CH 13: A Year To Remember
=== BABW: A New (Old) Magic ===
=== Chapter 13: A Year To Remember ===
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The last three weeks saw the Four Conduits of Terra being tested and 'stretched' harder than any of them could have imagined. Luna had lost nothing from her imprisonment on the moon, in terms of methodology for teaching Ponies to reach and exceed their potential. There was lots of pain, lots of failure, lots of frustration; but all of it was already beginning to culminate in real progress. Blue Vague and Red Blaze were now showing proficiency in intermediate Unicorn magic, and now starting to learn how to utilize specific spells developed by other Unicorns. Golden Storm was learning how to generate different atmospheric conditions in general; already working on how to adjust air pressure to make cloud formation for himself or his potential crew easier. Midori Hana had moved on to properly reading ailments and judging whether or not they needed attendance by a Unicorn or Earth Pony medic. Knowing that no being can train and practice day in and day out for too long, Luna decided that a week off or so would do well for the Conduits.
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[ December 11, ??? – (Near) Ponyville, Equestria ]
The day started like any other for the last month or so for the ten Conduits and Bearers. They were spending the morning getting set for another training session in the basement at the Greystone Conductor (as they called the four Terran's group home now).
Twilight Sparkle was helping everyone get organized for the day’s exercises, as she thought about the last month. "You know, for Ponies that have only been seriously doing this a month or so, you are making excellent progress. I didn't think that you two would be able to start teleporting like that this soon into it."
Blue Vague had little idea of how to accept the praise. "Well, I dunno. All my or Blaze teleports are like short hops compared to your running long jump. I guess we get to that level with practice though…"
Twilight smiled and nodded as she was glad that Vague was starting to piece magic together without her having to lead him to an answer now.
Rarity sat off to the side a little bit, sulking as she still was having the same difficulty learning other Unicorn's Spells outside of the very basics. I just don't know what the problem is… I mean… is it really my pride that's in the way? I… I… UGH This is so frustrating…
Red Blaze could sense and see the frustration starting to build in Rarity's psyche. "Um, Rarity, are you alright? I mean you've been given off a weird vibe ever since that little talk Luna had with us a couple of weeks ago when we started our Magic training."
Rarity, well-heeled in the art of swallowing one's emotions, quickly did so. "Umm, no, nothing is wrong dear. I was just thinking of things we artists usually think of when we're having a bit of a creative block. You know how it can go, yes?"
"Um… okay then… I guess," Blaze replied; obviously feeling she wasn't going to get any useful leads asking Rarity straight up. Something is bothering her, and I bet it’s related to how fast the two of us are picking up spells in general…
Luna teleported into the basement where everyone was gathered at 8:30 AM exactly, as she always had. However today was going to be a different for everyone involved. "Good morning, my little Ponies. We'll soon be at the start of a rather special week, so there will be an alteration of the schedule. Your formal training under my wings will be postponed until 22nd of this month."
Everyone gasped at the new. Luna had been running the Conduits so hard for the last month, and then to just suddenly let up?
"Though, if one would consider the calendar of important NATIONAL events, there should be a fairly obvious reason as to why I'm suspending training for the next week and a half or so."
All six of the Bearers of Harmony and Spike immediately face-hooved/palmed at the thought.
"Wait, what about the calendar, is there supposed to be something going on in the near future?" Golden Storm asked, speaking for the four rather confused Conduits of Terra.
"Sugahcube, it's only one of the most important holidays of the Equestrian public calendar…" Applejack started to say
"HEARTH'S WARMING EVE IS IN THREE DAYS!!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed; bounding about like someone had just stuck her with a needle full of adrenaline.
"Alright, the brochures didn’t to the best job of explaining the importance of each holiday, so can you explain to us just why Pinkie Pie would have taken off like a rocket if we weren’t in an enclosed space?" Midori Hana asked with the most quizzical of looks on her face.
“I’m surprised the four walls held like they did…” Rainbow Dash added as an aside.
Luna cleared her throat in order to answer the question. "Hearth's Warming Eve is a grand holiday for all of Equestria which serves multiple purposes. Those would be a condensed retelling of the conditions that lead to our nation's founding, a celebration of the worth of friendship between all three races of Pony, a time to give thanks for everything we've done or had done for us that year, and a time to exchange gifts between close friends and family."
If an indigo and blue-maned Alicorn could radiate, Luna was at that moment.
Blue Vague's mind was boggling a bit at the concepts presented. "Woah… okay. So in a nutshell, for us from Earth - and especially America, it's like someone decided to mix Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and secular Christmas all together. Wow that's… kinda hard to get my figurative arms around."
Rarity was surprised that even someone like her, with her attention to detail, could overlook something like this. "Oh dear, I mean all the businesses in Ponyville have been working on things related to Hearth's Warming Eve for the last couple of weeks I would wager. We have been so tied down with helping you four we nearly forgot ourselves. Now we only have three days to scramble and get something together."
Pinkie Pie just giggled as she was already thinking of how to set things up. "Well I'm good at planning things in a flash. So why don't we just do a little party here, just the eleven of us?"
Rainbow Dash was definitely down for something small and personal. "Yeah, I remember a couple of years ago, you and Princess Celestia managed to rope the seven of us into doing THE biggest Hearth's Warming Eve play in the country at Canterlot Theaters."
Applejack rolled her eyes at bit at being reminded of that night. "Yeah, ya almost froze our flanks off before the performance by poppin’ the windows open durin’ a snowstorm."
The four Terran Ponies and Pinkie all giggled at the thought.
"Well potential frostbite aside, I think it'd be best for all of us if we go ahead and do something small and intimate like that. Maybe attend the Ponyville production for the play on the day of, as well?" Midori Hana asked.
"Yeah, I just hope decorations aren't all sold out at the supply store I frequent. I want everything to look festive for the party, ya know?" Pinkie Pie said, already trying to figure out where everything was going to go.
"With that, my little Ponies, you all are dismissed. I will contact you all after the ceremonies in Canterlot, unless something urgent comes up of course," Luna said. After which, she disappeared into the ether, gone to take a well-deserved nap before she put the finishing touches on that years Hearth's Warming Pageant in Canterlot.
Hrm, she said that the Conduits would be free until the 22nd… There was something about that date that I can't quite remember at the moment… I need to check a calendar when I get back home… Twilight thought to herself, along with the need to bring back some calendars for the Conduits.
All eleven there saw nothing more to do for the day, other than let the Bearers and Spike get ready for Hearth's Warming Eve, while the Conduits would take the next couple of days getting adjusted to the season. So they all went their separate ways for the time being.
"So, since we'll have until the 22nd off from training, I guess, what should we do?" Blue Vague asked of the other three Conduits.
“I just think we tour the town and take in the ambiance, I mean we've been kinda cooped up in this house for the last month almost…" Golden Storm replied, feeling a bit of urge to take a short flight in real Equestrian air-space.
"Yeah we've been going about as non-stop as you can with the limited time-frame of the Training Field Spell. So I guess just taking this time off to just do things 'normally' would be for the best," Red Blaze figured.
Midori Hana had a sudden flash of inspiration. "Hrm, I wonder if that flower shop sells poinsettia bracts?"
"Couldn't hurt to ask when we get in town," Blue Vague responded, not really making the connection with what Midori asked.
The four of them their grabbed their scarves and headed out into town.
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The four of them walked around town, the ground lightly dusted with snow. The weather schedule called for increasing flurries until the night of Hearth's Warming Eve; Golden Storm figuring he would soon be slotted for reserve duty depending on what would happen once they returned to Earth.
"You know, it's kinda funny how the first time we have to deal with consistently cold weather, and we have natural coats now," Golden Storm remarked, hovering along the ground while the other Conduits milled around the sidewalks, while taking occasional looks at the window and outdoor displays.
"Heh, maybe when all is said and done on Earth, we'll have things fixed enough to give them a real winter for the first time, how many years?" Blue Vague asked as he was thinking aloud.
Red Blaze figured the Elite may have doctored evidence for the general public in some regard. "There's no telling. You know they might have been doctoring the records to not make everything look so messed up. He who controls the past controls the future, and all."
"It's sad really. Even though it's obviously cold, the snow is so pretty. I wonder how they craft the snowflakes, though." Hana wondered, internally finding it sort of funny being an adult Pony so fascinated by snow.
Golden Storm answered since Luna was already starting to brief him on the process. "Well, the pre-planned weather system clouds are imbued with snowflake templates. Apparently, though, naturally forming storms are still allowed to blow through every once in a while, especially for the Wild Zones."
The four ponies continued with their meandering through the various business sections of Ponyville. The decorations really did remind everyone there of Christmas, or at least the secular Christmas from various older media portrayed. Christmas over the years had degraded as a holiday of major importance amongst the Outsiders, aside from a few of the remaining charities coming around with real, unprocessed food intermittently during holiday season. The four of them silently gawked at the magic-powered multi-colored lights on miniature pine trees strewn with tinsel. The restaurants were touting their dishes, trying to get contracts for catering parties or family dinners, if not just hosting them outright. The specialty shops were all touting some product or another, trying to take advantage of those who really didn't have the time or talent to construct a gift for a loved one. All in all, the four Terran Ponies were reminded some of the general commercialism that went into Christmas, though something just felt… different about it.
Blue Vague wondered just how much the Ponies were like humans in their mentality, but still different. "You know, you see the same hints of everything we used to do for Christmas - the decorations, the dinners, the constant trying to get someone to buy your stuff. But, I dunno, it just doesn't feel the same as it did on Earth."
