Lesson Zero: It's Rude to Stare! Or, Welcome to Ponyville
Sweetie Belle's eyes fluttered open as the morning rays of the sun shone through the frost covered window to her room. She yawned and rolled out of bed, shaking herself awake and looking at the date. Her eyes widened and she snapped to full awareness. "Oh my gosh it's today!" As glee washed over her, the birds started tweeting a tune and Sweetie Belle couldn't help herself. She started vocalising, lyrics already coming to her. She flung open the window and her sweet voice rang out over the town.
"I look out... over the town, over the snow cov-ered roof tops, and my heart blossoms outward with song!" As she sang, faint, light green swirls began to dance around in the air and she watched the ponies in the streets. "I look out... at the ponies all wal-king and tal-king and I know what to-day is, I know who is comiiiiing..." She went back to vocalising as she trotted down the stairs, the swirls of magic fixing up her bedmane and drawing out a scarf, coat, and boots for Sweetie Belle. She donned them flowingly, not missing a beat.
Rarity began to trot beside her, and she sang next. "I look out... over the town, and I see inspiration for making apparel galore! I've been tasked with such glory! I'm making her clothes! I know what today is; I know who is comiiiing!" They trotted out the door as Sweetie continued to vocalise, and came upon Pinkie, hopping and spreading streamers and balloons and a few banners here and there. It was no surprise as she began to sing.
"I look out... over the town, and I'm ready to party with streamers and sprinkles and b'loons everywhere!" As the townsponies began to gather, there was a pause in the lyrics for just the vocalisation and the birds, and then they all joined in.
"We can't wait for the train! No time is too soon, for we know what today is, we know who is coming!" Discord appeared, green and looking very sick. Rather than the townsponies drawing out the last word, Discord sang in turn.
"I'm absolutely positively siiiick!" Everyone stopped and glared at him, and his look turned sheepish. "What? I ate too much candy!" His body changed colours rapidly at this in different styles of candy, like peppermint and chocolate.
"Now, Discord, what did I tell you?" chided Fluttershy. "You know better than that." She led him off back to her home, and the tune started up again like nothing had happened. The steadily growing group passed by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, enjoying breakfast at a café.
"I can't wait... for Princess Luna... She'll see those blank flanks are losers!" Diamond Tiara sang, and Silver Spoon joined in for the next line. "Maybe with us she'll hang out instead."
Scootaloo scoffed next to them. "Ha! Like that'll ever happen; well, she knows you're just bullies!" The two looked horrified, and horrible thoughts began to play out in their heads as to what Princess Luna might do to them.
Sweetie Belle cut in before they could continue as the group moved toward the train station. "I wish that train would go faster, for my magic she's coming!"
Luna's train had started moving as the song had started. Luna felt strange magic in the air, and then suddenly, the train jerked forward, moving at a breakneck pace across the twisting track, somehow staying on despite the curves. The ponies panicked inside the cars and the engineers frantically tried to stop the train, but nothing worked.
"And to learn how to be one of us!" The townsponies finished the verse, drawing out the last word. Twilight joined into the group and sang the next verse.
"I can't wait... for the princess; there's so much information! My heart is about to just burst! A new kind of magic to learn all about! Yes, I know what today is, I know what is comiiing!" They were close to the train station by now, and approaching it, everyone anticipating Luna's return, no one thinking that, hey, the train ride is long and it'll be hours before she gets here.
An engineer burst into Luna's car. "Princess! You have to stop the train! It's moving too quickly and we can't stop it!" His expression was frantic, and what came next would make it even worse.
"It is my duty as your princess." Luna couldn't help but be formal. Her horn lit up and she began to try and stop the train with telekinesis, but swirls of light green magic materialised and blocked off her attempts. "This is strong magic... This is Heart Song magic. I cannot stop this, we must simply wait."
She went into the Royal Canterlot Voice to reassure the passengers in all the cars. "Fear not, my little ponies! This is the result of a Heart Song, everything will be fine! Panic not!" At the sound of their princess, the passengers and engineers sighed in relief. Luna made her way to the front of the train quickly, and as they turned a corner...
She saw that the bridge up ahead was out and they had only seconds. She said not a word, but on reflex she tried to teleport the ponies out, but she was stopped. She couldn't make magic rails; she had never bothered to learn about trains. She thought she would never need them, so why did it matter? She had absolutely no idea how train tracks were formed and she didn't have enough time to figure it out. She prepared to protect her ponies with defensive spells, but suddenly a light green bridge filled the gap and the train rocketed over it, safe. They were approaching Ponyville now.
