Within the confines of Twilight Sparkle's domain, I carefully rested my eyes to better concentrate at the task at hand. I braced my hooves upon the wooden surface of the Golden Oak Library and visualized myself accomplishing the assignment she laid before me.
"Moonlight!" Twilight anxiously shouted.
"What?" I whispered.
My mind drifted to all the worries and concerns I developed these past few months. During my initial month inside this bustling town, a couple of my companions lovingly provided their houses for me to reside in. Out of the kindness of Fluttershy's heart, I was permitted to sleep in the spare room at her cottage by the Everfree Forest for a few nights each week. Rarity also set up a spot for me to rest in the corner of her Carousel Boutique. Yet in exchange for this fine gift, I had to volunteer some of my time being her living dress mannequin and endure the late nights she spent finishing her projects. Trying to sleep through one of her monologues was quite exhausting in its own right. There wasn't enough space for me to bother staying inside Twilight's library, and it would have been nigh impossible for a unicorn like myself to crash with Rainbow Dash in the clouds high in Cloudsdale.
Within my second month of bouncing between places, Princess Celestia kindly offered me some nice living accommodations in Canterlot. Staying in the glamorous city for a few weeks gave me a chance to spend some much needed time training under Princess Luna's guidance. Ever since she learned of my abilities, the daring princess eagerly instructed me in how to magnify my abilities under the light of the moon. I also benefited quite a bit from her flexible skills and quick wit within each our combat lessons. Alas, I missed the company of my friends back in Ponyville. The long commute on the Friendship Express made the whole experience not sustainable in the long run.
Even with the assistance of my newfound friends, I pretty much gave up on establishing myself a place to call home. I would have considered returning to that old dead tree of mine in the forest if the thought of being away from the loving support of the ponies didn't haunt me. Nowadays, I found plenty of room to relax inside Applejack's barn over at Sweet Apple Acres. She kept the room available in case of another Apple Family reunion.
Twilight nudged her head forward. "Concentrate. Your horn will do the rest."
"I know!" I grudgingly replied.
Although Twilight Sparkle liked keeping to a steady timetable of events, she managed to pencil me in for a little magic lesson this faithful morning. Surprisingly, all the other ponies also had their own tight schedule to maintain. Applejack attended to her deliveries from Sweet Apple Acres. Rarity kept tabs on her outfits from the Carousel Boutique. Pinkie Pie assisted the Cakes at Sugarcube Corner. Fluttershy cared for the local animals that needed help recuperating in Ponyville. Even though Rainbow Dash bragged about all the important work she processed in Cloudsdale, I still had my doubts with all the times I caught her lying around on top of a wandering cloud or performing tricks in front of the Rainbow Dash Fan Club.
Twilight inquired, "Do you want me to show you how it's done?"
"Just give me a moment," I sighed.
I couldn't have asked for a better teacher than Twilight Sparkle to show me the ropes. She proved reliable as a good friend when tolerating my lack of progress. Her extensive knowledge about magic provided the proper avenue for me to advance in my own studies. The way she emitted her magic so effortlessly made it seem like child's play. I expected nothing less from Princess Celestia's protege.
On the other hand, wielding my own magic proved much more difficult than I anticipated. Twilight tried lecturing me about the history of unicorns and demonstrating how Equestrian magic flowed through the ponies. On one occasion, she attempted to boost my confidence by having me wear a pair of glasses. As amusing as it was, it didn't help improve my skills. The sporadic nature of my unique talent could not be sufficiently controlled through any real life scenarios. It chose to manifest itself under specific conditions as if my magic had a mind of its own.
Twilight tilted her head up. "Try lifting up your chin."
"I don't think that would make a difference," I smirked.
Whether or not my ability would manifest in public wasn't easy to predict. There were times I could levitate a book or move a chair whenever some pony requested it. Other times my magic helped me discover hidden items or transform objects on demand. On rare occasions, I constructed force fields or teleported away when my life depended on it. In any case, I knew I had a long way to go before matching up to Twilight's expectations.
Twilight remarked, "You put a stop to Ordain. This should come second nature."
My concentration wavered. "I just don't think I can do this, Twilight."
Twilight thought the memory of Ordain pushed me to be a better pony. In reality, my recollection of the event was always a bit hazy. The spirit of order projected his own form of mayhem among the ponies in Equestria. With the help of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, we contested against that power. We chased after him into a cave and ended his reign with a draconian book. The princesses reassured me there was no way Ordain could escape his prison a second time, but I had a nagging feeling he was too pretentious to simply give up in seeking his vengeance upon me.
Seeing my head collapse, Twilight urged, "You almost had it."
"I just can't do it," I insolently replied.
Twilight pressed her hoof against the table in the center of the room. "I admit, reconstructing a rock into a bouquet of flowers might be a bit much for you. We can try using the transformation spell another time."
I opened my eyes and looked at my mentor. "You mean like later tonight?"
Twilight giggled. "You always say that. You can't always trust the night sky to give you power."