Red Blaze stopped for a few moments to look around and soak everything in. Everypony and everything, to her, kept exuding this aura of genuine contentment. It stood in stark contrast to her Christmases back in Russia with her parents. "You know, back in Russia. My parents… my parents had to skimp and save all between October and the middle of December just to afford decent decorations and gifts. Yet, it really wasn't the actual physical things that made me the happiest. What made me happiest was the fact we all were doing something together; for those few days we could just forget our persistent problems, and just live as a normal family in a world that didn't seem to be going to hell around us. I guess that's why I'm not one for big gifts now."
Golden Storm chuckled when he heard the story. "Yeah, just last year I tried to buy you a big fancy pendant from some dealer that came out from the San Francisco Domes. When you found out, I dunno what made you madder, the fact I would think to splurge like that or the fact that I'd go to someone so disrepeatable."
"Ahh, some Converts. So how are you all enjoying your first Heart's Warming Eve season?" they all heard from a female voice from behind them.
Blue Vague took a map out of his saddlebag just to see where he was. After a few moments of mental calculation, he was surprised that they had almost completely passed Roseluck's Flower Shop.
"Oh, you must be… Rose. Which'd make that Roseluck's Flower Shop," Blue Vague responded.
"Yeah we're enjoying it a lot. We came from some of the less well-to-do sections of Earth, so seeing all of these decorations and whatnot kinda reminds all of us of our childhoods; or foalhoods, not sure how we should refer to it now," Midori Hana added, actually responding to question at hand.
"Oh that's wonderful. I guess this is your first real snowfall in some time, maybe ever. I heard the weather on Earth, besides just being uncontrolled, seemed to be disproportionately hot all the time," Rose added, as she motioned the four now-revealed-to-be Converts to her stalls to look at some fall and winter blooms and arrangements.
The four Conduits all looked around and were impressed by the display of fresh flowers even in this general cold weather.
"Hey how do you keep the plants so lively even though the temperatures are what they are?" Midori Hana asked, wanting to gain some insight from an experienced Earth Pony florist.
"Well it's a limited spell that most Earth Ponies pick up when they go into my business - the Invisible Greenhouse spell. Basically we take mana and charge the flowers growth so that they can resist the cold weather. If you want to know more about it or learn it, I suggest taking a trip to Fillydelphia. That's where they have most of the Earth Pony tutors set up for the other Converts," Rose replied. Even though she was a bit freaked out by the Converts at first a few months ago, she felt that she was just going to have to get used to it. So she had, slowly but surely.
Well surely Luna knows that spell already, but maybe I can talk to Applejack about it, or at least get some hints for it… Hana thought to herself, a sudden trip out to Fillydelphia really not being feasible at the moment.
"Say Rose, do you carry any poinsettia bunches? You know the green and red leaves that surround the flower?" Midori asked.
Rose had good news for the all-green Earth Pony. "Oh yeah, a Convert that came through a few weeks ago tipped me off to them. It took a little bit of finagling, but I managed to get a good sized batch in a couple of days ago."
Rose then went back into the storage area to get a pallet of them. "Ok, that'll be 5 bits per planter, so… 150 bits for the whole tray."
"Um, that's not too much is it, Vague?" Midori asked a bit sheepishly, not knowing how much cash they had on hand.
"We haven't been buying all that much outside of necessities, so our savings have piled up quite a bit. Yeah you can go ahead and get the whole tray," Blue Vague figured as he mentally calculated the weight of his cash on hoof, thankful he didn’t have to deny Hana.
"Alright, just write here when and where you want the plants delivered. It'd probably be a pain to walk around with something this wide," Rose said as she and Hana concluded business.
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The four spent the rest of the morning chatting up the various shopkeepers, trying to get as good a deal on gifts as they could. They decided to keep things simple, since they didn't know the Bearers of Harmony all that well, and they didn't want to go spending all their savings from the last month or so.
"Hey would you all mind if I headed to Sweet Apple Acres for a while? I wanted to ask Applejack and Big Macintosh about a little something," Midori Hana asked, all the while hiding a poinsettia bunch in her mane.
With no objections, she headed off to Sweet Apple Acres. Hopefully she wouldn't need to contact Luna on such short notice while she's probably asleep.
Midori Hana arrived at Sweet Apple Acres in short order, and looked at the decorations that Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh had set up since Applejack was tied down with her and the other Terran Conduits.
"Wow, everything really feels like those old Christmas movies. Granted all the characters are Ponies and I'm one of them now," Midori Hana said out loud to herself as she was walking up to a stall where she saw the familiar cowboy-hat wearing orange-and-blonde mare.
"So what's going on Applejack? You seem to have a pretty nice line of, something, going on," Midori Hana asked, making sure to stand off to the side to not appear to be cutting in line.
"Oh the big Apple Cider season is underway. Some of the more special blends are ready for sale so me an' Big Mac gotta make sure no minors get their hooves on it by accident. I trust Apple Bloom to help sell our normal stuff; but, well, let's say it won't do good for our rep if a certain set of fillies got into the wrong barrels," Applejack replied to Midori Hana, all the while passing out disposable mugs to paid customers or taking down invoices for batch deliveries.
"Well, when is your shift over? I had a little something I wanted to ask you," Hana asked of Applejack, all the while helping her move the untapped barrels into place for dispensing.
Applejack responded quickly, all the while hooking up the dispenser. "In about an hour or so. Me and Mac work 2 hour shifts alternatin'."
So Midori Hana spent the next hour, give or take a few minutes, helping Applejack and Apple Bloom with the stall, while the lunchtime queue thinned out. As Big Macintosh gave his greetings to Midori Hana and took his position at the stall to relieve Applejack, the two mares walked back to the farmhouse to discuss that little question that Hana had of AJ earlier.
"Hey, I wonder if something like this is possible at my level of Earth Pony magic…" Midori Hana started as she began whispering a bit in Applejack's ear.
Applejack responded with a bit of a chuckle. "Ahhh right. Ah know that little trick. Hey when you head back through town, ask for an Earth Pony mare named 'Lily', she does stuff like that all the time."
"Cool, thanks. Hey is there anything you need me to relay to someone else before I go?" Midori asked before leaving.
"Ah nah. Ah'm pretty much set here, though Ah'll send if Ah need anythin'," Applejack responded as she took a small sack full of bits off her back for sorting and safe-keeping.
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Golden Storm laid on some clouds he moored to the perch/landing area on top of the Greystone Conductor. He looked northward into Ponyville and out at the expanses of their little section of Equestria. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel like was being caged up somewhere. Even though he was a Pegasus and could have just taken off right there and there for parts unknown, he didn't feel that urge to anymore. Not only did he have a marefriend in Red Blaze he'd jump in front of a loaded gun for, but he had two more close friends in Vague and Hana where he'd do the same. Not only that, but Fate seemed to have decided he was going to play a major role in getting two worlds together in some way or fashion. He figured he may as well just see the whole thing out. Even if he did take off right then and there, something would come up to drag him right back. As he hopped up to head into town with his bit of money remaining to see if there was anything he overlooked, he beat his wings a couple of times. Only to notice how he was kicking up far greater gusts of winds than he usually did.
Hrm… I guess the Princesses were right when they were talking about our Terran power getting easier to draw out when we got used to our bodies… Guess I need to be more careful on takeoffs from now on…
Red Blaze was laid out in front of the fireplace thinking about her Christmases with her family. Before she met Golden Storm, she hated this time of year. Not because of how the holiday seemed to degenerate, but because some degenerates took both her parents from her in one night. But since she found Storm, and she was basically forced to face her problems head on, she felt better around this time of the year. Although the hurt never went away since she became 'Red Blaze', it felt like her friends and her lover just made everything that much more bearable. She sighed happily as she figured that was the most she could really ask for -- the ability to bear the pain and grow beyond it. She also chucked as she went to levitate a bit of wood out of the fireplace just to observe it and the flames, but got quite a bit of surprise. While she intended to levitate out a piece of burning wood, she only ended up lifting out a bit of flame itself. She marveled for a few seconds at the little wisp of flame burning nothing except the oxygen in the air the mana she was feeding it from her levitation spell.
Wow… I… I… I didn't even know one could do that… It must be the Terran Spark starting to assert itself, or something…
Blue Vague was in the kitchen, boiling water and cutting some fruit for oatmeal. He spent the time thinking about the parents that left him behind, the grandfather that did so much to raise him before he passed on. He thought about how he and Midori found each other completely by accident - he looking up old Japanese animation and finding Hana while she was doing the same. Then he thought of her parents and what they must be up to while they were on this trip, for both training and cultural immersion. He thought about all of that while he measured out the oats to put in the water, once it came to a real boil. Until said water did start boiling, he went over the sink to run some more water into the basin. In the last couple of days he had been practicing a trick, levitating a blob of water and then whipping it around until a formed a skinny loop, as if he were imitating Applejack working a rope lasso.
I can feel the water far beyond what I should with just Explicit Magic… Like I know where exactly every droplet of water should be, even the water I already ran into the pot… I guess the more Luna trains us, the more our Terran Magic is going to want to manifest…
Midori Hana was trotting back to the Greystone Conductor, chuckling a bit as she did indeed track down Lily to learn her little trick for getting a bit of plant to stay in one's mane, while still alive. She giggled at the reaction she was going to get out of Vague and the other Conduits when she arrived and they saw the red splashed through her mane from the poinsettia bunches. As she came up on a shop window, she noticed how she could see her reflection in the glass fairly well. She stopped to think for a few moments, thinking about her parents, the friends she made while on the 'Net while at home, including Vague and the others. She wondered just how she could try and push their relationship forward into something more solid like what Storm and Blaze had, or if she should even try to. She let out a sigh as she still felt the same tug of her own identity, although now it was less "Was I fabricated in some way?" and now more "Am I a human in a Pony body, a Pony in a Pony body, or some kind of weird blend of the two?" She figured that question would resolve itself as she continued down the path she chose with her friends and the Bearers of Harmony. As she looked closer in the mirror-like window, she noticed something else. That the bunches in her hair had grown a little bit and were somewhat brighter than they were when Lily showed her how to weave it in her mane.