The whole town repeated the last part of the song. "Today's her arrival! Princess Luna is coming! And we! Can! Hard-! -ly! Wait!" They held the last note as they stepped onto the platform, and the train screeched to a stop in front of them. Princess Luna stepped out, and the music quieted. "Welcome to Ponyville, Princess Luna!" they all shouted, and then with the ponies that were inside inexplicably outside, the train fell apart into a heap.
There was a long, awkward (near) silence, finally broken by Sweetie Belle. "Um... Oops?" With a final flourish, the music stopped.
***
Discord appeared moments later, clapping- No, Sweetie Belle saw three copies of Discord, one clapping, the other whistling while waving a "#1" hand[1], and the third holding up three signs, each with a 10, in his three arms.
[1]: This shape was completely incomprehensible to the ponies present, since one particular mint-green unicorn was in Canterlot. She fortunately never found out.
"Absolutely frabulous![2]" he exclaimed, the two copies not clapping disappearing. "I loved every second of it! Especially that part where they were about to go careening off the bridge! That was a nice touch; how did you do it?"
"What do you mean careening-" Twilight was interrupted in the middle of her horrified remark by Discord.
"Luna!" he shouted, particularly loudly, to cut off Twilight. "How positively wonderful to see you again! It's been so long!" He held up a watch whose hands were on Too and Long (in the wrong order, of course), while all the other markings were inscrutable gibberish.
[2]: This was a mix of frabjous and fabulous, which was actually rather redundant because frabjous had been invented as a mix of fabulous and some other irrelevant words. Of course, nopony would ever know that, and so Discord was perfectly fine with using it.
"Discord," said Luna, deadpan. "It hath been only a mere two moons."
Discord was shocked. "Shocked!" he exclaimed. "You say that like it's a short time! Oh, I could hardly survive those two months waiting for my dear friend!" He drew his paw over his face, quickly growing pale. "I made a documentary of my ordeals! It was a hit, I'm sure you heard of it." He snapped his fingers and a screen rolled open, attached to the ceiling.
Luna immediately rolled it back up. "No, Discord, I did not, nor do I wish to. Now, if thou wilt excuse-"
"Oh, fine, suit yourself. Anyway, how are you doing? Did you enjoy your vacation in Kelpienesia?"
"I did not have a vacation-" Luna's mane and tail turned into matted seaweed and she disappeared, before reappearing with a straw sun hat that was rapidly growing wet, and she was covered in flowers. She shook the flowers off and reverted her mane and tail to normal, although she stashed the straw hat secretly in Canterlot, rather liking it.
"That vacation!" Discord smiled innocently. Some of the ponies let out a snicker; none of them had left yet.
"We are not amused, Discord! Do not make us use the Royal Canterlot Voice!" Luna exclaimed, becoming increasingly irritated with Discord. He didn't seem to know how to stop.
"Oh, how grumpy. I was sure you'd be more excited to see an old friend! Do you need that vacation again? I think it would make you more excited!" Discord was about to snap his fingers again, but Luna stopped him.
"No, no, I am fine. I do not need a vacation to Kelpienesia, however short it is. Now, I need to-"
"Well then, what will I do to make you happy?" He twirled the tips of a moustache that was now on his face, which huffed and rolled off of him, not making it far before it disappeared.
"Thou wilt allow me to speak with-"
"Ah, yes! Why didn't I think of it earlier? You're cold!" Everypony heard children from nowhere laughing at Discord. "Now, let's not be like that."
"We are not cold, Discord!" Luna's face was growing red. Discord snapped his fingers and steam rose out of her ears.
"Oh my, you're right! You're terribly hot! I can fix that." One finger snap later and Luna was covered in snow. A whistling sound was heard as steam rose out of the snow and it grew increasingly hot, before the snow exploded outward, Luna jumping up and spreading her wings, opening her mouth to shout. She was unable to, however, as her mouth detached from her head and rose up in front of her. A barrage of cold water spewed out of it, soaking her and causing her to shiver uncontrollably, and then the mouth reattached.
"N- Not... Amused.."
"Discord!" exclaimed Fluttershy, trotting up to him angrily. "Don't you see how angry Luna is getting? You need to stop. Uh, if you don't mind, that is."
