The Gala
The Grand Galloping Gala was next week and Twilight had called all her friends to help with the preparations, except for Rainbow Dash, as she and the Wonderbolts were part of the entertainment anyway. Applejack was to be in charge of the food, Fluttershy was to bring her songbirds, Pinkie Pie was to decorate and Rarity was to make every pony's dresses.
The four approached the palace gate and were let through, as the guards already knew them. Instead of Twilight, they were greeted by her brother.
"Hello, girls," Shining Armor said. "We're so glad you could make it. Twilie and the others are already having dinner. They asked me to escort you."
Applejack sighed in relief. "Thank goodness! I'm starved!"
Pinkie Pie bounced down the hallway. "I love having dinner with the princesses!"
"You love having dinner with any pony, darling," Rarity chuckled.
In the dining hall, Celestia sat at the head of the table, Twilight and Spike on her right, Luna and Cadence on her left. When she saw her friends, the purple alicorn forgot her manners for a moment, leaping out of her seat and attacking them with a hug.
"I'm so happy you're here!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen you guys in weeks!"
"We're happy to be here," Applejack declared. "Now how 'bout we chow down?!"
As they ate, the friends caught up with one another. Twilight told them about the new spells she had learned, Rarity talked about the dresses she had in mind for the Gala, Applejack asked if the orphans could be invited to the event, and Pinkie babbled on about pudding. Fluttershy politely listened to the conversations and nodded when necessary. Then Shining Armor and Cadence had big news.
"Should I tell them?" the alicorn asked her husband.
"I think you have the right," he replied with a wink.
She smiled at all of them. "We're having a baby!"
Every pony gasped.
"Wait a second!" Pinkie cried. Then she took a sip of water and spat it out. "You're having a baby?! Congratulations! I get to play with it, right?"
Cadence laughed. "Of course, Pinkie."
Twilight clapped. "Yay! I'm going to be an aunt!"
"When are you due?" Rarity asked.
"Ten months," answered Shining Armor.
"How wonderful," Fluttershy complimented, speaking for the first time that evening.
"This calls for a toast!" Celestia announced. She lifted her goblet. "Here's to the new prince or princess!"
The others lifted their goblets and cheered in agreement.
"Wait," Spike paused. "I'm not gonna be the one to change its diaper, am I?"
Every pony laughed. Fluttershy only smiled softly. She was truly happy for the young couple, but for some reason, that happiness could not be reflected. Applejack was the only one who noticed Fluttershy's depression and stopped laughing. Her friend had been this way for quite a while now. While she engaged in social activities as much as possible, she never seemed to take pleasure in them. It bothered the cowgirl and she was determined to find out what was going on.
The next day, preparations for the Grand Galloping Gala began. Pinkie Pie brought her party cannon into the ballroom and fired balloons and confetti all over the place. Princess Celestia was sure the Gala was going to be less boring this year. Rarity called the girls in one by one to take measurements and ask their opinion on their dresses, though they knew to trust the unicorn's vision and to not make too many suggestions.
After gathering food supplies from the market, Applejack decided to take a stroll in the garden. She would not have to make the food until the day before the event, so she had some time to herself. She followed a melodic sound and encountered Fluttershy conducting her bird chorus. She stopped them in the middle of a song.
"No, it's more like..." she sang a few notes in that sweet voice of hers. "Understand?"
"Howdy, Fluttershy!" Applejack said in a voice loud enough to startle the birds. The pony beamed apologetically. "Oops, sorry."
The pegasus sighed and gave a small smile. "It's okay. We were about to take a break anyway."
Applejack studied her face carefully. "Is somethin' wrong, Sugar Cube?"
"What? Oh no, nothing is wrong."
She wasn't convinced by her tone. "Fluttershy, I'm gonna be honest with you. You've seemed to be down in the dumps as of late. You know I can't remember the last time I've seen you smile? I mean really smile, like you meant it?"
Fluttershy paused and turned away. "It's nothing, really."
Applejack took a deep breath. "It's those nightmares, isn't it? You're still havin' them, aren't ya?"
The pegasus floated to the ground and hid her face shamefully. Her friend put an assuring hoof on her back.
"Sugar Cube," she said slowly, "it's been three years. Discord's long gone. You got nothin' to fear anymore. You gotta let it go."
She sniffed. "I know, but the nightmares just won't go away, even when I'm not asleep! It's like everywhere I turn, he's there, watching, waiting to...to...I don't know! Take me away or something! I just...I can't..."
Then she started to cry. Applejack stroked her mane in comfort.
