Twilight Sparkle was ready. She was pumped. Well, as much as a studious mare like her could be. After all the stress she and her friends had endured, Pinkie Pie thought it was high time that they spent a night out together by going to the most popular dance club in Ponyville.
Twilight herself had never been to a dance club before, but with the convincing of her friends, she figured, why not? She liked trying new things once in a while. But with every step they took towards the hot spot, the bookworm couldn’t help but feel more and more apprehensive.
“This book should be all the guidance I need,” she explained, holding up a small booklet titled, The Guide to Partying for Idiots
“Relax, Twi!” Pinkie Pie assured her, grinning from ear to ear. “Don’t be so uptight! It’s time to let yourself loose and have some fun!”
“I’m not uptight! I’m being practical!”
“You’re being an egghead.” Rainbow interjected.
Rarity rolled her eyes at her friends’ antics and turned to Fluttershy. “Are you nervous, dear?” she asked.
“Actually, I’m kind of excited,” Fluttershy said with a bright smile. “I’ve never been to one of these before.”
“YEAH, you should be excited!” Pinkie shouted, bouncing high in the air. “This is gonna be the best night ever! For real this time!”
“Which is why we need go over the ground rules,” Twilight said. Multiple groans filled the air. “Oh, now come on, this is important!”
“Important to you,” Rainbow muttered, crossing her arms.
Twilight ignored her winged friend and cleared her throat. “Ahem. No drinking weird substances, no leaving the club without letting each other know, especially with somepony else, and we should probably come up with a safety word for getting each other out of boring conversations...oh, and most importantly--"
“Have fun?” Pinkie asked hopefully.
Twilight sighed. “I was getting to that, but yes, we’ll have fun. But not too much fun.”
“Yeah!” the others cheered and raced down the road ahead of them.
Twilight blinked. “Wait! I haven’t even gone over the rest of the rules yet! Don’t you want to hear the next one? It's really important! Guuuys!”
Applejack, who was still with her, chuckled and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I think we get the idea, sugar cube.”
“Well…I guess you’re right,” Twilight said reluctantly.
It wasn’t long before they neared their destination. The Prancing Pony was one of the most popular dance clubs in town. Ponies were already lined up outside, chattering excitedly. Multicolored lights shone through the doors and windows, giving off an impressive lightshow. As the six friends drew closer, they could feel the booming party music vibrating under their hooves.
Twilight couldn’t help but feel a little nervous as they went to the back of the line. She had never been in a dance club, and she had no idea on what she was required to do, or how she should act. Applejack and Fluttershy were in the same boat as she was, but they didn’t seem nervous as she was; just curious. The line started to move forward as the security started to let ponies inside. “You sure they’ll even let you in, Pinkie Pie?” Rainbow Dash asked with a frown. “You’re not even 21 yet.”
Pinkie only smiled. “Silly Dashie—that’s what fake I.D.s are for!” She reached into her mane and pulled out a plastic card with her picture on it.
“Born 1991,” Rarity read. She clicked her tongue and shook her head. “That’s never going to work.” As they neared the front, they could see a buff Minotaur standing at the door. “Oh, no,” moaned Rarity. “It’s him!”
Fluttershy looked ahead and bit her lip nervously when she saw her ex-mentor. Rainbow Dash floated to the ground. “Who?”
“Iron Will,” Pinkie replied.
“Who’s he?”
Rarity rolled her eyes as they kept moving forward. “The brutish monster that—Iron, darling!” the unicorn greeted with a bright smile. “It’s been a long, long time since we’ve last seen each other!”
Iron looked down at her, a smile curling his lips. “It certainly has, hasn’t it?” He shifted his gaze to the yellow pegasus. “Fluttershy, how goes it? Hey, I’ve been using your ‘No means no’ thing and my seminars have never been more successful! I’ve been using it on everypony!”
Fluttershy smiled a little. “That’s great, Iron Will.”
“She’s doing much better now, thank you.” Rarity said curtly, wanting to move this conversation along.
Iron nodded. “Alright, let’s see…you can go in…you can go in…you can go in…go on ahead…hold it, missy!” Iron said holding a hand in front of Pinkie Pie. “Let me see your I.D.”
Pinkie held up the card with her mouth. “Hurr yu guh!” she said through her teeth. Iron took the card from her mouth and inspected it.
Fluttershy, Twilight, Rarity and Applejack stood at the entrance, all tensed up in anticipation. “Alright, you can go in.”
Pinkie bounced over to her friends, and was shortly followed by Rainbow Dash. “See? Works like a charm.”
The six friends strode into the dance club, which was alive with dancing ponies, bright spotlights, and catchy music. “Alright girls, let’s have some fun tonight!” Rarity declared. Cheers of excitement accompanied her words and the group of friends split up so they could do their own activities.
Rainbow Dash went to test out the new drinks while Rarity started to mingle with the crowd with ease. Pinkie took to the dance floor, and began strutting her stuff along with other ponies. Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy wandered somewhat aimlessly through the crowd, testing the waters.
Twilight retrieved her book with her magic and read over its contents. “Step one. Find somepony you don’t know and make friendly conversation.” She looked up. “Well, that shouldn’t be too hard.” Her violet eyes scanned the crowd until she saw a blue coated stallion with a long, black, shaggy mane sitting at a table. Alone.
A small smirk played at her lips as she closed the book and tucked it under her wing. “Alright, Twilight. You can do this. Here we go.” Taking a deep breath, she sauntered casually over to the stallion’s table. “Hel-lo there!”
The pony looked up to see Twilight beaming brightly. “Is this seat taken?”
The blue pony shrugged. “Guess not.”
“Do you mind if I join you?”
“Guess not.”
“Great!” The pony blinked as Twilight plopped down on a chair and scooted up to the table. “My name is Twilight. What’s yours?”
“Night Shade.”
“Pleased to meet you, Night Shade.” Night simply raised his eyebrows and continued sipping the last of his drink. Twilight thought back to her book. If she wanted to make friendly conversation, then perhaps she would need to talk in some sort of slang. This was a club after all. All she had to do was keep the conversation…alive.
