Chapter 7
“Presentation of the Dresses”
It was sunset by the time Discord, Rarity and Fluttershy arrived at Twilight’s castle with her remade dresses. Knocking on the door, the two ponies and creature were greeted at the door by Spike, who had been waiting all day for them to return.
“About time you guys got here,” he said, letting them inside. “Twilight and Shining Armor were starting to get suspicious.”
“What do you mean?” asked Rarity. “You didn’t tell them about what we were doing, didn’t you?”
“Well, its just that Shining Armor had to get back to the Crystal Empire and he that he couldn’t wait any longer,” answered Spike, clutching his tail.
Just then, the sounds of hoof beats were heard and at that moment, Twilight and Shining Armor came into the main hall and approached the group of peers in front of them.
“All right, Spike,” said Shining Armor, impatiently. “I have to get back to the Crystal Empire, so what is it that you want to…?”
Shining Armor was interrupted when he saw Discord standing with Fluttershy and Rarity. Discord took an enormous gulp and approached the Prince of the Crystal Empire feeling himself shake in his spine. He could still hear the bellowing voice of Twilight’s older brother in his brain and was afraid over what Shining Armor had to say.
“Hello, Shining Armor, Twilight,” chuckled Discord, nervously. “The, uh, beautiful Rarity and dear Fluttershy have something to give to Twilight.”
Twilight took a gander at what was behind Discord and knew that something very important to her was underneath the blue tarps.
“Are those my dresses?” asked Twilight, taking an enormous gulp. Rarity and Fluttershy pulled off the tarp and revealed all of the dresses that Twilight once owned, now restored to their original glory.
“We recreated these dresses just like the ones that you once owned, Twilight,” explained Rarity. “I know you said that you will need a new wardrobe now that you are the Princess of Friendship, but these dresses each tell a story of the most important events in your life from the moment you moved to Ponyville until now.”
Fluttershy then stepped forward and handed Twilight’s newly made Starswirl the Bearded costume to her. Twilight examined the costume and her puzzled look turned into a warm smile, knowing that the costume she had worn on Nightmare Night was brought back to her.
“I did my best at hoof stitching,” said Fluttershy, as Twilight continued to examine the costume. “If you don’t like it, then you can tell me.”
“I don’t like it, Fluttershy,” replied Twilight, putting the costume down. “I love it!”
The princess of friendship leapt forward and hugged her shy friend tightly, as a sign of thanks for her hard work.
“You both did an amazing job,” said Twilight, happily, pulling away from Fluttershy. “It’s exactly the way they’ve always been.”
Twilight then looked at her newly remade gala dress from the time she and her friends went to the Grand Galloping Gala, feeling the material used to make it. Feeling the material melted Twilight’s heart with joy. Attending the Grand Galloping Gala was the first true social event in her life and was also the first event she attended with other ponies.
“Don’t forget this dress,” said Rarity, showing off Twilight’s birthday dress. “Remember the time we were at the Canterlot Garden Party?”
“I could almost put this on and do my dancing in it,” laughed Twilight, thinking back to the awkward dancing she did at the party. Discord then knew that there was another dress that was important to both Twilight and Shining Armor that needed to be presented. He looked back to see another blue tarp, covering the best mare dress that he had tried to change.
Knowing that he was going to be the one to present it, Discord used his magic to produce a tuxedo and used his magic to bring the tarp forward.
“I hope they like it, especially Shining Armor,” he thought stepping forward to the royal siblings. “If there was ever a time for him to start forgiving me, it’s now.”
Twilight then saw Discord approach her brother with the tarp covered dress and joined her brother’s side as Discord looked down at them with a worried expression on his face.
“Shining Armor, Twilight,” he said, nervously. “I know what I did with Tirek was the worst act of crimes I’ve committed against Equestria. While you may never forgive me for what I did, I made it my mission to help right a wrong I made.”
Discord then pulled off the tarp to reveal the dress that was important to both Twilight and Shining Armor: the dress that Twilight wore as Shining Armor’s best mare at his wedding to Princess Cadence in Canterlot. Seeing the restored dress to its original glory brought both Shining Armor and Twilight to tears and Discord feared that he had done the unthinkable and made them upset.
“I wasn’t expecting you to be brought to tears,” he remarked, stepping back in horror. “If you hate it then…”
“Why would I hate it, Discord?” cried Twilight, approaching Discord with tear filled eyes. “You may be a jerk at times, but you’re a jerk with a heart of gold. You have given my brother and me an important piece of our lives back.”
Twilight then hugged Discord as her brother looked on. Although he couldn’t find any words to say to Discord, he knew that Discord would be somewhat forgiven for his actions that he had caused. Although it wasn’t fully forgiven, it was a step in the right direction.
“Seeing all this makes me cry,” remarked Fluttershy, smiling with tear filled eyes of her own. “I’m happy for Twilight, Rarity.”
“Me too, Fluttershy,” added Rarity, who was also developing tear filled eyes. “We have helped give Twilight a piece of her life back and repaired the relationship between Discord and Shining Armor. I just hope this is beginning of the healing process.”
Sure enough, the Equestria Healing Process had already begun…