//------------------------------// // She Likes Having Her Fur Brushed // Story: How To Raise Your Moon // by Pen Mightier //------------------------------// It was surprising to see Sona study the interior of the spa so closely, considering it was decorated and furnished in the Canterlotian style she was no doubt used to. Mauve and magenta Unicornian columns and rounded marble walls hugged the simple but comfortable reception area. A few choice potted flowers and ferns gave it all an elegant touch of life. It was all very...chic, or frou-frou as Rainbow Dash would put it (often in abject horror). Sona was busy testing the fluffiness of the thick round beige carpet when we were greeted by a silky sweet voice, "Hello, welcome to the Aloe and Lotus Spa~" A pale-rose earth pony trotted up to meet us. "Oh, hello, Spike. What a zurprise. Happy Birthday!" Many have trouble placing Aloe and Lotus' accent. Some say Prench, some even say Neighponese. While many are content to leave it as an exotic little secret, all you really need to do is ask and the spa twins would regale you with their life story growing up in Chineigh Town in Flankfurt, Germaneigh. "Hi Aloe. And thanks." I greeted my boss with a smile, "You're coming to the party, right?" "Of courze, my dear. Wouldn't mizz it for za world!" Aloe smiled, sweetly, "Are you sure you don't want any gifts though?" "Yeah, definitely. But thanks for asking." I said, flatly. It's a real bummer. But I'm a grown-up dragon now, I know how to be responsible. Totally. Yeah, right, it's still a real bummer. "It'z alwayz nize to have you, Spike, but you remember you have today off for your birthday, no?" Aloe tilted her head to one side, quizzically. As Twilight's collection of royal servants grew and my own chores dwindled, I started going out to find something, anything to occupy myself. My claws and strength made me a surprisingly good masseur. That and all my experience in grooming the fur, mane, horn and wings of a rather unruly alicorn princess made me a shoe-in for the spa's part-time position. The pay's generous, but more important to me was all the ponies I got to meet and chat with on job. Nope, Rarity being a regular at the spa has nothing to do with it. Neither does the fact that she loves the spa's full groom'n' bloom package or the deep tissue massage or....y'know what, shutting up now. "Yeah, but I kinda need to borrow the baths if that's alright? I've got a customer I want to sort out myself." I waved for Sona to step out from behind me. "You can take her fee from my pay." I whispered aside to Aloe. Aloe's smile froze on her face. "Uh, good day?" Sona suggested with a nervous smile. A twig held strained in her mane finally snapped and achieved escape velocity, pinging off the ceiling lamp, a vase and my head before hitting Aloe squarely on her headband. "Oh, you poor dear!" Aloe finally let out a shriek of horror at the sight of Sona's mane and fur. "Zis is a spa emergency! No, there shall be no fee, thiz iz dizazter relief!" The pink spa pony was quick to dash out from behind her booth, bearing down on Sona like a mare possessed. "Spa emergency? Is there a chipped hoof or lost rubber duckie or something?" Sona hazarded, looking about. She gave a loud squeak as Aloe headbutted her in the flank, shoving her unceremoniously into the spa. "I-is this some kind of fire drill? Is there a mane on fire somewhere?" "Spike! To ze bath tubz!" Aloe commanded, somehow channelling the ferocity of Commander Hurricane. "Pump ze bellowz and mare ze showerz! Tonight we bathe in Tartarus!" "Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" I saluted, leaping into action. "Sparks? This is just a drill, right? Sparks?! SPARKS?!" Sona squeaked, but to no avail. Her cries were lost in the bowels of the Ponyville spa. "I-I can't feel my fur." A clean, if somewhat morose, Sona sniffled softly as she lay sprawled across one of the spa's many divans. "B-bubbles are scary. So very scary." She whimpered, eyes staring emptily into some inner nightmare. I couldn't blame her. She had been martyred to the cleansing forces of IronStomp Shampoo and EverSqueak Soap, a worthy sacrifice upon the altar of immaculate purity. Even the mighty Rainbow Dash runs in terror at the mention of Aloe and Lotus' Gauntlet of Frou-Frou-ness "Oh, you'll live." I chuckled, setting down a chilled glass of soda water mixed with sweetened cream and a bowl of grapes by her side. "The fury is still out on that." She muttered, sniffing the cream soda before taking a cautious sip through the curly straw. Her eyes immediately lit up with obvious enjoyment. "Oho, the bubbles are also drinkable." "You mean 'jury'." I corrected, arming myself with a soft brush. "That's what I said." Sona grumbled, blowing disconsolate bubbles into her drink. Her eyes widened once more at her newly discovered trick, giving the cream a few more experimental puffs. "Ooooh, the bubbles have been doubled!" She trilled, bobbing and blowing bubbles to the tune of the 'Good Day' aria. Note to self; Bubbles make everything better. "How long has it been since you last brushed your fur?" I frowned, taking in the state of her coat. There were enough loose strands for at least twenty ponies there. About enough