She glanced at the dancing ponies and then back at Night. “So!” she began, grabbing his attention once more. “This party’s really…uh…” She opened her book beneath the table. “…on fleck! Wouldn’t you say!?”
Night shrugged once again. “Sure.” He took another sip. “You diggn’ it?”
Twilight could barely contain her grin. Now she was getting somewhere! “Oh, yes, very much so!” She glanced down. “So…you come here often?” Wait, what? Oh shoot! This is the flirting column!
Night Shade raised an eyebrow. “Often enough. What’s your poison?”
“Uh…pardon?”
“What do you like to drink.”
“Oh! Oh, uh, it depends on exactly what they’re serving.”
Night nodded, and waved his hoof. A unicorn dressed in black appeared. Twilight assumed that she was some kind of waitress, but she wasn’t entirely sure. “What’ll it be?” the mare said flatly.
“Lunar Eclipse, on the rocks.”
The mare nodded and looked at Twilight expectantly. “Do you have chamomile tea by any chance?”
The bemused waitress stared at Twilight. “We don’t carry tea.”
Twilight chuckled and rubbed her neck. “Right. Of course not. I’ll just have water.” The waitress gave Night Shade a look and strode off.
The stallion focused back on Twilight. “You’re not a heavy drinker, are you?”
“No, not really. In fact, I’ve never had anything heavier than a cup of Apple cider.”
“Hmm. Interesting.”
The waitress reappeared, and was levitating two drinks. “Here you go, a Lunar Eclipse for Mister Shade, and one glass of water for Mary Sue.” Twilight winced at the name Mary Sue, but accepted her drink with a nod.
Night Shade tilted his glass back and downed the drink in just a couple of minutes. I think he might be having one too many.
“Night Shade, I thi--!” Night’s face slammed onto the table and went still. “Night Shade!?”
“Twiliiight!” Rainbow Dash flew over to their table and landed on her hooves with a slight wobble. Twilight stood up and went over to Night Shade. “Rainbow, quick! This pony just collapsed!”
“Aw, Night Shade?”
“You know him?”
“Yeah, he does this like, all the time. He’s a regular. Not quite right in the head—yo, yo Foxtrot! Night’s taken a dive again!”
A pony with a crimson coat came over and sighed. “I’ll take him home.”
Twilight bit her lip as Foxtrot helped Night Shade stand. “Are you sure he’s alright?”
Foxtrot nodded. “Yeah, he’s cool. Can’t speak for him tomorrow morning, though.”
Rainbow grabbed the alicorn and led her to the mini bar where Fluttershy was sitting. Twilight took a seat next to her. “Are you not having fun, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy brushed a strand of pink hair from her face. “Oh, I’m having fun. I tried talking to ponies, and they’re nice enough, but I guess this isn’t my kind of crowd.” She smiled warmly. “Besides, I like watching Applejack and Pinkie Pie instead.” Twilight looked at the dance floor, and sure enough, the two earth ponies were dancing together right in the thick of it. Pinkie looked like she was having the time of her life, while Applejack looked like she was about to drop at any moment.
Twilight chuckled until she saw Rainbow twirling around in her seat next to her. “I’m having FUN, and nopony can STOP ME!”
The Princess shook her head. “Rainbow, I’m surprised at you! You broke the most crucial rule--not that I had the chance to get to it!”
“Oh, no, Rainbow didn't have that kind of drink, Twilight,” Fluttershy assured her. “She just had a few Apple ciders. She just tends to get a little excited when she has too many.”
“Hmm. I see.”
“Not just Apple cider,” Rainbow half shouted. She grabbed a mug and handed it to Twilight. “Here! Drink this!”
Twilight rolled her eyes and took a small sip. Her face twisted as if she ate a basket of lemons. “Ugh! That’s strong!”
“I know, right? That’s Grape! Here, try this, try this!”
Twilight sipped the next drink Rainbow gave her and almost choked. “Oh! That’s stronger!”
“Yeah, that’s Raspberry!”
“Why are we doing this?”
“I dunno!”
The song that was playing soon ended and Twilight’s ears perked up when she heard Rarity’s voice over the microphone. “Alright, this one’s for the lad-ieeeess!” All the mares in the club cheered enthusiastically. That is, until The Wind Beneath My Wings started playing.
“Woo! Yeah! Slow jam! Alright!” Rainbow Dash cheered.
“BOOOOOO!”
“It’s a beautiful song!” Rarity wailed. It wasn’t long before a more upbeat song stared playing.
Just then, Pinkie Pie bounced up to them with Applejack practically crawling from behind. “WHOO! Somepony call the doctor, 'cause I've got funky fever! And the only cure is a dance partner! C’mon, who’s up for another round of dancing?”
“Not me,” Applejack gasped, climbing onto a stool next to Rainbow Dash and resting her head on the counter. “Not again..."
“That’s okay, AJ. You rest. How about you, Fluttershy?”
The yellow pony's heart thumped at just the thought of dancing in the middle of that huge crowd. “Maybe next time, Pinkie,” she said apologetically.
“I’ll dance with you, Pinkie,” Twilight said with a smile. After all, connecting one's self with others was all part of the clubbing process.
The pink pony’s grin threatened to consume her entire face. “Alright!” she grabbed Twilight by the hoof and pulled her towards the dance floor.
Applejack lifted her head. “Did I just hear that Twilight’s gonna dance?”
Rainbow nodded. “Yup.” She handed her a cup of Raspberry cider. “Drink up!”
Just a steel town mare on a Saturday night
Looking for the fight of her life
“I love this song!”Twilight exclaimed happily. Letting the music flow through her, Twilight started to dance, her hooves making jerky movements as her body teetered back and forth. Her head tossed in all directions and her tail swished from side to side.
Pinkie danced jubilantly beside her. “Oh, yeah! Uh-Huh! Go Twilight! It’s your birthday!”
She has danced into the danger zone
When the dancer becomes the dance
Twilight’s wings flared out as she stood on her hooves and wiggled about. The crowd around her slowly stopped dancing and backed away from their princess in silent horror.
