The train pulled in to Canterlot station just as the sun crested over the horizon, leaving the city to bathe in the orange glow of twilight as the moon crawled to the center of the sky. The cobblestone street outside the station was lined with carriages pulled by ponies dressed in the shining gold armor of the Royal Guard.
Voltage, Moxi, Snowdrift and Dreamcatcher all made for the nearest carriage, all the mares climbing aboard as Dreamcatcher hung back to peer into the crowd behind them. Something caught the earth pony’s eye and he whistled loudly. “Hey Blue,” he called out, waving a hoof at somepony just out of view from within the carriage, “I didn’t know you were coming!”
The azure unicorn pony who stepped up to the carriage dressed in a formal Neighponese hakama of gold and blue with a slit to display his cutie mark had a remarkably stoic, but easily recognizable face. He gave Dreamcatcher and the others a small nod before gesturing to a puff of pink mane which was all that was visible from within the carriage of … “Miss Cherrybloom wished to go to the prom,” Blue said, looking as though he did not support the decision, “I am here to accompany her.”
“You’re her date!?” Volty called from beside Moxi, a devious grin on her face.
“Of course not,” Blue growled, helping Cherry Bloom, wrapped in a layered dress of semi-translucent rainbow colored fabric, her mane accented with spring flowers, into the carriage where she immediately set about bouncing around and ogling at everypony’s outfits, “I am here with Kimono, Cherry Bloom has brought Zest.”
As he said this he helped Zest, dressed in a red pinstriped suit and matching fedora into the carriage where he immediately found a seat and stuck to it, his head down in embarrassment. Blue stepped aside to let his wife past him, Kimono was dressed in her namesake, a beautiful violet silk kimono decorated with sakura petals and paper lanterns and bound with a yellow sash with a large bow at her back, her hair was held up in a traditional Neighponese shimada style and held in place with a yellow pin. She stepped into the carriage and sat down. Only after everypony else had taken their seats did Blue enter the carriage himself, but he did not sit, opting instead to stand beside the door, his eyes wary.
The door of the carriage closed and it sprung into motion, knocking everypony but Blue and Cherry Bloom momentarily off balance. Moxi stared at the unicorn in disbelief.
“Honey,” Kimono piped up from beside him, tugging at the shoulder of his hakama, “sit down, you’re making everypony tense.”
“Constant vigilance, my dear,” he replied, “I don’t trust this city.”
“Miss Moxi,” Cherry Bloom said, rushing up to Moxi, “your dress is really pretty! Who are you going to prom with?”
Moxi blinked in surprise, but then softened and smiled at the little alicorn, “Thank you, Cherry, and I’m going with Voltage.”
“Oooh,” she said, looking from Volty to Moxi, “Volty, you’re dressed like a colt! Are you Moxi’s filly-friend now?”
Moxi’s heart leapt into her throat and Voltage sputtered before both mares looked away from each other. Dreamcatcher burst into laughter and even Snowy and Kimono had to stifle giggles as Cherry watched the pair with innocent confusion.
Cherry Bloom opened her mouth as if to push the matter further but Blue spoke up. “Miss Bloom,” he said fixing her with a stern look, “you shouldn’t press matters that make other ponies uncomfortable.”
“Why would it make them uncomfortable?” she asked, looking crestfallen, “Miss Moxi, Miss Volty, you’re not uncomfortable are you?”
“Umm…” groaned Moxi.
“Well…” Volty stammered.
Blue gave Cherry Bloom another stern look and she huffed out a breath before sitting down beside Zest. Blue gave a nod of approval before returning to his stoic guard stance. He maintained it for nearly a whole thirty seconds before his wife seized advantage of a bump in the road to pull him onto the carriage seat beside her.
“I’m confused,” Snowdrift said, turning to regard Blue as he desperately tried to put himself into a more dignified position than being splayed across the seat and his wife’s lap alike, “why is Cherry Bloom going to the prom? She seems… a bit young.”
“A bit nothing!” Dreamcatcher barked a laugh, “The silly filly is tiny!”
“Am not!” Cherry Bloom huffed, her cheeks reddening.
“Miss Bloom is in the right, there, I’m afraid,” Blue growled, finally righting himself into a sitting position, “while she may be small in stature, she is, unfortunately for me, old enough to attend the prom. Zest is underage, but as he’s coming as her guest, he’s allowed.”