work too. Biting my lip at the task ahead, I prepared to get to work. To my surprise Sona recoiled at the sight of the brush. "W-wait, I can attend to that myself." She pulled the brush out of my claw with her magic. I opened my mouth to argue but decided to stand back and frown at her instead. But I could only watch for so long as she tried to run the brush not only backwards and forwards but against the grain of her fur too. Her wincing and gritting her teeth at her own brushing finally forced my claw. "Hay, if Aloe or Lotus walk in here and see you doing all the work they'll give me the hoof out the door." I protested, putting a claw on the brush to stop it ravaging her fur any further. My bosses would never fire me over one headstrong customer, obviously, but from the look of horror on Sona's face she obviously didn't know that. "Sorry, Sparks, I didn't mean that." She whimpered as she allowed me to take hold of the brush again. I didn't like telling lies to my friends, even white ones, but I had a feeling nothing else would convince her to allow me to take care of her. She flinched, closing her eyes in obvious apprehension as I began my work. I rolled my eyes as I slowly but firmly ran the brush from her neck downwards. She gave a little squeak at first before suddenly relaxing, all the tension in her muscles melting away under the gentle brushstrokes. She purred contentedly, her ears and tail twitching in obvious enjoyment. "Sparks, how does this not hurt?" She sighed, happily. "By doing it right." I said, deadpan. "And you've been alive for how long? You're a Princess, you've got a thousand ponies serving you in the palace alone. All of them could have at least shown you how to do this properly if not do it for you." I pointed out before I could stop myself. I winced as I realized I allowed my incredible...crudités...incredulity get the best of me. I was half expecting her to do her wind-up toy impression again. But she only winced at my words. Frowning, I looked back down at my work. That was when I noticed them. They were faint and only really showed as the brush ran through her fur. There were scars, new and old, both cuts and burns, many better hidden by the frayed loose strands. She didn't need to see my wide-eyed look to know what I was thinking. My pause mid-brushstroke probably told her. "A Princess does not bleed." Sona said, evenly, looking straight ahead. It was a simple statement, but spoke volumes through the scars hidden beneath the fur she never allowed anypony to brush. "Is that understood, Spike?" She demanded in her High Unicornian. "Yes, Princess." My mouth spoke before my mind could even process the unsaid command, 'Never speak of this to anypony else'. "I'm sorry you saw those, Sparks. You work the job long enough and you start to show it." She said, slipping back into her easy speech. I always thought she mostly safeguarded dreams and ran the guard from a cushy seat in Canterlot. I was under the impression her going out hunting the Cliffhanger was a one-time thing. I didn't realize it was a routine for the Princess of the Night. I couldn't help but recall the time Tirek ran loose in Equestria. Even with all of us captured I remember believing everything would be alright. I knew in my heart of hearts that Twilight could not, would not lose against him no matter what. And then she was defeated, her powers sucked dry. I never knew despair, not real despair, not until that very moment. The princesses are a symbol of Equestrian power, the very pinnacle of pony might. A battle they could not win was a battle nopony could win. And in a straight-up tooth-'n'-hoof fight Princess Luna was known to be the very toughest. Where her sister is a pillar of guiding wisdom, Princess Luna is a bastion of military cunning and martial prowess. Is that what it's like to be Princess Luna? Never allowed to show any weakness? Not bleed? Not even hunger? Or be lost? Or... Wait a moment, the reason she didn't use her wings to locate Ponyville....could she be....? I quickly turned my eyes to the wings resting by her side, wrapped in the waterproof sleeves we used to avoid damaging the protective oil in pegasus wings. I should have noticed earlier when she winced as we slipped the sleeves on. I thought we had simply brushed a primary the wrong way and simply carried on. "Princess, you injured your right wing, didn't you?" I frowned at the wing in question. Sona finally turned her neck to look at me over her withers, giving me a long calculating look. "I have tended to it thoroughly. It is mending. I know it may seem like I neglect myself, but it would be amiss for a pegasus warrior to disregard the care of her wings." She huffed, surprising me with her admission. I was expecting her to deny it like she denied everything else. I guess she knew I would fuss over it otherwise. "You are quite the nosy one, Spike. You would make an excellent super spy for the Equestrian Intelligence Service." She gave me a slow smile. "Really? That'd be so aweso–..." I quickly stopped myself, realizing exactly what she was doing. I'm not an easily distractible baby dragon, not anymore! "Wait, no distracting me. This is serious! Is that why you split away from your squad? Because you didn't