"Yeah!" added Rainbow Dash, scowling. "If she's such a 'dear friend' of yours, you should listen to her! Look at her!" Luna was curling her wings around her, shivering, dripping, and trying to get warm but failing. Twilight conjured up a blanket and wrapped it around Luna with magic.
"Oh, but I was simply trying to make her happy!" Discord said, pouting.
"Well ya ain't doin' very well at it," Applejack reprimanded, raising her eyebrow.
"Hmm... Well, I suppose I'll just have to try harder!" exclaimed Discord, about to do something else, but Fluttershy stopped him.
"No! Don't! I mean, um, you need to go home, you're sick, remember? You can... You can make her happy later." Fluttershy looked up at her friend, pleadingly.
"If you insist, Fluttershy." Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared. Luna sighed in relief and Pinkie Pie galloped up to her.
"Are you okay, Princess Luna?" she asked, but not intrusively. "I have some warm cupcakes if you want one!"
"No, it is fine," Luna replied, politely. "Do not trouble thyself."
"I'm really sorry about Discord, Princess Luna," said Fluttershy, sheepishly. "He's still kind of learning how to... You know... Stop." She hid her face behind her mane. "But he really was happy to see you! He says he really bonded with you when you two were trying to stop us from getting the Elements."
"I most certainly did not," Luna said, with a tone of finality. "He is, was, and always will be one of the most irritating creatures I know." She sighed, getting up and getting rid of the last of her wetness with magic.
"He's nice if you get to know him... You just have to withstand his antics. You get used to them eventually, and they're really nice now! He is reformed." Fluttershy smiled; she had had a lot of great times with Discord since the Tirek incident when he'd been fully reformed.
"I shall learn to tolerate him, since I shall be staying here. But expect not more." Luna was adamant. She really disliked Discord. Not to the point of despising him, mind you, but close.
"If you insist..." Fluttershy stepped back, and Twilight stepped forward in her place, hugging Luna.
"It's so great to see you again, Luna!" she exclaimed, eagerly. "I'm so glad you're going to be staying. And you have so much information on what Equestrian culture was like all those years ago! Celestia never tells me about any of it."
Luna chuckled lightly, returning the affection with a hug of her own. "She thinketh that they were far too 'stuffy' and wanteth not thee trying them. Worry not, I shall tell thee about them. But that is for another time. For now, where is Sweetie Belle?" She scanned the crowd; Sweetie Belle seemed to have disappeared. She startled back as Sweetie Belle popped up in front of her.
"I'm right here, Luna!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking from her excitement. "I can't wait to really get to know you!" She jumped up to try and hug Luna's neck, but she was too short and couldn't reach. Princess Luna had started growing taller a number of moons ago. She frowned sadly, but then giggled as Luna lifted her up in her magic. She sat on Luna's back and hugged her neck. "Onward, my princess!"
Luna smiled warmly and turned her head. "Where dost thou wish to go, Sweetie Belle?"
Sweetie Belle thought for a bit, but quickly settled upon an answer. "You didn't really get to see Ponyville all that much any time you were here! I'll show you around!"
"That is a very good idea. Where shall I go for my room when we finish?" she asked the others.
"Just come to the castle, Princess Luna," Rarity replied. "It's positively gorgeous! You'll love it."
"I certainly should hope so." Luna smiled. "I shall see you all soon." She looked at Sweetie Belle. "Art thou ready?"
"Am I ever!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. "This is going to be so fun!"
"Bye, Princess Luna!" Twilight and her friends exclaimed, and with that, Luna was off.
"And that's Sugarcube Corner, where Pinkie and the Cakes make lots of great food!" Sweetie Belle described, pointing out the building that looked like it was made of sweets[3]. "Like milkshakes and cakes and cupcakes and bakes and a bunch of other stuff that ends in ake!"
[3]: Which unfortunately it was not.
"Oh, my. That is a lot of things that end in ake," Luna said, sceptically. "But why is there bakes in that list? Are they not called baked goods?"
"Yeah, they are, but Pinkie officially changed the name to bakes because it rhymed!" Sweetie Belle replied, giggling. "Don't ask how; she's Pinkie. So that's what we all call them now."
"That is certainly interesting. But it is Pinkie, and with what I have seen of her, I suppose I shall have to let it go." She chuckled lightly. "I had heard that Twilight burst into flames upon trying to understand her."
"Yup! I didn't see it though." She started to frown, but then she perked up again. "Hey, do you want a cupcake? I have a few bits!"