Hrm, maybe that's some of what the Element of Earth does… Plants gotta grow in something… guess it would stand to reason someone with control over earth could do it wherever…
The four spent the rest of the afternoon and evening arranging the poinsettias around the exterior and interior of the Greystone Conductor. As they all looked at their home in the setting sun, they silently prayed to Celestia and Luna that this would mark the start of many, many happy Heart’s Warming seasons to come.
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[ December 14, ??? – (Near) Ponyville, Equestria ]
The four Conduits of Terra and Pinkie Pie were moving in and out of the lower rooms of the Greystone Conductor, getting everything together for the big party that evening. The previous day, the Bearers of Harmony managed to convince the Conduits to allow their families (that could travel) to attend along with a particularly close friend of said family member(s). While Vague blanched at the thought at having to pay for more food, everyone had a few bits on hand in order to cover the additional cost.
"Man, I honestly can't wait to talk to everyone when they get here," Blue Vague said as he was mixing several batches of drinks for everyone.
While Vague knew Berry Punch did have a bit of a reputation for indulging in the creation and consumption of alcohol, he decided that her much wider reputation in the Ponyville area for her non-alcoholic blends far outweighed her own personal peccadilloes. Just so long as he made sure that somepony didn’t spike any of the punch bowls the two of them had set up earlier.
Storm was with Pinkie in the main hall, hanging a banner and some tinsel along the balcony. "Yeah I know what you mean man. I heard that Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were tight with this other filly, calling themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders, didn't they?"
"Yeah, they are always doing new stuff trying to figure out what their talent is. Sometimes Rainbow Dash thinks I'm coaching them in being random or whatever," Pinkie Pie said while she directed Storm along in hanging everything up.
Red Blaze had just come back in from ensuring that there was enough firewood for the evening, before she joined the conversation. "You know they will probably be surprised why four adult Ponies still are without Cutie Mark."
Midori Hana waltzed in, in good spirits since she loved Christmas time and figured Hearth's Warming Eve was close enough to count. "I think they are gonna like the stories about ourselves then, I mean who wouldn't want to hear from four Ponies that came from a whole other dimension."
"Yeah, the others probably don't talk about us all that much. I mean they do have their own lives and all," Blue Vague reasoned as he draped some waterproof cloths over the punch-bowls full of different drinks.
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As the sun was beginning to set on that day, their guests began to arrive. Fluttershy arrived first, complementing the decorations that the Conduits and Pinkie Pie arranged. Then Rarity with Sweetie Belle, Applejack and her siblings, as well as Rainbow Dash with Scootaloo. Finally the party began to start in earnest as Twilight Sparkle and Spike arrived, surprised that everyone was there slightly earlier than they were.
"Wow, this place is huge. It might even be bigger than Sugarcube Corner!" Scootaloo exclaimed, fluttering about as best as her wings could manage.
"An ya say that Luna designed this house for all four of ya?" Apple Bloom asked, a bit in awe herself at the size of this clearly residential building.
"Yeah, we don't know all the details of the design and construction, but it's definitely a fine home. You should have seen our faces when we got here a month ago," Hana answered.
"'Surprise' didn't do our reactions justice," Blue Vague added as he was looking on at Golden Storm chatting with Big Macintosh about something or other.
"I really like how you made those leaf bunches look in your mane, I think I've seen some around town," Sweetie Belle said in a bit of a soft voice, as if she had become like Fluttershy in the presence of the four still-strangers-to-her.
"Oh yeah. They are called poinsettias. Usually the leaf bunches like these are taken from around the flower and used for decorations around Christmas time. Which is the human equivalent to Hearth's Warming Eve, at least in some respects," Midori Hana said with quite a bit of confidence about her.
"Wow, you sure do know a lot about life over there," Sweetie Belle said, voice returning to a more normal tone for her.
Red Blaze chuckled a bit "We'll we'd like to think so. Anyway let's all gather in the rec room. I think that'll explain a bit of why we know so much."
With that all the guests went into the recreational room, and sat down to listen to the four Conduits of Terra.
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After the stories were all done, Big Macintosh had rather big smile on his face. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, for their part, were still in a bit of shock.
"Wow, you're really Converts from Earth?" Scootaloo asked, still in shock.
"To be honest, I can hardly believe it," Apple Bloom said, rubbing her hoof trying to think of how Midori could look so natural while she was helping Applejack a couple of days ago and, yet apparently had only had her body for a month.
"I would have never guessed, you all seem like just 'normal' Ponies, I guess," Sweetie Belle began to rationalize. She could hardly find anything off about the four adults, well except for one thing.
"Ah guess we should've all guessed since y'all grown, but don't have Cutie Marks," Apple Bloom said, just now really noticing the flanks of all four Terrans were indeed, completely blank.
"Yeah we all have been wondering when that whole thing would click in, it’ll probably take some time as we're getting used to the whole 'Being in an entirely new body' thing," Golden Storm said, a tad bit embarrassed at the fact.
Applejack was busy eating a pineapple tart that Pinkie Pie just took out of the oven, as she listened to some of the tail end of the Conduit's stories. "Y'all know that y'all makin' really fast progress in that regard. I think all the Converts that take as much time to practice will as well."
"Thanks Applejack, you all have been helping us in that regard too. Hopefully we can turn around and help you all as this whole thing keeps going on," Red Blaze said. All four of the Terran Conduits were genuinely thankful for the help of the six Elements of Harmony, even if they weren't teaching them Magic directly.
"Ah don't doubt ya will. But we need to take care of y'all first. Then we can see where everything goes from there," Applejack said as she went back for another tart and some orange-pineapple juice.
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Blue Vague was sitting outside the rec room, chatting with Big Macintosh as the story circle began to break up; the Cutie Mark Crusaders not too far away, wondering out loud just what Earth was like and whether or not they'd ever be cleared to visit. "So Big Macintosh, what did you think of the little tale we spun."
"Y'all lead a very hard life compared to us. Yet, y'all are still proud of what you did when you could," Big Macintosh replied; he could feel the steel nerve and spine it took all of them to take the proverbial plunge.
Blue Vague took a drink from his cup of berry punch as he continued the conversation. "Yeah I'd like to think that we are. I'll readily admit, sometimes I wonder that if me and Midori had a chance to disappear to some quieter corner of Equestria, and live out the rest of our lives as Ponies without having to worry about Earth, we would. I don't doubt some Converts that come through want nothing to do with the Earth anymore. But then again, well, let's say a little voice always reminds me about some unfinished business to attend to first."
"Ah can imagine," Big Macintosh replied, still succinct as ever.
Vague walked over to a window as he looked out, the Moon was already migrating across the sky as the stars twinkled in the background. "You know, it's extremely difficult to see a scene like this on Earth. Humans didn't realize until a few decades ago just how bad we were tearing everything up," he started, choking up as the thoughts began to flood through. "Then, then these Domes went up. It was like the people who had the power to at least start fixing things, just gave up and went into hiding, hoping everything would blow over or whatever. It still burns me up inside thinking about it."
Big Macintosh looked intently at Blue Vague, as Vague sat the glass on the floor a good ways away from him. Even though it was mostly empty now, he still didn't feel like getting the mop out if he could help it. "I don't like telling anyone this, not even the Princesses. I dunno, a part of me thinks it's un-pony-like to show this level of rage. But I'm angry. I'm sad. I'm frustrated that the so called leaders of humanity seemed to just abandon the rest of us. Now that a few of them realize just how badly they messed up, and are trying to fix things before it's too late, the rest have the temerity to try and stop them.
"It's so damn unfair Macintosh - good people, and now good Ponies, want to do everything they can to help. Hell you'd think some of the so-called Elite would be glad to get rid of 'excess population'. But I think they are so prideful and greedy, they don't want to be told they messed things up. That the Earth is turning into a wasteland because of their mismanagement. I know the planet does not have much time left, any little thing could really start the ‘Apocalypse’ so many religions over there have warned about since the dawn of civilization."
Vague then looked up and heard a bit of the Cutie Mark Crusaders talking about wanting to see Earth; that even if it looked messed up compared to Equestria and the other countries in their world, they still wanted to see it. "I can see the Cutie Mark Crusaders want to see our homeworld, even if for a little while. But honestly, not in the condition it's in. Maybe that's me being selfish, but you wouldn't want anyone in your house until you cleaned up, right? Maybe after some time, Ponies and Humans can live together; but I dunno how we're gonna get to there from where they, no, where we are now."
Big Macintosh just walked over and put one of his front legs along the shoulders of Vague to gesture compassion. "Vague, just do what you can. All y’all -- mah sister included -- just focus on what ya can do, and help as many of ‘em as you can. If they don’t wanna come here, then make being there worth being."
As Macintosh resumed a normal stance, Vague chuckled as he realized he was venting and losing sight of the bigger picture. "You know, you're right. Even if we don't convince everyone, even if everyone doesn't want to break bread with us now, we still gotta do everything we can."
"Eeyup," Big Macintosh replied, returning back to his usual succinctness.