want them to notice you were injured?" "Dear Spike, I..." She began, her tone firm. But the firm look in her eyes quickly melted into one of worry as she stared at me. "Spike?" I wondered what she was staring at. A hiccup gave me a hint. That was when I realized my cheeks were wet, my shoulders trembling. "But...that's just...that's just so sad!" I blurted out before I gave another lame hiccup. Before I knew it I had rammed her, hugging her by the withers. She gave a little gasp. But, surprisingly, she made no effort to move away. Not that I was about to let her. I don't know why I did that. I probably doubled, no, tripled the lame. But I didn't care. If nopony had ever so much as brushed her fur let alone tend to her wounds then she was more than overdue a hug. And more besides. Princess Luna gave a soft, resigned huff. To my surprise she didn't push me away. Instead, she curled her uninjured wing around me comfortingly. It felt real lame, being comforted by the pony I was trying to comfort. We stayed like that for a while. Against all expectations, she leaned into me, albeit awkwardly, as if she wasn't sure of what she was doing. I met her halfway, pulling her into a tighter embrace against myself. She seemed to finally find the assurance she sought, that certainty that this was alright. She allowed herself to lean into me, letting me take her full weight. She was very light, almost worryingly so. I slowly peered at her face. Her eyes were closed, head slowly tilting to one side. Then slowly, ponderously, she tilted the other way, like the world's slowest, most serene wind-up toy. After a slow silence, she finally opened her eyes to look at me. "Hey, Sparks," She began, sounding uncertain, "Uh, could you please brush my mane and tail too? Y'know, the whole shebang?" She gave me a grin, playful if a little forced, "I need to look good if I'm gonna be standing next to you tonight, right?" She gave me a mischievous wink. I wasn't a baby dragon anymore. I knew she was just letting me tend to her to make me feel better. But I wasn't about to waste the opportunity to allow this selfless pony a small bit of what she deserved. "Yeah." I nodded with a smile, blinking and shaking away my tears. "One shebang, coming right up, Princess." I even found her a rubber duckie. That totally made her day. She named it 'OverDuck'. By the Sun, she was adorable. It was no mere mare that stepped out of the Ponyville spa later that evening. Heads were turned by the supple coat of rich dark blue, a velvet fur so soft and glossy it practically gleamed in the setting sun. The guests milling around the castle could only stare open-mouthed at the long silky tresses of regal indigo and noble moonsilver that cascaded in the air in her wake. It was no mere mare that stepped through the castle gate, taking with her the eyes of the guards supposedly watching the entrance. It was a goddess whose hoofsteps alone silenced the party guests as she arrived at the castle's banquet hall. Yeah, sculpting beautiful goddesses, all in a day's work for ol' Spike. Never mind that we lost many good brushes and combs in the long, slow battle of attrition. I lost one in her mane, another in her tail and one snapped off and achieved low Equus orbit. But it was so worth it. I don't mean to brag or anything but I gotta admit it felt awesome standing there next to her. Silence reigned at our arrival. Ponies, nobles and townsponies alike, all stared, wide-eyed, half-drunk glasses of punch and bits of canape forgotten. A few even slid out of their respective hooves and magical holds, falling to the floor unheeded. A few random bits of confetti and streamers awkwardly fluttered down across the big banner proclaiming my birthday above. A large, tight knot of nobles at the head end of the hall slowly loosened as everypony turned to gape at us. They parted enough to reveal Blueblood at their core, midway through some intense speech. His voice slowly faltered as he realized nopony was listening to him anymore. He looked this way and that like a foal who had just lost his lollipop. The sudden frown on his face was probably worth a fist-pump of triumph but I was far too preoccupied to even spare him another glance. The Moon herself had arrived at the party, radiant and mysterious. And she was my date. And I couldn't get rid of the stupid goofy smile on my face because it was just that awesome. Call me shallow or vain or whatever, but I had expected to be cast aside and ignored at my own birthday party at best, embarrassed by one mishap or another at worst. But this? Did I mention it was awesome? Because it totally was. A set of crystal flugelhorns finally broke the silence, announcing the herald's proclamation. How did one of those stumble in on my birthday party? C'mon! "Uh, announcing the guest of honour, Spike of House Sparkle, Chief Steward of the Council of Friendship, and his companion, um...." The herald, a very smartly dressed unicorn mare, floundered a little, looking to Sona for help. "Moonlight Sonata." Sona said, simply, curtsying gracefully in the direction of Twilight and the other Council members at the other end of the chamber. They could only stare open-mouthed back, much to my inner amusement. My eyes gravitated towards Rarity. She hadn't even bothered to hide the suspicious scowl on her face. Blueblood stood by her side, staring unblinkingly at my companion. Jealous, no doubt. I felt a surge of vengeful glee for but a moment before I quickly buried it in a heap of guilt. 