I swung my hoof from side-to-side. "Sorry, Twilight. I thought I had it for sure this time."
Twilight walked around the rock neatly placed in the middle of the table. "Don't you fret. It has only been a couple of months. Keep practicing. It will come."
The sound of the front door opening interrupted our session. Out meandered backwards a joyful Spike, playfully moving his body to the beat of a song in his head. He stopped snapping his claws when he turned around and spotted us still working inside the library.
"I thought you would be done by now," Spike noticed.
I nodded my head. "Yeah."
"He's still working on it," Twilight remarked.
Spike tilted his head and pointed directly at me. "Hey Moonlight, do you think you can try number twenty-five on me again?"
I shook my head in disbelief. "I told you before. You don't need a mustache."
"Not even a beard?"
Twilight interjected, "Spike!"
Shying my head away from the mothering unicorn, I apologized, "Sorry, Spike."
"Alright." Spike redirected, "Have you been able to do anything new? What about casting that force field?"
I smiled. "Oh yeah, Luna taught me how to do that a week ago. Still not anywhere near what Shining Armor or Twilight can do."
"You never told me that," Twilight observed. "How were you able to cast it?"
I looked away from both Spike and Twilight. "Well, remember the day when I came over with a bruise on my leg?"
Twilight remarked, "Don't tell me that was from Luna."
I rubbed the particular spot right below my ankle. "After trying to teach me the spell for a couple hours, Luna decided to provide me with some... incentive."
Spike asked, "What she do?"
"She threw a couple rocks at me. I thought she was just fooling around! After the third one hit me in the leg, I knew she meant business. That was when I created the barrier."
Twilight prodded against her chin. "That is interesting. Luna must have realized that your magic would react if you felt threatened in some way."
I waved my hoof in the air. "More or less."
Spike deduced, "So your magic needs some sort of trigger?"
Twilight answered, "Not all of Moonlight's magic activates by reaction. He did number sixteen on his first try."
Spike asked me, "You mean you can create music from nature like Twilight?"
I commented, "That musical part of me must be hereditary. My father could call the birds with the sound of his voice, and my brother played the piano well."
Spike abruptly placed his claw upon his chest and belched up an official scroll. He reached down to pick it up and properly broke the seal.
"What does it say?" Twilight asked.
Spike cleared his throat. "Hear ye, hear ye, Her Grand Royal Highness Princess Celestia of Equestria is pleased to announce The Grand Galloping Gala to be held in the magnificent capital city of Canterlot, on the 21st-"
Twilight exclaimed, "How could I forget? The Grand Galloping Gala is just around the corner. I'm glad Princess Celestia already provided us with a couple of exclusive tickets. Did she send you one, Moonlight?"
I smiled. "I don't really need one."
Twilight lowered her eyebrows. "Why not?"
I wiggled my hoof at the back of the scroll. "Spike, what does the rest of the invitation say?"
Spike loosened the bottom of the scroll a little more. "This year at the Grand Galloping Gala, Princess Celestia will be presenting a special event. This momentous occasion will include several pieces performed by talented musicians from all across Equestria. Moonlight Sonata will be hosting the-"
Twilight interrupted, "Moonlight? You are hosting the event? Why didn't you tell us?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "I wanted it to be a surprise. I overheard some ponies in Canterlot mention what happened at the event last year, and I made some suggestions. I never expected them to take my advice seriously and assign me as the official coordinator of the whole thing." I raised both my front hooves in the air. "Surprise?"
Twilight noted, "I'll make sure to leave that part out when I read the letter to the rest of the girls then."
Spike rolled the scroll up and placed it inside a small bag resting on the floor. "That reminds me, Rarity wanted you to come by the Carousal Boutique. She has a suit waiting for you to try on."
I shook my head. "Didn't she already make me a suit like... a couple months ago?"
Spike rolled his eyes. "You know Rarity."
"Alright. I'll run by after I get some flowers for Fluttershy."
Spike pointed behind us. "Hey look."
I turned around and noticed a bouquet of flowers on the table where the rock once stood. "Now it happens!"
Spike hastily mentioned, "Actually Moonlight, I just saw Fluttershy over at Rarity's. If you hurry, you can still catch her."
Twilight asked, "What was she doing over there?"
Spike stated, "I think they were making some adjustments in their gowns for the Gala."
I picked up the flowers off the table. "That's right. She keeps the gowns at her place." I walked over to the door. "I'll come back later if I have time."
"We'll see you later then," Twilight remarked.
When I arrived at the Carousal Boutique, I noticed a piece of thread being thrown across the room. Curious, I peered around the open door and spotted Rarity actively pacing between various unmarked boxes on the ground. I recognized her way of scrounging through the drawers. The fashionista was desperately pursuing that one specific item to finish yet another one of her outfits. I laid the bouquet of flowers down at the nearest table by the entrance and offered my assistance. "Uh, Rarity?"