"Hey, it's okay. It's all in your imagination. Discord's not comin' back and he certainly isn't gonna take you away."
Neither of them knew, but in a cave far away, their old enemy was watching the scene in a mirror. He could not help but laugh.
"It's just too amusing!" he exclaimed. "Oh, the dramatic irony of it all! Ooh, imagine the looks on their faces when I appear out of the blue after all this time!"
The image in the mirror faded and only his reflection was visible.
"And why have we been hiding all these years?" his image mocked.
"So we can lead those naïve ponies into a false sense of security, so that when we strike it'll be a surprise! Based on their moods now, I'd say the time has come! They all think I'm gone for good!"
"Except for that wimpy pegasus."
"Oh, who cares? No pony listens to her anyway." He chuckled. "Oh, that pony is in for quite a fright."
"Exactly what's the plan this time? Turning them into their opposites again?"
"Oh yeah, cuz that worked out so well! No, we can't do something that can be undone. We'll have to make a more…permanent change." He tapped his chin with his eagle claw.
"The problem is those Elements of Harmony," his reflection said. "As long as they are willing to use them, we are not safe."
His eyes widened as an idea hit him. "Yes, but what if they weren't willing to use them?"
The reflection smiled evilly. "Ooh, I like the sound of that! So what's the plan?"
"I'll tell ya later. Those ponies are in for the surprise of their lives!"
He broke into a roar of maniacal laughter, which echoed throughout the cave. He then glanced around at the emptiness of his lair.
"You know? I've really got to stop talking to myself."
The Gala was only a day away when Spike coughed up a message for Princess Celestia.
"There is a crisis in Saddle Arabia," she announced to the other princesses after reading the parchment.
"What sort of crisis?" Luna asked.
"It lacks detail, but it says they need you, Cadence and I to come to their aid."
"Why not me?" Twilight questioned.
"That's what it says. Even if they requested all of us, one of us will have to stay behind."
"But you can't all leave right now! What about the Gala?"
"We must leave immediately. You will be in charge of everything, Twilight, including the Grand Galloping Gala."
The young alicorn froze. "M-me? Rule Equestria? Run the Gala? By myself?"
Celestia nodded. "You will have your friends and brother to help you, of course, but yes. Until we return, all royal duties will be appointed to you."
"But...I haven't even been a princess for a year yet and now you want me to run the kingdom by myself? Do you think I'm ready?"
The tall white alicorn lifted her chin with her hoof. "I do."
When the others heard about this, they panicked.
"You mean they're not going to attend the Gala?" Rarity exclaimed. "Oh, and I made them those three dresses for nothing!"
"We're doing this all by ourselves?" Fluttershy asked worryingly.
"Aw, we've thrown big parties before," Pinkie said cheerfully. "It'll be no sweat."
"But something as big as the Grand Galloping Gala? It seems like a performance. Oh, I think I'm going to…"
Applejack caught her before she hit the floor.
"I'm nervous too," Twilight declared. "But don't worry, girls. I know we can pull this off if we work together!"
This lifted every pony's spirits and they cheered. Well, every pony but Fluttershy, who uttered a half-hearted, "Yay."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" said Rarity. "We have a gala to prepare!"
"I'll go get my birds to practice."
Her four friends watched in confusion as the pegasus trotted sadly off.
"What's wrong with Fluttershy?" Pinkie Pie wondered. "The Grand Galloping Gala's tomorrow! She should be happy! Why isn't she happy?"
"You know how she is with social events," Rarity said.
"But I've never seen her like this before," Twilight noted.
"It's the nightmares again," Applejack explained. "They seem to be gettin' worse."
The alicorn's face filled with concern. "How long has she been like this?"
"A while. I can't remember the last time I saw her smile."
Pinkie pondered. "You know what? Neither can I! I mean when she does give a smile, it looks forced."
"You know she's been getting invitations from an enormous array of stallions?" Rarity mentioned. "But she rejects all of them! I simply cannot understand it! If I received that much attention, I would bask in it!"
"You say she's having nightmares?" Twilight asked. "Do you mean the ones involving...?"
She didn't need to finish. "Exactly. She can't seem to get that monster out o' her mind."
"But he's been gone for three years!" Rarity reminded them. "What is she afraid of?"
"We gotta find a way to turn her frown upside-down!" Pinkie declared. "But how?"
They all thought for a moment. Then Rarity's face lit up.
"What she needs is a social boost! She should do more at the Gala tomorrow night than conduct the bird choir! She should sing a song!"
"You're right!" Pinkie agreed. "She has an amazing voice, but she doesn't show it off. This could be her chance!"