'No, I didn't bring Princess Luna here to get back at them', I mentally chastised myself. I am a grown dragon, I would not use other ponies like that, let alone Princess Luna. "M-Moonlight Sonata of House Sonata, Countess of Buckingham." The poor herald barely finished before the nobles in the room suddenly erupted into urgent whispers. "Sonata? That Sonata?!" One loud whisper carried over the rest. "Here?! I've been trying to get an appointment with her for two years!" "That can't be her?!" "She's not even wearing a dress!" "And no self-respecting pony would be caught dead with those ratty saddlebags." True, we had left the spa so late that there was just no way we could find Sona a dress or stash away her military-issue saddlebags. I didn't even think it was necessary. I mean, I knew the nobles would be there, but I was expecting another simple sugarcube corner affair like our usual birthdays. Not a full-blown formal gala with flugelhorn heralds and everything. The invitations hadn't specified formalwear. And judging by how many of the underdressed townsponies were shying away from the overdressed nobles, we weren't the only ones. But to her credit, Sona held her head high, weathering the whispers with a quiet grace befitting a princess. If anything, her lack of a dress and the contrast of her modest saddlebags only magnified her natural beauty. The longer the ponies stared, the more the whispers died away. Sona patted me on the shoulder, giving me a gentle nod and an encouraging wink. It washed away any lingering doubts I had. There was no way I could look out of place at my own party, not as long as she was with me. "Excuse me, Mr. Spike. I, Baron Sterling, on behalf of House Sterling, would like to wish you many happy returns of the day." A young unicorn stallion approached us. He held his nose high as if the very ground itself had mortally insulted his nostrils. Here was the common noble in his natural habitat. "Uh, thanks." I said, uncertainly. "If you would pardon my forwardness, may I please address the lady?" He cautiously asked me for permission to speak to Sona. That took me by surprise. From my little reading on the art of snootiness, it was a very traditional Canterlotian court etiquette, one quite a few have decried as sexist. I'm quite certain that, if it weren't for Sona, nopony would have even bothered to spare me a glance let alone sling Canterlot etiquette at me. I looked over at Sona, meaning to leave it to her. But to my surprise she took a half-hoofstep back, placing me between herself and the stallion. She then gave me a demure look, leaving the decision to me. I didn't miss the stealthy wink though, urging me to play along. The nobles and even a few of the townsponies burst into whispers once more. I couldn't help but feel my heart flutter as I noticed they were mostly whispers of awe and approval at her impressive show of traditional court manners. "If Sona is alright with it, you may." I gave the noble a nod. More hushed whispers, this time on my use of such a familiar nickname with this goddess. "Ma'am, pardon my rudeness in asking, but are you indeed Moonlight Sonata, heiress and director of Sonata Banking?" The young stallion asked in what would have been a conspiring whisper if it hadn't carried across the entire silent ballroom. "I am." She nodded with a knowing little smile. The susurration of whispers ran through the crowd like a parasprite infestation, even among the townsponies. No wonder the name sounded familiar. It was big news just a few years back around the time the Crystal Empire reappeared. The reclusive noble house Sonata, owner of the entire Sonata banking industry, suddenly announced their heir, a young mare named 'Moonlight Sonata'. There was no shortage of rumours, only a shortage of public appearances on the part of the mysterious heiress. The young stallion had obviously not thought this through as he stood there, awestruck. He gathered himself just enough to say something that sounded like 'Mimblewimble' before quickly retreating into the safety of the crowd. "Uh," I floundered around for something to say, "Door." I said, very intelligently indicating that we were blocking the entryway. "Well spotted, Sparks." She made a show of following me a half-hoofstep behind me to my right. "You know, you don't have to do all that snooty stuff. Can't you walk beside me?" I was hoping she wasn't going to continue with all this demeaning decorum stuff all night. I mean, I wanted us to hang out as friends. "Such a gentlecolt, Sparks." She gave a quiet giggle, "Treat him like a King, for you are a Queen." She whispered, giving me a wink. "If I start to snore though, I'll leave it to you to entertain me." Understanding struck me. In making a show of making me look good in front of everypony, she made herself look even better. She wasn't joking when she said she was going to help me shine tonight, but I can tell she was getting a kick out of playing the game herself. "Heh, fine. Deal." I