"Oh, Sweetie Belle, thou needst not pay for my-" Luna was interrupted by Sweetie Belle.
"No, I insist. I saved them for this, for you!" She smiled sweetly, her eyes wide, pleading.
"Well... I suppose. Let us go." Luna trotted into the building, and some of the ponies gawked at the display of their princess being ridden by Sweetie Belle. Most had left the station before they could see that happen. Luna shot The Look[4] at them before Sweetie Belle could see their disapproving glares.
[4]: An extremely disapproving frown. It worked surprisingly well, for some reason.
"They made special cupcakes with you as a theme for today!" Sweetie's voice cracked. "They're strawberry flavoured," she added, offhandedly.
"I am sorry, didst thou say strawberry?" asked Luna, her mouth beginning to water in a very un-Princess-like way. She quickly flicked away the water from her lips.
"Yeah, why?" she asked, as they approached the Cakes. "Two Lunacakes!" Sweetie Belle dropped some bits on the counter and then waited for Luna's response.
"Strawberry is my favourite fruit; it hath always been." Luna eyed her cupcake hungrily as it was hoofed over.
"Wow, that's great!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed as she picked up her cupcake, and then she hopped off of Luna and sat down at a table, Luna following. "Although I guess the Cakes probably knew that," She giggled and took a bite of her cupcake, which was frosted dark blue with white sprinkles and and a frosting crescent moon.
"Why is my moon always depicted in its crescent form?" mused Luna, realising that she had seen it that way very often. She refrained from eating her cupcake for now, waiting for an answer.
"I dunno," Sweetie Belle replied as she finished her bite and wiped her mouth with a napkin in a most ladylike manner. "I guess it's easier to figure out that it's a moon and not just some white round thing. It doesn't look boring, either." She took another dainty bite, and decided that this was better eaten quickly. But she remembered that Luna was there, and she didn't want to offend her princess. "Um, Princess Luna?" Luna was interrupted just as she was about to finally eat her cupcake. "Can I..." She pointed to her cupcake, trailing off.
"Of course. I shall not be off-put." Sweetie Belle grinned, and in a few bites she had devoured her cupcake. Luna laughed lightly, and Sweetie Belle blushed, wiping her mouth with the napkin again to get rid of the crumbs and frosting. Then she gasped as Luna did the same thing that she had done (albeit in fewer bites), and then she started giggling. The other patrons were horrified at Sweetie Belle's laughing at her princess, but then Luna started laughing too, and before they knew it they were both laughing their heads off.
"Princess Luna, the bane of cupcakes everywhere!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, giggling again.
"No cupcake shall escape our wrath! Muahahaha!"
"Except for all of those ones, because I don't have any more bits! And I don't think I have room for any other cupcakes." Sweetie Belle blushed and wiped off one last spot on her mouth. Luna suddenly sobered as she noticed everypony gawking at the spectacle.
"Well," she said, quickly trying to regain her composure. "We must go, there is more of Ponyville for thee to show me." She wiped her mouth daintily, making sure everything was gone.
"Okay then! There's a lot more places to show you." Luna levitated Sweetie Belle onto her back again, and they trotted off, leaving Sugarcube Corner to a long, awkward silence.
"This is Carousel Boutique, where Rarity and I live and Rarity makes dresses and sells them!" Luna opened up the door and trotted in, looking around at the many mannequins, clothes, and accessories. And she's making some clothes for you! Do you want to see them? Don't worry, she didn't tell me they should be a secret, so I'm sure it's fine." She giggled.
"Well, I suppose it is worth a try. Let us see what she hath in store for me." They went up to Rarity's inspiration room, Sweetie hopped off of Luna's back, and she took out the clothes that Rarity had finished. There was one dress done, which was thick like a blanket, but surprisingly not heavy. It was a peach-ish maroon, with misty swirls of sea green. Another was a plain coat, dark purple with sea green fluff at the ends.
"Hmm, I thought she'd made more. Oh well! Do you want to try them on?" Sweetie Belle's voice cracked as she grew excited at the prospect of getting to see Luna in her new clothes.
"Well... Mine ethereal mane shall not be tussled per its nature, so let us begin." Sweetie Belle squealed and jumped up, clapping her hooves.
"Which one should we do first? Let's do the dress!" Sweetie Belle did not wait for an answer from Luna, although Luna was going to choose the dress anyway. They went through the articles of clothing, along with boots and socks and scarves that Rarity had made as well, Luna gradually loosening up again and having much more.