-----
The party went on, as the house was alive with the sound of over a dozen Ponies having a good ol' time and the music helping them in that regard. Blue Vague was walking around the grounds of the house, doing a bit of snow clearing to make sure that no one slipped or anything when it came time for everyone to leave. He found Midori Hana perched on the storm cellar doors to the basement, not feeling like laying in snow during an already cold evening.
"So what's going on out here?" Blue Vague asked as he laid the shovel against the face of the house.
Midori Hana looked up and smiled as she saw Vague approaching. "I dunno, something just said 'Take a few minutes outside in the night air, a little chill might clear your head a bit'."
"Heh, well I was trying to make sure the walkways didn't get too piled up with snow," Vague said while he perched himself up there with Hana.
They looked into the mostly clear night sky, Luna's Moon early on its path only being 9:00 PM whereabouts.
"Even with the clouds and the snow, it's still an impressive sky," Vague said as he moved in closer to Hana.
Hana appreciated the romantic nature of the setting, as she allowed Vague to continue edging closer. "Yeah, I wonder what Storm and Blaze are doing."
Vague thought about it for a couple of moments. "Heh, well I could guess some things, but they'd probably involve alcohol, and I don't think anyone wants to risk the Crusaders getting into the wrong punch-bowl."
Midori giggled a bit at the thought of one or more drunk fillies. She leaned in on Vague, Vague doing his best not to show surprise or hesitation at this intimacy. "It's such a nice night, and you're pretty warm, well compared to the air temperature."
Oh my God what am I supposed to do in this situation… I have like no experience with women at all… I wonder what Storm would do in this situation… Blue Vague thought to himself suddenly. He couldn't exactly push Hana away as he was the one advancing in on her (inch by inch as it were anyway).
If you ask me, put a front leg along her shoulders… draw her in as close as you can… talk about how the stars look even prettier when they reflect in her huge, lovely eyes… he heard Golden Storm's voice say, as said voice kept going on and on.
Dude, am I like… Imagining this or are you actually talking to me… Vague thought, finding the response to be unusually detailed.
… I think I'm actually talking to you… Storm replied, trying to figure out when the hell he started talking to Vague telepathically himself.
What?! Blue Vague exclaimed in his head, mustering all his discipline to not actually say it out loud.
"Is something wrong Vague? You have a strange look on your face," Hana asked, now pretty much side to side with Vague as he stared off into the distance with a thoroughly confused look on his face.
Vague managed to snap out of it soon enough though. "I dunno, I think I just did the telepathic equivalent of accidentally dialing somepony's phone number."
Hana giggled as she snuggled up to Vague, finding the whole idea quite humorous. "Heh, I wonder who you were talking to?"
"Would you believe it was Storm?" Vague said as he was laughing, draping the scarf over the both of them.
"Somehow, I can believe that," Midori Hana started, continuing to gently lean against Vague. "It's funny how circumstances have changed for us. I mean, few weeks ago we were all having our own little freak-outs. Now, here we all are in Equestria. Even though we’ll be going Earthside again, eventually, I… I’m still really enjoying this time in Equestria, especially because it’s with you."
Ok Vague, just do it, just say it… if she doesn't want to go along with a relationship so soon, then I'll just work on that… But this has to start somewhere… Blue Vague thought to himself.
So he mustered every bit courage that he could as he responded. "I do too, Hana. All of this… even though the circumstances for us are kinda weird… I… still wouldn’t trade it for anything. Especially because I get to spend all this time with you – because, I love you!"
The cold air hung silent for a few moments. Midori expected that Blue would eventually say it out loud to her, yet she still didn't know how to react. Finally, she decided that, like him, it was time to stop beating around the bush, and just lay the cards on the table. "Thanks Blue, I… I can see how hard that was. I mean, we both have been feeling things since September, maybe even earlier than that. So… I… I…"
In a sudden fit of pique and passion, she did something that truly surprised the both of them - she kissed him.
"I know it's hard to say, but sometimes it needs to be said, so here it goes… I love you too, and I wanna do everything I can to make this and everything else work!"
Blue Vague was still stunned by the fact that she got in the first kiss of the relationship proper. Well… that went better than expected… quite honestly I thought I'd seize up and fall into the snow or something…
-----
"Awwww… that's so sweet…" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said in unison as they watched the entire scene from inside a nearby window.
"It would have been better if we could actually hear what they said though…" Scootaloo added, wondering just what lead up to this particular scene.
===============================
“It’s strange for you to talk to me, or any of the rest of us, like this, Princess Luna…” Red Blaze yawned as she looked at the dreamscape-room, decorated like the Castle Canterlot throne room during night court, except a little more ostentatious - especially regarding the bright blue and silver-burning torches all around the wall.
“This is the simplest way for me to ensure absolute privacy. You are still a source for your government’s intelligence agency, yes?” Luna asked, as she looked at Red Blaze sitting across from the small tea table positioned dead center of the false throne room.
“Yes. I’ve been sending missives back to my contact in the American government. I am fairly sure he will be interested in the knowledge and abilities we are starting to develop here in Equestria,” Red Blaze replied as she sipped on the ‘imaginary’ tea while at the table, the dream-moon slowly drifting through the sky.
“About that – I would greatly appreciate it if you held off on any details to your contact in their government. At least until we have a far more firm grasp on the exact nature of said abilities,” Luna asserted quickly and somewhat tersely.
Red Blaze rolled her eyes and acceded to the request.
Luna then continued on with the actual reason for her dream-contact. “In any case, that Mafia contact that converted sometime after you in New York has settled down quite nicely in Canterlot. I do believe that the coming trip to the capital would serve as a good opportunity to pick his brain, as it were.”
Red Blaze struck a contemplative pose as she thought of a response. “It would, indeed; though I’ll have to finagle some time away from the others. I’m sure they will be eager to go sightseeing when we get our hotel squared away, so that could be my chance then.”
“Good luck in your quest, Conduit of Fire,” Luna concluded, as the dreamscape began to fade away.
===============================
[ December 19, ??? – Canterlot, Equestria ]
The Four Conduits found themselves on a jumbo-sized air-carriage, flying at a fairly decent clip towards Canterlot. They, the six Bearers of Harmony, and Spike were all invited guests of the Royal Sisters for what was promised to be quite the extravaganza tomorrow evening.
"Ok, so what is the occasion for the Royals inviting us formally to the Capital?" Blue Vague asked, as everyone was either napping or looking out a window.
Twilight took out the invitation that confirmed her earlier suspicions. "I figured out not too long ago just why Luna gave you all time off until the 22nd of this month. Apparently, during the Winter Solstice, which is tomorrow evening, there was a very big festival during that night; which was called, unsurprisingly, the Winter Moon Festival."
You know I always wondered if there was an official analogue to the Summer Sun Celebration. That answers that then... Red Blaze thought to herself, also wondering just what the capital looked like live.
-----
A couple of hours later, the Four Terran Conduits stood gobsmacked as they looked out at the panorama of Canterlot from the Southern Carriage Station.
"Wow... it really is much more impressive live..." Golden Storm said while hovering near ground level.
"Esteemed Guests of the Princesses of Equestria, your carriage to your accommodations will soon arrive. We ask that you ensure that the porters have properly removed the entirety of your luggage, before the sky-carriage leaves for its next destination.
Twilight and Vague checked the luggage compartment, and indeed everything was removed and stacked neatly in the waiting area for the ground-carriage.
"I wonder if we are gonna have time to go sight-seeing later. Usually when we come here, it's on business, so to speak," Fluttershy said, admiring the view with Storm.
"Well according to the rest of the letter, Luna doesn't need us to help plan the celebration or anything. And there is no real notice of us having to be anywhere for any specific time, just whatever our hotel's protocol is," Twilight stated as she re-read the letters again. Three carriages had arrived for the group of eleven, so she and Vague directed the porters in which bags to load where.
"I can't think of a major hotel in a tourist spot like Canterlot having a curfew, but you never know," Rainbow Dash added as they began to board the ground carriages.
-----
"Oh I simply must show the three of you to this unisex mane stylist I know. Don't worry, she isn't that expensive, and I can probably get a discount since I know her pretty well," Rarity said, remembering her promise to help do something about Blaze's wildfire like mane.
"When you say three of us, who are you referring to?" Red asked with a quizzical look, starting to remember that promise from nearly two months ago as well.
"Well, Hana has apparently already seen someone regarding the poinsettias in her mane. But you, Storm, and Vague, I believe you three need a professional's touch, to be quite frank." Rarity said as the carriages rolled past the various blue and silver decorations being placed in the main center of the city near Canterlot Castle.
Over in another carriage, Storm was worrying about some other things. "So what kind of hotel are we supposed to be staying in?"
Rainbow Dash responded by reading a brochure regarding said hotel. "Apparently it's really fancy. World class chefs, several hundred as active staff at all times, full spa (like I'd need that), a covered garden -- pretty much anything a Pony could want that they couldn't do for themselves."
Golden Storm leaned back in his seat as he wondered how big the party was going to be.
In the final carriage, Hana looked out at all the buildings and how they the seemed to flow into the mountainside. "Wow, this is like something out of a fantasy novel that I'd find back on Earth. There must have been some major Earth Pony help to build Canterlot like this."
Applejack confirmed Midori's suspicion. "That's right Hana, there is a significant Earth Pony population here in Canterlot; most of them descended from the Ponies that helped build Canterlot almost a thousand years ago. The rest descended from various business-ponies that have come through since then.”
Vague simply stared agape at the mostly un-accented and fully-fleshed Equish that was coming out of the mouth of the farm-pony.
“Now ya don’t need to look at me with that dumb look, Blue. Do ya know how many lawyers Ah have to deal with on a yearly basis?” Applejack added - the frustration in her face clear as day.