Moxi and Volty joined the other two in shooting Cherry Bloom looks of shock. “Doesn’t get much weirder than that, I guess,” Moxi said, deciding not to press the matter.
The carriage doors opened to blinding lights pouring in from the entryway to the palace banquet hall. Streamers and other party decorations lined the walls and a seemingly never-ending cascade of confetti fell in a continuous downpour from unseen dispensers, somehow managing to flutter all about the gathered ponies without ever becoming entangled in anypony’s mane or clothing.
As they unloaded from the carriage, Snowy stuck out a hoof to catch one of the falling pieces of confetti, only for the colorful piece of tissue paper to pass right through her hoof on its way to the floor where it faded out of existence seconds after touching the ground.
“They’re using magic,” Snowy said with a wide smile back to her friends, “they’re projecting holographic confetti, that’s adorable!”
Everypony laughed as Cherry Bloom and Zest immediately set about scrambling to look at everything, wide grins plastered on their childish faces. “Wooooow,” Cherry said, looking at the magnificent decorations, “it’s so pretty! Come on, Zest, let’s go see the rest!”
A stream of nonsense words pouring from her lips, Cherry grabbed Zest’s hoof and dragged him away, weaving in and out of the crowd of ponies making their way to the entrance.
“Sakura-chan!” Blue called out in surprise, his shock making him revert to his native Neighponese, “Matteo!” He groaned and took off after her, having a much harder time of weaving through the crowd of ponies so that Cherry was able to gain more of a lead with each passing second.
Kimono turned back and gave the others a shrug and a small smile, “Well, I’ll see you all inside.” With that, she trotted off after her husband leaving everypony with a fit of giggles.
Up ahead, Moxi saw Blue brush past a familiar trio of ponies, they gave him a surprised look before turning back to see where he’d come from and spotting their fellow Lunerians. “Willow!” Dreamcatcher called out starting forward without a thought to hoof bump the earth pony stallion.
The gray and white stallion was dressed in a black suit jacket, accented with white stripes and topped off with a blue sting tie, as usual, a lantern burning with the same eerie purple flame as his cutie mark floated beside him. He returned Catcher’s hoof with a smile, turning to wave at Moxi, Volty, and Snowy as they caught up, “Hey you lot, glad we ran into each other, I assume it’s gonna be pretty packed in there!”
“Hey Willow,” Moxi smiled at the stallion before turning to regard his date, a black alicorn, her mane simply a deeper shade than her coat, wearing a matching dress of dark fabric, accented with lines of gleaming jewels and a shawl of mostly translucent purple fabric. She wore shoes made of gleaming ebony and set with large rubies, matching the small ring on her horn which was further connected to a headdress of shining diamonds on her mane. The whole outfit was completed with a lace choker bearing a design of wrought silver and ruby which brought out the shining red color of her eyes.
“Hi Middy,” Moxi spoke up after giving herself a moment to take the outfit in, “you look amazing tonight.”
“I look amazing every night, my dear,” she retorted, giving Moxi a playful smile, “you’re looking lovely as well.”
Moxi turned to regard the third member of their party and instantly her smile turned to a grimace.
“Hey Clair,” Volty said, smiling and waving an enthusiastic hoof at the earth pony stallion, dressed in an elegant, if simple, suit coat and ruffled shirt, likely an heirloom from his familial homeland of Prance, “didn’t expect to see you here.”
Clair returned Moxi’s look of distaste before turning to give Volty a small smile, “Well I’m planning to sell some of my spirits to the bartenders here, I figure even if I have to sell on the cheap, the publicity would be great for my business.”
Moxi and Clair continued to stare daggers at one another for a pregnant moment. Voltage caught Snowy’s eye and tilted her head in a “we should probably do something" kind of way.
Snowy nodded in agreement, stepping between the two ponies and striking up a conversation with the BarBuck, “So, Clair, that’s a nice little outfit you’re wearing there, very simple.”
“It wasn’t my first choice,” he commented, his features softening as soon as Moxi was out of sight and turning down to regard his outfit, “this was my father’s, the style’s a bit outdated, but I had to pick an outfit last-minute. I’d had something made special for tonight, but unfortunately, I mistimed and was unable to use it.”
Snowy began asking what he meant when Volty wrapped a wing around Moxi and hurried her off into the crowd, “C’mon, Mox, I’m hungry, let’s grab a bite before we hit the dance floor.”
Moxi blushed and felt her stomach rumble at the prospect of food, “yeah, sounds great!”