"I must admit, I had never thought that 'dress up' was this much fun. I believe I shall be rethinking many more of my perspectives in this town." She twirled the scarf she wore around her neck, and got comfortable in the purple coat and boots (which had the same colour scheme as the coat). The scarf was red and green striped. "Can... Can I go out with these articles?"
"Oh, sure!" Sweetie Belle replied. "They're yours anyway!" Luna clapped her hooves and levitated Sweetie back onto her back.
"Then by all means, let us go! We have more to see!" She teleported out of the room (not forgetting Sweetie Belle) and they began to trot through the town again, Sweetie pointing out more places.
"This is Fluttershy's cottage," Sweetie Belle pointed out as they reached the end of the path. "I wonder if she's here?" Luna knocked on the door, and Fluttershy flew out of the window.
"Oh, hello, Princess Luna," Fluttershy said, softly, as she set down. "I'm terribly afraid you can't come in right now. Harry the bear is blocking the door. He's been hibernating in front of it all this time. I don't think you'd fit through the window. Teleporting would wake Harry up." The window had been enlarged so more ponies could fit through it, but alas, Princess Luna was not a regular pony. "All I have for you to do is to look at my animals. You could get a pet."
"I already have one; I am sorry, dear Fluttershy. But I thank thee for the offer."
"Oh, but you could get another one." She began to sing. "I have so many wonderful creatures-"
"One is enough for me to handle, but I thank thee for the offer." Princess Luna smiled warmly.
"Oh, okay then. It was nice seeing you, though." Fluttershy waved to Luna as she retreated back into her window, and Luna teleported back to the town.
"Can we skip Sweet Apple Acres? It's kind of boring this time of year. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are probably at the school." The trees at the orchard would all be dead, and Applejack and Big Mac were out in Ponyville. Plus, besides the fact that there wasn't anything to do, Granny Smith would probably talk their heads off and there would be no getting out of it.
"If thou insistest. Let us go to the school, then." Sweetie Belle pointed Luna in the right direction, and they began to trot through the town, vaguely aware that there were much fewer ponies than before.
"You know, that kind of sounds like a lisp," Sweetie suddenly interjected. "Insistest, doth, hath, all the th everywhere." She frowned in her thought.
"It doth not sound like a lisp! 'Twas perfectly fine in the olden days." Luna huffed.
"Well, lisp or not, it still sounds kind of cool." Sweetie Belle giggled. "Hey, there's the school now!" Sweetie could see Scootaloo and Apple Bloom... And Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. She could guess what they were doing. Luna trotted noiselessly, approaching behind the two bullies, and they could clearly hear what was being said.
"... a fluke she's even hanging out with Sweetie Belle. And you're both still blank flanks! There's no way she'll ever even look at you." Diamond Tiara stopped as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo snickered. "She's... Standing right behind me, isn't she?" She turned around slowly, and both bullies cowered at the sight of the looming Princess Luna. Luna was about to open her mouth and boom with the Royal Canterlot Voice, but Apple Bloom spoke up.
"Please don't punish them, Princess Luna," she said. "It'll jus' make them worse."
"What meanest thou, worse?" asked Princess Luna, her voice dangerously close to RCV levels.
"Every time they get humiliated or punished, they just come back harder," Scootaloo replied, hopelessly. The two bullies didn't know what to do, realising that they were at the mercy of the whims of their victims.
"... Fine. Be ye gone," Luna said dismissively to the bullies. "But do not let me see thee bullying my little ponies, or there shall be Tartarus to pay." They scampered off, and Luna sighed. "I shall have to find a way to teach them why they are wrong."
"Thank ya kindly fer that, Princess Luna," said Apple Bloom. "We needed ta go somewhere and they were all up in our muzzles."
"Speaking of that, we need to go right now!" exclaimed Scootaloo. "We'll see you later, Sweetie Belle." They both waved and galloped off before either Luna or Sweetie Belle could respond.
"That was weird!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, her voice cracking. In reality, she knew exactly why they had to go, but she did a pretty good job of hiding that. And she wasn't lying; it had been weird in a suspicious manner. "Hey, I think we're out of places to look at. Let's go see your room at the castle!"
"Oh! Yes. I know not whether the residents of Ponyville will be able to satisfactorily prepare Mr. Tibbles' quarters." Luna began to trot toward the castle at a leisurely pace.