She’s a mane-i-ac, Mane-i-ac on the floor!
“This song…is made for her.” Rainbow commented.
Rarity appeared beside them, her eyes on Twilight and Pinkie Pie, who didn’t seem to notice the gaping mouths of the crowd. The seamstress clicked her tongue, biting back a smirk. “Bless her heart.”
“At least she’s having fun,” Fluttershy said as Twilight thrust her hind legs upward.
Disco peered down at the crowd from his office from above with a large glass window and frowned. “Why is nopony dancing? They’re all just standing there!”
Electric Slide was looking at something else. “Boss…I think you’d better see this.”
Disco quirked his eyebrow and came up beside his employee. “See what?” Electric Slide pointed down at the center of the dance floor. The first thing he saw was Pinkie Pie doing the worm. “..Okay? What does that—WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY!?” His eyes bulged out of his head when he saw Princess Twilight Sparkle twitching and shaking beside her pink friend. Her wings flapped erratically at her sides. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, and her eyes seemed dilated.
Disco scrambled out of his office, hysterical. “Medic! We need a medic! Now!”
Twilight closed her eyes. Her body was warm with the fire of passionate dancing. She smiled as the music vibrations coursed through her veins, and lifted her soul. Nothing else was existent. It was just her and the music. She felt tingles run up her spine as she rotated her shoulders.
“We’ll save you, your highness!”
The next thing she knew, she was lying flat on the floor. Twilight’s eyes shot open as the air was knocked from her lungs. Numerous ponies were holding her down.
“Hey! What are you doing?” she heard Pinkie squawk.
“Stand back, miss!”
Twilight finally broke from her confused stupor and began to struggle.
“Oh no! She’s convulsing!”
“Give her a shot!”
“A shot of what? That pegasus drank all the alcohol!”
“An injection, you idiot!”
Twilight found her voice. “What!? I’m no--!” Somepony planted their lips onto hers and started to blow. Twilight’s scream trapped inside her throat.
The stallion came up for air. “Don’t worry, Princess! You’ll live, you’ll live!” He leaned down and blew into Twilight’s mouth again.
“Twilight!” Applejack shouted, lunging forward to save her friend. She was instantly pushed down by a humongous Minotaur. “I said stay back!”
“Applejack!” Rarity cried, racing over to help the cowgirl.
“Rarity!” Fluttershy shrieked.
“Bartender!” Rainbow called, raising an empty mug.
“But there’s nothing wrong with her!” Pinkie argued, trying to push her way past two other ponies.
“Halp! Halp!” Twilight choked.
Applejack threw herself onto the Minotaur's shoulder so she could see inside of the circle. “You’re doin' it wrong! You’re blowin’ inside of her stomach!”
The pony working on Twilight looked up indignantly. “I didn’t sign up for this!” He began pressing both hooves against Twilight’s chest.
Twilight writhed in pain. “Oh! Ow! Stop it! Ouch!”
“Roots and twigs!” Fluttershy cursed softly.
“I’ve got the syringe!” a unicorn yelled, levitating the medical instrument with her magic.
“Stick it in her leg, quick!”
Twilight’s friends began shouting all at once, fighting valiantly against the security, but to no avail. Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight could see the syringe floating towards her.
Something inside her snapped.
“ENOUGH!”
The whole building exploded with violet color, the magic from Twilight’s horn blowing everyone back. Some ponies yelped and dove under the tables. Magic surged mercilessly through the building, killing the power.
It all ended almost as quickly it started. The bright light faded. Twilight stood there, heavily panting. Her horn was still glowing threateningly, her wild eyes flying from one pony to another. “Back off,” she rasped. “Back, I say!”
Rarity quickly rushed to Twilight’s side. “Calm down, darling. It’s alright.” She patted Twilight’s disheveled mane. “It’s all over. Calm down.”
Twilight’s breath hitched as she realized what she was doing. Slowly, she put a hoof to her chest, and extended it, letting out a calm exhale. The magical aura faded into nothing. Twilight opened her eyes and felt more relaxed. “Thanks.”
Disco pushed his way through the crowd. “What’s going on here? Princess Twilight, are you alright? Surely you have a perfect explanation as to why you were seizing in the middle of my dance floor?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”
“W…What? What do you mean? You were just—"
“That’s what we were tryin’ to tell ya'll!” Applejack scowled. “There was nothin' wrong with her in the first place!”
Rainbow Dash snorted. “Aside suffering from Egghead-itus. Very rare, very deadly.”
Disco’s brow furrowed. “What?”
“I wasn’t seizing,” Twilight said with a frown. “I was dancing!”
Silence swallowed the building. When the realization finally sunk in, ponies laughed, and laughed hard.
Twilight’s cheeks burned. “What? What's so funny?"
Disco sighed heavily and rubbed a hoof against his temple. “Princess…can I see you in my office, please?”
Twilight’s head lowered a little, the heat in her cheeks increasing. “Yes. Of course.” The group of friends followed Disco up the stairs leading to his office, each of them wondering, what could Twilight possibly be in trouble for?
Disco escorted all six mares inside and sat behind his desk. Electric Slide stood by his employer, tying not to laugh.
“Princess,” Disco began.
Said mare gave a small smile. “Twilight’s fine.”
“Twilight…I’m aware of all that you and your friends here have done, for Ponyville and Equestria. You’re a wonderful young mare, I’m sure, but…”
“But what?” Rainbow Dash said rather threateningly.
Disco swallowed and loosened his collar. “But…the thing is…your…dancing has caused a major disruption tonight. Ponies were genuinely fearful of your safety and theirs. You really looked like you were having an attack of some sort!”
Twilight’s ears flattened. “I…I didn’t know. I’m so sorry!”
Disco held up a hoof. “No need for apologizes, Miss Sparkle. We just have to ensure this never happens again.”
Applejack frowned. “What’s that ‘sposed to mean?”
Disco sighed. “It means… Twilight…you are hereby banned from the Prancing Pony and all the other dance clubs...indefinitely.”
All six mares gasped. “You can’t be serious!” Rarity gawked.
