//------------------------------// // The ball, part 2. // Story: The Father. // by Fapman //------------------------------// “Shall we head in?” Celestia’s voice was cheery as she pointed out the portal to the caste. Through the crowd, which was growing with every second, ran a murmur. Golden Bullet, still with Twilight Sparkle on his head, nodded minimally, smiling as he took care to make sure that his daughter didn’t fall this time. “After you, princess,” he said. Twilight Sparkle gripped him firmly and showed her teeth with a smile, and made an approving, chirpy sound. Celestia’s eyes shined as she took the lead to the great hall. Those two were just too cute. The guard, the same one who hadn’t let them enter before, saluted to his princess and then to the two guests. Golden Bullet winked to him. He held no grudge. He knew the rules, just as the guard. However, that was noticed by Celestia. She didn’t give any indication that she had spotted, and went to join the festivities. The great hall was… great. High ceiling, sculpted columns, marble floor. A thick, red carpet finished with golden thread was worth more than everything Golden Bullet had ever owned. Except, of course, Twilight Sparkle. Twilight completely lost interest in princess Celestia, instead she tried to observe everything at the same time. That includes a reich of noble ponies in long dresses and suits, a high number of exotic looking maybe-ponies, mostly zebras, and a couple smaller groups of ponies who wore uniforms. But Twilight’s eyes didn’t devour the atmosphere, the architecture, nor the not-ordinary faces, she was looking for cakes. Once she spotted them, her hoof patted her father’s head saying, “Daddy!” Golden Bullet squinted to look at her, then said “Yes, my princess?” “Yes?” but it was Celestia who answered. She looked at him over her withers. He raised a hoof and put it down in his surprise, he responded with “I’m sorry, princess Celestia I was talking to-” Celestia hid her face behind her hoof. “To your princess, I see,” her laugh pealed like a harp’s sound. That popped the musical ambiance, which was more elegant and boring than that which was played in the garden. “Oh no,” she said as ponies spotted their princess and immediately surrounded her, redefining the concept of personal space. “I hope we’ll meet again, Golden Bullet. Have fun with your daughter,” that was everything she got a chance to say before the wall of happy ponies rose from nowhere between them, just like the walls of ponies do. Golden Bullet tried to thank princess Celestia for the invitation and warm words, but his voice wasn’t loud enough, and his princess was bitterly poking his head for the whole time, exactly in the rhythm of the march that was played. As the princess left he had no heart, or excuse, to keep Twilight away from the table filled with ‘royal’ cakes. His own tongue salivated as they neared their destination. That wasn’t weird at all, because the cakes looked more noble than some of the guests, the veterans especially. There were all kinds of cakes that a pony could fall in love with there. From chocolate, to vanilla, as well as milk-cakes, but that wasn’t all. With pistachios, jelly, nuts, creams, ice-creams and alcohol. Those last were placed at a smaller, yet palatial table on his left. Twilight was in seventh heaven. She stood on her hind hooves, and pointed with her hoof to every cake she wanted to try. Because she wanted to try ALL of them, except those with nuts, she hated nuts. Golden Bullet gave her a look gaining Twilight’s attention. “Twilight, If you will try to eat all of them you’ll get sick,” he said. “Yeah! But I calculated the risk of getting sick and I still want to eat them all,” his eyebrows almost hit the ceiling, “And earlier you said that it was ok, daddy.” She was stepping very fast in the spot. He was about to say something, just as the responsible parents does, but she stopped and added, “And even princess Celestia doesn’t mind.” Golden Bullet smiled. “Well,” he started with voice higher than usual, “I’m sure her majesty took it as a joke.” “Nu-uh,” her head shaked. When her father gave her a sceptical look she froze. “Listen my little pony, lets make a deal. You can eat as much as you want,” as he said that Twilight almost exploded, “But only two cakes at the moment.” “But-” “No buts,” he pulled her closer to his legs. “I know that you know that on the plates fits three pieces of cake, but I also know something about you. Your manner of eating for example.” Her face turned red. “Please, be careful. If you mess your dress up we won’t be able to make our first dance.” Her ears instantly popped up. “Ok dad, I understand. Could you hand me a piece of… this and this then?” “I serve you with pleasure,” he said, and cut two big slices from two different cakes. She took the plate in her hooves and ate very carefully. Her chewing was so slow she looked like a tiny but devoted to the art comedian. Golden Bullet didn’t manage to keep calm. He laughed, wiping his eyes with his eyes with his kneel. She was stunned with her newest manner of eating, so she didn’t pay attention to his laughing. But someone other did. “Golden Bullet?! Is that you?!” someone yelled with surprise. A group of familiar looking ponies in pristine fatigues came from nowhere and froze, looking at the ‘eating’ Twilight Sparkle. Now the group burst out laughing like a cannon shoot. Princess Celestia sat on her elevated throne. Some pair of noble and powerful unicorns were