Rarity pouted. "I have searched high, and I have searched low. Low and high! High and low! But I can't find it anywhere! How can I continue my work without it?"
My eyes followed her over to the mannequin. "What are you looking for?"
Without turning around, Rarity shouted into the air, "My red fabric!"
I pointed at the red upholstery that was laying right beside her hooves. "You mean those?"
Rarity imposed, "No, Moonlight. That is scarlet. I'm looking for vermilion."
A sudden chill poured down my spine. This feeling happened when my magic took control. A blanket of the night sky enveloped the entire room, all except for Rarity and a small cardboard box that hid behind the glass mirror. A twinkling star of light ushered out from the box. When my leg bumped into the side of the container, my view of the room around me slowly returned to normal. I lifted up one of the flaps attached to the box and pushed aside some turquoise fabric. At the bottom of the box lied some vermilion fabric. I held up the material in my hooves. "Is this it, Rarity?"
"Why, yes." Rarity hurried over and pulled on the cloth's tail. "I was just about to look over there too." She carried it over to a short cabinet and wove it into a disassembled gown. The anxious gal let out a sigh of relief after finally snipping the trail end of the thread. "Thank you so much, darling. Now, let us get you started with a new suit. That is why you are here, isn't it?"
I argued, "What was wrong with the old suit?"
She nonchalantly waved her left hoof at me. "You can't wear that old thing. This is the Gala! You need something special, something with more pizazz."
I rolled my eyes as she turned her back to me. "Well if you insist." I walked up onto the platform, like I normally do when she wanted me to try on something, and patiently waited for her instructions.
Rarity levitated a long strand of measuring tape out from one of the drawers and stretched it across various parts of my body. She then wrapped it around my stomach and dawdled on the results. "Hmm."
I attempted to look behind, making sure only to move my head. "What? What is it?"
Rarity yanked the measuring tape out from underneath me. "Have you lost weight?"
I chuckled. "Must be from all that training."
Rarity placed the tape back into the plastic case and levitated some apparel on top of me. "How is Princess Luna these days?"
I stretched out my hooves as Rarity covered me up. "Busy. I think ponies underestimate how much she does during the night."
Rarity pulled out her scissors and trimmed back the material. "That's too bad. I was hoping to get her opinion on some designs that were personally catered to her figure."
I suggested, "I can ask Luna the next time I see her."
"You will? Thank you, Moonlight. You can be such a doll sometimes." Rarity arranged more textiles and assembled them behind my back. "Now let me see. I'll do this. Then I'll add the red." She tightened the raiment closer around my neck. "It does look smashing on you."
I enunciated, "I think it's a little tight."
Rarity loosened the garb. "That better?"
"Much better."
Rarity opened a decorative chest filled with all the essential tools a couturier would ever need and retracted the items over my head. "We need more red and a little dash of royal blue for the tie. Let's try a nice beige color for the coat." She paused to examine the matching color patterns. "The color matches well with the brown in your eyes, but I'm not sure it works well with the purple in your mane. Maybe we should try for a darker brown, a shade of hickory perhaps." She pulled out another coat and frowned. "No, this won't do. Maybe we should try gray with a shade of black."
I observed the intricate stitching of the cloth around my body in the mirror. "It is starting to look nice."
Rarity opened another drawer and shifted through miscellaneous crafting equipment. "Now, what kind of cufflinks would you prefer?"
I sternly replied, "No cufflinks."
Astonished, Rarity replied, "Why not? All the ponies will be wearing them."
"I never could get used to them," I retorted. "I'd be fiddling with them all night long."
Rarity pulled out a stunning pair of diamond star cufflinks out of the drawer. "Not even a barrel cuff?"
I tilted my head onto my left shoulder. "Please, Rarity."
Rarity carefully placed the accessories back into the drawer. "Alright, dear. If it means that much to you."
"Thanks, Rarity."
Holding onto a small ball of yarn, Fluttershy meandered through the front entrance. "Oh, I didn't want to intrude. The door was open, and I thought it would be alright to come on inside."
Rarity asked, "Were you able to stitch up that small tear on the bottom of Pinkie Pie's gown?"
Fluttershy responded, "Yes. Thank you for letting me borrow your yarn."
"No problem," Rarity remarked. "You can stop and borrow my equipment whenever you feel like it."
"Sorry I didn't catch up with you sooner, Fluttershy." Careful not to loosen any patchwork, I nodded my head towards the table with the eloquent bouquet. "Do you think those flowers will do?"
Fluttershy put down the ball of yarn and smelled the floral arrangement. "These are lovely." She walked closer to the mirrors. "Is that the suit you are going to wear to the Gala?"
"It will be whenever Rarity is finished," I replied.
Rarity used the thread to tie the coat together. "There! Now all I need to do is stitch the pieces together." She cautiously pulled all the stringed pieces of clothing off my body and placed them in her hooves.
"I'll meet you back here when its time for the Gala," I stated, stretching out my legs.
Rarity replied, "I'll have it ready by then. I will see you two then."