//------------------------------// // Act II: Dresses, Stairwells, and Thunder // Story: Her Knight in Faded Armor // by Doccular42 //------------------------------// “You look wonderful, Princess.” Luna gazed into the mirror and eyed her reflection. Her mane billowed in an intangible wind, her coat was scrubbed to a beautiful sheen, and her crown had been meticulously polished earlier that day. She shifted uncomfortably in her beautiful dress. The black formal gown was gorgeous, yes, but the fabric rubbed her coat in an odd manner. The blue accents and simple, yet elegant design accentuated the darkness of most of the dress as well as Luna’s fit body. “Thank you, Shady.” Luna nodded to the mare who stood beside her. Shady Cove was a tall peach-colored unicorn, and she had been one of Luna’s personal mares-in-waiting for a few years. Luna usually did not require her services, so she spent most of her time assisting with the management of the other servants in the castle. “Now, are you wanting to apply the makeup now, or do you wish to wait until the delegates are closer to arriving?” Shady had a very cultured and formal Canterlot accent that sounded almost too perfect. Luna knew that this was because she had spent years retraining her voice to remove her natural accent when she had left home to serve at the castle. “I think that I will wait. The delegates will not be arriving for several hours, and I would rather not spend any more time like this than I absolutely have to.” Shady pursed her lips. “Your Highness, you are a princess, and a Princess of Equestria, no less. I believe that you should always look your best, especially today.” “And that is why you are not in charge, Miss Cove.” Luna winked at her in the mirror. “I understand what you mean, but this is neither comfortable nor appropriate for daily wear. Plus, I might wrinkle the fabric or smudge my makeup if I were to be ready so early.” “That is true…” Shady sighed. “Very well, Your Highness. I will remove it.” The unicorn used her magic to nimbly undo the clasps on the back of the dress. After a minute of careful spellcasting, Shady slowly pulled the dress away, and Luna was free once more. “Ah, I can breathe again!” Luna inhaled deeply. “Modern fashion might claim to be progressive, but the attire is still just as constraining as the dresses a thousand years ago. I must admit, I am somewhat disappointed. It would be quite nice if the accepted dress could be something less confining.” Shady huffed. “Very well, Your Highness,” she repeated. Luna raised an eyebrow. “You disapprove, Shady?” “Actually, I do. I find the dresses to be beautiful, and I have always loved them. Even as a filly, I adored them.” Shady very carefully placed the dress onto a specially designed hanger and then put it away in the princess’ closet. “The tradition, the elegance, the poise… all the way back to Princess Platinum, the highest mares in society have worn these dresses. It is a thing of pride for nobility, and I am saddened that you hate them so much.” “Oh, Shady. I do not hate them.” Luna trotted over to the other mare. “I merely find them uncomfortable. Do you understand?” Shady shook her head. “No, I don’t.” “Have you ever worn a dress like this?” Luna asked. After a brief pause, Shady quietly replied. “No, Princess. I’ve never been able to afford something so lovely.” Luna met the other mare’s eyes. She smiled at the pretty unicorn. “Well, we shall have to fix that, won’t we?” “Princess? What do you mean?” Luna threw open the doors to her enormous closet. “Shady, in this room is every dress that I have worn to a formal occasion since my return to Equestria.” Her horn flashed, and the entire room-like closet was illuminated. “Most of them have only been worn once.” Shady smiled at the dresses. “I adore this room. They are all so beautiful.” “You may take some, if you wish.” “W-what?” Shady’s eyes widened. “Princess, I…” “Miss Cove, I have more dresses than I will ever need, and I receive a new one for every special occasion in the castle. I have absolutely no use for most of these dresses. I may not enjoy them, but others do. You love dresses, and it is a shame that these do not receive the use that they deserve. Pick out a few. I will have them taken to a seamstress who will refit them so that you can wear them. A few alterations, some accent changes, removing the holes for wings… they would suit you wonderfully.” Shady’s eyes glimmered with tears. “Princess… I… I don’t have any words.” “Well, who needs words when you have dresses, anyways?” Luna smiled again. “Go ahead. Take your pick.” After a few moments, Shady pointed to two light blue dresses that went beautifully with her coat and her deep red mane. “May I… may I take these?” “Certainly! But I’m surprised that you only picked two.” “I did not want to be greedy, Highness. I would make the other