"Mr. Tibbles?" Sweetie Belle asked, confused. "Oh, you said you had a pet when we were at Fluttershy's!" Her voice cracked.
"I did. He is an opossum."
"Is that some kind of exotic animal or something?" asked Sweetie Belle, having never heard of an opossum.
Luna gasped. "Thou hast not heard of the opossum? 'Tis such a regal creature![5] We shall show you." Her horn glowed and a magical hologram of Tiberius the opossum appeared in the air.
[5]: Celestia hadn't actually believed this would work. She'd once told her sister that she should get an opossum, "one of the most regal of creatures," and Luna looked at one and actually thought of it that way. Despite Celestia's subsequent attempts to dissuade her, Luna got it anyway. [AN 1]
Sweetie Belle stared at it, utterly amazed... At the absolute lack of regality in the creature before her. She chuckled sheepishly, trying to think of an escape. "It's certainly... An interesting pet. Yes! It's interesting."
"Dost thou likest any part of it in particular?" Luna prodded further, eager for Sweetie Belle's opinion.
Sweetie's eyes darted rapidly around the opossum, trying to find something specific. "I... Really like its... Ears?"
"That is a good choice. His ears are such wonderful apparatus." Sweetie Belle laughed tensely again, but Luna took no notice. "Ah, here we are!" Luna exclaimed as they came upon the door. She opened it up with her magic and trotted in. The throne room was empty.
"Up the stairs over here," Sweetie Belle said, pointing to an archway on the left. Luna made her way up into the third level and trotted briskly through the corridor, Sweetie Belle pointing out the door with a crescent moon (again!) over it. "This is it! Twilight worked really hard on it." Luna opened up the door and stepped in, first noticing that the room's walls, floor, and celiing were black, seamless, but gleaming stars decorated the blackness. She couldn't find her moon, though...
Until it lit up at the top of the room, filling it with light, and Sweetie Belle and all the ponies hidden in her room cried out, "Welcome to Ponyville!" Luna shot back and slammed the door with her magic, panting.
"Sweetie Belle, we must go, quickly! They wish to kill me!" She charged her horn for a teleport, but Sweetie quickly responded.
"No! It's a surprise party, not a plot to kill you!" Her voice cracked again.
Luna paused. "A... Surprise party? Dost thou mean an ambush?" Luna didn't grasp what she meant, despite how obviously self-explanatory it was.
"No," Sweetie Belle replied, giggling. "It's a party for you, a normal party, but they make sure you don't know about it so they can surprise you." Luna had a very confused look on her face. "Okay, so you know how you get gifts, but you don't know what's inside them?"
"Yes, certainly..." Luna said, slowly, not seeing the connection.
"So it's a surprise what the gift is going to be. And sometimes ponies give you gifts and you didn't know they were going to give you a gift?"
"That happeneth all of the time with the nobility, to fall into my favour." She shuddered.
"Well, a surprise party is like a surprise gift. Except it's a party." Sweetie Belle beamed.
"... Art thou sure 'tis not an ambush?"
"I'm sure. Come on, it's fine! They're waiting." Luna sighed and opened up the door. The ponies were still in the same positions as before, having not known what to do.
"Whooo's ready to party?!" Pinkie cried, and the ponies finally broke out of the silence and milled about, the awkwardness instantly reverting to a warm and conversational atmosphere.
Luna was quiet for a bit, and so was Sweetie Belle. "Interesting." Sweetie Belle giggled at Luna's short response.
"Well, go enjoy! Talk to some ponies! Have some cake!" Her voice cracked each time she spoke. "Yes, the cake is strawberry flavoured." She giggled again. Luna perked up and got a plate, putting a slice of cake and some strawberries on it. Sweetie filled her plate up with fruits and she and Luna trotted around while she munched on them. Pinkie Pie popped up in front of Luna.
"Hey Princess Luna! Do you like your party?? Oh, and your room, too!" Pinkie swept over the room with her hoof. The room's surfaces were still black, since that was their natural colour, but that combined with the light of the moon gave the oddest feeling. Everything else was lit up normally, of course.
There were balloons, streamers, a banner, and the other usual things that made up a Pinkie Party. It was Luna-themed, with lots of dark, bluish colours. This had come from the party cannon, actually, but it wasn't odd at all that the colours radically differed from the usual of that cannon. It was Pinkie. You never knew with her.