“No… and I should feel as stupid as I do right now for assuming things…” Vague responded, cowed by the righteous annoyance Applejack was conveying.
Pinkie Pie was giggled a bit as she looked out at the city, with different decorations in blue and silver were going all up around. "You know, I think the Cakes said they might have relatives here. I wouldn't be surprised if they were working a bakery here or two."
They soon, arrived at their destination - The Royal Garden Hotel And Spa. All eleven of them stood in awe of the 50-story tall complex, as the porters began moving their bags into the lobby.
"Well this should be a fun three days..." Blue Vague said, walking into the hotel with Twilight to register everyone.
-----
The rest of the day went by fairly quickly for everyone, as Rarity managed to get all four of the Conduits into that unisex salon. Vague ended up with the Pony equivalent of dreadlocks, which took a bit of time to explain to the mane-stylists, but he was happy with the result either way. Storm had the mane around his head cut relatively short and 'flared' up a bit, while the mane down his back and his tail was simply straightened out. Blaze had the most work done, her red-orange mane styled to resemble a flame pointed upside-down; with the tips of her mane and tail magically dyed to appear more orange than the rest of her mane. Hana was originally content to only get her mane and tail washed; but decided to get parts of her mane dyed silver-gray with some glitter, intending to find some nice blue blooms, possibly some delphinium, to weave into said streaks.
A short while later, Blaze found the opportunity she was looking for to take care of some personal business.
“Say, why don’t we all take a few hours to tour the town, before everyone starts closing down shop for the festival tomorrow night. I mean we might not get a chance to just walk around Canterlot like this for quite some time.”
When no one objected, Twilight magicked some more maps (to the confusion or bemusement of everyone) so that no one got too lost, and everyone paired off or just went their separate ways.
When Blaze was finally left alone, she took out the map and scanned over the key in order to suss out where a certain place of business was located.
“Hrm… where… where. Ah here! Sonic Studios, this is where I’ll find him…” Blaze said to herself as she set off toward the northern quadrant of the city.
Another short while later, Blaze found herself in the lobby watching various costumed Ponies and the odd Gryphon and Dragon milling to and fro, before being interrupted out of her observation.
“QUIET! QUIET ON THE SET! We only have a few hours in the day to get this performance CORRECT!” boomed a rather ordinary looking Pegasus stallion, his orange wings flapping vigorously as he barked his commands to the assembled actors and stage crew.
“My goodness, I did not think a stallion could be that loud without some kind of assistance,” Blaze moaned in aggravation as she tried to stop the ringing in her ears.
“Don’t mind him - that is just Sonic Shear. A voice that could carry a kilolength they say. And I sort of believe others when say that,” a more meek and normal sounding Earth Pony stallion stated, sighing afterward.
Red Blaze turned around and gave him the once over, and was suddenly struck. “Oh, you must be him. A ‘Rough Edges’ wasn’t it?”
The stallion nodded as he directed Red Blaze to a side room that was more or less unoccupied, and more importantly, no one was paying attention to.
“I assume you got the missive from the Princess of the Night,” Rough asked, as he looked around, and saw the small device Blaze was taking out of her saddle-bag.
“Don’t mind me, just a recording device courtesy of said Princess of the Night. I can only assume you know what I am intending to record, correct?” Blaze asked as she took on a stern face, sitting across the small table that the both of them were around.
“Yes. Now that I am effectively out of the reach of the Reznokovs, I feel I can talk freely,” Rough started, as Blaze pressed a button, and one of the crystal ‘bulbs’ on the device lit up.
“Go ahead, you may start whenever you are ready,” Blaze stated.
Rough Edges nodded and complied. “Yes, I would like to begin by stating that I am giving this information of my own free will, and that I am not under any type of duress or coercion. My lone wish is that this information leads to the prevention or the mitigation of the events that I am sure are soon to occur.”
Red Blaze leaned in a bit, intrigued by the last phrase uttered.
“My decision to become an informant was predicated upon a conversation amongst the lieutenants in the Reznokov Crime Family. At first, I found the scenario they described to be utterly incomprehensible, and as such dismissed it as off-color humor. However, the leader, Igor Reznokov, then spoke during a meeting of the Jersey City branch of the family, and unwittingly corroborated the story I was told.”
Red Blaze gave Rough Edges her undivided attention.
“The Reznokov Family were officially supporting a Dome-led and coordinated effort to execute insurrection against the elected governments of the three major economic powers of Earth: the United States, the European Union, and the Japanese Republic. Although he did not speak toward an exact timeline, the impression he gave through relative statements indicated that paramilitary forces could be marshalled against those nations’ standing governments within the next three years.”
Red Blaze simply sat across from Rough Edges with her mouth agape; not knowing whether or not to stop the recording and shake the Earth Pony violently for clearly lying to her, or to immediately run screaming to Celestia and Luna about a potentially cataclysmic incident about to go down in the near future.
“Please, you must believe me! A great calamity will befall all of Earth if the Domes attempt what I believe they are about to. The Outsiders, the people who have been shut out from society… will not stand for those inside the Domes actively dictating to them from on-high. They barely accept the tacit shuffling from behind the scenes as of now. And those within the Domes will not accept the Outsiders resisting their supposedly divine right to rule. The war that could begin from such a conflict could easily set all of civilization ablaze!”
“I understand. I… it was just a lot of attempt to swallow all at once mentally. That will be enough for now; I need you to gather your thoughts and try to remember any details or dates. We will have another session sometime in the next couple of weeks,” Red Blaze calmly stated, seeing Rough Edges’ eyes light up as it appeared he was about to go into as much of a panic that Blaze was.
“ROUGH EDGES! I NEED CLEANUP ON SET THREE, PRONTO!” Sonic Shear shouted loud enough for the entire building to hear, it seemed.
“I am sorry, I guess we would have to cut off the session here, one way or another. Please stay safe in whatever you do now, miss Natasha,” Edges implored as he trotted quickly out of the room and to the stage where Shear requested his presence.
Red Blaze nodded, a bit touched that the informant saw fit to remember her human name though she only knew him for a week before.
Well I guess I’m done here anyway; I should go find Storm before he drifts too far away… she thought to herself as she turned off the recorder and put it and the rest of her things in her bag to leave.
-----
Meanwhile, on the east side of the city, closer to the castle, stood the campus of the School for Gifted Unicorns and Advanced Thamaturgy. Twilight Sparkle, with Spike along her side, walked the halls for the first time in over five years; the echoes of her valedictorian speech she gave (with great trepidation) rattling in her mind to this day.
“Good afternoon, Twilight Sparkle – oh, it has been quite some time since I said that with regular basis~!” a cheerful older mare’s voice rang out as she exited a meeting of the school administrators and tenured professors.
“Headmistress Iris, it really has been a long time!” Twilight squealed with delight as she rushed to hug the mare over twice her age.
“Eh, I guess she was that mare you were always talking about back then…” Spike stated as he slowly walked to where the two mares were.
“So what brings you around this way? Thought you’d be busy fighting off some cataclysmic threat to the health and safety of our fine kingdom,” Iris replied, as she walked along the halls with Twilight and Spike flanking her on each side.
“Well, not a cataclysmic threat to the kingdom, but I am helping Luna with a project she has related to Earth,” Twilight replied as the buzz of the reunion began to fade and they assumed a more business like tone of speech.
“Oh my, I heard of Earth. The poor dears over there living like so many animals stuffed into an overly-small habitat. I certainly hope that we can at least solve that issue…” Iris thought aloud as she remembered some of the pictures in the recent magazine articles showing the massive dichotomy in conditions of humanity in general.
I’m glad I don’t have any of the Conduits here with me; I’m sure even Storm would highly object to being called ‘animals stuffed into a habitat’, even if the statement is technically correct… Twilight mused inwardly, hoping other Ponies would learn not to be so tone-deaf when not speaking in front of a human.
“Well, the humans’ collective household aside, was there any particular reason why you decided to visit?” Iris asked as the trio walked into the library complex of the school.
“Yes, and I’d like a bit of privacy as I discuss this,” Twilight replied, her tone suddenly growing very even and serious.
“Oh dear… I know that tone of voice. You have a major problem you need to solve,” Iris continued with a sigh, as she lit her horn in her lime-green aura and opened the door to a mostly soundproof conference room.
A few moments later, the door was shut and the three were seated at a small table, the tension in the air suddenly growing quite thick.
“I want to know more about the previous summa cum laude graduate, a Sunset Shimmer,” Twilight Sparkle stated, suddenly and coldly.
Iris immediately blanched at the name, but regained her composure as she figured Twilight would have a very good reason to suddenly invoke the name of possibly the most infamous graduate in recent school history. “Very well Twilight. Given your position with Princess Celestia, I don’t see a good reason to keep all of this completely confidential, but you will forgive me if I don’t exactly read off the sum total of all of our issues with Miss Shimmer.”
Twilight nodded silently, as her serious face softened slightly, now a face of genuine inquisitiveness.
Iris concentrated for a few moments, and magicked a rather sizeable binder onto the table. There was a large prominent sun-like symbol on the front, and in Equestrian was printed “Permanent Record: Sunset Shimmer”.
Iris took a deep breath as she hated having to relive trying to deal with the pale-orange mare with the fiery mane. “Let’s see, Sunset Shimmer: graduated with a 3.95 grade-point average over her entire scholastic career, was rated as at least a B+ in all fields of Unicorn Explicit Magic, was suspended a total of six times during her five year tenure here, the last nearly costing her entire career. Only the intervention of Celestia herself prevented that last one from turning into an expulsion. Said controversy led to her losing the right as the valedictorian speaker at that year’s graduation ceremony.”