“I am.”
Furious, Rainbow slammed both her hooves onto the desk, her eyes flashing. “Jerk face! She’s a princess! You’d better let her back in or I’ll find her crown and stick it right up—"
Her threat was abruptly cut off by Applejack yanking her back by the tail.
“I’ll ignore that,” Disco said stoically. “However, the rest of you are welcome here anytime.”
“What? That’s not fair!” Pinkie protested.
“No, its okay, girls,” Twilight said dejectedly as she turned to leave. “I’ll go.”
Rarity circled around her and blocked her path. “Out of the question! If you can’t continue to come here, then neither will we!” Voices rose in agreement.
Disco bit his lip. At least half of the group was his best customers. “It’s nothing personal! I just have to think of the safety and comfort of everypony. If Twilight could perhaps learn to dance appropriately—"
“Listen here, Bub,” Applejack cut in. “If you expect us to keep comin’ here after banning Twilight, our friend, because of her dancin’, you might as well forget that notion all together.”
“ ’Cause we have a certain saying between us,” Rainbow Dash said, thrusting a hoof in the air. “You mess with one of us…”
“You mess with ALL of us!” Pinkie finished firmly, pushing her nose against Disco’s.
“And what you did wasn’t very nice,” Fluttershy said reproachfully.
Rarity opened the door with her magic. “Come on, girls! We’re leaving!” One by one, the mares exited the office in a huff, save Twilight, who simply left with her wings drooping at her sides.
“You’re still welcome here, Miss Rarity,” Disco said somewhat desperately.
The unicorn snorted as she stepped outside. “Good day, Mister Disco.”
“But—"
“I SAID GOOD DAY!”
“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” Twilight almost whispered as they made their way back home.
“Whaddaya mean, Twilight?” Rainbow hiccuped from above. “We’d never stay where you’re not allowed!”
Applejack looked up. “Rainbow, come on down. You drank too much Cider.” The multicolored Pegasus did a barrel roll over their heads. “No, you!” She let out a series of high-pitched giggles.
Fluttershy sighed. “I’ll get her down.”
“As tipsy as she is, Rainbow Dash is right, Twilight,” Rarity said as Fluttershy lifted off the ground. “That club owner had no right to throw you out just because you...got excited.”
Twilight sighed. “I know. And I appreciate what you guys did back there, I really do. It’s just that…”
“Just that what?” Pinkie wanted to know.
“…Am I really a bad dancer?”
The entire group ceased walking. Even Rainbow Dash stopped resisting so that Fluttershy could bring her back down to the ground. Twilight tried to look each of her friends in the eyes, but they all avoided her expectant gaze. “Come on, you can tell me. I’m not that bad, am I?”
The girls still looked a bit hesitant. Twilight frowned impatiently. “Applejack?”
The farm pony swallowed hard. “Uh…well…uh…”
Twilight stepped closer to the now perspiring mare. “I’m a good dancer…” She paused uncertainly. “Right, Applejack?”
Applejack threw a glance at the others, but their eyes silently urged her to tell Twilight what they should’ve told her a long time ago.
“Twilight,” Applejack stated, “I’m sorry. We love ya, but when you dance, it makes full grown stallions want to cry.”
Twilight wailed in despair. “Oh, no! Nononononononononono!”
“I-It’s going to be okay, Twilight.” Fluttershy assured as her friend started to pace frantically.
“No, it’s not!” Twilight whined, rolling around in the grass. “It’s so embarrassing, I wanna forget it!”
Rainbow Dash stumbled over and stood over her friend, shaking her by the shoulders.
“Get a hold of yourself! Where’s your pride? Your dignity?”
Twilight covered her eyes with her hooves in shame. “I left it on the dance floor.”
“Aw, it ain’t that bad, sugar cube.” Applejack said.
Twilight uncovered her eyes and sat up. “Yes it is. All those gatherings I attended, our birthday parties…” She gasped in realization. “I even danced in the human world! The horrors I have spread through different universes!”
“But Twilight,” Pinkie said, offering a hoof to help her friend stand. “Expressing yourself is part of life…That’s what makes it fun! Haven’t you heard of the phrase ‘Sing as if nopony’s listening’, or, in your case, ‘Dance as if nopony’s watching’?”
“Yeah, only ponies were watching. The princesses, my family, my friends, complete and total strangers…” Her head snapped up. “Why didn’t any of you tell me!?”
The mares shifted uncomfortably. “We thought about it,” Rarity said reluctantly. “But we just never had the heart to tell you, darling.”
“You look so happy when you’re dancing,” Fluttershy said softly.
Twilight looked confused. “But weren't you repulsed too?”
Applejack looked at the others before saying “Not really, sugar cube. We don’t mind your dancing.”
Pinkie giggled. “We've just seen you dance so many times that we’re used to it!”
Twilight sighed heavily. “Although I wish you guys would’ve just told me, I appreciate your candor, and you were just trying to spare my feelings.”
“No problem, Twi,” Rainbow quipped, leaning against her. “You could buy a zoo with all the doctor bills he paid.”
“What? That’s it, Rainbow, you’re coming home with me. You’re not making any sense.” Just then, thunder clapped from overhead, and rain began pouring down on the six mares.
“My mane!” Rarity cried.
“That’s not s’posed to happen,” Rainbow said, looking up at the rain clouds, barely visible in the night. How fitting, Twilight thought glumly. “C’mon. The castle’s just up ahead. You guys can spend the night if you want.”
Pinkie grinned, her damp mane covering her eyes. “Whoo-hoo, sleepover!” She and Rarity made a mad dash for the castle.
Twilight quickly galloped after them. “Pinkie! Wipe your hooves! Wipe your hooves!”
Fluttershy and Applejack helped Rainbow Dash towards the entrance. “Come on, Rainbow,” Fluttershy cooed. “We’ll get you into a nice, warm bed, and in the morning, we’ll have a big breakfast.”
The blue pegasus smiled contentedly. “We’ll never run out of toothpaste again.”
Spike yawned as he wandered through the castle halls. Rays of sunlight spilled from the windows, making him rub his eyes in discomfort. He would definitely take Rarity up on those curtains she offered right about now.