"The room is wonderful," Luna replied. "I had honestly thought 'twould be nothing like my room at the castle. I stand corrected, it seemeth. And I hope that this party be wonderful. From what I have heard of thee, it will be." She smiled and took a bite of a strawberry.
"I sure hope it is! It's not as wild as my other parties, because I know you don't really like that!" Pinkie was always considerate of others in how she partied. It had taken a while to get that into her head, but it was there now.
"Thou art correct. I thank thee for thy consideration. Now, 'tis time I enjoy my party!" Luna smiled widely, almost, but not quite a grin. Luna never grinned. She paused suddenly, realising: "How... How doth one enjoy a party such as this?" With a literal record scratch[6], everyone suddenly stopped everything, turning to stare at Luna.
[6]: Bureaucracy is an unrelenting machine, and the poor DJ, Vinyl Scratch, had to pay for a replacement record in full.
Pinkie Pie was unfazed. "Well, you talk with other ponies, eat cakes, cupcakes, and more bakes, and play games! Although I'm not sure you'll be very interested in the games." Pinkie pointed out the beanbag toss as an example.
"Thou wouldst be surprised. Givest thou a try to me." Pinkie led Luna to the beanbag toss as some of the other ponies went back to what they were doing, but an equal amount stayed to watch.
"Can I tell her how to do it?" asked Sweetie Belle excitedly, her voice cracking. She tried to reach for a beanbag, but Luna was just barely too tall for her legs to reach. "Oh, come on!" Pinkie giggled and tossed a beanbag to Sweetie, which she caught. "So you have to get the beanbag into one of the holes! Actually, that's pretty much it." She laughed and threw the beanbag, getting it close to a hole, but just not there. "Aw, I didn't get it. Oh well, your turn!"
Luna hmmed and levitated up a beanbag, carrying it neatly through the hole. She paused again. "Art thou sure that this be a game? I thought games are to be fun. This doth not seem quite fun."
Both Pinkie Pie and Sweetie Belle burst out giggling, and Luna stared at them, wondering what could possibly be so funny that they would refuse to give her any sort of explanation. "Princess.. Princess Luna..." Sweetie Belle said, trying to stop laughing. "You're supposed to- To throw it!"
"Yeah, you probably should have said that better, Sweetie Belle!" Pinkie interjected. She was a master of talking while giggling. "Throwing it is what makes it fun, because you can fail! So you have to try not to fail!"
Luna mulled this over, and then brought back the bean bag, holding it in her hoof, pulling her hoof back, and throwing. Her aim was wildly inaccurate in terms of the holes. She'd thrown rocks at enemies before, but they were really big rocks. She hmmed again and teleported back the bean bag again, before conjuring up a modified magical crossbow, loading the beanbag, and then shooting it. The beanbag went cleanly through the hole, and the crossbow only shot it as fast as a throw, so it wouldn't knock over the board. "Huzzah!"
Pinkie and Sweetie stared.
"What," Sweetie Belle said. It was a statement. Not a question.
"Wow!" exclaimed Pinkie, suddenly. "That's a great new take on the bean bag toss game! Can you keep that bow thing together?" She began to bounce up and down, an idea popping in her head. Ideas didn't light up in Pinkie's head, they popped like fireworks. Some of the time.
"I can," Luna replied, absent-mindedly, as she put another bean bag in the crossbow and shot it.
"Well, how about you keep it like that so other ponies can try it once you go to another game? Please?" Pinkie Pie smiled sweetly.
"Thou needst not beg, Pinkie Pie. I shall do what thou askest." She placed down the crossbow next to the beanbags, and, satisfied with her performance, turned around to see Discord standing in front of her.
"Why, hello, Luna! I must say, I was not expecting you! What a pleasant surprise!" He shook Luna's hoof vigorously, grinning.
"Discord, this is my party. Why wouldst thou not expect me?" Luna asked, deadpan. She hoped that Discord would not do something to ruin her mood, but at the same time, she knew it would happen.
"Hmm, you make a good point. Oh well, no matter, you're here now, and so am I! Let's have some fun!" Discord was just about to snap her fingers, but Luna interrupted.
"No I am not," she said, quickly, and teleported with Sweetie Belle to the other side of the room, turning around and sighing in relief...
Faced by Discord. "I'm wounded! But really, I am. I'm trying to make friends with you, but you refuse to give me even a second glance. And here I thought the princesses were all about their little ponies and friendship and love." He turned around and crossed his arms.