"What about her stage fright?" Applejack questioned.
"Oh please," Rarity huffed. "It's high time she got over it."
"I suppose she could sing," Twilight said. "We'll have to ask her first."
Fluttershy was reluctant in the beginning, but then decided it would be something to take her mind off of everything and accepted. Besides, she was much more afraid of her nightmares coming true than performing onstage.
The posh ponies were astonished when they entered the castle the next evening. The ballroom was decorated like a six-year-old's birthday party, the table was covered in 'peasant' baked goods, the orchestra was playing the Pony Pokey and Princess Twilight was greeting the guests instead of Celestia. She of course only did this for the first few minutes and then left to mingle. The scene was also lively due to the presence of the Canterlot orphans. The Canterlot elite were shocked at first, but soon settled into the rusticity of it all. They had to admit, the Gala was a lot more entertaining this year.
Pinkie Pie was in the middle of a song when she suddenly cried, "RAINBOW DASH!"
The Wonderbolts had just entered the ballroom and Rainbow Dash was tackled by the enthusiastic pony.
"I'm so glad you're here!" Pinkie shrieked.
The blue pegasus wrapped a foreleg around her and laughed. "Good to see you too, Pinkie."
She was then met with Twilight and Applejack, both of which offered her a hug.
"Hey, where are Rarity and Fluttershy?" she asked, glancing around.
"Fluttershy's practicing her song and Rarity went to pick up the Cutie Mark Crusaders from the train station," Applejack explained with a chuckle. "Though, they're not exactly the Cutie Mark Crusaders anymore."
"Whoa, whoa. Back up. Fluttershy's practicing what now?"
"She's singing a song tonight," answered Twilight.
Rainbow looked at her in disbelief. "Fluttershy. Onstage?"
"We thought it would be a good confidence boost for her."
"And what was that you said about the CMC?"
Applejack was about to reply when a young voice cried, "Rainbow Dash!"
It belonged to Scootaloo, who was racing towards her role model. Rainbow greeted her adopted sister with a hug.
"I missed ya, Scoots! Let's have a look at ya. Wow, you've grown, kid. And..." She paused. "Is that...?"
Scootaloo lifted her skirt to reveal a picture of a red scooter on her flank. "Can you believe it? I finally earned my cutie mark!"
Rainbow and Twilight gasped. Applejack smirked. "Tried to tell ya."
"Congrats, kiddo!" The older pegasus rubbed her purple mane playfully. "I always knew you had slick moves on that scooter!"
"I know!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "How could I not have known that was my special talent?!"
Then Rarity approached with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom who, like Scootaloo, were dressed elegantly. Apple Bloom wore a glittering red dress and had switched her pink bow with a sparkling green one. Sweetie Belle wore glass slippers to match her blue dress with translucent trimming. Scootaloo's hair was long and wild and her dress had a magnificent blend of orange and purple.
"Wow," Twilight marveled. "You girls look beautiful! Did you make them those dresses, Rarity?"
"Would you believe it?" Rarity replied. "Dear Apple Bloom here came up with the designs!"
"Really?" Applejack said.
"Yeah!" her sister exclaimed. "And guess what appeared yesterday?"
She lifted her skirt, making Applejack gawk at her cutie mark. It was an apple being painted red by a brush.
"Why...why didn't you tell me? I knew Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle...I was worried you..."
"I wanted it to be a surprise! I was so good at designin' dresses I thought I could use my designin' skills to repaint the clubhouse! When I was done, this thing appeared!"
Applejack sniffed and hugged her little sister. "My little Apple Bloom has finally blossomed!"
"But you said Sweetie Belle had her cutie mark too," Twilight said.
"I do!" the little unicorn piped as she revealed her flank.
Sweetie Belle's cutie mark was a lavender musical note ringing a pink bell. Twilight did not need to ask what her talent was.
"I always knew you had a lovely singing voice."
"I got it at the talent show," Sweetie Belle explained. "We were doing a stand-up comedy act, but no pony was laughing."
"Then Sweetie Belle started singing," Scootaloo interjected, "and we joined in."
"When every pony clapped, I realized that not only do I love singing, but I'm very good at it! Then I got my cutie mark!"
"And we won!" Apple Bloom added.
"You three sure have come a long way," Rainbow noted.
"We all have," said Twilight.
Neither of them noticed the gray stallion listening from afar. His deer antler and goat horn were hidden under his top hat, the only things that would not change, along with his yellow and red eyes. He smiled to himself at the alicorn's statement.
"We have indeed, Twilight Sparkle, including me."
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I wonder if Fluttershy's singing voice is going to look like her "YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE ME!!" face?