The young dragon raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw a familiar pony round a corner, and it wasn’t Twilight. “Applejack!”
The farm pony smiled tiredly. “Mornin’, sugar cube,” she yawned.
“What are you doing here so early? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to see you, but—well, what I meant to say was—“
“Simmer down, darlin’, I know what you meant,” Applejack said with a chuckle. “T’was rainin’ cats and dogs out there last night, so Twilight let us stay the night. I think she’s in the bathroom.” Spike thanked her and ran down the hall in search of Twilight. He found Pinkie Pie in front of the bathroom door.
She bounced impatiently as she pounded on the door. “Come on, I have to goooo!”
“Hi Pinkie,” Spike greeted as he approached her.
Pinkie glanced down at him. “Oh. Hi, Spike.” She returned her heated gaze to the door and continued to pound on it. “If I pee on this floor, I’m blaming you!”
A gagging sound came from inside the bathroom and the door finally opened, revealing a very annoyed Rarity. Spike scratched his head. “Wait, Rarity? Where’s Twilight? I thought she was in this bathroom.”
Rarity shook her head as Pinkie dashed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. “Oh, no, Spike, you must be mistaken. She's in the other bathroom.” The dragon huffed in frustration and sprinted down another hallway, making two more turns until he found the second bathroom. The door was wide open, so he approached with caution. “Twilight?”
A gurgling sound was his only reply. Spike frowned in confusion. “Twilight?”
He peeked inside the bathroom to find Fluttershy brushing her teeth. “Gud morring, Spike,” the pegasus said between brush strokes.
Spike was starting to get irritated despite the friendly greeting. “Let me guess. Twilight’s in the other bathroom?”
Fluttershy stopped brushing and spit inside the sink. “Actually, she was just here, but she went to wake up Rainbow Dash. I think they’re in her bedroom.”
Spike sighed and went back the way he came. By the time he reached Twilight’s bedroom, he was almost completely out of breath. “T-T-Twi..light?”
“In here, Spike!”
Relief coursed through him as he entered the room. Rainbow Dash was lying on the bed moaning while Twilight drew the curtains with her magic. “Good morning, Spike. Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah, I slept alright. But I’m more worried about you guys,” he replied, wincing at Rainbow’s squeak of pain.
Twilight nodded and moved aside one of Fluttershy’s stuffed animals. “Things got kind of wild last night.”
“Never again,” Rainbow Dash groaned.
“That’s what happens when you over-indulge in cider,” Twilight reprimanded softly. “Come on, up and at ‘em. Let’s get some breakfast.”
“Nooo.”
“Rainbow, come on, now. Get up!”
“Nope. No can do, Twi. I literally can’t get up out of bed.”
Twilight scowled. “I hate it when you do that, Rainbow Dash! You know full well that’s grammatically incorrect. You can get out of bed!”
“Nope.”
The alicorn groaned in frustration before looking to Spike. “Why don’t you go and make breakfast? We’ll be there in a minute.”
Spike saluted. “Yes ma’am!” As her assistant left, Twilight turned back to Rainbow Dash, who had pulled the covers over her head.
Losing patience, she levitated a large overstuffed bunny. “Rainbow, get up, or I will literally hit this bunny against your cider-infested head!”
Spike flipped an egg. “What’s up with Twilight?” he asked. “She seemed kind of bummed, aside from waking up Dash.”
“Oh, she’s just had a rough time last night,” Rarity said, taking a seat at the ‘Round table’ they liked to call it.
Spike placed a plate in front of her and the rest of the girls. “How rough could it get? It was just one of those girls’ nights out…wasn’t it?”
Fluttershy coughed.
“You could say that.”
“Until Twilight danced, that is,” Pinkie chirped, trying a napkin around her neck.
Spike stared at them, his expression turned horrified. “Twilight danced?”
Everyone nodded. “And boy, did she ever,” Applejack remarked, shaking her head at the memory.
“D…Did she do the leg thrusts? The head banging? Did she stick out her tongue?”
“Eeyup.”
“Oh, man. So what happened?”
Rarity ran a hoof through her mane. “Well, the ponies at the dance club didn't take to Twilight’s dancing and…the owner kicked her out…for good.”
Spike’s mouth fell open. “You’re kidding!”
Pinkie shook her head. “Nope. No joke.”
“But…she’s a princess! They can’t ban princesses…can they?” Before anyone could answer, Twilight entered the room with Rainbow Dash trailing behind her, visibly sulking. There were quiet titters all around.
“Ha, ha, ha,” Rainbow said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She plopped onto her cushion and pouted.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity chuckled. “We didn’t mean to laugh, it’s just…” She interrupted herself by erupting into a fit of giggles.
“I ain’t never seen anypony down so much Cider!” Applejack hooted.
Pinkie snorted. “You, my friend, were insane in the membrane!”
The cyan pegasus rolled her eyes as Spike served her plate. “Get your jollies while they last, little fillies. But just remember, I’ve got a bunch of embarrassing stories about all of you tucked under my wing.” She turned her attention to the buttered muffin on her plate. “What’s this?”
“Eggs Benedict,” Spike replied. “Made by yours truly.”
Rainbow shrugged and took a bite. “Not half bad,” she observed. “But what kind of name is Benedict? What’s it even named after? Eggs are eggs.”
Pinkie rolled her eyes playfully. “Duh, Dashie! These eggs are obviously named after the first hoof that laid them!”
Rainbow Dash choked on her biscuit while Rarity cleared her throat. “Not the best choice of words, dear.”
Suddenly, Spike belched, releasing a burst of green flame. A scroll fell into his hand. He opened the parchment and skimmed the letter. “It’s from Princess Celestia to all of us.” He cleared his throat.
Dear Twilight, you and your friends are invited to the Spring Equinox Ball, where we celebrate the first week of spring. All of the Kings, Queens, and diplomats from all over Equestria and beyond will be attending. It is also a celebration of our union throughout the world. This gathering isn’t usually as dull as the Gala, but I am sure that you and your friends can put an interesting twist to it. The ball will commence in four days time. I look forward to see you all there.