Twilight vaguely remembered the incident, as she entered the school the fall following Sunset’s graduation in the spring of that year. “The best I can recall, Sunset was nearly expelled for, and some were saying was nearly formally charged with, unlawful imprisonment when they found a Pegasus and an Earth Pony tied up in her dorm room.”
Iris shuddered a bit as she remembered Sunset practically writhing on the ground, begging her and Celestia to have mercy upon her. “Yes, she had a Pegasus and Earth Pony tied down in her dorm room, though there is no official report on the motive for the brief but still legally actionable indecent. Though after consultation with Celestia, we began to suspect what she was up to.”
“What?” Twilight said, as she and Spike leaned in on the table some, trying to anticipate what Headmistress Iris was going to respond with.
“We suspected she was attempting to figure a way to forcibly turn herself into a ‘pega-corn’, similar to Princess Cadence at the time.”
Twilight and Spike just stared at Headmistress Iris slack-jawed, as neither could imagine any type of magic that could turn a Unicorn into a Pega-corn, much less an Alicorn, in any way shape or form.
“We managed to catch her while she was in the beginning of her experimentations, therefore the only thing she would have been charged with was the unlawful imprisonment, and possibly foalnapping if we pressed the issue and found that she had forced or tricked the two into entering her room,” Iris recalled, as she could remember the many deliberative sessions she had with the rest of the school administration, Celestia, the head of Canterlot Police, and the Canterlot area coordinator of the Juvenile Justice System.
“I would assume since none of her records were expunged, and she currently is not rotting in adult prison, that her plea for mercy was heeded?” Twilight asked, once her mental faculties resumed their normal processing. Spike was still trying to figure out in his head how a Unicorn could become a Pega-corn.
“Yes, after that incident, we never had another cross word with Sunset Shimmer in any fashion. Not to say that she turned over a new leaf, though. She just became a recluse, as far as anyone else could tell. Even after her graduation, she would still occasionally show up here as an alumnus visitor, and spend hours, and I personally speculate days, uninterrupted in the Archives, pouring over positively everything,” Iris started, as she unlatched the binder and gave Twilight copies of some hoof-written letters addressed to herself, from Sunset. “There were also these letters that we would generally get once or twice a month, telling us..."
Spike snatched one of the letters out of Twilight’s telekinetic aura and began reading it out loud. “Dear School of Supposedly Gifted Unicorns. I am this much closer to finding what you all have been hiding from me. I know there is some way that a Unicorn can go above and beyond what you all are teaching everyone. While I don’t know exactly how one would go above and beyond, my gut will just not stop shouting at me that there is something completely missing from Unicorn Magic. Then again that might just be me being hungry. In any case, I will figure out what you all have been hiding! THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!!”
The young dragon cocked his head to the side as he looked at the scrawl of Sunset’s signature on the bottom of the letter. “You know if I didn’t know any better I’d say she had some serious delusions going on.”
Twilight sighed as she took the letter back from her adoptive brother and read over it again for herself. “I can see why you’d think that Spike. Either she was half-drunk when she wrote this, or she was trying to hoof or mouth-write when she really hadn’t been practicing. And that’s not even speaking toward the content of the letter…” Twilight started, before she had a flash of insight.
Then again, if Sunset is half the mare I think she is, she might have stumbled over something in the Archives that would speak to the ‘Power’ that the Conduits possess…
“In any case, that letter in particular is the last we have received since September. Given how, for the last five years, she’s sent us at least one letter like this per month, she’s either finally reached catharsis and is letting all of this go… or something dramatic has happened to her,” Iris contemplated aloud as she took the letter back and filed it back into the binder.
“Given whom we’re dealing with, I’d wager the latter,” Twilight concluded.
“In any case, I think this is enough about one disgraced alumnus for one afternoon. Let us concern ourselves with something a little more cheerful,” Iris suggested as she magicked the binder back to its resting place and opened the door to the conference room.
“Fine, but I have to meet my friends back at the Royal Gardens Hotel before long,” Twilight replied, a little more cheer to her voice.
“Yeah, my head is spinning a little bit after talking about some crazy mare from the recent past. Like we don’t already know enough of those as it stands…” Spike added; sighing as they all left the room.
===== ===== ===== =====
[ December 20, ??? – Canterlot, Equestria ]
The city of Canterlot, usually an extremely busy hub of activity and creativity, being a town mostly populated by Unicorns, stood unusually quiet that day. Most of the Ponies were relaxing or outright napping, knowing that most of the activity for this day would start close to sundown. Spike, The Four Conduits of Terra, and the Elements of Harmony were no different, even if it seemed that Pinkie never seemed to sleep where there was party being planned. Sure enough, activity around town picked up after noon.
"Wow, I don't think I've seen this much blue and silver anything..." Vague said, remarking on just how well decorated the city was.
"Ooooh, this is where I wanna be in ten years! Planning the biggest parties that Equestria have ever seen!" Pinkie Pie said, wondering if Luna would tap her before long to help organize something like this.
Rarity definitely saw the artistry in Pinkie, even if it manifested in a manner radically different than hers. "Well you keep on your path and you'll get there, trust me you have an artist's eye. I want to see what kind of costumes that Luna had commissioned. I heard there were supposed to be all kinds of street performances and parades across the major cities in Equestria."
Rainbow Dash was certainly excited for the evening. "Well I can definitely tell this is something the Princesses want everyone outside for. I read the weather schedules, and it's supposed to be unusually warm this evening."
As everyone continued their slow walk toward the courtyard where they were to watch the opening ceremony, Blue Vague took a moment to pause and reflect.
It’s amazing how, with next to no human influence, they managed to create mostly similar technology anyway…
-----
Meanwhile, Canterlot Castle was already abuzz with activity. Princess Celestia was helping Luna put the finishing touches on the planned magical pyrotechnic display to happen at midnight.
"Do you think this is a bit much, I mean it is the first Winter Moon Celebration in... how many centuries?" Luna asked as she went over the simulations with a hoof on a crystal-ball projector.
"This is exactly why we should make as big an impact as we can. I want everyone, Convert or Native, to truly feel that we are both in charge, here. One of the ways we can do that, I believe anyway, is to revive your holiday. And to answer your question - it has been exactly 840 years since the last official Winter Moon Celebration; and honestly, I am still surprised our citizens put up with me running the holiday for 163 years with you in absentia," Celestia replied, as she waved a hoof over another crystal ball with a map of the central area of Canterlot.
"I'm sure that is why you asked the other major cities to host concurrent events for those not able to attend here in Canterlot, yes?" Luna asked, still fretting somewhat that there was something she was missing.
Celestia trotted over and draped a wing over Luna's back. "Don't worry Lulu, this Celebration will go fine. I believe modeling it after the human's New Year Eve will turn out to be a good decision of yours. I am only here to advise, this is all your holiday."
Luna sighed and gathered up her strength again. "You're right. I have to have the confidence that our citizens will see this for what it is, a time to celebrate a year passing and a new year coming."
Celestia smiled that great wide smile of hers as she chuckled. "Indeed. Who knows, I bet we'll get more inspiration yet."
----- -----
As sundown came, the attendees gathered in the Royal Courtyard; and at conveniently placed magical projectors around Canterlot Square, the unofficial center of the central business area of Canterlot. Technician Unicorns were also running the final checks on the microphones set to broadcast the audio of the speech to all the major population centers holding celebrations.
Alright Luna, five minutes...
The Bearers of Harmony and Conduits of Terra were directed to their spot in the audience near the front, with the rest of the nobles and other guests of honor.
Two minutes...
The Sun was nearly down, and it was now show time. Princess Luna, in all her regalia, strode up to the microphone adorned podium as she her visage appeared on the magical projectors in Canterlot Square. Soon Ponies all across Equestria heard her voice, as she began her remarks to opening this festival of lights and sound.
"Good Evening Fillies and Gentlecolts. My name is Princess Luna, Avatar of the Moon. Before we begin the festivities for the evening, I feel it is proper for me to explain the history of the holiday and why it has mostly disappeared from the public consciousness. Many centuries ago, myself and Celestia each had a holiday, The Summer Sun and Winter Moon Festivals. These dual holidays were meant to emphasize the nature of our rule - dueling poles, different perspectives, two separate but equal entities collaborating to forge a greater whole. Despite my sister’s repeated assurances, though, I failed to see our rule as truly equal."
Luna took a short pause in her speech, Celestia silently nodding in the background. "My manifestation as Nightmare Moon was no sudden occurrence. No, that creature of pain and sorrow was borne out of many years of pent up frustration, building and building and eventually exploding. Before the incident that would later be recorded as the 'Endless Night', there was another incident that would start me on that dark path - a Winter Moon Festival several years before then. I felt I had poured all my heart and soul into that production of that festival. However, to that point, it would go down in ignominy as the most sparsely attended of the Winter Moon Festivals. As the legend goes, I became intensely jealous that my night was being ignored in favor of Princess Celestia's day; to a large extent, this is true. What is not talked about, was my increasing arrogance and ego before that festival. By the time of that fiasco, I had ceased putting in the work to earn the love and respect of my subjects, believing I was entitled to it simply due being Celestia’s sister and co-rule of Equestria. When my lack of care for my subjects was reciprocated in a lack of interest in my night, I was already too blind to see the true source of such.