chuckled. We safely got away from the door, making our way to a quieter corner of the party. The nobles seemed satisfied to stand back, whispering among themselves, trying to agree on what to make of Sona. The hubbub of the party finally picked up steam once more. Once I was certain it was loud enough to ensure we wouldn't be overheard, I whispered aside to her, "Are you really that Moonlight Sonata?" "Come now, Sparks. What kind of question is that?" She rolled her eyes, giggling a little. An almost imperceptibly dim glow lit up her face. It took me a moment to realize she was casting a spell with her hidden horn as the noise around us died away. A privacy spell, no doubt. "Oh, that's really cool." I said. Her eyes followed my gaze to the soft glow around her hidden horn. "Well, yes, I have to put it away somewhere. Without it I wouldn't be able to change back." She said with an amused smile. Oh yeah, duh. Hmm, I wonder what'd happen if she ended up stuck in her pegasus form? That'd be all kinds of awkward, but fun, I guess. "In answer your question, Sparks, I founded the banks shortly after sister and I took the throne." She explained, "Private banks can invest and sell loans more openly than a government bank, you see. It allowed us more freedom in driving the Equestrian economy. Following my return there were quite a few big projects requiring hefty investments including the revitalization of the Crystal Empire. Such ambitious undertakings required a little presence from the bank's owner. Hence the latest in a long line of Sonatas, Moonlight Sonata." She gave a little chuckle, "When I announced myself heir to the Sonata fortune, the picture of the sweet young mare in the newspaper alone pushed our share prices to record heights. I figured the little extra notoriety would help with our cause tonight." That was a bit of an understatement, considering how loud arguments were breaking out amidst the ballroom chatter on the subject of the young heiress and her attending as my date. "Wait a moment." I frowned, "That means you're going to have to somehow explain to Twilight how you're both a royal guard and the heir to Equestria's biggest banking chain." My mind raced. We had to improvise on Sona's cover story, and quick. At least we had some time before... "Hay, speak of the Cerberus. Look alive, Sparks. Your sister's coming this way. And she's bringing the cavalry too." The glow about Sona's head died away, taking the privacy spell with it. She nodded over my shoulder with a grin. I looked around. My heart leapt into my throat. I struggled to gulp it back down. There, striding towards us, was Twilight. And she wasn't alone. Shining Armour was with her. That's cheating, Twilight, cheating! If anypony could see through Sona claiming to be a guardsmare, it would be the very Captain of the Royal Guard himself! Hooboy. Time sure flies when you're having fun. What do we do? Run for it? Pretend we're trees? Run for it while pretending we're trees? "I'll use the Parmesan cheese-graters to take on Shining while you toss some quesadillas out to distract Twilight. Then use the dumbwaiter to get away. Run for it and don't look back." I whispered urgently as I put myself between Sona and the oncoming enemy. "I like your plan, Sparks. But I prefer a plan where my foes do all the running." Sona said with a smile. I could have sworn I saw a hint of excitement in there somewhere. Is somepony enjoying all the smoke'n'mirrors a little too much? Sona stood to attention, clicking her hooves together, before snapping a salute so sharp she could have given herself a manecut. "Captain Armour, sir." She greeted the approaching captain. "At ease, guardsmare." Shining returned the salute with practiced ease, appearing at least impressed by her show of military propriety. "Neither of us are on duty after all." He added with a half-smile. "Sir, yes, sir." Sona returned the smile as she relaxed. "That said, you have me at a disadvantage. And I can't reasonably demand your name and rank while we're off duty." Shining chuckled. His eyes never strayed from Sona's, however. Sona too held his gaze steadily. She would later tell me that it was the customary way for two ranking officers to size each other up. It was an old Pegasopolan military predecessor to the 'Stare', if you will. In a way she was already clueing the captain in on the fact that she was a ranking officer like him. "You need only ask, sir. I am Field Commander Moonlight Sonata of the Long Patrol, sir." Sona replied. "Field Commander?" Shining's eyes widened visibly. Sona would later tell me that 'Field Commander' was only one rank beneath 'Captain' in theory but would outrank any captain outside the division in the field. Basically, beyond home base, Shining had no authority over Sona. In reality, Princess Luna is the Commander-In-Chief of the Royal Guard. She only assumes the rank of 'Field Commander' when she's leading her Long Patrol unit. "That's....but...you're too young!" Twilight seemed to voice Shining's question. "I think that myself sometimes." Sona said with a modest smile. "I'm afraid I've never heard of you, ma'am. Which unit, if you don't mind me asking?" Nopony missed the the 'ma'am' or the newfound note of cautious