-Princess Celestia
Everyone started chatting excitedly about the Ball. Twilight started to hyperventilate. “Oh no…this is bad…this is really, really bad!”
“Why? I thought you liked balls, Twilight,” Fluttershy said, confused.
“I do—well, I don’t—not anymore! Do you have any idea what happens at the Spring Equinox Ball?! Every year, the princes from another country asks the princesses for a dance. It’s tradition.”
“And this is your first year as princess,” Rarity said nodding in understanding.
Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her chin. “It’s obvious sompony’s gonna want to dance with you. For so long, anyways.”
“I know!” Twilight bemoaned. “A princess is supposed to dance with grace and poise! I’m not any of those things!”
Rarity placed a hoof over Twilight’s. “Maybe not. But I am! Come! I shall prepare you for the ball by teaching you the basic steps of ballroom dancing.”
“You…you would do that?” Twilight said hopefully.
“But of course, darling. Everypony expects you to be the best, and therefore, you shall be the best.” She slid off of her cushion. “Now, first things first. We need a dance partner for you….Oh, Spikey Wikey~!”
“I’m not sure how this is supposed to work,” Spike deadpanned. He was at arm’s length with Twilight in the middle of the mini ballroom the castle had to offer.
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Spike, do you want to help Twilight or not?” The little dragon sighed and raised Twilight’s hooves with his claws once more.
“That’s better. Now Spike, you get to lead. You step forward, to the side, back, to the side again, and then forward. Twilight, you do the opposite. Now, let’s begin! Music, please!”
Fluttershy played the record at the back of the room. Smooth, classical music filled the room. “Five, six, seven, eight, and one-two-three, one-two- straighten your back, Twilight! One-two-three, Spike, watch your claws!”
Twilight tried not to fumble over her own legs as she and Spike made the turn. “Ouch! You stepped on my foot!”
“Sorry, Spike!”
Applejack covered her eyes with the brim of her hat.
Rarity watched them for a few more minutes before saying, “Now dip her.”
Spike looked at her incredulously. “You’re kidding, right? How am I supposed to dip Twilight? Compared to me, she’s undippable!”
“Alright, stop!” Rainbow Dash suddenly shouted. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. Face it, Rarity, she’s just not cut out for ballroom dancing.”
Rarity whirled around. “Of course she is! She just needs a lot of practice, that’s all!”
“She needs a different dancing method. Who says she only needs to dance like that all night?”
“She ought to!”
“She’s not obligated! Don’t worry, Twilight. I’ll teach you how to dance for real.”
Twilight and Spike released each other while Pinkie Pie bounced forward. “Oooh, can I help, Dashie? Can I, can I?”
Rainbow sighed. “Yes, Pinkie, you can help. Rarity, take a break.” The unicorn rolled her eyes and went over to sit with Applejack and Fluttershy with Spike trailing behind her.
Rainbow Dash turned back to Twilight. “Okay. First off, when you walk in, there are some basic things you need to know before you dance.”
The alicorn nodded. “Okay.”
“When you go to that ball, remain cool. There’s going to be a lot of ponies there, so if you see somepony you know, don’t do this.” She grinned and lowered her eyelids while giving a small wave. “‘Hel-lo there.’ Y-You see what I’m saying, Twi?”
“Oh. O-Okay.”
“It’s creepy, you don’t wanna do that!”
“Right.”
“Hit it, Pinkie.” The pink mare grinned and played a new record.
Rainbow Dash started shuffling from side to side, her natural born swagger filled with every step. “Let’s start with the basics. Do what I’m doing. Don't do the shopping cart, and no sprinklers. Just simple side steps.”
Twilight mirrored her friends’ movements.
“There you go! This is home, this is where you live…Twi, stop framing your face.”
“I think it’s working!”
“It’s not.”
Twilight grinned and began tossing her head. “Oh yeah...uh…”
“No, Twilight, no! No tossing your head! That’s a major no-no!”
Twilight immediately stopped and blushed. “Sorry. I got a little carried away.”
Pinkie popped in between the two ponies. “Maybe we should try a different approach! Twilight, you need to let yourself loose, girl! Just not too loose. Try this!” She started spinning around the room before coming to a stop. She moved gracefully in time with the music in her own unique style.
“Yeah, Pinkie!” Spike cheered.
Twilight put a hoof to her chin. “Looks easy enough.” She balanced herself on her hind legs and gave a mighty twirl. The others gasped as they watched the purple blur spin out of control. She bounced off the corners of the walls, unable to stop herself.
“Whoa!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, leaping off the floor to avoid Twilight.
“Hit the brakes, Twilight, hit the brakes!” Pinkie shouted.
“I CAN’T STOOOOOOOOP!”
Spike gasped and closed his eyes.
Thump!
“Ohhh…”
“Owie…”
Spike opened his eyes again and cringed at the sight of Twilight slumped over on top of Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash lowered herself to the ground and helped them up. “Maybe we ought to try something else.”
Pinkie rubbed the back of her neck. “Geeze, Twilight, how did you ever learn to dance like that? Didn’t you ever take dance classes when you were a filly?”
Twilight gave her an irritated look. “Yes, Pinkie, because after spending all day long studying my backside off and practicing magic to my full extent, and taking care of a newly hatched baby dragon by myself, there was nothing more I’d rather do than to finish off the day by taking a dance class!”
Pinkie Pie straightened up. “Geek, I don’t know your life!”
“Settle down, ladies!” Applejack’s commanding voice was enough to silence them both. “There’s no need to shout. Arguing with each other’s not helping the situation. At all.”
“…You’re right, A.J. I’m sorry I called you a geek, Twilight,” Pinkie apologized.
“I’m sorry too, Pinkie,” Twilight sighed. “It’s no use. Maybe I shouldn’t go to the ball after all.”
Rarity gasped. “But you must go! The Princesses are expecting you to be there! Everypony’s expecting you to be there!”
“And shame all of Equestria with my horrendous dancing?”