"Eventually, due to that combination of jealousy and overwrought ego, I convinced myself to strike down my sister, and force everyone to love the coming endless night. Celestia realized what I was planning, and when I made my attempt, she used the Elements of Harmony to seal me in the Moon - the only recourse she had since she was not able to use the Elements to their fullest extent at the time. Out of a sense of remorse, Celestia then attempted to continue the tradition of the Winter Moon Festival, much like how she took charge of raising the Moon as well as the Sun. However, the Festival became a time of remembrance of that dark day in Equestrian history, and soon faded from the collective memory of Equestria; save for the historians, Celestia, and myself. Once I purged of my darkness, I came to realize an important fact -- I am still co-ruler of Equestria. I cannot afford to wallow in a pool of self-pity and doubt, lest I once again become unworthy of that title.
"Therefore, I have decided, with the assistance of my sister and our fine citizens, to officially revive the Winter Moon Festival, now to be known as the Winter Moon Celebration. I want everyone that can hear my voice now, or that can read these words once this speech has been archived, to remember this: I wish this holiday not to be some exercise in my own self-aggrandizement. No, I want it to be a celebration of and for everyone! I want everyone to remember the year that has passed, and I want everyone to go into the new year full of hope and vigor! That is why I want you all to have a grand time, celebrate the good memories of the year past, and resolve yourself to make the year coming the best that you can possibly make it. Thank you, and with that, I officially declare this revival of the Winter Moon Celebration open!"
With a flash of Luna's magic, the mostly blank indigo sky flared to life with untold galaxies of stars, innumerable constellations, and Luna's glorious Moon, beginning its trek across the sky. Taking that as their cue, the magical flares and lights all across the city lit up, turning Canterlot into a wonderland of light -- whites along the street level, and blues across the faces and tops of buildings. The various live bands and performers then all began to play in different areas, turning Canterlot into a wonderful sea of music; different genres for every different section of the city.
-----
The Bearers and Conduits broke up into groups, deciding to look at the various stalls and acts before what was supposed to be a particularly impressive display at midnight.
"Oh my, is that Celebration I hear playing on the loudspeakers?" Rarity asked while walking around looking at some mask sellers with Twilight and Spike.
Spike replied, wanting to spend time with Rarity about as much as anything else. "Yeah, I didn't think they'd use human music. Then again they have some good songs, so I guess the only issue was getting it onto a record or whatever."
--
Blue Vague and Midori Hana were off in another section of town, when he heard All Night Long over the loudspeakers for that section of town. "Oh wow, I never imagined Luna would be using Human music for this party. This was one of my grandfather's favorite songs!"
"Oh really? I kinda like 'Hello' by this artist. It kinda says something about the state of music when we left when we're talking about songs that are almost a hundred years old, doesn't it?" Midori Hana asked, head bobbing a bit to the beat.
Vague chuckled a bit at the sight and the thought. "Yeah, although I prefer to think some of that music was so good, it would have lasted this long on its own merit."
--
Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack were off watching a Dragon Dance near some restaurants. Pinkie was commenting on the dance. "You know, it seems kinda wild and random, but there really is a nice rhythm to it."
"Yeah, the drums and the flutes really help in that regard," Rainbow Dash thought, wondering what part of Earth Luna got the inspiration for the Dragon design.
Applejack turned to a poster giving detail on the historical significance of the dance. "Huh, according to this poster, the Dragon Dance originated in the East Asian regions of Earth. Mostly in what is now the Chinese Federation."
"Hrm, this party seems to be blending a lot of human stuff in with our usual stuff." Rainbow Dash thought as she ate a fried cake.
"Well, it's good stuff. It's gotta be worth something if it survived as long as it did over there," Pinkie Pie reasoned.
--
Golden Storm, Red Blaze, and Fluttershy stood near the start of a parade route, watching several floats and a couple of marching bands getting set up. Fluttershy walked along the cordoned off street, looking at the goings on.
"Oh wow, those floats look so nice. Princess Luna and the participants must have been planning this for a long time." Fluttershy said, watching the participants decide on who was going to pull the float and who was going to throw gifts and candy to the crowd.
"Heh, given how big a brain Luna has, I wouldn't be surprised if she was planning the end stages of this while she was training us," Golden Storm remarked, watching the bands getting their instruments tuned up and going through other final checks.
Red Blaze walked over to a lamp post to read the schedule. "Hrm, apparently there is going to be a big light show planned for midnight on the dot, and weren't we supposed to meet with everyone else back at the Royal Courtyard at 11:30 PM?"
"Yes, we were Blaze. I hope everyone remembers," Fluttershy said worriedly.
"Well Twilight is in one group, and she's always a stickler for punctuality; and I don't think Pinkie Pie could forget anything even if she tried, so I think we're good," Storm reasoned as they walked back down the marked parade route to find a good spot.
-----
It was now 11:55, and all eleven of the Ponies and young Dragon managed to make it back to the courtyard before the big light-show was set to begin.
"What did I tell ya Fluttershy, told ya they'd all make it back," Golden Storm said proudly, inwardly glad his confidence was rewarded for once.
"Yes you did, and I'm glad they did," Fluttershy said as they sat in the courtyard, watching the sky as the Moon was about to reach its apex in a couple of minutes.
The courtyard had filled up with some of the general public now, the V.I.P.s deciding to enjoy the light show from their hotel rooms or palace suites.
Right on schedule, the Moon hit its apex exactly at 12:00 AM, and froze in position; Luna's aura racing through the sky, like a director telling everyone to get ready. All of the live and recorded music ceased, and all of the decorative lights dimmed or turned off completely. Luna then stepped back up to the microphone-covered podium, to deliver a message before the light show started.
"I trust you all have had a wonderful night," Luna began before cheers of approval erupted from the crowds wherever they could hear her. She continued after the applause and cheering died down. "Yes, I can see you have. You cannot imagine how much joy that brings to my heart. As promised, at midnight there would be a grand light show. Well, it is midnight, so without further ado, let us begin shall we."
A further hush fell over the audiences everywhere. Even in the towns and smaller cities that weren't holding official celebrations, many Ponies were awake to watch the light show.
Luna began by conjuring an ethereal bow, cobalt blue like her magical aura. The drew the string back and launched a single arrow at the moon. When it 'struck' the moon, the entire sky exploded with another wave of her magical aura, and that’s when the magic started. First the sky lit up with explosions of all manners of colors and shapes, every color of the rainbow represented and all manners of geometric shapes. These explosions of color were matched by waves of color emanating from the moon, washing through the night sky like ripples in a lake. Then four comets flew out from behind the moon and exploded, one red, one blue, one yellow, and one green. Then six more comets flew out from the moon - pink, purple, red, blue, green, and yellow. Soon ten comets flew out, exploding in clockwise sequence, lighting up the sky with all of the previous colors at once.
After that opening, Luna began to use the stars as a giant peg-board; the various stars glowing different colors and representing figures. She used this setup to depict the purging of Nightmare Moon, the re-sealing of Discord, and the repulsion of the Changeling Invasion. Everyone watching was utterly stunned by this display not only of raw power, but of incredible finesse and control. After the ‘video’ presentation, she transitioned into sequenced explosions throughout the sky. Like a pyrotechnic display a stage show or a concert, the explosions themselves formed shapes and sequences, with sparks flying in all manners of colors. Then came the twist... a big white flash and the big finale of the show. All over Canterlot, Manehatten, Los Pegasus, Fillydelphia, Cloudsdale, every single other major population center, similar magical fireworks began going off. Streams of energy flew, showering the watching Ponies with harmless magical sparks, most of them fading before they ever hit the ground. Bangs and whizzes could be heard as the cities lit up with every color of the rainbow, before ending in pyrotechnic flares in Luna's traditional scheme of blue and silver, or white in this case of the flares.
Everyone watching began cheering as loud as they could manage at that time of night, thoroughly impressed and entertained by the whole show their Princess and all those that helped her had put on to that point.
"Oh... oh my God... I thought that display a month ago was impressive. That... that was just... I..." Blue Vague stammered out, completely spellbound and dumbstruck by that sheer display of, well, awesomeness.
"The colors, the choreography, the... the... the everything about it..." Twilight Sparkle also stammered, she being left in much the same condition as Vague.
Everyone else was too awestruck to say anything of any real worth.
----- ----- -----
It was now early that morning. Spike had scurried off to bed in Twilight's room, so the ten Ponies were left with some sparkling wine some of the other V.I.P.s didn't consume, and Rainbow Dash and Golden Storm managed to spirit away before any of the hotel staff disposed of it. It has been said by many wise men and Ponies that judgment is usually the first thing to go when intoxicated with alcohol.
With the retrieval of an aluminum pole, which Vague half-drunkenly decided to stand up to the floor, ten Ponies were about to prove that statement correct.
"Well, I guess now is as good a time as any," he began, standing proudly next to the unadorned aluminum pole. "On Earth we have a tradition about this time of year. I believe a great philosopher started it, probably while complaining about airline food or some such. But anyway, this aluminum pole represents a protest against a particular holiday that had gotten really, really bad when he was alive. So in his honor, we shall begin with the celebration of Festivus."
Everyone looked around with varying degrees of confusion.
Blue Vague continued. "Ugh, let's see here. Well there are different parts to it. I believe we've all eaten, so the feast is right out. Um... let's see, I got the pole here which I'm pretty sure is aluminum, I mean it's metal but it's fairly light. I dunno if the hotel staff would appreciate Feats of Strength being attempted here. Well I guess all we got left are the Airing of Grievances."
"Alright, so what exactly does that mean?" Twilight asked, already on her second glass of wine.
"Basically we just go around in a circle or whatever and talk about what annoys us about each other or the world in general," Blue Vague said, scratching his head.
With that, everyone arranged themselves into a circle. Twilight Sparkle sat across from Pinkie Pie, Rarity across from Red Blaze, Rainbow Dash across from Golden Storm, Applejack across from Blue Vague, and Fluttershy across from Midori Hana.