"We- Thou-" Luna spluttered, unable to give an answer, but she quickly rectified it. "Thou art not a little pony!" Before Discord could change, she quickly added, "Of ours!"
Discord harrumphed and snapped his fingers, changing into a pony with constantly flickering style and a sign around his neck, saying, 'Property of Princess Luna.' He changed back and scowled. "Well, if you don't want to talk to me, then at least accept my gift."
"What gift dost thou speak of?" asked Luna, sceptically. She didn't know about any "gifts" from someone like Discord.
"So suspicious! At least take a look at the gift; if you don't like it, just say the word." He smiled innocently and snapped his fingers. The stars on the room's surfaces began to move subtly, with nebulae of different shapes forming. It gave a sensation of floating, in a way, as space moved around you. "It can zoom in and out, too!" The surfaces zoomed out to reveal galaxies and bigger clouds and nebulae, before zooming in to show planets and comets floating around the stars.[7]
[7]: The many affairs shown on the surfaces were in fact quite tiny. Equestria, with its ever changing shape and topography, rested on a giant turtle whom Luna and Celestia were quite fond of.[AN 2] Thus, the stars and galaxies were much smaller than they seemed. They were real, of course, but the stars were small enough to be considered floating lights in the sky, and the planets were basically incredibly detailed marbles.
Luna was speechless. Her room was no longer just like her room at home, it was, Astral Plane forbid, even better. "I... It's..." Her eyes darted around the surroundings hungrily like a foal taking in a new toy.
"Oh, so you don't like it, then." Discord scowled and crossed his arms again, about to snap his fingers.
"No!" Luna shouted in the Voice. Everypony quieted to look at her. "Um, we mean, please do not thou remove thy gift. It... We... I love it."
"Hah! I knew you would." Discord did a little dance, and then placed his paw under Luna's muzzle. "I really am truly sorry for being so forward at the train station. I hope we can be friends eventually." He smiled sincerely, and walked off to enjoy the party.
"This still doth not mean we are friends!" Luna exclaimed, still adamant about toleration. But she accepted that Discord was sincere; that could not be denied. As she continued to look around at the room, a memory started to form, one of a day long past, as she looked at a room... just like this. She remembered being a filly; she remembered her mother showing her the room she had made. No, that Discord had made. A tear began to form in her eye, and she realised that she couldn't cry in front of her little ponies.
"Everypony, I am sorry, but you all must leave. This party was wonderful, and I thank ye all for giving it to me. But I... I need some time for myself."
"Oh, we understand, Princess Luna!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. "Right, everypony?" They all nodded with murmurs of assent. "No hard feelings!" She squeezed Luna and then she was gone, along with all of the party supplies. Nopony seemed at all surprised by this as they shuffled out the door, except for Luna, but the memory returned and replaced the confusion.
She trotted slowly to the wall and placed her two front hooves to it, remembering how she touched the walls with her little filly hooves so very long ago. "Oh, mother..." She remembered hugging her mother's hoof, trying to get up to her but being too little. She remembered her mother's warm embrace, and the salty, stinging tears began to fall as the wonderful feeling began to disappear. She frantically reached for it in her mind, but it was already gone. Gone like her mother and her father and Star Swirl and almost everypony she'd ever loved.
The tears streamed down her face now, a never-ending well of despair. But she forgot about the little filly sitting on her back, who quietly embraced her neck, nuzzling her Princess's neck and trying to comfort her. Little did Sweetie know how much her embrace helped, the feeling it brought back, which wasn't going to go away again. Luna had a little piece of her mother with her again. It didn't matter how little, Luna felt like she was there.
Maybe she didn't have her mother, but she did have Sweetie Belle, and that was what mattered.
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First off, this.
Why are the fruits trotting around her plate? Why would she eat them?
Now that I have that out of my system, Lesson Zero (sniker sniker references) is amazing. A truly magnificent piece of work that has both slice of life elements, and builds a huge amount of backstory.
In short, color me impressed.
5405420 Whoops! Can't believe I missed that. Luna and Sweetie Belle are trotting around.
I'll fix that as soon as I finish posting this comment.
Well, that's high praise! I'm glad you liked it. I was originally going to release only Lesson Zero at first, but then I realised people might see that too differently from how I meant it, so I released both Lesson Zero and One at the same time. (Zero is the prologue.) Hopefully you find Lesson One just as good!