“But are you absolutely sure, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. “I mean, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to—we won’t force you—but ponies will be awfully disappointed if you don’t show up.”
Twilight sighed again. “I know." She shook her head. "No. You’re right, Fluttershy. Ponies are counting on me to be there, and I can’t let them down!”
“That’s the spirit!” Applejack grinned.
“And you could try not to dance the whole night,” Pinkie suggested.
“It looks like I’ll have to.”
Rarity cleared her throat. “That doesn’t mean her highness should come unprepared...Oh, look at the time.” She began to prance out of the room. “I have a boutique to get back to, but from now until the dance, we shall kick this dancing session into overdrive!” She paused in the doorway, throwing them a broad grin. “Ciao, all!”
Rainbow Dash face hoofed. “This is gonna be a long three days…”
The Ball has certainly turned out well this year, Princess Celestia thought to herself. Princes, Princesses, and Diplomats came in all different walks of life. Ponies, griffons, and zebras mingled together, some greeting each other for the first time, others were reuniting with each other in a jubilant manor.
The Canterlot Palace was packed, even more so than the last years’ Gala. As usual, the regal alicorn stood at the main entrance, welcoming all that came through. Most ponies would find it boring and tedious, but Celestia found pleasure in getting acquainted with her subjects. But there was a particular group of ponies she was looking forward to seeing the most…
“Having a good time, sister?”
The Princess of the Sun smiled knowingly as a second alicorn appeared by her side. “Indeed, I am. How are you enjoying yourself, Luna?”
The Princess of the Night just smiled and settled her gaze on the arriving ponies. “I don’t quite understand your need to greet each and every one of our guests. I know how much you like it, but surely you don’t intend to stand here the entire night.”
The elder sister chuckled lightheartedly. “Don’t worry. I don’t intend to stay here for long. After all, I have some old friends to get reacquainted with, and I’d like you to meet them all. Besides…there are a few ponies that I’d like to see before I leave.”
Luna nodded in agreement. “Yes, I too look forward to seeing Twilight and her friends again. Everypony is in much anticipation in meeting them all. And the traditional dance is not too far off.”
Princess Celestia blinked uncertainly. “Yes… I’m sure that most of the young colts will want ask Twilight for a…dance.”
Luna smirked at her sister’s expression. “Her dancing amuses me, and it will undoubtedly spice up the atmosphere—just like you’d hoped.”
“I did say that, didn’t I? Oh, and here she is.”
Sure enough, Twilight and her friends entered the palace, their colorful dresses brightening up the room, and their manes brushed to a shine.
Luna raised an eyebrow. I could be mistaken—but are they…limping?
“Hello, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” Twilight said with a tired smile. The others bowed in respect behind her.
“It’s so good to see you all!” Celestia said brightly. “Why don’t we all go inside the main room? Everypony’s been anxiously waiting for your arrival…”
Luna watched her sister and the others go by, each mare wincing a little with every step they took. Odd. She fell in step with Rainbow Dash and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Pardon me, Miss Dash, but you all seem to be in a great deal of pain. You can tell your princess, if anypony is the cause of your condition. If that’s the case, I shall take it upon myself to take them aside and have a talk with them.”
Rainbow Dash’s face turned up, and despite her physical fatigue, her eyes hadn’t lost their usual spark. “As awesome as that sounds, you don’t have to worry, princess. Twilight’s been… brushing up her dance moves for the past couple of days. And… and we’ve been helping her.”
“Ah. A great sacrifice indeed,” Luna chuckled, relieved.
The pegasus nodded solemnly and flexed one of her aching wings. “Very great.”
The group reached the ball room, and they were immediately swarmed upon by excited party guests. Twilight’s head spun as ponies, griffons and zebras came up to her, shaking her hoof, embracing her with hugs, and kissing her on both cheeks.
“So this is the newest princess! Jambo!”
“A pleasure to meet you, your highness! Mwah!”
“Oh, Celestia, she’s just darling!”
The other elements were bombarded with similar greetings and they all stood in a tight circle as the eager guests surrounded them.
“Rarity, I just love your designs!”
“Fluttershy, I understand you talk to animals! Would you mind telling my husband to lay off the fruit punch?”
“Henna, see the freckled pony? She actually works for a living!”
“I like that Rainbow-haired gal. She’s got…spunk!”
“Ha ha! Look here, the pink one makes a squeaky noise every time I poke her!”
“Alright, everyone,” Princess Celestia said good-naturedly. “Let’s give these ponies some room. There’s plenty of time to get acquainted with one another, but I’d like you all to meet my sister…”
Twilight sighed in relief as the guests followed Celestia in merriment. “That was a whirlwind,” she remarked.
“I didn’t mind,” Rarity said smugly.
“Yeah. Me neither,” Rainbow agreed, opening her wings as if she were about to take flight. “I like the attention.”
“Go figure,” Applejack said with the roll of her eyes.
“Twilight! You made it!”
The young princess instantly brightened at the sight of her former foal sitter rushing up to her. “Cadence!” The two alicorns embraced each other and preformed their well-known ritual they shared between them.
“I’m so glad you all came,” Cadence said after they did a little shake. “Truth be told, this party’s kinda dull if you ask me. But now, that you guys are all here, this party can really get started! And…” She leaned in closely. “Prince Jasper Stone from Saddle Arabia has been asking about you all night.”
Twilight’s lips pulled back into an unnatural toothy grin. “Has he?”
Cadence confirmed it with a nod. “Mmm-hmm. Now, I won’t say anything, but…I think he might be the one. Isn’t that exciting?”
Twilight forced a laugh. “Very! Uh…where’s Shining?”
“Oh, he’s patrolling the back half of the castle for security precautions. You know how it is. But don’t worry, he’ll be here just in time for the dance. It won’t be long now!”
“Cadence, dear! It’s me, Ruby!”
“Ooh, I’ll catch you guys later,” Cadence said, trotting off. “You girls enjoy yourselves!”
Twilight turned to her friends with a wary expression. “It won’t be long now,” she repeated anxiously.
Rarity rubbed her back. “Don’t worry, darling. Just remember what we’ve practiced, and you’ll do just fine!”