respect in Shining's voice. Darn it, I was hoping Shining would back down to avoid being rude to a fellow officer. But if anything he appeared to have thrown all caution to the wind. Surely no standing Long Patrol unit had a commander named 'Moonlight Sonata'? To my surprise Sona still had some tricks up her horseshoes. She made a show of flicking her eyes right and left, as if looking out for eavesdroppers. "Code Shadowbolt, sir." She finally whispered, barely moving her lips. I was just as surprised as Shining and Twi on hearing that. The Shadowbolts are an urban legend, a rumoured unit of the Long Patrol that operates outside the normal chain of command, one personally led by Princess Luna. Their operations were strictly off the record and therefore, very secretly, über-cool. It was like the Power Ponies but for real. I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of such a unit. It's totally super awesome though. The frown on Shining's face only grew as he carefully stepped close to Sona. "With all due respect, I'm going to have to ask you for your verification code, ma'am." "Go ahead, Captain." Sona nodded with a faint smirk. Shining lit up his horn. The sound around the two died down to nothing, suggesting a simple privacy spell of some sort. Sona's lips appeared to move, earning her a nod from the Captain. "Thank you, Commander." Shining said as he finally dispelled the privacy barrier. He gave her a faint smile of admiration, one officer to another. "It's my pleasure, Captain." Sona nodded. No doubt she had the actual special codewords for her own secret unit. "Wait, so, she's really a...." Twilight blinked. "Yes, obviously a very accomplished one too." Shining nodded at his little sister, giving her a warning look. 'Don't push it any further', it said. "It's always nice to see more young blood in the officer ranks. I mean, you know how it is." He gave Sona a look of approval. It was no secret that many of the older officers weren't very happy with Shining becoming Captain of the Guard. There had been no shortage of rumours of favouritism and bribery surrounding his promotion. It must have been nice for him to meet a kindred spirit, or so he probably thought. I hope he never finds out Sona's real age. "Yes, sir." Sona gave him a sympathetic look. Or was it one of triumphant glee? I couldn't tell with her sometimes. "So you're both a guard commander and heir to a massive banking chain?" Twilight demanded, bits of her mane twanging out at dangerous angles. "I've never had it pointed out that way before, but I guess I am, yeah." Sona gave an easy smile. "Y'know, that sounds pretty awesome now that you put it that way." She chuckled. "But how...?" Twilight began. Considering Twi is Princess Celestia's former personal student, Element bearer, national hero and a Princess to boot, I found her disbelief a little off-target. "I kinda just inherited the banks. They do a pretty good job of running themselves without me mucking about. I wanted to make something of myself by my own hooves and wings. So I joined the guard." Sona shrugged, "Guess the bosses felt I was a pretty decent guard." She looked over at me, giving me a fond smile. "Though for Sparks, I wouldn't mind leaving all that behind. Settle down here, look after him properly, that sort of thing." She gave me a mischievous little sideways smile, one eye watching Twilight for the inevitable meltdown. "Wait, wha...?!" Twilight gasped, wide-eyed. "S-settle down?! A-aren't you skipping several steps?! Hug Zoo's 'The Start of War' suggests you begin with stuff like letters and photographs and waving at each other from a distance and...." "We've had some really good letters, haven't we?" Sona gave me a wink and a nudge with her good wing. "His breath's real hot when he sends'em." She sighed, wistfully. "Heh, yeah. We've totally moved past licking stamps." I chuckled, playing along. I never thought Princess Luna was the cheeky type but I could definitely live with that. "Huh, what...?" I could practically see the smoke rising up out of Twi's mane. "Looks like she's a keeper, Lil'Bro." Shining chuckled. "A...keeper?" I looked up at Sona, her face radiant with giggles at Twilight's flustered look. A keeper? Mine? I stood speechless. I struggled to make sense of the sudden surge of feelings and thoughts. One familiar note tried to drown out the rest, 'Spike Want'. But before I could figure out what it meant, Shining snapped me out of my thoughts. "Well, this was fun, the snacks were good, but I did kind of sneak out of the command cavalcade to come here. Hey, Lil'Bro, keep having birthdays so I can keep crashing them, alright?" Shining gave me a wide grin. Figures that Twilight would drag Shining out just to do this little background check on Sona. "Only if you actually bother turning up, 'Big Bro'." I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm always here for you, squirt." Shining chuckled, turning to Sona. "Enjoy your leave, Commander. Take care of my little brother, alright? He's a hoofful but you can't ask for a nicer guy in Equestria." He said, ruffling my spines with a forehoof. "Hey! Cut that out." I growled, playfully. "You know you love me, LBBFF." Shining laughed, hugging me in a choke-hold. I