//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: The Duchess of Drop // by Robolestia //------------------------------// The coronation party was in full swing. Fireworks detonated overhead, and the setting sun provided just the right temperature and lighting for ponies to be out and about, celebrating the new princess’ rise to power.   Away from the celebrating crowds, sitting at a private table on the relatively quiet terrace of Canterlot Castle,  a mare and a stallion watched the processions from afar, their daughter taking pride of place, waving to her new subjects.   "I can’t believe it," Twilight Velvet said happily, wiping her eye with a small tissue. "Our little girl... a princess!"   "Heh, yeah," Night Light chuckled. "Who’da thunk it, huh? And here I thought we couldn’t get any prouder of our kids when they became the Element of Magic and Captain of the Guard!"   "Hey!" a hoarse voice called out. "Hey, Night Light!"   Night Light and Twilight Velvet looked around to see nobody trying to get their attention, and Night Light frowned in confusion, a small bell ringing in his mind. He knew this voice from somewhere...   "Hey, down here, you silly stallion!"   Night Light felt a cold sweat break out underneath his tuxedo. Yes, he knew this voice alright, but he hadn’t heard it for... how old was Shiny? And the last time she’d been shouting his name...   Velvet and Light looked out over the balcony, and finally saw who wanted their attention. On the balcony of a hotel across the way, they saw a cyan unicorn mare with a short, sandy mane-cut waving at them, a lit cigarette hovering in the air near her face as she did so. Once upon a time, she might have been a real head-turner, but it was clear that life hadn’t quite been so generous to her, as evidenced by the slight bags around her eyes, and the curly, blonde wig resting on a patio chair near her.   "Do you... know this mare?" Twilight Velvet asked, grimacing in disgust. "She looks like... is she a hooker?"   Night Light began to sweat, and smiled nervously. "Ah ha... hello Candy Shores!" he returned the greeting, trying to keep his voice as quiet as possible while still getting it to carry across the street to the hooker leaning on the balcony. "Long time no see! Taking a... taking a holiday, then?"   "Yeah, Night Light," the hooker yelled back. "A working holiday! By the way, our daughter is fine! Thanks for asking! Right famous and everything!"   Twilight Velvet’s eyes widened, and she rounded on Night Light, who was already preemptively finding a happy place.   "What’s this about a daughter?" she hissed.   On the balcony, Candy Shores took a drag of her cigarette and jabbed it at Twilight Velvet. "Who’s the broad?" she asked bluntly.   "B-broad?" Twilight spluttered, a fire igniting in her eyes.   "Uh, ha ha," Night Light laughed loudly, trying to defuse the situation, before he secured a sleeping place on the couch for the rest of eternity. "Candy, this is, um, this is my wife, Twilight Velvet!" He turned back to his wife and leant in close, picking his next words as carefully as he could. "Um, dear, it was just one night in Haygas... things got... um. You remember the day we first met? We bumped into each other at the train station?"   Twilight Velvet sniffed. "Yeah?"   "That was, uh," Night Light coughed. "That was right after I got back from Haygas..."   Velvet just nodded numbly, and Night Light began to sweat more. Velvet was beyond upset, she was sulking. He was going to get it at some point in the future, that was for sure. And the fact that by now, pretty much everypony on the terrace was looking at them...   "Excuse me, Night Light?"   The suddenly-tired stallion turned around to see two stern-looking unicorns of Red and Blue. Wearing no-nonsense expressions, all-business suits and ties and cut-the-crap sunglasses, Night Light saw only his own increasingly frazzled face in the reflection.   "Y-yes sirs?" he stammered. The Equestrian Secret Service. Visions of being imprisoned in a cell that was almost instantly banished to lands far beyond Equestria for reasons that were vague and liberally coated with legalese flooded his mind.   "Is this Candy Shores speaking the truth?" Red asked.   "Have you sired a daughter to this mare?" Blue finished.   "I-I’ve done right by her," Night Light stammered, squaring his shoulders. "Paid Foal Support and everything. Even paid her way through college."   "It’s a yes or no question," Red said bluntly, ignoring Night Light’s protestations.   "I... might have..." Night sighed, and bowed his head. "Yeah. I did the do."   Blue touched a namesake hoof to his ear, tilting his head as he did so.   "Sun confirmed for flat," he muttered. "I repeat. Confirmed for flat."   "Confirmed, confirmed," Red added, touching a hoof to his own ear. "Code AEIOU."   As if listening to an invisible voice, the both nodded simultaneously, and without a further word, vanished in twin purple flashes of light, leaving a terrace of silence behind them, everypony staring at Night Light and Twilight Velvet in shock.   Night Light coughed, and looked to his wife, who was glaring at him.   "Did you hear that?" Night asked, trying to pull a smile onto his face. "Twilight’s big sister is famous!"