announced, “Alright, party ponies, it’s time to take things in a different direction. I’m calling on all you lovely couples out there for this is the moment to sweep your filly off her hooves!” The crowd cleared the dance-floor while couples all walked out onto it, looking up expectantly at the disc jockey. “And now, fillies n’ gentlecolts, here for the final song of tonight, let’s all give a warm Grand Galloping Gala welcome to… Princess Luna!!!” Vinyl Scratch and her sound equipment vanished ina shimmering haze, and when it cleared, there stood Princess Luna, along with a pianist, a cellist, harpist, and tuba player, each a celebrated musician. Some of the guests gasped in apprehension of the princess of the night, known once upon a time as the Mare in the Moon, Night Mare Moon, while others simlply held their silence, unsure of what to do. But one pony was not afraid to give due applause, as Midnight Blaze clapped his hooves, looking warmly to Luna, and before long, everypony else was clapping as well. Luna and the musicians all bowed as they began. Big Mac led Fluttershy out onto the dance floor, followed by Blueblood and Rarity, and Rainbow Dash and Soarin. Midnight then turned to Twilight, holding out his hoof, with a hopeful smile. “May I have this dance?” Twilight was a little surprised but smiled with a nod and allowed her student to lead her out onto the dance floor. The music began, low and mysterious but beautiful nonetheless, and everypony was in awe of Luna’s enthralling voice. The stallions slowly took the lead, guiding their dance-partners along with the musical flow, gentle and graceful, the spell of the music enchanting them all. Fluttershy kept looking at her hooves but Big Mac lifted her face, whispering, “Just look at me.” Staring into his big green eyes, reflecting a gentle warmth, she calmed and rested her head to his chest. Rarity was hesitant, not wanting to make a mistake when Blueblood whispered, “Relax. Because tonight, there is nopony I’d rather be dancing with than you.” She smiled and rested her head onto his shoulder. Soarin was a little scared, still a little rattled from his altercation with Spitfire, when Rainbow Dash said, “Hey! I lead, ok?” He looked into those rose-colored orbs and saw a passion like that of a glowing ember, bright yet gentle, and he smiled at her. Midnight and Twilight were a little mechanical with their moves, as neither of them had any real dance experience. Twilight kept over-annalyzing her steps when… “Ouch!” “Oh, sorry!” she whispered, looking fearfully at Midnight’s wincing face. “It’s ok,” he assured her. “I’m a little nervous too.” They stopped for a moment, stationary in a sea of dance, as they recollected themselves and Twilight said, “Again?” “If you want to,” Midnight replied with an encouraging smile and Twilight looked into his turquoise eyes, he into her eyes like amethysts. In that moment, something clicked, igniting a spark, and ever so slowly, they moved closer to the other’s faces, when… A loud applause made them jerk as they looked around saw the song was over, and Princess Luna and the musicians were taking another bow. The two unicorns looked at each other again, realizing what they’d almost done, and Midnight vanished in a flash of light, leaving a bewildered Twilight in shock! Midnight didn’t know how he found it but he wound up at a local doughnut shop, hearing someone say, “Hey Pony Joe! Another doughnut.” He looked and saw Spike sitting on one of the barstools, a big unicorn stallion wearing a deli uniform and had a pink-frosted doughtnut for a cutie-mark, was looking at him hesitantly with green eyes. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” “Another doughtnut!” Spike demanded angrily, “Extra sprinkles.” “I’ll have what he’s having,” Midnight muttered as he walked up, throwing a couple bits onto the counter and sat next to Spike. “Hey Spike.” “Oh, now one of you notices me,” Spike griped as the pony called Joe served up a couple sprinkled doughtnuts for them. “Look, Spike, I’m sorry the evening didn’t turn out like you hoped,” Midnight said, sounding woeful, Spike raised a brow. “What’s your problem?” he asked, not really caring more curious. “Well, Twilight and I shared a dance and we almost…” “Almost what?” Spike gruffed when they all heard the doors open behind them. “Twilight Sparkle,” chuckled Joe. “Long time no see!” Spike and Midnight looked to see their friends, all smiling or laughing, Twilight in front as she looked at Midnight, and her expression mirrored his: Confused, unsure, a little hurt. Spike walked up, saying, “Hey everypony, how was the gala?” They all discussed it over a round of doughtnuts and hot chocolate, and Spike was like, “Wow! Sounds like you all had the best night ever after all!” “We did,” Twilight agreed, looking at the others. “But… just not in the way we expected.” “No kidding!” “I didn’t see it coming.” “It turned out even better!” “It was awesome!” “That… was the best Grand Galloping Gala ever!” They all looked to the front doors and gasped, “Princess Celestia!” “I have to agree with you, Princess,” Twilight said as her teacher approached them. “You really outdid yourself this year.” “Oh I can’t take all the credit,” Celestia shook her head. “You should all be thanking Midnight!” “Midnight?!” Everypony looked at him, Midnight just shrugging with a smile. “Midnight… read up about the gala and sent me a letter of suggestions,” Celestia explained with a knowing look she shared with the blue unicorn. “And I’m so glad he did, and that you were all able to attend!” “Wait, Princess, are you saying this year’s gala was different from usual?” Rarity asked. “Indeed, Rarity, and to tell you all the truth,” Celestia went on, “Ordinarily? The gala is just awful, year after year! So stuffy and boring, all the guests expecting it to be some high society event and to be all formal! So when Midnight sent me his suggestions, I considered it a Faust-send! So in a way, everypony, you all have Midnight to thank for such a lovely evening.” “All I made were some suggestions, Princess!” Midnight chuckled and the thank-you assumed from all his friends. “I just thought up some ways to… liven things up a bit.” “And while the evening didn’t go quite as you all planned,” Celestia added, “I’m sure you’ll agree that in the end it turned out even better than you had hoped.” “You’re right, Princess,” Twilight agreed. “Friends have a way of making something bad into something pretty great.” “Yeah, by just hanging out with each other,” Thunderlane suggested. “Talking,” added Fluttershy. “Laughing!” declared Pinkie. “You mean doing exactly what I wanted to do from the start?” asked Spike with a high & mighty smile. “Yes, Spike, you were right,” Twilight admitted. “An’ though things din’t go quite what we all expected…” added Big Mac. “…being together here is just the perfect way for it to end,” Rarity agreed. “In fact, it makes it…” Pinkie started and everypony agreed: “THE BEST NIGHT EVER!”