servants jealous.” Shady smiled as she examined the two dresses. “These are so lovely.” “You know, that reminds me… I probably have close to two hundred dresses in here.” Luna looked around the room at gown after gown that lined the walls, all hung up side-by-side. The room barely held all of them. “How many female servants would you say that there are in the castle?” “Oh, maybe almost sixty, if you count the groundskeepers and others who aren’t called servants.” Luna nodded. “Well, I think that two dresses each would make a very nice bonus for everypony, wouldn’t you say?” Shady gasped. “Princess, you are serious?” “Oh, yes. Completely.” A huge smile split Shady’s face. “Your Highness, they would love it. It would be like Hearth’s Warming Eve coming early!” Luna chuckled. “Then it is settled! I will make arrangements to have them distributed.” Shady laughed. “Princess, you have no idea what this means to me.” “Well, I may have a bit of an idea. I understand what it means to want something that seems just out of your reach. Besides, these dresses need a proper home.” Luna levitated the two dresses that Shady had selected off the rack. “I will take these to Lady Rarity as soon as I have the opportunity. I will have her call upon you to take your measurements.” “Thank you, Highness.” Shady bowed. “This… this is a dream come true.” “You know, I have always liked making dreams come true,” Luna siad. “Will you be able to return in a few hours to assist me in preparing for the arrival of the griffons?” “Oh, most certainly.” The lady-in-waiting never lost her smile as she walked toward the door, recognizing a dismissal. “Thank you again, Princess.” “You’re welcome again, Shady.” Luna grinned as the mare exited the room and gently shut the door behind her. Luna sighed and trotted over to her dresser where she kept her everyday apparel. The early morning sunlight filtered through the blinds, and Luna stifled a yawn. Even though she had tried to sleep through the night, she had stayed awake, tossing and turning. She hadn’t been able to distract herself from the upcoming day. “Griffons, formal lunch, take a short nap, and then the early dinner with Button…” Luna whispered to herself. The entire day seemed imposing, but the last part was what really worried her. Luna looked into the second mirror in her room which hung over the dresser. She leaned in close and reached a hoof to her eyes. She gently held her eyelid up and used her magic to reach out and grasp her contact lens. She slowly removed the lens and placed it back into her case before moving on to the other. The princess then opened her drawer and pulled out a pair of thick rimmed glasses. She placed them over her eyes, removed her crown, and concentrated her magic on her own body. The power of the spell filled her, and she could feel herself transforming. Her body shrunk slightly down to the size of a slightly shorter-than-average mare. Her coat changed from the typical deep blue to a much lighter cyan-blue. Her mane shrunk down to a shorter length and lost its ethereal appearance as it morphed into a flatter, light grey shade. Luna directed her magic to pull her mane into a loose bun. She levitated a simple white headband out of the drawer and placed it onto her head. Luna gritted her teeth in concentration as she used her magic to change the shape of her face. Her snout became shorter, her mouth rounded out more, and her eyes changed to a shape more appropriate for her smaller form. She kept them the same dark aqua color, however. A few white freckles appeared on the sides of her cheeks. Finally, she completed the last part of her spell. Her horn receded back into her head, and Luna surveyed the change. The mare that stared back at her appeared to be in her late twenties. She cleared her throat and peered shyly through her glasses. Luna flipped her mane, and it stayed controlled, as she intended it. She turned to see herself from the side. She was thin, but not too thin. Her height was less than average, but not too much. She had graceful wings that could have belonged to any pegasus. In short, she was normal, in every way. All except for her cutie mark. “Oops!” Luna exclaimed. “Can’t forget that!” She concentrated her magic once more. The power of her transformation may have hidden her horn, but she retained full control over her powers. Her cutie mark shimmered and was then replaced by five white stars in a close formation. She nodded in approval. With only a final task left, Luna closed her eyes in concentration. She allowed her power to wash over her body, mentally recording the exactly feeling of her disguise. After a moment, her spell was finished, and she knew that she could confidently retake this shape in much less time if she ever needed to. Luna opened a drawer and removed a simple mint green gown. She slipped it over her slim