I like the story so far!
3071259 that would be awsome
I was petting my Fluttershy plush while reading this.
she is so cute in this story! 
Yay!
So far so good, on to chapter 3 !
denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw391_130660655896.jpg
3071259 Unless you happen to have synesthesia, sounds cannot look like faces.
You have an amazing talent in writing! I really feel like I'm watching an episode of MLP:FiM.
That foreshadowing...
can u send me the audio series via fimfiction post on my page please? i can't go on youtube any more. not going in2 details.
Rarity is being a jerk right now. Stage fright and just general shyness is a real and physical fear to people like Fluttershy (and me), just as strong as the fear of going down into a dark spidery basement, or jumping out a plane and skydiving. And Rarity, knowing that Fluttershy is especially insecure right now because of the nightmares, still brushes this off. Jerk.
I know Fluttershy was okay with it in here, but still...
Yeah, she can just get over that stage fright Rarity. As someone who's had severe stage fright/shyness his whole life, I can attest that getting over it's as easy as one of your friends saying you can.
Just like how I don't believe the Mane 6 would be stupid enough to think Discord's gone for good after only 3 years, I find it even harder to believe the princesses, even as incompetent as they (Celestia) can be sometimes, would fall for such an obvious trap. That scroll might as well have had "OBVIOUS TRAP IS OBVIOUS, CHAOS FTW!" written on it. He could have just took them straight up given he knows the Mane 6, minus Twilight, don't have their elements with them.
OR DO THEY?
Epic plot twist, the whole gala's a trap to lure Discord.
I checked the date, she is prophetic. TWILICORN!
No, he hasn't been gone for three years. You haven't known where he is or what he's been doing for three years. There's a difference.
Social anxiety, bitch. It's a real thing, and you can't just tell someone to 'get over it'.
You get an opinion once you've had to deal with it your whole life.
The CutieMark Crusaders have grown up!
7098219
No way. This can't be true, in ANY universe...except maybe "my
title alicorn".
It's a Myth!
Just a funny "what if the princesses weren't total idiots in this story" scene that was going through my head as I was reading this chapter.
No offence intended to DF but you do tend to have certain character's IQs drop considerably for the sake of the plot A LOT. That kind of thing's part of the reason I find Return of the Crystal Empire far more enjoyable than A Canterlot Wedding, the former showed the characters being intelligent (especially Twilight and Sombra) and still managing to build tension and suspense while the latter needed to make the character's bumbling idiots for Chrysalis to get as close to winning as she did.
It doesn't make A Canterlot Wedding or Bride of Discord (and the sequel) bad strictly speaking but it does stick out like a sore thumb when it's used almost like a crutch. I mean seriously, that's what Discord came up with in 3 years AND IT WORKS.
That's all I have to say about that.
ok, i've GOT to put this here:
Wow. Okay, Discord as a pony in this fic is grey. Like when he confronted Tirek. Except that wasn't out when you posted this, and certainly not when you wrote it.
Oh wow the exact same thing they said in season 5 lol but Yay but in the story I don't think it's flurry hearts
Too late lol
Wow it felt like you kind of predicted of the Cutie Mark Crusaders getting their cutie marks on season 5 since things took place season 2 3 years
but seriously I will still happy the Cutie Mark Crusaders got their cutie mark after so long
It looks like the grand Galloping Gala is on the way so Applejack and the other girls finally met up with Twilight after a couple of weeks and they look like they're all having good times well almost everybody Fluttershy still looks a little down and Applejack noticed something's not right about her but then Cadence and shining armor are going to have a kid which again everybody was pretty happy for them so everybody is preparing for the gala and Fluttershy still performing the birds for the party but then Applejack talk with Fluttershy about the problem she's having she still told her about Discord in Applejack wants to reassure her that nothing to worry about but unfortunately Discord has been listening to their conversation and it looks like he's going to prepare to make his appearances once again and it looks like the princesses has to go to saddle Arabia and Twilight and the others are in charge of the gala which it might be the most stressful thing but I'm sure they can figure this thing out but the girls think something's wrong with Fluttershy and AppleJack already explained to them about it so they thought that maybe she can perform on the stage to let all the stress go which surprisingly Fluttershy accepted it I would say that's pretty awesome of her to do that despite her stage fright it looks like everything was prepared for the night and Rainbow Dash finally made it and Twilight and the others explain to her what's been happening throughout the week and even the Cutie Mark Crusaders finally got their cutie marks and she's pretty happy about them especially Scootaloo thinking that the night would be good but unknown to the others Discord is going to crash the party