was a little short on air to reply. "I'll take that as an order, Captain." Sona threw him another crisp salute. "I might start by helping my little liege get his breath back." She nodded at me. "I'd rather not take any chances against a Long Patrol Field Commander if it's all the same to you." Shining chuckled, releasing me, allowing me my much-needed air. "Still, thank you, Commander. That means a lot to me." He snapped off his own salute. "Hey, Twily...." He turned to Twilight, quickly whispering something in her ear. Twilight's eyes slowly widened, her ears drooping flat against her mane. For a moment I felt an urge to rush over to give her a hug but Shining beat me to it, pulling his little sister into a tight hug. "Now, chin up. Give our brother a birthday to remember, okay?" He gave her one last grin before trotting off. "O-okay," Twilight barely managed, ears perking up again. She called out after his retreating back one last time, "Hey, BBBFF, give Cadence my love, alright?" "Sure thing!" Shining gave Twilight and I one last wave before disappearing into the crowd. Before I could get a word in to Twilight, a bowl of punch beat me to the, well, punch. A mass of what looked like damp pink cotton candy rose up out of the primordial soup made of pure sugar and Apple Family cider, breathing heavily through a snorkel like some vengeful galactic overlord. "No, Spike, I am your beverage." The cotton candy said to me, before ripping its snorkel off, "Spike! This is no time for silly irrelevant parodies! This is serious!" A very desperate Pinkie Pie pulled me up by my cheeks, pressing her muzzle against my nose. "We. Have. No. Music!" She looked on the verge of hysterics. But on second thought she always did. "Why? What happened to Octavia?" I asked, doing my best not to lick the sticky droplets of punch streaming down my muzzle. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders turned her cello into a ballista-thingy to try and launch Scootaloo to the moon!" Pinkie cried, "It was a pretty good plan, actually, except they got Scootaloo and the cello the wrong way around and launched the cello to the moon instead. Who knew Scoots would make a good launchpad?" "They did what to the moon?" Sona's left eye twitched dangerously. "Vinyl's giving Octavia a ride home on her DJ-mobile to fetch her contrabass instead but she's gonna be a while longer." Pinkie cried in panic. "Oh, and the cello didn't get a cutie mark, by the way. Just so you know. And that's terrible because we still have no music! And with no music we can't start the opening dance!" "Can't you play some music, Pinkie?" Twilight asked, giving the party guests a worried look. Sure, the little show with Sona will give them something to talk about for a while. But it won't be long until ponies start wondering when the party will start. "Yeah, you have your one-pony band." I pointed out. "I can't play fancy-dancey music!" Pinkie shook her head. "Well, I can. But the nobles would just hate it. Again." She hung her head, ears drooping disconsolately. No doubt she was still bothered by how her Pony Pokey was received at that first Grand Galloping Gala. It's not her fault the nobles have cauliflowers for ears. "No, no, no, this party means a lot to my friends. Not just anypony will do." She pulled out a violin and bow from her mane, setting her eyes on Sona. "Thanks for volunteering, mysterious mystery mare of mystery." "I did what?" Sona tilted her head to one side, quizzically. "C'mon, we all know you're gonna do it. We all know the big musical number simply must feature you. It's all up to you now, mystery mare!" Pinkie declared. Sona gave me a questioning look. I just shrugged in response. Arguing with Pinkie is like trying to argue with double parking. They will defy logic no matter what you say. "So, where is the safety? And which side launches ponies at the moon?" She asked, looking the instrument over. "What? Is this not a miniature version of that moon launcher you were talking about?" She asked, noticing the looks on our faces. Twilight and I shared mortified looks. We were hung out to dry, growing more and more uncomfortable under Sona's questioning look. Neither of us wanted to be the one to explain to Sona that the violin was not, in fact, a miniature moon ballista. I mean, where do you even start? That was when Sona broke into a fit of delighted giggles. Twilight and I could only stare, open-mouthed. Pinkie was quick to join in, not one to be left out of what I guess was a pretty good joke. The hubbub in the room suddenly grew louder, more urgent. Something was happening. "What's the commotion?" Twilight frowned, looking around at the crowd. "Oh, I hope the guests aren't getting restless." Restless was a bit of an understatement. There were a few gasps and excited murmurs from a knot of ponies at the banquet hall entrance. I already had a bad feeling I knew exactly who they were gathered around. But I joined the others in craning my neck to get a good look anyway. I would have loved to say it was Tirek. But no, it had to be Blueblood. Who else? It would appear he had come to the entrance to meet with a pony I recognized as his valet, a well-dressed off-white unicorn named 'Strings Attached'. And they