frame and examined herself again. She smiled. It was perfect. “Hello, Starry Skies.” ~~~ Button Mash opened the door to the beautiful hotel. His jaw dropped as he surveyed the wonderfully decorated lobby. The floors shone as sunlight bounced off the polished white and black marble floor. Portraits of gorgeous landscapes decorated the walls, the soaring ceilings were illuminated by a dozen chandeliers, and the windows featured amazingly intricate pieces of stained glass that filtered the sunlight into a dazzling array of colors. “Button!” Button turned around to see a stallion in a red uniform bounding over to him. He smiled broadly as he recognized him. “Jay!” Jay, the white stallion who had been one of Button’s best friends back at school, returned the grin and pulled Button into a huge hug. “Sweet Celestia, it feels like it’s been forever!” “It really has. How have you been?” Jay shrugged. “I’m doing all right. I just got a promotion to manager, so I’m moving on up!” He puffed out his chest to show off his golden nametag, which read, ‘Jay Trotting: Manager.’ “Sweet! Congrats, dude!” Button bumped his hoof against his friend’s. “Thanks so much for the deal on the room. This place is amazing! I can’t believe that you got me so good of a price!” “It’s my pleasure, bro! You saved my neck in trig that one semester, so I owed you one.” Jay grinned lopsidedly. “Anyways, how have you b—” “Jay! We need you!” A mare in a matching red uniform called out to Button’s friend. He turned to face her. “Coming!” he replied. He looked back at Button. “Hey, I’ll talk to you later. Head over to the desk to sign in and pick up your keys. Do ya think we could grab drinks tonight?” Button shook his head. “Actually, I’m meeting one of my other friends already tonight. Maybe tomorrow?” “Tomorrow would work! Who’s the friend? Somepony I know?” “Actually, no. She’s a buddy from an online game, and I’m buying her dinner tonight.” Jay’s eyes shot up. “Buuuutton! Good for you, bro! Go get her!” Button rolled her eyes. “No, it’s not like that. We’re just fr—” “Jay!” Jay sighed and shook his head. “I’ve gotta go. Good luck on that date! I’ll see you soon!” He then turned around and trotted away. “It’s not a date!” Button said. “If you’re paying for her, then it’s a date!” Jay retorted over his shoulder. Button smiled and shook his head. He trotted over to the front desk to sign in. After grabbing his room keycard, Button strode toward the central elevator. He passed several patrons in fancy suits and ties who rushed about on their business. A pair of foals ran past him, and Button saw two mares in red uniforms whispering to each other in a corner. Button walked past them all and entered the elevator. He glanced at his registration information and pressed the button marked “nine.” The door chimed and closed. Soft music filled his ears, and Button felt himself quickly rise up the elevator shaft. After a few moments, the doors opened, and Button stepped out into a grand hallway. The decoration was in the same vein as the lobby, and Button gave a low whistle. He trotted down the hallway until he came to a doorway that matched his room number. He slid the keycard into the slot, and the door clicked open. Button felt himself gasp as he pushed the door all the way open. It was unreal. The room had been marked as a luxury suite, and Button had slammed his eyes shut when he had seen the undiscounted price, but neither the price tag nor the name had done the room justice. The first thing he saw was a gigantic living room area with no fewer than four couches. In the middle was a magical fire pit that Button knew could be turned off and on with the turn of a knob. On the other side of the room was an enormous dining room table surrounded by chairs sculpted from beautiful solid wood. The adjoined kitchen was fully stocked with the most modern of kitchen appliances. The room was large lengthwise, but the height was what really amazed Button. The ceiling went up and up for two more stories. The far wall by the dining room table was not a wall at all, but rather a single pane of glass. Button knew that it appeared as a mirror from the outside, giving complete privacy, but it granted a wonderful view of the city from inside. And then there was the staircase. A marble staircase ascended in an intricate spiral up the middle of the room, where it met a walkway that extended to a second level of rooms. The design allowed for incredible visibility, and the effect was stunning. “Holy crap on a cracker.” Button carefully deposited his bags on a couch and explored. His eyes absorbed the lower rooms slowly, and his mind reeled. He trotted up the circular staircase and came to the top level. The walkway led to three rooms all adjoined to a single hallway. Button opened the doors to the rooms one at a time. The first was a “small” bedroom. It easily