The guards looked at us with undisguised curiosity. Flash was there and waved lightly as we approached. "Hello, Trixie Lulamoon, familiar. Who are you bringing with you?" Though he addressed us first, his eyes were on Sweet. Her deep black fur and her eyes that were vibrant enough to be mutely visible behind her pink sunglasses made her quite a sight.
I waved to Sweet. "This is Sweet Tooth, a very kind pony that needs asylum."
Flash straightened. "A-asylum?! Do you understand the full meaning of that word?"
Trixie glanced aside at me before nodding at Flash. "A bit dramatic, but true. Her people are homeless and scattered at best."
Sweet brought up a hoof in a curious gesture. "Darkness protect you, sir."
It was as is she'd screamed bomb, the way even ponies stopped dead in their tracks to stare at her with various masks of awe and fear.
Thinking fast, I waved them on. "From the shadow, right?"
Sweet looked baffled. "Without light, there would be no shadow. There can be darkness without light, but not shadow."
She may have been technically correct, but it wasn't calming anyone. Trixie gestured inside. "Princess Cadance will sort this out."
Flash stowed his spear at his back. "I'll accompany you. To prevent misunderstandings, you know."
Just as we began to enter, a rather well-to-do mare marched up us. The tension of conflict blossomed. "You are not bringing that shadow creature inside the Crystal Palace!" Beside her 'Flatter' and 'Mock' appeared with the others.
Flash tried to brush past her, but she was having none of it. "I expected better from you, Sir Sentry. Have you gone turncoat on us? The Princess will hear of this betrayal!"
I looked her over carefully, letting the knowledge come to me. Her name was Cautious Love. Wife of a minor crystal pony of supposed noble breeding. That name, it could have meant so many things... She was quite proud of her clothing, though they looked bland to me.
Trixie waved past her. "Out of our way. Who do you think we're on the way to see, you miserable cow."
"Cow?!" She stomped a hoof roughly on the carpet. "You reject from a rundown circus. You don't even belong in this castle at all!"
Glaring down at me, her insults continued. "And what is this? Some kind of trained monkey? Is it even house trained? It's filthy and smells. Mister Sentry, you've taken all leave of your senses letting this party of degenerates through."
I should have taken the high road. I knew it at the time, but I was feeling angry. With a flat look, I stared at her. "At least I didn't do my clothes shopping in a bargain bin." 'Mock' flashed beside her.
She recoiled back, stuttering and fuming. "W-what? What did you just say!? You take that back, you filthy beast!"
Trixie flashed a predatory smile. "At least Trixie has the decency to go with nothing, as opposed to stooping so low as your current attire. Shameful."
Cautious Love shook with fury even as a few tears began to show in her eyes. Sweet suddenly moved between Cautious and I. "Stop that! She has the right to be frightened, but you don't get to make fun of her clothes."
"Even the monster pities me!" She ran off in a full weeping mode. The tension fell. The conflict was over. I didn't hear any coins result.
Flash let out a little breath. "I'm sorry about that. We should get moving before other ponies want to get involved. This way." He began down the hallway at a brisk pace, and we fell in behind.
I slid over to beside Sweet. "Sorry if we offended you back there. She just really pushed my buttons."
Trixie snorted. "She was looking for buttons to press. Miserable mare, trying to make herself look more important."
Sweet shook her head as she walked. "It's alright... but you should apologize to her the next time you see her. She was just scared... She has every right." She flicked her tail into view. "I am a monster..."
I didn't accept that. "She couldn't even see that. All she knew was that you were foreign and different and that made her scared, not you being an actual monster, which you aren't."
"How am I not?" She tilted her head at me as we walked.
"Being a monster is action, not just form." I crossed my arms. "You made a decision, for peace, and to make friends. You're not a monster, goopy or not."
Trixie flashed a smile. "If you stay at our side, soon you won't be a monster on the outside, but Trixie agrees. You are certainly no monster inside. Why, you even stood up for that insufferable mare just a moment ago. You are a pony with a good heart."
"Oh, I do hope so..."
We became a little quiet until we reached the throne room's door. There were other ponies in line, waiting for admittance. Flash pointed a hoof at it. "Get on line for now. I'll tell Cadance what's going on. You may have to wait anyway. Nobles don't like skipping ahead of them."
I waved a hand at him. "Don't sweat it. We're not a band of monsters, but we're not special either."
"Speak for yourself, familiar."
"I mean, we can wait a few minutes."
Flash nodded with a smile before trotting off into the throne room, leaving us behind. We settled in our place on line. Most of the others chatted with others beside them, though eyes turned our way in furtive glances. One, braver than the others, approached. She had her mane up in a bun and a toga like outfit that shone softly with the same sparkling nature as her pelt. "Hello there."