Applejack nodded. “Yeah. After all, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Rainbow Dash looked thoughtful. “Well, she could end up hurting the prince, and it’ll cause an outrage, and soon, it could start an epic pony war between Equestria and Saddle Arabia that’ll last for years and years. Few will survive, few will triumph.”
Twilight’s face paled and Applejack socked Rainbow on the arm. “Ow!”
“We’re not talking about your novel, Rainbow Dash!”
“It could work!”
A loud clash boomed and echoed through the palace. Fluttershy gave a startled yelp.
“What was that?” Rarity gasped.
“That,” Twilight’s voice was laden with dread. “Is the gong that signifies the beginning of the dance.” The ball room split in two, with the ladies standing on the left, and the gentle colts standing on the right. Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight could see Shining Armor slip in next to Cadence. Perfect.
Across the room, a tall pony with a bronze colored coat silently scanned over the mares with his eyes. Twilight held her breath.
Pleasedon’tlookatmeplesedon’tlookatmeI’mnothereI’mnothereI’mnothere…
His eyes locked with Twilight’s.
Shoot.
“He’s coming! He’s coming!” Pinkie Pie whisper-shouted.
“Remember what I taught you,” Rarity said.
“Be cool,” Rainbow Dash added. “And whatever you do, don’t kill him!”
“Hello, Princess Twilight,” the stallion said in his thick accent. He smiled warmly. “I am Prince Jasper Stone of Saddle Arabia. Would you... care to dance?”
She didn’t know why, but there was something about this pony and his demeanor made Twilight feel somewhat at ease. She took a calming breath and nodded. “Of course.”
Jasper took Twilight’s hoof and led her out to the dance floor. The young Princess glanced back at her friends, and they were all giving her encouraging grins that were disturbingly unconvincing.
More Princes and Princesses crowded around the couple as the musicians started playing. Spike appeared next to Fluttershy, panting hard. “Sorry I’m late. Parking was a nightmare. Did I miss anything?”
“Unfortunately no,” Rarity moaned as Twilight stepped on the prince’s hoof. “It’s the beginning of the end!”
“Sweet rollerblading twitter bugs,” Spike muttered.
Fluttershy shifted onto one hoof. “I-I think she’s doing rather well…” Twilight accidentally poked the prince right underneath his eye with her horn. “Buds and blossoms!”
Twilight perspired heavily. “I’m so sorry,” she gulped. This had to be the thirteenth time she apologized.
“It’s alright, Twilight,” Jasper repeated, biting back the pain. The young Princess could hardly believe it. She was so nervous and anxious that she had completely forgotten everything that Rarity had taught her. Yet, the Prince hadn’t said anything about her constant missteps. But he didn’t have to, for his handsome face was riddled with pain, but his smile was nothing less than genuine.
Prince Blue Blood went by them with lady Serifina, bragging about himself.
“I never liked him,” Jasper whispered.
Twilight chuckled. “Neither does my friend Rarity. Believe it or not, when he’s around Princess Celestia, he does have his moments from time to time. Rarely.”
“I’ll take your word for it.” He accidentally stepped on her tail.
“Yipe!”
“Oh! I’m so sorry, Twilight!” His eyes took on a pained look.
“Oh, no, it’s okay! I've stepped on your hooves on more than one occasion, heh.”
Jasper looked her in the eyes. “But I enjoy dancing with you, Twilight. More than I have with any other lady. You remind me of my mother, Sapphire.”
Twilight blinked in surprise. “I do?”
“Yes. Before she passed away, she’d trample all of my father’s hooves every time she danced with him. One time, she sent him straight to the infirmary. Most times, ponies would think there was something wrong with her. But that was what I loved most about her. She was herself, and the most intelligent, most exuberant, most beautiful mare I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing in my whole lifetime. And..to tell the truth…I dance much like my mother!”
Twilight gasped. “Really? Oh, Jasper, I have a confession to make too! I dance horribly!” They both laughed.
“You have no idea how glad I am now that you said that,” Jasper said, wiping away a tear.
Twilight giggled and stepped back. “So…what do we do now?”
The stallion glanced around before looking back at Twilight, a grin taking over his face. “Let’s dance…for real.”
The alicorn gasped. “You mean…right here…right now?”
“Right here, right now.”
Twilight looked around at all the ponies dancing serenely. Suddenly, she felt daring. Did it really matter, how she danced? Wasn't having a good time and being herself the reason why she loved dancing in the first place? Who cares if she got kicked out of some stupid dance club? And who cares if they all looked upon her in horror? The fire escapes are all intact. It was a wide open dance floor. She would have room to buck.
Twilight flashed him a challenging grin. “Let’s do it.”
“Oh my word!” Rarity exclaimed. There, stark in the middle of the ballroom floor, were prince Jasper and princess Twilight dancing wildly to the music. The crowd stopped and stared at them in shock.
Fluttershy gasped and looked to Rarity. “Can they do that?”
“They’re doing it!”
“That’s my Twily,” Shining Armor chuckled.
Prince Blueblood grimaced and trotted away. “I knew she was a freak.”
Rainbow zipped in front of him and growled. “Oh yeah? Well, she’s our freak, prick!”
“That’s right!” Applejack said, shooting daggers at the cowering prince. “And we’re gonna dance with our freak! C’mon, gals!”
Pinkie Pie gave a cry of joy and barreled through the guests to the main stage while the others joined Twilight and Jasper on the dance floor. Rarity opened and closed her mouth. "Oh, the heck with it!" She kicked off her glass slippers and joined her friends.
“It’s time to get our freak on, ponies!” Pinkie shouted into the microphone. Trumpets blasted and the musicians sped up the music at Pinkie’s command.
Twilight giggled as ponies rejoined them and mirrored their dancing moves. Celestia chuckled while Luna looked more entertained than anypony has seen her in a thousand years. The party was in full swing. And in full success.
“I’m afraid we might have started something,” Jasper grinned.
Twilight twirled in place. “Maybe,” she chuckled. “And that might not be such a bad thing after all.”