were making a very grand show of 'secretly' passing a...is that a ring? I didn't have to wonder long. The murmurs and whispers ran through the crowd like wildfire, quickly reaching me. The words 'engagement ring' and 'proposing tonight' sailed right past me like a merciless tsunami, leaving me to drown in their wake. He was taking Rarity? Here? At my birthday party? "Wait. He's doing what, where, NOW?!" Twilight gasped, putting my disbelief into words better than I ever could. "Is he even half-aware of where we are?!" "Princess Twilight, do you have a copy of the order of ceremony for tonight?" Sona asked, a note of urgency in her voice. "Uh, yes." Twilight mumbled, distractedly, half-unwittingly levitating a list from some secret pocket in her dress. "Thank you." Sona swiped the list out of the air with her one good wing, her eyes quickly scanning down it. "I see, there was to be the opening dance led by the guest of honour, the second and third dance, then a 'speech on behalf of the royal family' before a speech from Princess Twilight and the cutting of the cake." She looked up at me, her expression even. Her eyes, however, were ablaze with cold fury. And then cold hard realization hit me. "That's how he plans to overshadow me." I whispered, dread frosting over inside me, freezing something inside my chest, "He's going...he's going to propose." The word felt heavy on my lips, heavier still on my heart. "But he's hurrying his schedule." Sona looked up from the schedule to see Blueblood striding with purpose back up towards the head-end of the hall, his eyes resolutely fixed upon Rarity. I felt my heart burn with sudden righteous anger. No! Not Rarity! Not here! Not now! "He was going to do this after the dance, surely after creating a suitably romantic moment. That would have made more sense, if only slightly." Sona thought out loud, a thoughtful forehoof on her chin. "It would be inappropriate no matter when he did it tonight, but now would be especially awkward. Is he really that desperate?" I quickly sought out Rarity in the crowd. It wasn't difficult. The ponies gave Blueblood a wide berth, parting smoothly to create a path straight up to her at the end of the hall. I was hoping, almost pleading, that Rarity would look disgusted, offended at his choice of place and timing. I had faith in her. She's a strong mare. She's got standards. She'd see through this pathetic charade and.... What was left of this thing in my chest burned away into cold ash, leaving something frozen and hollow. Rarity looked happy. Incredibly happy. Happier than I could ever hope to make her. And in mere moments she would be happier than I'll ever be able to make her, ever. Everything else faded away. I barely registered the muffled obscenities Rainbow Dash was trying to shriek through the hooves Applejack had clamped over her muzzle. I almost didn't feel Twilight's forehoof on my shoulder, the look on her face a mix of shock-horror and regret. There was nothing anypony could do. There was nothing I could do. Blueblood had won. It would leave no doubt in the minds of the nobles here who exactly was the go-to stallion tonight. He would have the trust of the nobles, the power of the Council and, above all, Rarity. I'm sure that even my seat would be his sooner or later. And I was helpless. Again. "Ms. Pinkie Pie." Sona's cool voice cut through all the lame like a knife. "The goods, please." "Aye, aye, ma'am!" Pinkie tossed her the violin along with what looked like a bottle of snow-glitter and a Hooves-Lab package labelled 'Not-flammable, handle with care - That means you, Ditzy'. "Sparks!" Sona hoofed over the snow glitter, package and violin bow to me. "You know what to do." She shrugged her saddlebags off with practiced ease, kicking a hindhoof free of the straps. "I do?" I blinked, looking down at the items in my claws. "Now is not the time for talk." Sona stepped forth into the crowd with grim purpose, twirling the violin in her good wing like a maestro. "It is time for war." More whispers spread across the room faster than the champagne, spreading outwards in Sona's wake like a rainboom. Everypony craned their necks to get a good look at her and her violin. 'The mystery mare is going to play the opening song', they all whispered. I could almost see the ripple of whispers collide with the wave of murmurs sparked by Blueblood. Sona's ripples simply washed over Blueblood's waves as a rising moon would banish darkness. One by one, heads turned away from the prince. It wasn't long before every single eye was held captive by Sona sailing gracefully across the floor towards the circular crystal stage in the middle of the hall. But Blueblood would not be denied, not so easily. He carried on, hoofsteps filled with determined purpose. Rarity held his gaze, as if hoping to bridge the distance across the hall with her eyes alone. Her look seemed to fill him with a bold certainty. He smirked, sure of his triumph. The race was on; Sona to the stage, Blueblood to Rarity. Blueblood was ahead but Sona had a shorter battlefield to cross. The winner would take the floor. The victor would command the evening. The conqueror would take everything. That was when I realized Sona had left her violin bow with me.