talking to her, but she didn’t pay attention. Her thoughts were somewhere else. Not away, though, still in the great hall, but not with her. It was uncommon for her to be unable to focus on her little ponies, nevertheless ages of experience led her to nod and smile to them, while her eyes were trying to find someone in the crowd. And the crowd was dense, loud, and jumpy. There were no real chances to find who she was looking for. The fact that she didn’t consciously know who exactly she wanted to see also didn’t help. There were a lot of other pairs of nobles who would love to talk with her, but she wasn’t interested in that. The atmosphere was regal, but most ponies didn’t understand the bittersweet taste of this celebration. Everyone here was relaxed and happy, except her. The war was over. The peace was true. Equestria was safe. Then why was some weird sensation deep in her stomach growing? After another volley of laughter, which exploded somewhere in the crowd, she anticipated continuation of the story they were talking. “I’m sorry my little ponies, but you have to excuse me. It was such a pleasure to talk with you, but, unfortunately, my duties call me now.” That was a lie. No duties, except the speech and proffering the medals, were planned for today. She just wanted to… Find the stallion with his daughter. They weren’t ordinary. She had an unclear hunch of that he would understand her actual feelings. The pair of unicorns bowed with smiles as she stood up. They had left her in no time. She tried to find a purple lump of someone’s head, but thanks to contrived hats, that was impossible. The music stopped. She looked around. Every pair of eyes were focused at standing her, and since she had wandered, she didn’t know why. An old, small stallion came closer to her, stood next to her on her right side. It was her royal herald. So it was speech time after all. Before he started the speech, she quickly called a guard with a single move of her hoof. As fast as he showed up, she said “Somewhere here is a former soldier known as a Golden Bullet. He is with a little, purple filly. Find him and make him stay if he tries to exit, but without force. Let him know I would be pleased to meet him later. Oh, and he is without an official uniform.” The guard’s eyes shined under his helmet as he’d heard that. He saluted and moved to the crowd. ‘It was a good idea’, she thought, she had felt weird since she meet them. He was a caring father, a soldier, and she could read already. They could help her feel better, somehow. That was a bit embarrassing to admit, but she knew she needed to speak with them more, even if she didn’t know why exactly. As the guard disappeared between ponies, the small stallion on her right, smiled to her and turned to the crowd. He said, “Ladies and Gentlecolts, we gathered today to celebrate the first anniversary of the Equestrian victory over The Griffon Kingdoms. Exactly a year ago the war, the war which will be remembered as the great war, ended.” The crowd yelled in a spasm of excitement, some of the ponies were stomping in their spots. They all fell silent when they saw Celestia’s wings expand, making her twice, or even triple her size. Her head was high. She tried to focus at the actual task, but to tell the truth, it was impossible for multiple reasons. For example, she had to speak now. “My little ponies,” she started putting her wings back. “That’s true. It’s been a full year since we achieved the victory.” A wave of random happy reactions ran through the crowd. “It’s my duty and unmitigated pleasure to remind you that we won not only the war, but we also won the peace.” No one moved, so she continued. “Peace is the highest value we ponies know. Peace is our natural state. We love this state as strong as we love Equestria. I have to personally thank you all for everything you’ve done in Equestria’s name. Thank you for all that you have done to bring back the peace. You, soldiers, nobles, civilians, I believe everypony present here had put his or her hooves to help in this or other way.” “That’s why I thank you.” The echo of her words stayed in the air. Her tongue dried. “But we aren’t the ones who paid the highest price,” her voice trembled, “Our brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, children of every race of ponies paid more than we did. That price will be never fully repaid.” “That’s why I apologize to you.” Silence. Celestia’s hoof rose and stayed in the air, above her head. “That’s why this war will not be called the great one.” The crowd was quick to react. Her hoof stomped causing a sound of a thunder. They stayed still. “That’s why from now to the end of times,” she took off her crown and handed it to her herald who grabbed it just before it fell on the floor, “We will celebrate not the victory, nor end of the war, but the start of the peace. The peace who will be called the great one.” She waited as confusion on the ponies faces was eventually replaced with comprehension. They were good ponies, decent ponies, but they needed time to understand what is really important. “At the end, I would love to personally proffer a medal of service to all of you, but it would take another year, and we have a celebration to run.” They laughed. The music played again. She was free. She could go to her room and rest. Cry in her bed like she had done since the war started. But she didn’t. Her mind was full of pictures of Twilight Sparkle sitting on her father’s head. And she still didn’t know why.