After the circle was more or less formed, Blue Vague began with the basic rules of the first go around.
"Well, I don't remember exactly how this worked, but I think this is close enough. Look at the pony across from you, and honestly think of the thing that most annoys you about said pony. If you cannot think of something, then come up with something about the world in general; we will think nothing less of you if you do."
Golden Storm coughed suddenly, which earned him a quick shot on one of his front legs from Vague.
"Anyway. I guess since Twilight has the bottle. I guess she should start?" Vague asked of everyone
Twilight sighed, poured another glass, quickly downed it, and looked across at Pinkie Pie. "Ugh let's see..." she started. Then light bulb went off in her head, before a devious smirk showed up on her face.
"Alright Pinkie, I got it. You're loud, obnoxious, completely random, and, oh let's see here... a bit of a one-trick pony."
Pinkie's expression went completely flat, as did her hair. Rainbow Dash figured whatever Twilight said was about to leave all of them in a world of hurt, hopefully not physically.
"You know, that can't be good, but I figure we're already too deep in this now so whatever. Rarity you're up," Blue Vague said, hoping he did not invoke something that should have been left bottled up.
Rarity took the bottle from Twilight and poured a glass for herself. "Alright then. Let's see, dear Red Blaze... you're standoff-ish, you hate talking to anyone about anything, and you have quite a bit of a temper."
Red Blaze looked off to the side in back of Pinkie Pie, eyes starting to burn with anger. Golden Storm decided to chime in. "Well... you do have a bit of a temper, baby."
Which earned him a punch in the other front leg, this time from Blaze.
"Ow, damn girl, you hit harder than Vague."
Which earned him a murderous glare from Vague.
"Ok, seriously, what's up?"
Rainbow Dash had already taken a drink from her glass, Rarity having already graciously filled it; and internally telling herself this would probably be a long morning and a Unicorn should handle the bottle anyway. "What's up? Well just fact you don't know when to talk... and you seem to not have a serious bone in your body. That and you're an incorrigible flank-chaser. I dunno if you are half-human and half-Pony; or third-human, third-Pony, and third-skirt-hound."
Storm wondered why everyone was suddenly ganging up on him. Everyone else wondered where Rainbow Dash found the words 'incorrigible' and 'skirt-hound’.
The bottle was now in Applejack’s general vicinity. And knowing her own limits, having worked around fermenting agricultural products much of her adult life, had hardly finished her first glass. "Well let's see there... Blue Vague. I wonder if ya picked that name cuz ya won't give a straight answer. Plus, ya seem to have a fetish for five-bit words, which don't help. PLUS, I think ya tend to wax philosophical just a bit too much for my tastes."
Blue Vague just mouthed something silently, as he thought about what he was going to say when the bottle got around to him.
The periwinkle-aura'ed bottle then drifted near Fluttershy. As a pony that really had no idea what her alcohol tolerance was, was already on her fifth glass, and quite visibly flushed. "Hrm, Midori... I don't know what to say, honestly," she started, and Midori breathed a brief sigh of relief. "Well besides the fact that you are even more bi-polar than Pinkie Pie. Seriously, I don't know who's worse with the mood swings, you or her."
Midori just chuckled awkwardly as the blooms fell out of her hair. Vague levitated them aside onto a far-away table, just in case things really got out of hoof.
The bottle got next to Pinkie Pie, who snatched it out of the air and took a swig straight from the bottle's mouth. "You know, I don't know if I should be insulted, or complemented that little Miss Control FREAK called me 'random'. Little Miss 'I wouldn't know spontaneous if it came up and bit me square on my ass!"
Rarity simply huffed as she regained control of the wine bottle.
"Hey, I know random! I can be spontaneous! Can't I be spontaneous, Rarity?" Twilight asked nervously, hoping for some positive reinforcement.
Something she wouldn't get from the white Unicorn as she just shook her head silently.
"UGH! Why does everyone keep saying that?!" Twilight screamed as she stretched out on her back, visibly upset.
Red Blaze stared intently past the wine bottle, as she held out her glass to be filled. After such, she took a few extra moments to think of her comments for the purple-maned fashionista. "Hrm, so I don't like talking. Well, let's see... oh yeah, I'll talk. Talk about how you're vain, talk about how you can be quite shallow, oh and especially talk about how you're one of the biggest drama queens I've seen on this side of the Aura Barrier."
Rarity just silently glared at Blaze, who was more than willing to return fire as the periwinkle-aura'ed bottle drifted next to Vague.
Blue Vague took a slow drink from his glass as he finalized his thoughts; Rarity still with enough good grace in her to fill the glass once emptied. "Let's see Miss Jack.’Won't give a straight answer,' I believe you said. I see it as just not being plain, like a certain orange Earth Pony mare. Plain speaking, plain personality, plain hairstyle... just plain... well… everything."
Applejack snorted as she made a snide look at Blue Vague.
"Hey, I'm just saying..." Blue Vague said as he put his hooves up in a faux-defensive posture.
The bottle drifted to Midori Hana to complete the circuit, who was still giggling madly at the entire spectacle. "Oh man, this is just too funny..."
"What's funny, Miss Green." Fluttershy said derisively, the alcohol cutting off all the mental filters for social grace.
"First of all, Miss Midori to you. Second of all, This whole spectacle. THIRD of all, and back to you, the fact you had the nerve call me or Pinkie bipolar. Oh yeah, I heard the stories of how you seem to be really, really prone to bouts of rage. Like a certain incident back in the courtyard a couple of years ago..." Midori said, with a look on her face of 'bring it on'.
"Oh so that's how it's going to be, isn't it Miss Green." Fluttershy said, as the circle began to break up.
"Yes, I do believe it is going to be that way, Miss Not-So-Shy." Hana said, physically meeting the butter yellow Pegasus face to face.
"Ok, ok ladies... let's not go and do anything that'll have the hotel staff ready to throw us out on the street..." Storm said, trying to break up the altercation.
"SHUT UP!" both the butter-yellow and grass-green Ponies shouted at the approaching Pegasus stallion.
"Okay then..." said stallion replied, turning around and heading back for another glass of wine from an unopened bottle.
The spectacle dragged on for a good while longer, as more of the wine got around and into all ten Ponies involved. As they say, all good times come to an end, and this little private party was no different. Although, it was hard to say most parties ended the way this one had.
Golden Breeze, good and inebriated, proceeded to confirm most of Rainbow Dash's suspicions of him. "Hey, now you said that I tended to, ahem, chase the flanks around. But you know I wouldn't do such a thing if they weren't worthy of being chased."
Rainbow Dash was also inebriated, but not to the same degree, and therefore retained the good sense to not immediately follow Storm down this line of thought. "Heh, I guess I should thank you, but you sure you should be saying stuff like that with your marefriend like... 10 lengths away from us?"
"Ah come on, what she doesn't know won't hurt her," he said, oblivious to the fact that they weren't exactly in a private setting, and therefore everyone could hear exactly what he'd been saying.
Red Blaze, burning with anger, thought at first to lift the drunken Pegasus up and slam him against the wall, but then figured property damage would come out of their pocket. She then thought to take the Festivus Pole and clock him upside the head with it, but then thought the hospital bill would also come out of their pocket. She then found Applejack strumming on a novelty guitar made of very thin wood, and found it the perfect instrument, if one would, to teach the Pegasus a little lesson in fidelity.
Blaze sauntered up to Applejack, clearly not wanting to draw Storm's attention. "Say A.J., could you do me a little favor..." She then whispered into Applejack's ear her little idea.
Applejack's ears perked up, and found it to be a perfectly humorous and succinct way to get Blaze's point across.
Blaze and Applejack then made their way behind Golden Storm, Applejack motioning to Dash to not move or say anything to tip them off. The other six onlookers just sat silently, also not wanting to tip Storm off to Applejack's presence or Blaze's intentions.
Blaze tapped Storm on his shoulder, which immediately caused Storm to wheel around and immediately assume a verbally defensive posture. "Oh... hey baby... um... how long were you standing there."
Applejack moved out of Storm's direct line of sight, guitar along her side.
"Oh not that long..." Blaze responded; looking for the entire world like nothing was amiss.
"So, is anything wrong?" Storm asked nervously, still not noticing Applejack, now with guitar cocked in her hooves.
"Oh nooo, not at all. Well... maybe... just one little thing..." Blaze said, as she ducked out of the way to give Applejack a clear line of sight.
"Huh wh--" Storm started to say, before he was cut off by a bang that a wooden, toy, novelty guitar had no business making. But loudly bang it did, as Applejack smashed the toy clean against his temple, knocking the drunk Pegasus completely unconscious.
"Welp, I guess that about brings this party to a close." Blue Vague said, as he magically un-stuck the aluminum pole from the floor, and Blaze drug the unconscious Storm away from the snapped guitar.
"Goodnight Seattle, you guys rock..." Storm murmured while being drug away to his room.
The other eight Ponies continued to clean up, thankful their little alcohol-fueled session didn't result in any further damage to the room they commandeered.
-----
I wonder if I could use that idea for next year's Winter Moon Celebration.
Hopefully it doesn't end in the mass smashing of novelty guitars across our poor citizens’ heads.
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4932284
Not to overtly spoil those who hadn't read but yes... though she didn't pick that name for herself... that's why she refers to herself as a Keeper or some other generic term like that to our principals for right now.
I also have plans for more Immortals, both incarnate and 'spirit', but that will be more for part two of the story after I finish the rewritten chapters.
4932681 I think I remember making that guess when I got to that point before the rewrite.