dwarfed the master bedroom at his house, and the bed inside was huge. The second room was an even bigger bedroom with a connected walk-in closet. When Button opened the third doorway, his jaw dropped again. It was the perfect bathroom. The enormous tub, the intricate tiling, the— Button pulled himself away and shut the door. He shut his eyes, took a deep breath… Then he smiled. And then he laughed. “Oh my dear sweet Princesses. How in the hell am I only paying one hundred and fifty a night for this? Jay, you magnificent bastard…” Button trotted back down the staircase. He picked his bags back up and entered the master bedroom. He opened up the closet and gulped. It was larger than his own room at home, too. Button deposited his three bags into a sad pile in the corner. He shook his head. “What a waste of space…” He pulled his laptop case out of one of his bags and trotted over to the desk in the room. He pulled the laptop out and plugged the charger into the wall socket. Next, he walked over to the mirror and looked at himself. His black fedora was tilted at an angle. He had on a light coat that looked woefully out of place in the magnificent room. His mane was slightly unruly, so he pulled out his comb. As he worked on his mane, he talked to himself. “Okay… dinner with Starry at four tonight… that’s in seven hours. I can probably go by a couple of colleges and schools and pick up applications before having a light lunch around eleven…” Button cracked his neck. “And then, to fill up that free time…” His mind wandered to the tub in the other room. He smiled deviously. “I think I’m gonna like this vacation.” ~~~ Celestia stood alongside a multitude of ponies in the center of an enormous field. Her entire entourage numbered almost one hundred, and she knew them all by name. Off to her right stood Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. Their daughter was not with them today, but Celestia knew that she would be awaiting them back at the castle. Prime Minister Apollo and First Secretary of State Blueblood stood next to each other in matching suits. The two politicians whispered to each other and laughed at some comment one of them had made. Lady Rarity, Captain Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Senator Applejack all stood beside each other. They spoke quietly in a group and giggled with one another. All of them wore beautiful gowns or uniforms that befitted their stations. Lady Rarity wore a gorgeous purple dress that made Celestia’s own look casual in comparison, and her mane was done in an intricate design. Captain Dash wore her Wonderbolt uniform. Her goggles were slung around her neck, and her eyes glimmered with laughter. Pinkie wore the same dress that she had worn to her first Galloping Gala so many years ago. Amazingly, it still looked as good as new. Celestia smirked. Pinke was always special. Senator Applejack wore her own suit, and her mane was pulled back into a respectable braided bun. She wore glasses and whispered something into Pinkie’s ear. The pink mare giggled. On Celestia’s other side stood Princess Twilight and Fluttershy. The two mares both wore beautiful dresses as well. Twilight’s mane had grown far longer over the years, and she had grown taller as time passed too. Her friend stood close beside her. Her long pink mane fluttered in the wind, and their quiet conversation barely tickled Celestia’s ears. Twilight used her wing to flick a piece of grass off Fluttershy’s ear and the two laughed. Celestia sighed. The griffons were supposed to be arriving soon, and the one pony she needed the most was nowhere to be seen. She hoped that nothing had happened to— “Tia! I’m here!” Luna cantered over to Celestia. She turned to see the other princess panting as if she had sprinted all the way from the castle. “Did you just run here?” Celestia asked with a smirk. “I… did.” Luna sniffed. “I can’t fly in this stupid dress. And I couldn’t teleport because I didn’t know exactly where to go…” “Well, at least you’re here,” Celestia said. “Here, let me help you.” Celestia lit her horn and used her magic to straighten out Luna’s dress. The folds disappeared, and her sister looked as good as new, aside from her panting. “Thanks,” Luna said. “Did I miss anything?” “Not yet. The delegates should be here shortly.” “Oh, good.” Luna sighed. “I’m sorry I’m late. I forgot to set my alarm, and I overslept. My mare-in-waiting had to wake me up, and we rushed through preparations.” Celestia noticed the subtly applied makeup on Luna’s face. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to emphasize her striking eyes and accentuate the shape of her face. Celestia nodded in approval. “I see. Well, you look very good, Sister.” “Thank you,” Luna replied. “By the way, I kind of promised to give away most of my dresses to the servants today. I just thought that you would like to know.” Celestia nodded. “I heard, and I heartily approve. I may do so as well later. It will probably help morale greatly. I assume that you promised the services of Lady Rarity to refit them all?” Luna nodded. “Good. I’ll make sure that the funds are open. Sometimes the ponies who help us don’t get enough thanks. I believe that they will enjoy this.” Celestia smiled. “Thank you, Tia. I was afraid that you might not approve, but that’s just me being myself.” Luna shrugged. “Oh, and did you get my request? I left it in your private dining hall.” “Yes, I did,” Celestia said. “Starry Skies is now in the books as one of my mares-in-waiting. I have prepared a room for ‘her.’” She winked at Luna. “Perfect!” “You aren’t planning to keep up this charade for too long, I hope?” Luna shrugged. “I still don’t know. It all depends on—” “Look! It’s them!” Celestia turned to watch the horizon. There, off in the distance, she saw it. The airship. A monstrous beast of technical ingenuity, the airship swiftly grew larger and larger as it drew nearer to the ponies who awaited it. Celestia raised an eyebrow as she examined the intricate machine. The airship spanned somewhere in the vicinity of two hundred yards. It was wide and deep, and the hull appeared to be lined with Ironwood harvested from Griffonia’s extensive mountain ranges. Advanced cannons poked out of the side of the hull, and the top deck of the ship sported even more weapons of various types. Celestia could see a trail of red magical energy flowing from the back of the ship as it approached the field at an angle. “Magnificent…” Luna whispered. “Indeed.” After a short time, the airship finally arrived. The engines roared like enchanted thunder as it slowly lowered itself onto the large cement landing pad that the ponies had prepared for them. Pegasi flew around holding glowing orange batons that they used to help the griffons land their craft safely upon the ground. The behemoth settled onto the pad with a creaking moan, and a large ramp extended down from the ship, reaching the ground with a mighty clang. Four griffons flew into the air with trumpets in their talons. The haunting sound of their national anthem, ‘Hail Griffonia,’ filled the air. A pair of guards walked down the ramp followed by a single black and white griffon in an impeccably tailored suit. Celestia inhaled as she recognized General Chaput. She put on her most regal smile and strode toward the end of the ramp. The trumpeteers landed and finished the anthem just as Chaput and his guards arrived at the ground. The guards stepped to either side, and Chaput approached the princess. “Princess Celestia. Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet at last.” Chaput extended his front right talon, and Celestia met it with her hoof. Chaput raised it to his beak and gently kissed it. “General Chaput, I presume. The pleasure is mine.” Celestia retracted her hoof and their eyes met. His steel blue eyes gleamed with fiery energy, and Celestia returned his gaze. “I have heard many wonderful things about you. You have negotiated peace many times in your life, and we honor you for that.” Chaput never broke eye contact. He didn’t even blink. “Thank you, Princess. I still have that beautiful cloak that you sent me after peace was negotiated with the Yaks several years ago.” Celestia took note of his use of the passive voice. “I actually brought it with me.” “Wonderful,” Celestia replied with a smile. “If it pleases you, we have prepared a formal luncheon for you and your delegates as well as a meal for the soldiers on your wonderful airship.” Chaput bowed slightly. “Ah, thank you, Princess. The troops will appreciate it.” He turned to face the airship. “It is amazing, is it not?” “It is indeed,” Celestia said. “I am most impressed.” “Mmm. It is the first of our Regal class airships. Her name is the FAS Thunder. A magnificent beast.” “What an interesting name,” Celestia remarked. Chaput smiled. “It is named for the sound of the engines. The new technology is loud, but it is quite efficient.” Celestia nodded. “Very good. But perhaps you would like to continue this discussion over lunch?” The griffon general nodded. “Yes, yes. The rest of my party shall descend shortly.” As the princess and the general slowly walked away from the ship, a large group of griffons then began their own descent down the ramp. While everypony and everygriff was paying attention to the party descending down to greet the ponies, a nearly invisible white blur flew out of a hatch on the airship’s deck. It breezed past several griffons and flew toward the ground on the other side of the airship. It came very close to three of the pegasi who had guided the ship into its landing. They all shivered as one. Moments later, a dozen more blurs left the ship completely unseen, and they all flew off toward Canterlot.