Trixie nodded at her. "A pleasure to meet you."
She smiled. "The feeling is mutual. Miss Lulamoon. I've heard of you, and what you've already done for our city. Thank you." Her eyes turned to Sweet. "But you're new. May I ask who you are, ma'am?"
Sweet smiled back, trying to match the gesture I thought. "Hello! I'm Sweet Tooth. These two are taking care of me, and I'm trying to help them with their quest."
"Oh how brave of you," said the crystal mare in an appreciative tone. "I hope you don't find this offensive, but I've never seen a pony with such a black pelt before. It's deeper than the black sky. It's... actually kind of pretty, miss, if you don't mind my saying so."
Sweet colored along her ears, turning red there as she looked away. "Y-you're flattering me. Look at you, all sparkling and bright."
She made a dismissive wave of a hoof. "We're all sparkling and bright. That's nothing special. You, on the other hoof. That's truly remarkable. Even outside the Crystal Empire, ponies come in many colors, but such an utter black? And those eyes! They stand out so startlingly. May I see them without the glasses in the way?"
Sweet glanced at us, but neither of us had any objection on principle. She reached up for her glasses and closed her eyes before sliding them off. She squinted them open. It was much less bright inside than it was in the sun, but I could see it was still bright by Sweet's scale. She slowly forced them open bit by bit before she let out her breath. "I can barely see."
The crystal mare reached for the glasses and carefully slid them right back on Sweet's face. "I'm so sorry! I didn't realize it would be painful for you. Your eyes really are lovely, Sweet."
Sweet blinked the traces of tears away as she became comfortable again. "T-thank you, miss."
Trixie gestured at Sweet dramatically. "Sweet Tooth may become a citizen of your fine empire."
"Oh! That would be lovely." The mare smiled with her sparkling teeth. "Do tell me if you do. I'm Rosey Quartz, and I'd love to become a friend of yours, Sweet Tooth. I'm sure you have interesting... well, interests. Do you read?"
Sweet shook her head. "Not much. I prefer to cook sweet things."
"Oh how delightful!" She nodded firmly. "You let me know if you move in. We'll treat you right, dear." She trotted away with a little wave, leaving Sweet looking flustered, but in a good way.
I decided Rosey was a nice mare. A nice switch of pace from the first crystal pony Sweet had met. "See, you're no monster."
Sweet suddenly shrank a little. "She didn't see that part..."
Trixie snorted. "All the better that we're going to get you all fixed before you move in, and you can be good friends with her and her friends as well."
Sweet put her hooves on Trixie's shoulders. "Do you mean it!? Are you sure? I would really like that... I thought... for a moment there, that the crystal ponies were not good to be around, but she was so kind. Are there others like her?"
Thinking back on the many crystal ponies I had met, I nodded. "I'm new to the city too, and almost all of them are just nice people. They want to be friends, even if shadows spook them easily."
Reassured, she relaxed. "It's good to know you two aren't just a fluke... I mean, if you came to my city, whenever that was, they would have thought you were horrible monsters from outer space, and would not have treated you kindly." She looked at Trixie. "Your fur, it's all... blue. A little blue, that's normal, but everywhere bright? That's not normal, not for us." She reached up for her hat and lifted it off, showing the bright red stripe that ran through her mane, matching her eye color. "See?"
Trixie looked over herself, then Sweet. "Trixie does see, but she is not a dark pony. She is perfectly normal in coloration, even if Great and Powerful. She takes special pride in her lustrous silver mane and tail." She flicked her tail lightly, then gestured at Sweet's bottom half. "Do you have a red stripe there as well?"
Sweet shook her head. "Most colors only appear in the mane. There are... were... exceptions. One of my friends had a spiral that ran down their entire back. I was so jealous of him." She giggled softly. "Now I feel so very foolish, surrounded by ponies with so much color everywhere, that praise me for being black."
Our turn was coming up soon. I reached and took Sweet's hoof. "There are going to be a lot of ponies in the next room, most of them wearing bright golden armor. They're there to protect Cadance from any bad ponies, not like you. They're harmless. I even hugged her once without them hurting me."
She burst into loud giggles. "You hugged their princess!?" Eyes turned towards her at the exclamation. "You truly are an amazing person, Frisk. Do you think she'll be as friendly with me? I'm so nervous right now..."
Trixie waved off the question. "Calm yourself. You're in the company of the Great and Powerful Trixie and her trusted familiar. We will introduce you to her properly, and soon we will all be familiar. Besides, did she not say Cadance is a kind pony? Do you know what she is the princess of?"
"The Crystal Empire?"
"Well, yes, but before even that, she was the princess of love, and still bears that title with pride."
"Trixie Lulamoon!" Our turn was up. We stood up and walked towards the throne room, hoping for the best.